Some days, there is nothing that will hit the spot quite like a quirky, crazy, middle-grade. That’s what I was expecting from this book and the best thing is that it looks like it’s the first in a new series!

Callie and Grace are SPUD (Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives) and there appears to be a new mystery for them to solve. Things are going missing in their town and they’re determined to find the thief. But Callie soon realises that her new hearing aids give her the strange ability to hear what Bo, a Mynah bird, is saying. Having a friend in the sky might be useful for the latest case!

Louise Forshaw’s illustrations are a perfect match for the story. They’re cute, fun and make for an excellent visual accompaniment to a fast-moving plot. Depicting a diverse cast of characters, it’s easy for everyone to see themselves in the adventure as it unfolds.

As soon as I realised that this was going to be an amateur detective story, I cheered. There’s something about them, particuarly when the amateur sleuths are kids, that I absolutely adore. I think I wanted a bit of SPUD’s process in the book. We did get the occasional notepad page but I wanted more dialogue between Callie and Grace, where they figured things out. The focus was much more on the absurd action that came with Bo rather than the case. It was still fun but it was definitely more of a silly story than a twisty, deep one.

Callie is very insecure about her hearing aids at first. She desperately wants to hide them because she’s afraid that she’ll get teased for needing them. I know that this is something that many kids will be able to relate to, whenever they get glasses, braces or hearing aids. However, as soon as Callie discovers her hearing aids’ power, she starts to love them. I loved this aspect of the book because it suggests that you can use your vulnerabilities to find your strength and that’s definitely what Callie did.

Major and Mynah is the beginning of a new middle-grade series of mysteries and mayhem. The addition of Bo the Mynah bird was a unique decision and it definitely gave the book a memorable slant. In future instalments, I’d love to see more of Callie and Grace’s friendship and perhaps watch them grow up -similarly to Hazel and Daisy in Robin Stevens’ Wells and Wong series. It has the potential to be as amazing as that, so I hope it reaches it!

A sweet story and a quick read. A fun story that also covers bereavement, bullying and the struggle of being differently able.
The artwork complements the story beautifully..

Major and Mynah is a fantastic new book. Callie is a very funny and sweet young heroine, and her detective agency, SPUD, she runs with her friend Grace is very endearing.

Two things really stand out in this short novel. The first is the writing style. Everything is told from Callie's perspective, and it has almost a stream-of-consciousness style to it, as she goes off on tangents or gets distracted. I really loved how well it worked, it wasn't too forced, but it really felt like you were listening to a young, excitable narrator.

The second is the disabled rep. Callie has hearing difficulties, and a big section of the story revolves around her getting hearing aids, which she really doesn't want. I thought this whole element was handled very well, from her refusal to accept that she has a problem (it's just that everyone mumbles), to the overwhelming noise when she first puts them in, to the attitudes of her classmates at school. It's something I don't remember seeing in a middle-grade book before, and I'm sure there'll be children out there who will see themselves in Callie and this might help them to accept the help they need. Equally, there will hopefully be children who recognise friends, family members or classmates in what Callie is going through, and this will hopefully teach empathy and understanding.

It's also an exciting adventure/mystery too. A fast paced, exciting hunt for a bicycle thief around town, with Bo the Mynah bird proving to be an excellent sidekick. Or at least, an interesting sidekick, there are some very entertaining ups and downs with Bo!

Major and Mynah is fast paced and fun, with beautiful, positive disability representation and a very sweet young heroine.

A delicious mix of detective fun and animal magic, Major and Mynah is a delightful mystery adventure that zips along at a perfect pace. Best friends, Callie and Grace have their very own detective agency, so when bicycles start to disappear around their neighbourhood they soon realise it is up to them to catch the thief. Little does Callie suspect that the mynah bird that she rescues from her rice crispies will turn out to be a valuable fellow detective, or that the hearing aids she is finding it difficult to adjust to wearing will let her communicate with her new feathery friend, Soon the three detectives are on the trail of the dastardly thieves and Callie is wondering whether her parents might finally let her have the pet she longs for.

Major and Mynah mixes the excitement of the mystery perfectly with the fun relationship between Callie and Bo the mynah bird. Along the way, Karen Owen weaves in Callie's struggles to get used to the new hearing aids and to face up to the bullying she faces at school. It's a lot to pack into such a short book, but Karen Owen's skill as a storyteller makes it all work brilliantly.

A fun read full of heart with an intriguing mystery and a spot of magic, Major and Mynah is an absolute treat.

Big thank you to Firefly Press for letting us have an ARC to read, enjoy and review.

Major and Mynah.
Plot summary.
When nine-year-old Callie Major is sent to be fitted out with hearing aids, or 'SLUGS' as she describes them, she really isn't looking forward to the painful intrusion of the real world sounds entering her life or the teasing she'll get at school. What she least expects is suddenly being able to hear and understand a Mynah bird, called Bo, that comes to eat her breakfast.

Thus ensues a fast-paced, adventure for S.P.U.D., (Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives) Callie and her BFF Grace's homegrown detective club as they track down a local thief who has stolen various things from around the village, including Callie's younger brothers swimming trunks!

My thoughts.
A fast-paced, easy read that is full of fun, laughter, action and adventure. Told in the first-person voice of Callie, the reader gets a real feel for Callie, her hearing issues, and her family and friends. It also rather skillfully deals with bereavement, teasing/bullying, responsibility and caring. Callie's hearing issue and the slugs are turned from something she fears and dislikes to something that is more akin to a superpower.

The artwork for the story was really fun and is sure to please and added to the page turnability of this story and all that follow.

A book to cheer, entertain and enable children, with or without 'SLUGS', everywhere!

Thank you so much to Firefly Press for the earc to read and review.

This was so sweet and such a great easy read. Callie didn’t want to have hearing aids and calls them Slugs, they love solving mysteries with their best friend Grace and befriends a lonely bird.

It was wonderfully written as it deals with hearing loss and how hard it can be to adjust to being able to hear everything so loudly and clearly but also the insecurity it can bring with having to wear them.

I loved the story with the local thief and the kids and Bo the Mynah bird solving it together but also whilst solving the crimes in the neighbourhood Callie becomes adjusted to the Slugs without realising it.

I really enjoyed the relationships in the story, I love how connected they all were, I loved the cute illustrations and I loved the story it was a really simple, easy to read and so much fun.