在Plattsford這個鎮上，人口大部份外流，全鎮只有一間學校，而且全校只有九個學生，而Ted Hammond是鎮上唯一的六年級生，他特別喜歡懸疑的「偵探」故事，同時也是個兼職的送報生，就在那一天早上，在他送報的路上看到了已荒廢一段時日的Anderson家竟然有個「女孩」的蹤影，而所有的故事便因此可開始了，他會發現這個女孩的真正身份以及在鎮上出現的原因嗎？而這件事又會對他、家人、學校以及平靜的小鎮帶來什麼衝擊呢？

作者Andrew Clement寫了一系列有關學校師生間或同學間關係的書籍，每個主題都相當有趣。適合8歲以上兒童閱讀。

在這本書中Ted以著童子軍助人為快樂之本的精神來幫助April 一家人，甚至最後當鎮上的人知道她們的遭遇之後，全鎮的人還一起來歡迎這個家庭一起留下來，在現在這個功利主義抬頭的社會，真的很難得會有這種事了！

In a one-room school in a small Nebraska town, Ted is the lone sixth-grader sandwiched between four fourth-graders and four eighth-graders. Besides doing his chores on the family farm, he delivers newspapers, attends 4-H Club meetings, and enjoys reading mystery books. Riding his paper route one morning, Ted spies a girl's face in the window of an abandoned farmhouse. He puts his detective skills to the test as he tries to discover who she is, why she is there, and how he can help her. Though the mystery element in the plot is relatively mild, the story is strong enough that readers will want to find out what will become of Ted's vulnerable new friend. When she entrusts him with a secret, he must decide how best to honor that trust while helping solve her family's dilemma. The convincing, contemporary rural setting is an inextricable element of the novel, which is illustrated with small black-and-white sketches that enhance the refreshingly innocent tone of the story. Carolyn Phelan

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