Pack-n-Go Girls was also featured in the August issue of Publisher’s Weekly.
This sixth installment in the Pack-n-Go Girls Adventures series, mystery chapter books featuring young heroines from around the world, transports readers to the Amazon rainforest. After nine-year-old Sofia Diaz’s parents announce that they are separating, her father takes her with him from their home in Miami on a trip to Brazil. Though Sofia is brooding over this recent development and wondering whether her father will continue to be a part of their lives, the sights of Brazil distract her from her pain. She soon meets a girl her age, Júlia Santos, whose passion for protecting the rainforest animals from poachers and other threats proves infectious. After the girls discover pink dolphins called botos that have been tied up by poachers, they attempt to find out who is responsible. Travis writes clearly and engagingly, infusing the story with information about conservation and the rainforest, as well as Portuguese vocabulary (a glossary is included). Turner’s b&w cartoon spot illustrations do a fine job of capturing the local flora and fauna, while tapping into the unfolding mystery and the camaraderie between the girls. Ages 6–9. - BookLife by Publishers Weekly
2017 Literary Classics Gold Award Winner
Best Series – Young Reader
Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure series for young readers is an outstanding collection of books which instill a sense of curiosity and a fascination with travel and adventure for a youth audience. Authors Lisa Travis and Janelle Diller work in tandem to breathe life into this highly engaging and cunningly educational series. Each book within the collection includes a mind-tickling mystery which takes place somewhere outside the United States. As clues to the mystery unfold, readers are introduced to the unique sights, sounds, tastes and customs of the country in which the story takes place.
2017 and 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards
Best Children’s Chapter Book Series
Gold & Silver
A spirited, engaging tale filled with intriguing nautical details and local color. - Kirkus Reviews
Pack-n-Go Girls presents a mystery series for girls ages 6-9 that includes travel to exotic locations, fun adventures with true blue friends, exploring new languages and cultures, and solving thrilling mysteries together, a fantastic formula for fun and travel-enriched adventure. “The Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost” is the first in this innovative new series of illustrated chapter mysteries, in which Brooke travels from Colorado to Austria to meet Eva, in Schloss Mueller, an ancient Austrian castle. The girls meet and develop a deepening friendship across continents and cultures, while struggling to solve the spooky mystery of the ballerina ghost, a mysterious presence in the castle. Swift moving chapters embellished with black and white illustrations make fun reading and excellent armchair exploration adventures. At the end of the mystery (satisfactorily solved by two clever girls together), informative pages tell What to Know Before You Go! (facts about Austria, traveling, weather to expect, Austrian foods plus a recipe for Kaiserschmarrn, and a list of common German expressions with meaning and pronunciation). Altogether, “The Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost” offers an appealing invitation to celebrate and explore diverse cultures and countries with just a tantalizing touch of mysterious spice, the unknown horizon to entice further exploration and growth. Look for more titles from this innovative series soon. Exploring girls’ friendships and mysteries in Austria, Thailand, and Mexico are these other exciting Pack-n-Go Girls: “Mystery of the Secret Room (9781936376032, $5.99)” by Janelle Diller, “Mystery of the Golden Temple (9781936376094, $5.99)” by Lisa Travis, and “Mystery of the Thief in the Night (9781936376063, $5.99) by Janelle Diller. - Midwest Book Review
Rustle. Crunch. Rustle. Crunch. Something creeps by Jess' window in a Thai hill tribe village. Whatever it is sounds close enough to touch. The wind blows. Pebbles scatter. A shadow slithers though the moonlight. What is this mysterious creature doing slipping into the jungle every night? Jess and Nong May are determined to find out in ``Mystery of the Naga at Night``, an original and thoroughly entertaining 'pack-and-go' adventure story for children ages 6-9. While especially and unreservedly recommended for elementary school and community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that ``Mystery of the Naga at Night`` is also available in a paperback edition (9781936376681, $5.99). - Midwest Book Review
2017 and 2016 CIPA EVVY Bronze Award – Children’s Story Books
Mystery of the Troubled Toucan
Mystery of the Min Min Lights
2019 CIPA EVVY Gold Award – Children’s Story Books
Mystery of the Rusty Key
The Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure series is a fantastic growing collection of books for children ages 6-9. . . . In a world of Bratz, Barbies, and Princesses, this series offers girls role models that are adventurous and curious problem solvers. - Bambini Travel
Some of the main reasons I really like this series: Short, quick paced mysteries that draw the reader in almost immediately; Familiar, repeated formula (one country, two girls, one mystery) helps readers jump easily from one book in the series to another; The stories include a girl traveling from the US (allowing the reader to place him/herself into the story) but also include a native resident to help get beyond just a ``tourist`` view of the country and culture; Each book includes extension activities: country facts, recipe, language phrases, even a journal section! In addition, teachers and parents can sign up to receive free sample activities or you can purchase a 40+ page resource and activity guide to accompany each country. I got a chance to browse the Brazil PDF, and it was crammed full of activity pages, secret codes, math problems, and more! I had several students in my third grade classroom who read and enjoyed this series. It has some great supports for those just getting into longer chapter books, but it has high interest and engaging characters for more advanced readers too. A fun series to get kids excited about traveling the world and learning about other cultures! - The Logonauts
In Mystery of the Troubled Toucan Sofia Diaz, a little girl from Florida is on a vacation with her dad, in Brazil. A lovely friendship, a new language, and adventurous rides on the Rio Negro waters keep her distracted from the difficult family situation back home. However, it's the mystery she must solve with Júlia (and a squawking toucan!) that makes it a whole lot more interesting! Will Sofia and Júlia save the Amazonian 'botos'? Yes, you'll learn more than just what 'botos' are - you'll eat 'tacacá', ride into and out of an 'igarapé', and also find out what words are the same in Portuguese and Spanish! Informational pages on Brazil and Portuguese complete the package. But the two things I love most: smart, brave female protagonists and bilingualism woven so gracefully into the narrative. The other books in the series that we've enjoyed in our home are: Mystery of the Thief in the Night and Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost. With travel, adventure, friendship, and family, central to the stories, the Pack-n-Go Girls series is great for children in middle-upper elementary grades . . . a fun, educational, and exciting chapter book series for children!