Up for Grabs

Michelle Mulder has created a fun mystery that readers will be quickly turning the pages to find out the answers. Scattered with interesting art facts and beautiful scenery from the Canadian west coast, Mulder shares some of the history of Victoria, British Columbia, through local art history and twentieth-century photography.

Frida and her brother Zac lost their mother when Frida was three, and the two of them have been travelling the world ever since. They get word that their grandmother, Gloria, had passed away and left them her house in Victoria, British Columbia. The house is like a mansion, old and beautiful, but full to the brim of family heirlooms and items their grandmother collected. Zac’s plan is to sell what items they can, clean up the house, and sell it so they have money to continue travelling. Frida does not remember her grandmother, and she never spoke to them as they travelled, even though they often sent postcards.

During the first few weeks of their stay, Frida doesn’t meet too many people as she finds the neighbours tend to keep to themselves. But there is Pierre, a family friend of their mother’s who has looked out for the siblings over the years, Anna, their grandmother’s childhood friend, and Hazeem, a boy close to Frida’s age who is visiting Victoria with his mother and is staying across the street. Hazeem and Frida also meet Liz, an antiques dealer who comes off as pushy and is very interested in Gloria’s house. Frida does not have a good feeling about her.

As Frida and Zac work through their grandmother’s house, Frida realizes she doesn’t know much about her family at all. Zac doesn’t like to talk about his childhood, and, since they move around so much, they do not have any family keepsakes. Zac tells her that there used to be a lot of portraits of past family members hanging in the house, but he donated them to a local art gallery. He promises to take her to see them. While packing up more boxes, Frida discovers an old, antique wood desk that was carved by their great-great-great grandfather and that their mother used as a work desk. Frida begs Zac to keep it, and he agrees. While cleaning the desk, Frida opens a drawer and finds a ribbon that opens a secret compartment, revealing a hidden portrait. The portrait is of a young woman, who looks like she could be one of her relatives. But the painting is different from the portraits of her family that she saw in the art gallery. The only clue is a faint signature that says “J. Nille”. Who is the subject of the painting, and who could have hidden the painting in the desk?

As the siblings continue to go through the house, Frida notices that things have been moved and valuable items are missing. At various times, Frida has also noticed the smell of cigarette smoke around the house. Believing someone may be trying to steal things, Zac gets the old windows fixed, and Frida becomes wary of Liz who has tried to convince Zac to let her help sell items from the house.

Frida doesn’t tell Zac about the portrait right away. Instead, she shows Hazeem and Anna first, hoping they might be able to help her figure out who the mysterious woman might be. Anna, who was very close to Frida’s grandmother, does not recognize it, and Hazeem and Frida try to find out who J. Nille was, but with no luck. When Frida finally tells Zac about the portrait, he also does not recognize it, but he does tell Frida a bit more about their family. She finds out that their grandmother and mother did not get along and that their grandmother struggled with alcohol abuse. Frida understands why Zac doesn’t like to talk about their childhood, but she also wants to know about her mother and her past.

Frida is able to find out a bit more about what her mother was like from Anna and Pierre, but she has hit a dead end with the portrait. However, while Frida is visiting with Hazeem, they spot Liz across the street trying to get into Frida’s house. When they confront her, she claims she was looking for a lost earring. Frida does not believe her, and she is convinced that Liz is after the painting as she has also taken more of an interest in the antique desk. Not only are Frida and Hazeem still trying to figure out who the woman in the painting is, they now need to figure out why Liz is after the painting and how to stop her.

Up For Grabs is a mystery that school-aged children will enjoy, and it presents an opportunity to look into a very niche subject of Canadian art, specifically art crime. Mulder based the book’s storyline on the 1972 art theft from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and has included other snippets of art crime facts such as the theft of the Mona Lisa. What makes the story truly unique is the addition of Canadian artists specific to Victoria, British Columbia, such as Hannah Maynard and Sophie Pemberton. Up For Grabs is a commemoration of these women and the work that they have done. Readers do not have to be art experts to understand or follow the mystery as Mulder uses Frida’s interest in art to explain the portraits and different art forms when she is talking to her brother or Hazeem.

This story also looks into the meaning of family and home. For Frida, the only family she has ever known was Zac and Pierre as her Grandmother never reached out to her. She has never really had a place to call home as she and Zac have been constantly on the move. Going back to Victoria, Frida realizes how much she wants to know about her family, especially her mother, and looks for things in the house that she could keep to feel close to her heritage. But once Frida and Hazeem solve the mystery of the portrait, Frida knows that home is where you make it, and her family are those that care about each other.

Up For Grabs is recommended for those who love a good mystery and excellent character building. Readers will be able to relate to Frida’s lighthearted and kind personality which blends well with Hazeem’s humour. While learning a little bit about Victoria’s local art history and art crimes, this book is a perfect start for children to get into the mystery genre.