Zeyna Lost and Found

Gr 3-7–Twelve-year-old Zeyna, a Pakistani-British girl living in 1970 London, dreams of being a detective. Her hackles are raised when she notices a suspicious stranger following her family. When the family abruptly travels to Pakistan for a family wedding, Zeyna is surprised to find herself on the case of a ring of jewel thieves, accompanied by her cousin and younger brother. This mystery explores themes of belonging and identity. It also features tidbits of history from Pakistan in the generation after Partition and Iran in the decade before revolution. Historical details from the book are expanded upon in the back matter. Urdu and Punjabi phrases are sprinkled into the text, with plenty of context clues for readers. Some of Zeyna’s adventures read as unrealistic: in particular the border-crossing exploits of three preteens. However, kid readers will delight in reading about kids saving the day, all on their own.