Jamie and the Mystery Quilt

by Vicki Berger Erwin

Jamie finds an old quilt that depicts her house as it was fifty years ago, and when the quilt is mysteriously stolen she becomes convinced it contains hidden information

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Juvenile, Childrens

151 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1987

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid! It popped into my head last night and took me a while to track it down because all I remembered was that there was a quilt, a rainbow, a hidden treasure, a window seat and an attic.

Oh, Internet, how I love you so.

P.S. Cath, do you remember this one???

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

During a recent purge of old books from boxes that have been sitting in our garage, I stumbled upon this paperback which I bought from a used bookstore several years ago and never read. Jamie and the Mystery Quilt is the story of a young teen girl who lives with her widowed mom and younger sister in an old house filled with antiques. One day, while searching the attic for a costume her sister might be able to use for a school play, Jamie stumbles upon a quilt made by her great-grandmother which has been designed to look like a map of the house. When the quilt is stolen mysteriously from the back porch, Jamie is devastated and she begins to consider who might have taken it. Was it a random crime? Did her crush and tutoring student Kevin steal it for his mom's antique shop? Or is there something sinister about the real estate agent who keeps pestering her mom to sell the house? As Jamie works to narrow down her suspects, she also must figure out the reason the quilt would be so valuable to anyone outside of her family.

This straightforward mystery story is not the greatest work of literature, but I liked its wholesome approach to middle school boy/girl relationships, its focus on family, and the determination, resourcefulness and spunk of its main character. It seems like most mystery novels published for kids today are about large-scale events - murders, kidnappings, disasters, and art heists - and less about regular kids solving problems that impact only their own small spheres of influence. I loved these little everyday mysteries as a kid, largely because they were not scary, and I could imagine my younger self reading and re-reading this book.

Alas, due to space constraints and the fact that we already have a number of mysteries on our shelves that we really want our kids to read as they get older, this book is going into the donation pile. Still, I'm glad I took the time to read it because it reminded me of how much I enjoy these short, pleasant novels of years past. Most contemporary middle grade novels are so long, and sometimes I just feel like reading a compact story that is short but satisfying. This one definitely fit that bill, and I'll probably read the author's other titles that are available from Open Library.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my old school faves

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jamie discovers treasures that had been hidden in her attic, including a special quilt. A seedy real estate agent is trying to get her mom to sell the house and Jamie is trying to figure out how to save it. Meanwhile, both she and her mom get new boyfriends. Some easy coincidences, but fast-paced and generally enjoyable.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this one decades ago and had never read it. What a great surprise. The mystery is fun and totally possible. Great for kids between 9 and 14. I like having easy reads sometimes and this one was perfect and a lot of fun., There is little I can say that would not spoil the plot.

[Brookelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie's house holds a secret only she is brave enough to unlock, and when she finds a mystical quilt made to look like a map of her house, she knows that the time is now to unlock it. However, just as Jamie starts to unlock the quilt’s mysteries, it disappears. Will Jamie be able to recover the quilt and discover the secrets bestowed in the walls of her old house?

I loved how believable the characters were in this story, but I wish the story would have picked up faster. I also enjoyed all of the plot twists, and how the main clue was in plain sight the whole time. I would have preferred that the plot wasn’t formed around a romance because even though I did love the characters, I wish that the author would have kept them friends. Overall though, I felt that this book worked its way up to be one that you did not want to put down (when you finally got into it).

I would recommend this book to anybody who loves a good book with a thrill seeking plot line. If you liked Under The Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald, you will definitely love this mystery book filled with a little romance.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very cute.

[Dewin Anguas Barnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered loving this book from my childhood and bought a copy to reread. It was so well written, I couldn't put it down–for the second time. Highly recommend!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the notion of a quilt/map of the house, and hidden treasure. I love that kids books are all about kids finding their own adventures, sans parents, solving problems on their own...

I was trying to think of books I loved as a kid, helps me sleep sometimes - except when I can't remember the dang title... then I have to track it down at silly hours of the night/morning. I'd love to find this again and reread it!

[Lindsey]

I liked this book cause it was a mystery and i could not put it down!!!

[Cinnamon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books in middle school. Just reread and it was just as good as I remember.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

for a book I could release to Sam this was pretty good. I didn't remember it but enjoyed reading it today. it is more predictable than a mystery I would read for me but still kept me interested.

[Adrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Renegade Librarian Extraordinaire]

A teacher read this to my class back in the day, and I've been trying to recall the title for ages. I only recalled a few minor elements. I'd like to revisit it to fill in the blanks.