Keys to the City

by Lisa Schroeder

Overview

Lindy can't believe she has homework this summer -- to find her "true passion." Does curling up with a good book count? Probably not. Luckily, Lindy has the help of a new friend, a happy dog, and a special journal, as she hits the streets of New York City to unlock her secret talents!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545907408
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/30/2017
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	48 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lisa Schroeder is the author of over a dozen books for young readers, including My Secret Guide to Paris, Sealed with a Secret, Keys to the City, the Charmed Life series, and the YA novels All We Have Is Now and The Bridge from Me to You. She loves cookies, flowers, family hikes, books, movies that make her laugh and cry, and sunshine. Living in Oregon, she doesn't get nearly enough sunshine, but the hikes are amazing. Learn more at lisaschroederbooks.com and on Twitter @lisa_schroeder.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Sealed with a Secret:

"...a quick, charming read. The London setting and focus on two sisters make this ideal for readers who are a bit above the fluffy Cupcake Diaries series and its contemporaries." -- Booklist

"...the pacing and setting development should satisfy young fans of Wendy Mass's "Willow Falls" series and other magic-laced middle grade romps." -- School Library Journal

Praise for My Secret Guide to Paris:

"This love letter to the City of Light will have readers believing that everything's better in Paris. Schroeder (the Charmed Life series) lets the city's romance shine in a thoughtful story, laced with mystery and French vocabulary, about losing family and gaining individuality in a place where curiosity can bloom." -- Publishers Weekly

"Nora's hopeful, openhearted character is beautifully depicted." -- Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Lindy gets a school summer assignment to “find her passion” for her school’s Heart, Abilities, Talent (HAT) program. She begins this quest when her family moves to New York City to open a Bed and Breakfast in a brownstone. Her new friends, a nanny, and a neighbor offer to help her explore the city—a place filled with all kind of adventure! Black and white illustrations introduce each of the 32 named chapters. Relevant poems are interspersed throughout the chapters. The reader will follow Lindy as she searches New York for her “secret” talent. They explore the subway, New York City Public Library, Yankees and Mets stadiums, Manhattan, Greenwich Village, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Times Square, Central Park, the Theater District, the Bronx, the Brooklyn Bridge, Checker taxis, The Good Dog Foundation, The New York Times, and even Cape Cod. This is a fun read through the sites of New York City as Lindy indeed finds her passion! Reviewer: Annie Laura Smith; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Annie Laura Smith

05/01/2017
Gr 3–6—Twelve-year-old Lindy is given a summer assignment: figure out what she's passionate about. When the middle school principal tells the seventh graders that over the summer they are to explore different pursuits, Lindy is nervous. Her best friends are pretty sure about where their talents lie, but Lindy has no idea. When a neighbor offers to take Lindy, along with her grandson, to New York City, she is excited and anxious. Chapters are bookended by Lindy's writing—journal entries, poems of all kinds, and stories—giving readers a hint about her eventual discovery. A side plot involves parental stress surrounding the family's new bed-and-breakfast, which adds to Lindy's worries. Lindy is adopted from China, which creates a bit of tension about not knowing her birth parents and their talents, though this isn't explored in any depth. Readers who enjoy a strong sense of place will appreciate Lindy's hometown and the descriptions of her trip to New York, including subway rides and Broadway. The writing is accessible; Lindy's concerns feel real, and readers may be inspired by the protagonist's poems and stories. VERDICT Recommended for libraries in need of light, quick reads with happy, neatly tied-up endings.—Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO

School Library Journal

2017-03-15
School is out for the summer, but instead of languid days by the pool, 12-year-old Chinese adoptee Lindy Mackay must complete an unusual assignment. "Follow your heart to discover your abilities and talents," prescribes her middle school principal. Lindy is wracked with anxiety. On top of her project, her family is opening a bed-and-breakfast in their new Manhattan brownstone. Her mom and dad, who are both white, disagree on how to attract customers, and with each week that passes, tensions rise, worrying Lindy. Luckily, the frustrations of schoolwork and family business are relieved by the arrival of a neighbor's grandson, Tyler (who is white), and his dog. Together Lindy and Tyler visit different spots in the city to help Lindy discover her true passion. Schroeder captures the angst of preteens and young teens who are feeling the pressure to figure out who they are. Lindy's fears of failure are palpable and exhume familiar insecurities. The insertions of her writing (stories and poems) add further texture to her story. The rare hiccups in the text arise when narrator Lindy encounters characters of color, who are too often described only as dark-skinned. "Dark" is too loose and relative to stand alone, especially considering that Lindy's race is important and another character is clearly described as Asian. Despite this fumbling of ethnicity, Lindy's journey comforts those in search of themselves. Sweet and familiar Lindy makes this story hard to resist. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews