Miss Daisy Tannenbaum, almost 13, precocious as ever, and homeschooling in Paris with her Aunt Mill, is back for another misadventure in Daisy and the Missing Mona Lisa. This is the third book in a series by J.T. Allen – it’s a fabulous read!
Taking a break from the City of Light and her dreaded math homework, Daisy heads to a rambling chateau in the Loire. She aims to help her Aunt Mill’s friend and fellow former spy, Felix, catalog his art collection. But when Daisy receives a copy of the Mona Lisa as a thank you gift from Felix, strange things start to happen. This Mona is not just any copy. It’s one of two perfect forgeries created to fool the Nazis during their hunt for the real Mona Lisa in WWII. Daisy’s best friend from the states, Lucia, a newly minted teen model in Paris to audition for the spring runway shows, thinks Daisy’s Mona is the real one. Real or not, it’s worth a fortune. And when Felix suddenly dies, his family accuses Daisy of stealing it. Once again, Daisy must navigate a world of crazy, scheming, frequently criminal adults, not to mention traveling ghosts, ginormous pigs, testy lawyers, former spies, and obnoxious fashionistas, as she finds herself trying to outwit them all to keep her beloved Mona.
Review
This is the first in the series of the Daisy Tannenbaum misadventures that I have read, and I’m definitely going to seek out the others now, though it doesn’t matter if you read this as a stand alone tale.
Daisy is charming, headstrong and caring. She has a wonderful relationship with her friends who join her on her quest to find the truth. Excitement, tension and mystery fill each page making it a thrilling read not knowing what direction the story will go in next! Just the right length for younger readers to enjoy. I read this with my ten year old son and he really liked it. He’s into all things historic and fact driven and enjoyed learning more about French history in the book. Then I gave it to my neighbour whose 14 year old said that she wants to go to Paris to see the Mona Lisa after reading this! And she’d like to go there with Daisy to have an action-packed adventure…
It’s a great book for teens and tweens and I must admit, I enjoyed it too! Daisy has a great character, fun and feisty and honest. The added French words at the end is great for checking if your French is right! Go Daisy!
Author J.T. Allen is award-winning screenwriter, who sold his first script while living in Paris then moved to Los Angeles and wrote several early drafts of The Lion King and The Preacher’s Wife.The first Daisy Tannenbaum misadventure, Daisy and the Pirates, started as a pitch for a Disney Channel movie. Allen loved the character, who was inspired by his two daughters, and wrote his first novel instead. Daisy in Exile, the second in the series, began as chapters for Daisy’s blog, “My Stupid Journal”.
