{"product_id":"mercy-watson-is-missing-isbn-9781536210231","title":"Mercy Watson Is Missing!","description":"\u003cb\u003eEvery favorite character from Kate DiCamillo’s \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebest-selling Mercy Watson books makes an appearance in this extended, riotously funny series crescendo.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Mercy Watson the pig goes missing, all of Deckawoo Drive is in an uproar. The Watsons are inconsolable, and the local police, fire, and animal control departments are no help whatsoever. Bossy neighbor Eugenia Lincoln is not quite as sad as she might be, but thankfully her sister, Baby Lincoln, has the idea to hire a private investigator. Granted, Percival Smidgely, PI, may be more bumbler than gumshoe, but his pigeon, Polly, is there to point the way. Meanwhile, Frank and Stella Endicott and Stella’s friend Horace Broom are ready to do some investigating of their own. Will the clever neighborhood sleuths manage to follow the trail of hoofprints—and a certain overwhelmingly enticing scent—and recover their porcine wonder? With deftly paced narrative comedy, visual slapstick, abundant artwork in both black and white and full color, and warm affection for their cast of characters, Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen bring us a highly satisfying, extra-special series finale that rewards loyal fans—and invites new readers to explore the stories that came before.As always DiCamillo never lets her audience's age keep her from using (and subtly explaining) the perfect word: Eugenia exhibits schadenfreude at Mercy's apparent demise, and the smell of butter is ubiquitous in the Butter Barrel candy factory. Van Dusen's stylized, gouache artwork plays upon the story's\u003cb\u003e inherent humor and quirky characters\u003c\/b\u003e. . . As the final book in the beloved Mercy Watson universe, this will lure fans like a certain pig sniffing out buttered toast.\u003cbr\u003e—Booklist (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhether this is their first \"Mercy Watson\" book or their last, readers will be drawn into the mystery from page one and be eager to find out who discovers Mercy’s whereabouts. \u003cb\u003eA ­delightful conclusion to this chapter ­series\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e—School Library Journal\u003cb\u003eKate DiCamillo \u003c\/b\u003eis the beloved author of many books for young readers, including the Mercy Watson and Deckawoo Drive series. Her books \u003ci\u003eFlora \u0026amp; Ulysses\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Despereaux\u003c\/i\u003e both received Newbery Medals. A former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, she lives in Minneapolis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eChris Van Dusen \u003c\/b\u003eis the author-illustrator of many books for young readers, including \u003ci\u003eThe Circus Ship \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBig Truck, Little Island\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eand the illustrator of the Mercy Watson and Deckawoo Drive series. He lives in Maine.\u003cb\u003ePrologue\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The office of Percival Smidgely, PI, was situated on the third floor of the historic Blinkhopp Building in downtown Gizzford.\u003cbr\u003e   In Percival’s office, there was a desk and a window. There were also several chairs and an elderly rubber plant.\u003cbr\u003e   The rubber plant had lost most of its leaves to time and neglect, and the six leaves that remained were coated in a thick layer of dust.\u003cbr\u003e   The window in Percival’s office looked out on a brick wall.\u003cbr\u003e   Sometimes, in the late afternoon, the window grudgingly admitted a small square of sunlight that appeared and then quickly disappeared. It was almost as if the sun were embarrassed to show up in such a dingy office.\u003cbr\u003e   A single pigeon had taken up residence on the window’s narrow ledge.\u003cbr\u003e   This pigeon was prone to staring in the window at Percival Smidgely in a judgmental way.\u003cbr\u003e   Percival Smidgely did not mind being judged by a pigeon because Percival was a man who believed that he was destined for great things.\u003cbr\u003e   He was a man with a moustache and a detective license.\u003cbr\u003e   He was a man with a sign on the door that read: percival smidgely, private investigator.\u003cbr\u003e   Percival’s girlfriend had stenciled the sign for him.\u003cbr\u003e   Sometimes, Percival would get up from his desk and go out into the hallway and admire the sign on his door and then he would come back into the office and close the door and sit at his desk and twirl his moustache and consider the great things he was surely destined to do.\u003cbr\u003e   Also, he stared at the phone. He waited for it to ring.\u003cbr\u003e   When the phone did ring, it was usually Percival’s girlfriend, Louella Smith.\u003cbr\u003e   “Don’t call me at work,” said Percival Smidgely.\u003cbr\u003e   “But that’s what I’m calling about,” said Louella, “to see if you have any work.”