The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

Gr 4–7—Inspired by the real history of London's Selfridges, which opened in 1909, this is the tale of Sinclair's department store and a mystery involving the disappearance of Mr. Edward Sinclair's jeweled ornament, The Clockwork Sparrow. The heroine, Miss Sophie Taylor, is lucky to work as a shopgirl in the millinery department and gets caught up in the mysterious drama as she stumbles across the valuable ornament the night before the grand opening. The narrative takes place in a time when ladies wore hats, papers were sold by newsboys, and children played with crafted wooden toys. It is a classic whodunit with criminals, gangs, top secret documents, and old-fashioned detective work. The setting is London's lively Piccadilly Circus, which becomes a character itself as it evokes the grandeur of Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Sophie teams up with a new friend, Miss Lilian Rose, to clear her name and solve the mystery. This was no ordinary robbery, and the girls uncover a very wicked and evil plan with the help of a colorful cast of characters.