Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas (Elizabeth Webster, 1) - Hardcover

Lashner, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1368041280 ISBN 13: 9781368041287

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2019

Synopsis

Welcome to Elizabeth Webster's world, where the common laws of middle school torment her days . . . and the uncommon laws of an even weirder realm govern her nights.Elizabeth Webster is happy to stay under the radar (and under her bangs) until middle school is dead and gone. But when star swimmer Henry Harrison asks Elizabeth to tutor him in math, it's not linear equations Henry really needs help with--it's a flower-scented, poodle-skirt-wearing, head-tossing ghost who's calling out Elizabeth's name.

But why Elizabeth? Could it have something to do with her missing lawyer father? Maybe. Probably. If only she could find him. In her search, Elizabeth discovers more than she is looking for: a grandfather she never knew, a startling legacy, and the secret family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned. Elizabeth and her friends soon land in court, where demons and ghosts take the witness stand and a red-eyed judge with a ratty white wig hands out sentences like sandwiches. Will Elizabeth's father arrive in time to save Henry Harrison--and is Henry the one who really needs saving?

Set in the historic streets of Philadelphia, this riveting middle-grade mystery from New York Times best-selling author William Lashner will have readers banging their gavels and calling for more from the incomparable Elizabeth Webster.

About this title

About the Author

William Lashner is a former criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His novels have been published world-wide and have been nominated for two Shamus Awards, a Gumshoe Award, an Edgar Award, and been selected as an Editor's Choice in the New York Times Book Review. When he was a kid his favorite books were The Count of Monte Cristo and any comic with the Batman on the cover. This is his first novel for young readers.

Review

I love this book!  -- William Lashner delivers humor and ghost-story shivers in a mixture of wit and intensity. He creates memorable characters, at once daring and vulnerable. 
Ridley Pearson, bestselling author of Lock and Key 
 
Sure to delight fans of the comically strange and gothic . . .  The adventure is rife with enjoyable weird twists and turns, including several strangely hilarious courtroom appearances featuring a host of haunting characters that provide a mixture of witty dialogue and creepy effects.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
  
This book is an absolute delight. -- A refreshing new novel about finding your place in the world... and fighting ghosts and demons.  . . . A heartfelt story of self-discovery doesn't exactly sound like the type of theme to slip into a tale of ghosts and demons, but the combination resonates beautifully.  . . . engrosses the reader completely by mixing in just the right amount of action, quippy dialogue, and uplifting moments . . . well-suited for people ages twelve and up who enjoy teenage fiction novels and fantasy/science fiction.
Denver Post (YourHub.com/NextGen)
 
A superb mystery. -- A spooky legal thriller for middle-grade readers that is just technical enough to feel grounded in reality and just unearthly enough to keep readers on their toes. This blend of ghostly apparitions and legal exposition should absolutely not work--but yet it does, engaging readers in a compelling mystery and a world that functions seamlessly. . . . narrator Elizabeth's spunky attitude and earnestness provide an emotional spine that couples with the novel's mystery, dovetailing together at the right moment, making for a very engaging read.
Kirkus Reviews
 
Recommended.-- VERDICT: This blend of ghost story and mystery will satisfy readers who ask for "the scary stories."
School Library Journal
 
One of the Fall 2019 book releases you can't afford to miss.
Hypable.com
 
Selected for the CBC October, 2019 "Hot Off the Press" reading list.
The Children's Book Council

About this edition

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1368041280
• ISBN 13: 9781368041287
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320