A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall - by Jasmine Warga (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A painting has been stolen. When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: she looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft? Agatha the turtle knows--she has been watching from the garden. But she can't exactly tell anyone--can she?"--

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Rover's Story and Other Words for Home comes an extraordinary story about two friends, a ghost, a missing painting, and a turtle named Agatha. The perfect next read for fans of The Swifts, Kate DiCamillo, and Erin Entrada Kelly.

A painting has been stolen...!

When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: She looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft?

Agatha the turtle knows--she has been watching from the garden. But she can't exactly tell anyone...can she?

Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they'll have to be brave enough to really look.

This is a whimsical, moving story about the universal desire to be seen and understood and how art can help us find connection, even when we are at our loneliest.

Review Quotes

"[Cora and Quinn] are well developed, and Warga skillfully handles both their delicate, emotional friendship and larger subjects of grief and gun violence. Powerful and emotionally complex." - Kirkus Reviews
"Warga's lighthearted mystery [is] tempered by witty banter, a touch of whimsy, and just enough suspense to make it a page-turner." - Horn Book Magazine
"The mystery drives this exquisitely paced story that readers will quickly consume. The characters are the beating heart of this tender, quiet tale --each drawn with texture, depth, and warmth. A slowly unfurling delight." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Intrigue! Ghosts! A turtle named Agatha! This book has everything you could want in a mystery. Jasmine Warga is a wonder!" - Karina Yan Glaser, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanderbeekers Series
"Jasmine Warga has crafted a clever mystery that unfolds in unexpected ways and answers the question not only of "Whodunnit?" but more importantly the greater mystery of "Who am I?" It is powered by good friends, true fears, and the importance of taking time to notice things that are easily overlooked. Like one of its characters says of art, A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall is filled with surprise gifts and secrets for you to discover. It is a winner in every way!" - James Ponti, New York Times bestselling author of City Spies
"Warga's spare prose, sweet characters, and gentle narration offer early middle-graders an accessible, even poetic read. This is a story with a sense of wonder. The budding relationship between reserved Rami and upbeat Veda illustrates the power of affirming friendship in an uncertain period of life. A treat for bighearted, bookish sleuths." - Booklist
"Focalization shifts among various characters adding a contemplative note about art, loss, ambition, and the different ways we find home. Warga has a knack for creating characters deeply relatable, with struggles and insecurities that will no doubt resonate with young readers." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Warga employs a fantastic writing style. Every character, tortoise included, is perfectly developed. Readers will discover a beautifully relatable story about the importance of finding the people who see the world the same way you do. A delightful mystery sure to captivate all readers." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Warga follows her cybernetic narrator from first awareness to final resting place--and stony indeed will be any readers who remain unmoved by the journey. The intelligences here may be (mostly) artificial, but the feelings are genuine and deep." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Convincing and authentic, infused with thoughtfulness, humor, determination, and hope.... A realistic portrait of the strength it takes to move to a new country, as well as of the complicated dynamics between first- and second-generation immigrants." - Horn Book (starred review)
"Warga's middle-grade debut puts its hands around your heart and holds it, ever so gently, so that you're aware of your own fragility and resilience: just as Jude is while her life changes drastically... Other Words for Home should find its way into every middle-grade reader's hands." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
"Jasmine Warga has written a modern classic. Smart, charming, and wholly unique--this book about stolen art will steal your heart." - Tae Keller, Winner of the Newbery Medal for When You Trap a Tiger
"A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall reeled me in with the opening sentence and didn't let go. I love EVERYTHING about it! The characters! The setting! The suspense! I cannot wait to booktalk it during school visit presentations. I'm going to tell children and educators around the world that I could feel Jasmine Warga's big, kind heart on every page! What a gift she's given us!" - Mr. Schu
"The meticulously fleshed-out museum backdrop evokes impeccable ambiance for a mystery in this cozy tale. Grayscale illustrations by Rockefeller depict the museum and cast through vivid portraiture." - Publishers Weekly
"A touching, fact-filled novel [that] centers the maturation of gutsy Mars rover Resilience." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
PRAISE FOR OTHER WORDS FOR HOME: [In] this timely book... rhythmic lines distill Jude's deepest emotions.... Warga effectively shows, as she writes in an author's note, that "children who are fleeing from a war zone... want the same things all of us do--love, understanding, safety, a chance at happiness." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An endlessly inventive story, replete with gentle humor and playful pondering, offering a unique perspective on everything from music and electronics to loyalty and love. Res is written in a distinct, precise voice and sweetly countered by interspersed letters to the rover from a young girl intimately connected to his being, and both thoughtfully evolve as the years pass. A profound and poignant exploration of the universe both outside and within us all." - Booklist (starred review)
"This powerful middle grade novel explores the complicated concepts of war and corruption, home, family, [and] belonging.... Highly recommended for all libraries, this title will easily find a home next to books like Refugee by Alan Gratz and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai." - School Library Journal (starred review)
PRAISE FOR THE SHAPE OF THUNDER: "With taut pacing, nuanced characters, and compassionate depictions of grief and trauma, Warga's novel is both timely and transcendent; a must-purchase for all collections." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Warga portrays with extraordinary talent the transformation of a family's life before and after the war began in Syria.... Her free-verse narration cuts straight to the bone... [and] confront[s] the difficult realities of being Muslim and Arab in the U.S. Poetic, immersive, hopeful." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A fictional Mars Rover narrates its own journey from the robotics lab to the Red Planet. The format of brief journal entries and letters is engagingly readable for even reluctant readers, and the humorous interactions between -robots and machines keep the science-heavy story moving at a reasonable pace. A fresh format and timely topic engage readers in this uplifting and deeply human sci-fi story." - School Library Journal
"Will thrill fans of both adventure and robot stories and also provide intellectual sustenance for the deep thinkers...Through the character of a robot Warga probes issues of identity, attachment, and the purpose of life, offering readers an unusual but heartfelt example of the importance of staying true to yourself, quirks and all." - Horn Book Magazine
"Warga skillfully develops unique voices for her narrators, and the novel's alternating-perspective structure works well. Emotions run high throughout the book without dragging down the plot, and the portrayal of middle-school life is utterly authentic." - Horn Book Magazine
"Through Jude's eyes readers see firsthand what it is to leave behind one's beloved home and family as many refugees do every single day. Young readers will laugh with Jude, cry with her, and root for her every step of the way. A beautiful, powerful, and necessary book for all readers." - Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound
"Other Words for Home is a salve for the world we live in today. It's a hope-filled story that doesn't pander but instead peels back layers of culture and identity, fear and prejudice, exile and belonging, all wrapped around a young Syrian girl--Jude. Checked with equal parts fear and moxie, Jude is a heart trying to figure out how to beat outside the body. I ached for, but simultaneously found that though our stories are different, I am her. This is a necessary story. We're lucky to have it in the world." - Jason Reynolds, award-winning, bestselling author of Ghost and Long Way Down
"As a mechanical engineer and STEM-lover, this beautiful book filled my heart right to the top. Res may be a rover, but he taught me what it means to be fully alive." - Christina Soontornvat, two-time Newbery Honor recipient
"The story builds steadily toward a moving conclusion; Warga's lyrical language and credible rendering of both middle school life and of the tensions of two families coping differently with personal devastation make for a perceptive, sensitively told novel about the effects of gun violence." - Publishers Weekly
"This will spark meaningful discussions." - ALA Booklist
"Warga limns a tale that downplays sensationalism while acknowledging the deep fear that many readers may carry regarding school shootings." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Warga situates her verse novel at a sweet spot for middle-graders...the complications of assessing whether Jude is as lucky as everyone makes her out to be ring poignantly true, and when Jude takes her place on the school stage, Warga's audience will surely applaud." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This is far from just a cerebral exploration of what humanity means, however, and there's plenty of adventure and tension as Res confronts dust storms, howling winds, gear-grinding gravel, and dangerous craters. Sure to correctly garner comparisons to Brown's The Wild Robot, this shares that title's appeal and accessibility." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Praise for A ROVER'S STORY: "It's a gripping read. The novel does a terrific job of communicating scientific information to young readers, and it's also emotionally satisfying." - New York Times Book Review