Sleuth on Skates

Sesame Seade Mysteries #1

by Clémentine Beauvais, Sarah Horne (Illustrations)

Sesame Seade, an established brainiac and aspiring sleuth, has a mystery to solve when university student Jenna Jenkins goes missing. With help from her friends, Sesame just might crack the case as long as she can steer clear of pesky parents and avoid the perpetrators of a serious crime!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Adventure

224 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2014

About the author

I was born in Paris in 1989 and though I started to read children’s books pretty early, I somehow never stopped. As a result, I’ve become a writer, reader and student of children’s literature. I’ve now been living and studying in Cambridge (UK) for seven years and have become a doctor. Well, not the type that saves people’s lives. The type that scribbles ‘PhD’ after their name and rambles on about beauty, truth and the value of (all) literature. Worth striving for, I think! More about my academic work here.

The other thing I do is write books – children’s books, surprisingly enough. In fact, it’s not ‘the other thing’. It’s the first thing I ever did, really – long before I heard that you could actually analyse books for a living, I wanted to write books for a living. So I started writing, and ultimately getting published – in French first, and now in English as well. My first series of children’s books in English, led by self-made superheroine Sesame Seade, is being published in 2013 by Hodder Children’s Books!

I am represented by Kirsty McLachlan of David Godwin Associates.

‘How’s your name pronounced???!!!!!’

Clementeen Bovay.

But that’s not even all there is to it. My full name is Clémentine Morgane Mélusine Hécate Beauvais.

As Sesame Seade would have it: ‘Seriously! Parents!’

- from her website

Reviews

[Stacey | prettybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleuth on Skates was given to me by my friend Cait (while we were waiting at the theatre for Matilda to begin, appropriately) as she knew that I wanted to read more middle grade books. I adored the cover - I love mystery and stuff that is cute and also what's the deal with the ducks? – so I couldn't wait to start a fun, surprising adventure with young Sesame Seade.

Sleuth on Skates is a smart, funny new contemporary mystery series accompanied by witty illustrations, beautifully drawn by Sarah Horne, and a brilliantly loquacious heroine. Sleuth on Skates is perfect for those who want to check out more middle grade stories as it's packed full of little references that older readers (okay, you caught me, I'm referring to adults) will enjoy as well as children. As a Marketing Executive, I found myself revelling in the scene where Sesame's mother explains just exactly what marketing is...

Sesame Seade is a super sleuth on skates – a stealthy detective on wheels – and she has been waiting eleven years, five months and seventeen days for a mysterious mission – and now she finally has one. Sesame – also known as Sophie, for her parents inexplicably refuse to call her by her real name – finds university students either boring or disgusting, but unfortunately one of them at Christ's College, Cambridge University, has disappeared. Jenna Jenkins has been missing for two days and although Sesame wonders for a second as to whether Jenna just went home for the weekend and her parents decided to sell her as a slave, as soon as she discovers that she was supposed to play the lead role in Swan Lake and was Editor-in-Cheif of UniGossip magazine, Sesame accepts that not everything is as it seems in the usually disappointingly boring and mystery-free town of Cambridge.

Sleuth on Skates is an ingeniously complex and inventive children's novel – with excellent foreshadowing! – and with a brilliant young protagonist at the forefront. If you think it looks simple and sweet, be warned, as Sesame Seade is sure to have made child Sherlock look like an amateur. If I had to be an 11-year-old again, I'd want to be as cool, as fearless and as intelligent as Sesame. It's not often that I find books funny, I'll be honest, but every page of Sleuth on Skates had me smiling, from Sesame's hilarious one-liners to the frequent appearance of a certain pregnant duck. (I'd love for one to follow me around as I courageously extract key information from exclusive sources, with two best friends, Toby and Gemma, at my side!). It also made me smile because the fact that such an example of excellent children's literature exists makes me rather happy. Clémentine Beauvais is an exceptional storyteller who understands children just as much as she understands adults, conjuring up a perfect story that almost everyone will enjoy. I mean it – I'm sharing it with everybody!

Unfortunately, I cannot write nearly as well as the wonderful Sesame Seade speaks, so I'll leave you with some of her best moments:

'I try not to get too attached to [students] because, like rabbits, they only last three or four years and then they're gone'.

'If there are as many connections in your brain as there are stars in the universe, why ask for superpowers?'

'Normally, I would have followed Jesus's advice since my dad works for his dad, but...'.

I now cannot wait to pick up the second in the series, Gargoyles Gone AWOL !

I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How was it?" asked Gemma as I squeezed my feet into my roller skates for the third time that day.

"Catastrophic. I bumped into my mum."

Gemma shuddered from head to toe. She's scared of my mum. I used to be scared of my mum too, until I started scaring her back.

