This is the first book in a new series "Glimmer Girls." It is a family where the mother is a Christian Singer who performs all over the world. The family, three sisters Maddie, Mia, and Lulu are clever and fun yet have normal sibling issues. Maddie and Mia are 10-year-old twins. Mia is very outgoing and loves to perform, while Maddie is more of an introvert and loves art. Lulu is six and she's a handful who causes a lot of trouble but is so cute she gets away with a lot. The dad and a nanny, Miss Julia, accompany the family as well. This is a Christian series, but does not over emphasize it. There is a mention of praying, asking God for signals to show what he wants you to do as well as talking to him.

In this story the family is on a trip to London where Gloria Glimmer, is scheduled to perform several concerts. While the parents are busy with rehearsals and concerts the girls and their nanny go sight-seeing around London. There was a travelogue about London during this part of the story which was a good way to share information about London while enjoying the story. The trip on the double decker bus was fun, especially the part where Lulu is singing and dancing in the aisle, much to the embarrassment of Maddie, but the delight of the passengers. The mystery part of the story involves a painting at the London Art Gallery.

The main reason I did not give this book 5 stars was the part where Maddie snuck out of the hotel on her own to try and recover a stolen painting. All turns out well with her safety, but a 10 year old alone on the streets in a foreign country is just a bit too scary for me as a parent and grandparent.

Overall this is a great read for young girls, a little adventure, a little mystery, a little family dramatics, some good Christian morals and learning a little about another country. A great addition to a local library and definitely in Christian Schools, churches etc.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Overall, these were cute books for young girls who like mysteries. They might read a bit young for the upper end of the target age range—my favorite 7th grader would be impatient with them.

These books have two goals—entertainment and encouragement to Christian girls. They do well on both fronts. The family dynamic is good, with solid parents who obviously love their children, and sisters with a strong bond.

While the publishers’ blurbs describe the nanny, Miss Julia, as “wacky,” I really didn’t see that. She is responsible and solid, while still being fun. If fun=wacky, then I guess she’s wacky.

My biggest objection is that the girls, despite REPEATED admonitions from every grownup, keep running off. And in a huge metropolis like London, that’s a big scary problem. I’ve hoofed it around London alone—in my 30s—and it’s not for the faint of heart. I can’t imagine even a daredevil 10-year-old doing that. It’s a typical trope in kids’ mysteries like these.

And these are Christian girls who want to be obedient and do the right thing—and then they defy the adults. It just doesn’t mesh for me. As a parent, this is the part of the books that I really disliked. Just as much as I dislike stories in which the adults never listen to the children, I dislike stories in which the children keep thinking they are the ONLY people around who can take care of the [whatever the Maguffin is].

My eight-year-old couldn't finish the stories. The fact that the girls were disobeying and putting themselves in danger made her too anxious to press through to find out how the mysteries were resolved.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Children disobeying and running off. (Obviously.) Discussion about God and faith—it’s teachy, but not preachy, but if you don’t want your kids reading about religion, bypass this.

Who Might Like These Books:
The younger end of the target age range. Children who like mysteries. Christians/people of faith. Probably not of great interest to boys—there aren’t many male characters of focus besides the dad.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARCs. ( )