Finding Serendipity

By Angelica Banks, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)

Part of the Tuesday McGillycuddy Adventures series

A girl and her dog embark on a magical quest to find her missing mother in a land where stories come alive.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.1/5 Goodreads · 2,178 ratings

304 pages· 48,728 words· Est. 7 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Tuesday McGillycuddy's mother, a famous author, vanishes, prompting Tuesday and her dog, Baxterr, to embark on a magical quest. In a land where stories originate, they encounter the fearless Vivienne Small, sail enchanted seas, and face a menacing pirate. As Tuesday unravels the truth about her dog and her own potential as a writer, she learns the challenges of crafting a story to its end. Will she find her mother and discover her own story within this unpredictable realm?

From the publisher

When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday’s mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End.

At a glance

Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Words: 48,728
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 900L

Themes & topics

Books about writing Books about missing persons Books about authors Books about magic Books about moms

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Violence

There is some violence that sensitive readers might get frightened by, including arrows and poisoned darts being shot at villains. The scene near the end with the main villain dying and coming back to life is the most gruesome part of the book. According to the pirate's tradition, they sew up dead bodies in a canvas bag, putting the last stitch through the pirate's nose to ensure they're dead (the villain, Mothwood, wakes up at this point). Mothwood gets up and his broken limbs snap back into place.

After the last page

Talk about it together

Tuesday learns that she’s a writer by trying it out. Sometimes we have a unique talent for something, but we can also work at it and learn certain skills. What talents does your child have or want to learn?

What readers & critics say