The Missing Locket (Cynthia's Attic #1)

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Author(s)

Mary Cunningham

Publisher

Echelon Press

Genre(s)

Fantasy

Age Range

10+

Release Date

December 01, 2005

ISBN

1590804414

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Best friends, Cynthia and Gus as she prefers to be called, are as "different as bubble gum and broccoli." They are, however, equal in their ability to get into trouble without much effort. In trying to escape the "boring summer" of 1964, the adventurous twelve-year-old girls stumble upon a trunk in Cynthia's attic that has been in her family for three generations. They discover its mystical qualities when they are swept into the trunk and whisked back to 1914, literally into the lives of their twelve-year-old grandmothers, Clara and Bess. The mystery of a missing family locket is revealed. Their quest takes numerous twists and turns, including a life-and-death struggle on a large steamship traveling from England to America. Along with perilous escapades, they make important, sometimes humorous discoveries about their ancestors, and even manage to change history?for the better?along the way.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

An adventure in time...via the attic

July 13, 2006

Overall rating

4.0

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Fans of Avalon (by Shelly Roberts) will be sure to like Cunninghams Cynthias Attic series. Gus and Cynthia are just about as opposite as night and day. Gus (Augusta Lee, but dont you dare call her that) is a tomboy with a good appetite and a penchant for climbing trees. Cynthia is a more genteel girl and not nearly as adventuresome. But its Cynthias attic that sets them off on an adventure of a lifetime.

At first, its the old trunk in the attic (and the ancient clothes therein) that catapult them back in time to the days when their grandmothers were little girls. In fact, they run into their great-grandmothers, who think they are their grandmothers (just think about it a minute, youll get it)!

While exploring and trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to stay out of trouble, they discover that Clara, Cynthias grandmother, once lost her Aunt Belles beautiful locket and has been upset about it ever since. They vow to go back and make sure that doesnt happen this time around.

The mystery gets even bigger once the locket is safe again; what really happened to Aunt Belle? Why did she really disappear? Can they reunite the family? The girls travel back and forth in time and even travel on an old ocean liner (where they meet a young ghost and ultimately save Aunt Belle).

Suspension of disbelief is key to enjoying this quick read, but I dont anticipate it being a problem for the young girls this book is targeted towards. Readers aged 8 and up will appreciate the friendship between Gus and Cynthia and eagerly turn the pages to find out what mess they will get into next.

The end of the book sets up the next one and is bound to hook readers to the series (I understand the next book comes out this year).

Kimberly Pauley Top 50 Reviewer 393 reviews

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5 reviews

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4.8

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A Startling Supernatural Adventure...

March 07, 2007

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Mitch Lits

Mary Cunningham's novel, Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket, tells the story of two twelve-year-old girls, Cynthia and Gus, best friends, who embark on a startling supernatural adventure as a magical trunk in Cynthia's attic propels them fifty years into the past where they encounter their grandmothers when they were twelve year old best friends.
Core values of family, friendship, loyalty and love pervade this rapid fire page turning tale as Cynthia and Gus struggle to unravel dark mysteries entwining their family's present and past.
The tension is parlayed with humor creating a perfect mix to enthrall both teen and adult readers alike.
I am an adult reader and writer who loved this book and am now enthusiastically sharing it with my daughters, ages fifteen and eleven.
I look forward to reading more by this exceptional author, Mary Cunningham.

Mitch Lits, author of, "A Little of Your Time" and "Dream Travelers."

Reprinted here with author's permission

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A pleasant trip to the past

August 18, 2006

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Veronika

1964.
Cynthia and Augusta "Gus" Lee are best friends. The twelve-year-old girls are neighbours and spend all the summer together, even if they are "as different as bubble gum and broccoli".
One day, bored, they decide to play in Cynthia's attic and discover there a trunk, full of old costumes.
By trying them on, the girls discover these costumes are endowed with magic powers, and can pull them through the trunk in 1914, when their grandmothers, Clara and Bess, were both twelve years old (and were already best friends)!

Here begins an exciting travel in the past. Cynthia and Gus will discover their ancestors lifes (and meet some!), have to solve a mystery about a missing locket, make new friends and even take a trip from England to America.

Even if this novel is for younger readers, who will love it, adults will as well enjoy this story. A very fun read (as I like to say, a great cocktail) where you can find mysteries, magic, adventures...

Mary Cunningham manages to tell us a sparkling and at the same time cozy story, which for sure, will make you want to discover your own ancestors and go through family photo albums.

A pleasant trip to the past.

Veronika

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Anything is possible when two curious girls use their imagination

January 22, 2006

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by SBSmith

Two young curious girls, an attic crammed with memories and a mysterious trunk. This is an enticing recipe for adventure.

Have you ever read a book as an adult that brought back a host of happy childhood memories? Cynthia's Attic has done that for me. Immediately I was transported back to the exciting time of reading Nancy Drew and other books that fueled my imagination.

Cynthia's Attic makes me feel young and carefree again where anything is possible. All you have to do is believe.

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Time travel will never be the same!

August 28, 2005

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4.0

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Reader reviewed by Melinda Richarz Bailey

Young readers will be captivated by the adventures of Augusta Lee Gus and Cynthia, two twelve-year-old friends who find excitement and danger when they explore the contents of an old trunk in Cynthias AtticThe Missing Locket. A bit of magic and their own imaginative minds transport the girls back in time, where they become entangled in a mystery involving their grandmothers, Clara and Bess. Gus and Cynthia find themselves immersed in the search to find a missing locket that once belonged to Clara and Bess Aunt Belle, a Paris ballet dancer who mysteriously disappeared on a ship bound for New York. Along the way, they meet some interesting characters like Andre, Belles possessive beau, and Louis, the boy ghost that walks the ships deck. The twists and turns in Mary Cunninghams spellbinding book are peppered with the hilarious antics of Gus and Cynthia. The believable dialogue and interesting story line will be embraced by young readers, and parents will appreciate the values and lessons subtly presented to their children through Cunninghams well-crafted words. Her pre-teen characters come to life on each page as we all discover together what growing up really means, and the power that lies within each of us. The girls and their journey are such great fun; it will leave readers anxious to join Gus and Cynthia for more adventures!

Submitted with author's permission

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Imagine the fun of meeting your twelve-year-old grandmother!

August 28, 2005

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Darla Dollman

Magical costumes, disappearing stairs and a spooky attic filled with dusty antiqueswhat more could an adventurous, young girl ask for? And twelve-year-old Augusta Lee (Gus), gets to share all of the drama and excitement with her best friend, Cynthia, because their time-traveling adventures begin and end next door in Cynthias attic! This is a truly wonderful story about two young girls who travel through time to solve the mystery of a disappearing locket and the equally mysterious disappearance of Great Aunt Isabelle, a ballerina who disappeared in Paris shortly after announcing her engagement. Imagine how fun it would be to play tricks with a ghost, how odd it would be to see your own grandmother, in person, when she was your age, and how thrilling it would be to change your family's history! Cunninghams writing is as magical as Cynthias attic, and I highly recommend this book for young girls, their mothers, and anyone else who loves to dream.

Reprinted with author's permission

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