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The Swifts
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels | Beth Lincoln
9 posts | 8 read | 1 reading | 8 to read
Knives Out feel by way of Lemony SnicketThis archly told, never muddled debut whodunit reveals a roster of distinct characters, a labyrinthine setting and plot, and a mystery that is as clever as its heroine. Publishers Weekly, starred review The suspenseful denouement is positively writhing with twists. Booklist, starred review On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match. Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker. Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Viles long-lost treasure. Shes excited to finally meet her arriving relativesuntil one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs. So what if everyone thinks shell never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And shes determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer. Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important.
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review
Cupcake12
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Mehso-so

Shenanigan Swift has always been known for mischief. A family reunion turns into a murder mystery and Shenanigan is ready to solve the case. With the help of her sisters, Shenanigan looks for suspects and finds out about hidden family treasure along the way. I was expecting a great mystery with some laugh out loud moments. I felt it was quite slow and lacked excitement and pace which was disappointing for a middle grade book.

AnneCecilie I didn‘t know anything about it before I dived in, so I enjoyed this one. All the family members. But of course if you expect a mystery book, I guess I can see your disappointments 2mo
36 likes1 comment
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Cupcake12
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It was a bright, well dressed morning in early May, and the Swifts were in the middle of a funeral.
#firstlinefriday

Librarybelle Hi Kerry! I wanted to let you know that a letter I sent to you was returned to me…I must have written down the address wrong, or the postal service couldn‘t read my writing!! I‘ll repost it soon, so hopefully this time it will make its way to you. 🤞 2mo
Cupcake12 @Librarybelle I‘ll look out for it. Hope you are well x 2mo
Librarybelle I am…hope you are too! 2mo
26 likes3 comments
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Cupcake12
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Starting this today. Just picked it up from the library.

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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

The cover caught my attention and then I read the blurb about how each family member is given a name from the Family Dictionary. I knew I had to read this book

All the Swifts are meeting up at the Family House for the big Reunion which is a pretense to look for the hidden treasure. Then the Matriarch is pushed down some stairs and things escalate from there. Our heroine Shenanigan and her sisters have more than enough to figure out

rockpools Shenanigan is a FABULOUS name for a character! 2mo
AnneCecilie @rockpools I know and especially in a family where it is believed that people live up to the name the dictionary gives them. It‘s basically an excuse to to anything you want 2mo
60 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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Amie
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Pickpick

Kids mystery about a family full of quirky characters, a reunion, a treasure, and some murders.

40 likes2 stack adds
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Ellen_C
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Pickpick

It‘s a murder mystery, a treasure hunt, a vocab builder and has an important message about identity and self-definition. Shenanigan Swift wants to find the Swift family treasure but so do all the other Swifts in for the reunion. Will they all live up or down to their names? https://cannonballread.com/2023/08/the-swifts-a-dictionary-of-scoundrels-elcicco...

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Sharpeipup
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I think we should bring this word back!

📸 Mental Floss IG

IndoorDame LOVE! I‘m all for bringing this back! 😆 9mo
Zoes_Human I can‘t wait to tell my spouse to shut his sauce box 😂😂😂 9mo
Sharpeipup @zoes_human my husband laughed and said it was better than “pie hole” 9mo
29 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Kboltz
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Pickpick

Authors first book. The Swift family gets their names from randomly choosing a page in the dictionary and pointing to a word. Their character then takes on the words meanings. Fun story, a family reunion leads to a mystery in finding the lost family treasure. A wordy book! Would be great to have a class look up their Swift names in the class dictionary. Have you seen a student use a dictionary lately?😂

9 likes1 stack add
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IReadThereforeIBlog
Pickpick

Beth Lincoln‘s crime novel for readers aged 9+ (the 1st in a series) is a glorious, quirky affair filled with murder, mayhem and nominative determinism and illustrated by Claire Powell with spiky vim. It has a vibe of The Addams Family re-imagined by Wes Anderson with Lincoln injecting humour and heart into the plot as well as villainy and deception. It‘s one of the best children‘s debuts I‘ve read and I will definitely check out the next book.

4 likes1 stack add