Precocious Sophie Margaret Catriona Seade (pronounced "seed") insists on being called Sesame and is one unabashed, sassy, impudent 11-year-old. And she's hilarious. Her mom is the Head of Christ's College at Cambridge University and her dad is the college Chaplain. She's completely confident running amok on campus, talking back outrageously, and generally being as disobedient and independent as possible.

She's also quite smart, so when something suspicious occurs with one of the students, she takes it upon herself to investigate. Between Sesame's brains and brazenness, she makes a surprisingly effective detective, "interfering" parents and all. Though something serious really is amiss, Sesame's style is so breezy and funny it's easy to forget the weight of the crime and simply get caught up in the entertainment. This book is gleefully fun.

"Maman cherie, light of my life, can I go out for a walk?"

"No."

"Papa cheri, fire of my loins, can I go out for a walk?"

"For Heaven's sake, Sophie, where did you get that terrifying expression from? And no, you may not go out for a walk. It's nine o'clock. You should be in bed."

Sophying me around is the best way of getting me to disobey. I was outside in no time at all. My bedroom window is just above a little terrace where the big tree leans on its elbow. I slid down the trunk and landed on a bunch of tulips.

-----

"The problem with Sophie is that she's a self-obsessed little Narcissus."

"Mummy, my tie has absolutely got to be tied in the right way, or else I might catch Mr. Halitosis's virus when he tells me off."

"Mr. What?"

"Mr. Halitosis. You know, my teacher?"

"Mr. Barnes, you mean?"

"Mother, you are five centuries late. That used to be his name, as in, on the very first day of school, before we noticed what was wrong with him. We called him Mr. Deathbreath for a while, but then Gemma's mum told her bad breath was actually a medical condition called halitosis. So to be more respectful and accurate, we now call him Mr. Halitosis."

"You've been in front of that mirror for eighteen minutes."

"And it's worked wonders. The tie is perfectly tied. You may call for my carriage."

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book this was! Sesame is such a delightful character. I enjoyed every minute I spent reading about her adventures skating around Cambridge. I was thrilled to see there is already a second book for me to look forward to! I can't wait to see what's next for this sassy sleuth!

Thank you Stacey @ Pretty Books for the recommendation!

[Emily W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this series while shelving books at the local library. Of all the Cambridge mystery books I've been reading, this one is hands (and skates!) down the very best. It's a fun romp through Cambridge and Grantchester, so it does help if you've been here. But everyone should enjoy Sesame and her way with words. Brilliant!

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just what the title of the book says. Yes i do agree on the Rollerskates, very mobile indeed. Just what a "Sluth" needs
today, Mobility.

A Very well done as this fiction book is. Thanks to Clementine Beauvais for writing it. I'll be reading in again sometime in the near future.

[Holly Keimig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute kids book. I loved that she roller skated all over the place and helped solve a mystery. It's set in England so there are some fun British words and an interesting setting since her family lives on the campus of a college.

[Deena Abutaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute book. It gave me a lot of laughs

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I loved her YA book - Piglettes. This has the same interesting parent/child relationship. Fun read, just didn't grab me as much.

[Clémence Alsteen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un petit jeunesse, drôle et sympa. Malgré qu'il soit "destiné aux enfants", la plume de Clémentine Beauvais est très bien travaillé et le suspens de l'enquête est présent.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRAPPY EBOOK PROGRAMMING SPOILING BOOK
The quality on this eBook is bad, the drawings are so tiny I can't read the text in them, and part of the story is there.... :(

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I have always found myself enjoying is detective fiction. Whether that be in book format, in films or in television shows. So as soon as I heard about Sleuth on Skates, I knew that it was a book I was certain I’d enjoy and couldn’t wait to get my hands on. I was, albeit, a little nervous as I opened this book as a lot of bloggers I know had really enjoyed it and recently all the books I’ve struggled with, they loved. Fortunately, however, I am glad to report that this book was an exception to that rule as I found it to be a truly wonderful book that was a lot of fun. I liked it so much that I immediately made out to get the next two in the series because I need more!

Imagine you’re eleven years old, live at Cambridge University, and have an over-active imagination. Add in a missing person, some mysterious clues, and two curious friends, and you have the set-up to Sleuth on Skates. Already the plot of this book was intriguing and interesting, and as the story carried on, it only got more entertaining and enjoyable. I can really see children trying to solve the mystery themselves as they read on and feel that it was just a really well-thought out plot with lots of fun going on. While some parts of this book were unbelievable, I feel that this is actually what gave this book that little bit of extra-charm. It made the adventure feel epic, the journey exciting, and the story itself completely loveable.

But of course, this epic adventure would not have been anywhere near as fun without the fabulous Sophie (*cough* Sesame Seade *cough*) leading the way. Sesame was a wonderful character that it is hard not to fall in love with. She is almost always over-the-top, thinks herself better than everyone, and is certain that she’ll save the day. She’s curious, excitable, and just really enjoyable to read about. She is the kind of character that you love watching in films and works so well because so many children act in similar ways. Their world, after all, is much more important than the world their parents live in! I would definitely read the rest of the series just to read more stories about Sesame.

