The Case of the Missing Silver Star

Bridget couldn't think of anything more boring or scary than going to a nursing home to visit her great-granddad, but her attitude changed when the Silver Star the old man carries around his neck on a red, white, and blue ribbon turns up missing. He is devastated and so is Bridget. "It's right in front of your nose, dummy," says the parrot on the gray lady's shoulder. Bridget rises to the investigative challenge and conducts a heart-stopping search to find the culprit. I believe I bring a certain authenticity to both the dialogue and the narrative because of an internship in two nursing homes in the course of obtaining a master's degree in counseling and my frequent visits to the assisted care where my dad resided. This, coupled with my background as an educator, allows me to bridge the generational gap. I think that this is an important read for families who have a relative in a nursing home. This book is a blend of humor and seriousness. Best of all, the seniors play a pivotal role in catching the thief, developing a new-found respect for the seniors we often forget are buried in institutions. The Case of the Missing Silver Star is well suited for young readers and seniors in assisted care. The pace kept both groups intrigued, and the humor and gumption of the seniors depicted in this book offsets any chance of feeling sorry for them for being tucked away in nursing homes. "This is a wake-up call," says a retired policeman.