Expelled from her latest orphanage, Maggie (white) is dropped off at the Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls, where she joins fellow newcomers Nell (white) and Sofie (brown-skinned) in learning that the Institute’s dreary exterior is a front for a school that trains girls in the art of fighting crime. Often unnoticed and underestimated, girls can be rather useful in this arena. Maggie, Nell, and Sofie are enrolled in specialized classes (Hiding, Maps, Contriving, Motorcars, and Observing, to name a few) and each given a doll that conceals tools. Only a few weeks after the girls arrive at Midwatch, a man named Mr. Entwhistle enlists the school’s help: His friend, Miss Fenchurch, has disappeared, leaving a mysterious note behind. When Nell decodes the letter, the first years are assigned to the case. Sneaking into the city for a recon mission via old subway exits connected to Midwatch’s underground headquarters, the girls make three discoveries. The first is that Mr. Entwhistle has been bludgeoned by a soup tureen that seems to have fallen from the sky. Second, they find a dragonfly brooch hidden inside the library book Miss Fenchurch had been using. Finally, they realize they are being pursued. The girls’ investigations, along with their skills and daring spirits, lead them into and out of the hands of the villain in this funny, quirky mystery set in a lightly steampunk city. Ample pencil illustrations twine across the pages and add to the charm. (Ages 8-12)

A whimsical, adventure-filled mystery about a young orphan at the edge of society who finds herself at the center of a city's secrets. For fans of The Swifts and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

"I was hooked from the beginning … Move over Lemony Snicket!" —Karen Foxlee, award-winning author of Lenny’s Book of Everything

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, NPR


Maggie Fishbone is not expecting much when she’s sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls—the last resort after causing a ruckus at the orphanage where she was living. Except . . . the Institute isn’t some dreadful, dreary place like she thought.

Instead it’s full of curious girls training to solve mysteries, fight bad guys, and keep the city safe. In between fencing lessons and discovering all the shortcuts in the building, Maggie finds herself making friends at the Midwatch and finally feeling like she’s home. And when a woman goes missing, Maggie’s off on her first assignment, with each step leading her deeper into the secrets of the city.

With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and pages of “Useful Things Every Girl Should Know” (like how send messages in morse code and how to shout extremely loudly), The Midwatch is a whimsical, adventure-filled mystery from internationally bestselling author-illustrator Judith Rossell.