The Stolen Key

Starred review from August 8, 2022
Two white 12-year-olds from rival small-town Ohio junk-removal families bond over a historical mystery in this accomplished series starter by Haddix (The School for Whatnots). Though introverted Colin Creedmont privately finds beauty in castoff objects, he dreads spending the summer helping his single mom, owner of Marie Kondo–esque business Possession Curation, clean out houses. Meanwhile, self-possessed Nevaeh Greevey, youngest child of the competing Junk King, longs for pristine possessions, and is similarly unexcited to join the family business. Colin’s attic discovery of a shoebox full of letters written in the 1970s leads him to Nevaeh, and the duo bond while searching for the corresponding letters. Reading the missives offers the pair a tantalizing glimpse at a previous era, and as Colin and Nevaeh eagerly research period references such as the Equal Rights Amendment and Happy Days, they resolve to track down the letters’ authors, while Nevaeh surreptitiously puzzles through a crime that could implicate Colin’s mother. Brief third-person chapters alternate between the duo’s experiences, building momentum through a gently feminist undercurrent while conferring character depth via the tweens’ affection for the letter writers and their own opposing views on objects from the past. An author’s note further contextualizes the 1970s details discussed. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary.