Title: Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot
Author: Anna Branford
Series: Violet Mackerel
Synopsis: When something happens that seems to confirm her pet theory of life, Violet Mackerel starts plotting to be able to buy something she wants.
I loved Violet Mackerel from the first chapter of Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot! What a fun story! I read this book to my 6-year-old, and she, while being delighted that we read two of the short chapters each day, always wanted more. I don’t know how much she understood of the nuances of the story, but she liked the main plot!
Violet was just a small girl, but she was very smart. Every Saturday morning, she went with her mother, brother and sister to the market to sell the creations her mother knit. They set up their booth, and then the older children tried to make money in their own ways. Violet had a look at some of the other booths this week after theirs was set up, and thought briefly about how she would like something from the next table over. How could she get it? An ordinary plan wouldn’t work, because this item was extra-special. She needed a brilliant plot!
So, Violet set to work to come up with a brilliant plot. She tried many things. My favorite was when she tried to be an archaeologist in the backyard—and I loved her mother’s reaction! Her final solution twisted into something she hadn’t planned, and the surprise after that was very sweet.
Violet’s theory about small things tied the whole story together—and it’s a lot of fun! That is the part I am guessing that my small daughter didn’t get, but it made me chuckle. I loved the way Violet learned to think “outside the box.” Her method of plotting was a good example. Her mother is loving and kind. I appreciated the way the children had to work to get the things they wanted. The only thing I didn’t like about Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot was that the father had walked out on them.
This book will be fairly easy for a second-grader to read for themselves. The chapters are short, and the language is simple, although the story is very interesting. It is unusual in that it is told in third-person, present tense.
No warnings!
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback | Hardcover
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