What truly makes this book such a fun and entertaining read is how, essentially, unbelievable the entire book is. By that I mean that it is truly exaggerated and so over-the-top that it is clearly an escapist story. While reading it, it is easy to remove yourself from the things that occur that wouldn’t normally happen as they’re written in a way that makes you simply accept them. It is written in a real world with very familiar backgrounds and characters that are just everyday people but at the same time, it’s also just that little bit more. I really liked that about this story and, for me anyway, it definitely made the book more enjoyable and, ironically, believable – as a story anyway! I adored the writing style of this book and cannot wait to read more by Clementine Beauvais!

All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful children’s story that made me smile and laugh. It kept me curious and I really wanted to know what had happened and how Sesame Seade would use her amazing sleuthing skills to solve the crime and bring the bad guys to justice! It is also a very modern book, looking at some of the issues surrounding computers and technology and I think this just made it even more interesting to me! Sesame is a loveable, eccentric character who I cannot wait to read more of. If you’re someone who likes children’s books, enjoys the good crime book, and just needs a bit of fun for a few hours, I would highly recommend giving this book a go! I think children from seven and up would really appreciate this book, but I also believe that adults would also really like it.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also posted at http://snugglingonthesofa.com/book-re...

Sleuth on Skates is the first in the Sesame Seade Mysteries, where we meet Sophie, who fancies herself as a bit of a detective. Equipped with her roller skates and the wonderful town of Cambridge to explore, she falls into all sorts of amusing situations. When one of the students at Cambridge disappears, Sophie takes it upon herself to discover what happened to her. Between suspicious professors and potential enemies of the missing girl, as well as dodging her parents and the appearance of a pregnant duck, Sophie has her hands full. 

Sophie is just a great character. She is so witty, and the conversations with her parents had me in giggles. She is so matter-of-fact in the way that confident children are, and just her enthusiasm and nosy nature made me fall in love with her. Oh how I wish I was solving mysteries as a child! Clementine Beauvais is an amazing storyteller, and has managed to weave a fun but exciting mystery that results in a book that you just can't put down. It is full of fabulous one-liners that will ensure this is a book you will want to reread over and over. 

One thing I love most about this book is the illustrations. They are so adorable, and really helped me to picture the situation and the characters. I think they are perfect for kids as well, as a lot of them are funny. The illustrator, Sarah Horne, is actually selling a few prints from the book, and I am seriously thinking about getting one. Or two. Or three...

Overall Sleuth on Skates was a book I really fell in love with. It had me smiling throughout at Sophie's escapades, and I can't wait to find out more about her adventures in the next book! 4.5 sofas. 

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Sesame Seade, the heroine of this MG mystery, who is 11 years old, wildly precocious, self-absorbed, brilliant, and out of control. Her voice - in her narration and in her hilarious lines of dialogue - is absolutely fabulous. I loved the Cambridge University setting, too. The whole book was just enormously fun.

The only reason it's 4 stars instead of 5 stars, for me, is that I personally prefer the kind of mysteries where the stakes are personal and the detective protagonist is changed by the course of the mystery. In this one, Sesame investigates just for fun and ends the book pretty much exactly as she began - i.e., fabulous, self-confident, and with almost nothing having changed in her life. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - Hércule Poirot and Miss Marple never change or experience personal growth in the course of any of their mysteries! there's a long tradition of mysteries where the detective is detached from the mystery and doesn't have a major character arc - it's just not *my* personally preferred type of mystery, as a reader. But I still enjoyed every page of this book, I *LOVED* Sesame, and I'd love to read the later books in the series.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a humorous new series from abroad, eleven-year-old Sesame Seade--love the name!--whose actual name is Sophie Margaret Catriona Seade--is determined to solve any mysteries that come her way. When a university student disappears mysteriously and certain coincidences start popping up, Sesame is on the case. With help from her two friends, Toby and Gemma, Sesame figures out where the student has disappeared, why, and connects all the dots behind the mystery. The authorial voice in this book is strong and memorable, and I came to love Sesame and worry about her as she set off along the streets of Cambridge, England. Often, it seemed as though her parents, one the Head of Christ's College and the other a chaplain, were too busy to pay her much mind or to take her seriously. I enjoyed the little asides about the pregnant duck and her cat Peter Mortimer and her relationship with Jeremy Hopkins too. Middle grade and younger readers will smile at the references to her teacher and his breath as well as the museum trip that ends unexpectedly. I will certainly look for more from this author since she's created such a likeable character in Sesame.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This British import features Sesame Seade (actually named Sophie Margaret Catriona Seade) who has to put up with living in Cambridge, England at Christ's College. Her self-absorbed parents are the College Head and the College Chaplain. These two staid individuals are not at all ready for their imaginative, loopy daughter who, on her skates, has decided to be a detective. This is, of course, when she's not worried about a pregnant duck, dealing with her whacky cat, or misinterpreting their absolute rules to best fit her own plans. When a student disappears Sesame is sure someone is up to no good. Indeed, something is going on, but those who know about it are being suborned. Can an 11-year-old girl on roller-skates save the day? This very British, madcap adventure is filled with improbable humorous elements, black and white illustrations, and an offbeat sense of humor. Will it translate to an American audience? That remains to be seen.

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wikipedia defines camp as "a social, cultural, and aesthetic style and sensibility based on deliberate and self-acknowledged theatricality." This is a good, solid mystery with good, solid detective work done by Sesame (Sophie) Seade of Cambridge, England, who lives her life theatrically and deliberately. Her parents are a college don and a college chaplain and they're totally oblivious to their daughter's pursuit of sleuthing or what is age appropriate for their 11-year old.

This is a funny book with larger than life characters. I did get tired of some of the inane parent behavior and with some of Sesame's antics, but in the end I was impressed by Sesame's ability to gather up her courage, see through red herrings, and solve the puzzle.

4th grade and up, girls.

[Jtimko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aspiring investigator Sesame Seade along with her two best friends, a strange duck and her trusty roller skates attempt to solve the mystery of a missing college student.
Originally published in Great Britain this mystery novel might attract middle-grade students who enjoy mystery adventures. Thought the story is a bit contrived, the reader will enjoy the ins and outs of the plot. This reviewer had a hard time accepting the parents attitude in the story as it was too laid back for my taste. If you have patrons who enjoy English humor, this would be a suitable purchase. Recommended for grades 5 and 6.

[Elen Caldecott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books that are described as 'funny' are often simply light or whimsical. This book is actually, genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The deadpan descriptions and witty one-liners had me guffawing on the 12.30 Bristol to Paddington in a way that probably disturbed my fellow passengers. But I didn't care.
Seasame herself is a joy, and her relationships with friends and family are vividly drawn.
I did guess the ending, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment in any way. Young readers looking for a sassy book to fill a hole left by the Famous Five will love Sesame Seade, I'm sure.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books I picked up planning to read a chapter of, and ended up just reading straight through the whole thing. It was hugely entertaining and very witty, just a pleasure from start to finish. I'm planning to take this into school to read to my class of 7-9 year olds as I know they would love it, and it's got plenty of great vocabulary to stretch their learning. Definitely recommended for children or those of us who still love children's books!

[Sam Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kids book that pulls the rare feat of being cute, extremely intelligent and utterly accessible to anyone. Can't believe Ms. Beauvais wrote this while doing her PhD! It's filled with unironic joy and ironic parodies and critiques of modern academia. Mocks the modern crass commercialization of the university system and touches on themes of Internet privacy, cost benefits, roller skating and dealing with parents. Hilarious and heartfelt.

[Charlou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie, call her Sesame, Seade can get somewhat bored in Cambridge University because her parents have quite important and busy jobs. So why not solve some mysteries. If you can find one. Like a missing coed. Sassy. Fun. Inventive. Sesame is all attitude and the very British location is a bonus.
Can be called a longer beginning chapter book - has illustrations. First in a series.

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guest Review: Clara
I really loved this book. There is so much to love. There are lots of funny things that happened and the mystery was one that I could not figure out. Sesame was a character that I enjoyed solving a mystery with and I would love to go on future adventures with her. I would not rate this book only 5 stars it needs to be 8 stars!!!

[Mao Mao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting things happened in the story. Most of them were very interesting, like when the men tried to steal Sesame's Phone4Kidz phone. She escaped by flying out of the building. But some weren't very interesting, like the second half of Chapter 3.

[Heather Gunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Staff Pick
Heather

Sesame Seade is a spunky and intelligent sleuth on skates and her parents have no idea how to handle her. When a girl at the local college goes missing it's up to Sesame and her friends to find her and unravel the mystery.

Notes: Removed from spreadsheet 12/11/19

[Daphne (Illumicrate) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's wonderful. A really, really well-crafted children's book, filled with great one liners, humour, mystery and a delightful heroine in Sesame. Full review to come!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This now one of my favorite mystery books. It's really super funny, and it's a really good book. I'd give it more than 5 stars, if possible.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommend. High level of vocabulary. Grades 4+.

[The Contented · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious. Briliant read. Children will love it. Grown- ups too.

The kind of book that will make any child passionate about reading

[Miku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is this weird Ian guy?

[Ken Poirier · Rating 2 out of 5]

narrator actually made a reference to harry potter to describe the action in the scene.