\u003cbr\u003e   “The world is full of mysteries, Louella. The world is full of missing people and lost items. Eventually, those mysteries will find their way to the door of Percival Smidgely, PI.”\u003cbr\u003e   “When?” said Louella.\u003cbr\u003e   Percival hung up the phone.\u003cbr\u003e   He twirled his moustache.\u003cbr\u003e   The pigeon stared at him. The square of sunlight appeared and then quickly disappeared. The dust on the six leaves of the rubber plant grew the tiniest bit thicker.\u003cbr\u003e   Percival Smidgely got up and looked at his sign: percival smidgely, private investigator.\u003cbr\u003e   Yep.\u003cbr\u003e   The mysteries would present themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e On a bright morning in early autumn, Percival sat at his desk reading the \u003ci\u003eGizzford Gazette.\u003c\/i\u003e He was keeping an eye open for potential mysteries.\u003cbr\u003e  The headlines, however, were not very mysterious.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003enew traffic light at \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e twinkle and main\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e butter barrel candy factory \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e begins production in gizzford\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e imogene faulkner celebrates \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e100th birthday in style\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   The pigeon shifted her position on the window ledge and stared in at Percival with beady, judgmental eyes.\u003cbr\u003e   More dust settled onto the leaves of the rubber plant.\u003cbr\u003e   The office was very quiet.\u003cbr\u003e   Percival rattled the pages of the newspaper. \u003cbr\u003e   He read another headline.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003ei-16 to be repaved\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   That was a good thing. No one should have to drive on bumpy roads.\u003cbr\u003e   Surely, if Percival Smidgely waited patiently, fate would intervene, and the mysteries would present themselves.\u003cbr\u003e   Surely, the mysteries would appear.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eChapter One\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e On a bright morning in early autumn, Mercy Watson went missing.\u003cbr\u003e   Mrs. Watson looked in the pig’s room.\u003cbr\u003e   “Mercy?” she said.\u003cbr\u003e   No one answered.\u003cbr\u003e   “Hmmm,” said Mrs. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   She went downstairs and looked in the kitchen.\u003cbr\u003e   There was no pig in the kitchen.\u003cbr\u003e   “Hmmm,” said Mrs. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   She walked into the living room. Mr. Watson was, as usual, sitting on the couch. His face was obscured by the \u003ci\u003eGizzford Gazette.\u003c\/i\u003e The headlines shouted information about traffic lights and birthday parties and Butter Barrels.\u003cbr\u003e   “Have you seen Mercy?” said Mrs. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   “I have not,” said Mr. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   Mrs. Watson felt a pebble of worry in her stomach.\u003cbr\u003e   “I’ll just check at the neighbors’,” she said.\u003cbr\u003e   “Excellent,” said Mr. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   But Mercy was not at the Lincoln sisters’ house.\u003cbr\u003e   “What would that pig be doing here?” said Eugenia Lincoln.\u003cbr\u003e   “Mercy is missing?” said Baby Lincoln. Her worried face hovered behind Eugenia’s for just a moment before Eugenia closed the door (slammed it, actually) in Mrs. Watson’s face.\u003cbr\u003e   Eugenia Lincoln could be quite abrupt at times. Mrs. Watson tried not to let it hurt her feelings.\u003cbr\u003e   She went down the street to the Endicotts’ house.\u003cbr\u003e   Frank answered the door.\u003cbr\u003e   “Have you seen Mercy?” asked Mrs. Watson.\u003cbr\u003e   “No,” said Frank. “Is she missing?”\u003cbr\u003e   “I don’t know if she’s missing exactly,” said Mrs. Watson. “It’s just that she’s not where I would expect her to be.”\u003cbr\u003e   “Maybe she’s playing hide-and-seek,” said Frank’s sister, Stella.\u003cbr\u003e   “I don’t think so,” said Mrs. Watson. “At least, I’ve never known her to do such a thing.”\u003cbr\u003e   Still, in the spirit of a potential game of hide-and-seek, Mrs. Watson went up and down Deckawoo Drive. She looked under cars and searched behind trees. She peeped into garages and lifted the lid on garbage cans.\u003cbr\u003e   Not that Mercy would hide in a garbage can. She was not that kind of pig.\u003cbr\u003e   What kind of pig was she?\u003cbr\u003e   Well, she was the kind of pig who liked to eat toast with a great deal of butter on it.\u003cbr\u003e   Oh, toast with a great deal of butter!\u003cbr\u003e   The comfort of it! The warmth of it!\u003cbr\u003e   Mrs. Watson felt a sudden overwhelming urge to make toast even though there was no Mercy to make it for.\u003cbr\u003e   “Mercy?” she called. “My darling? My dear?”\u003cbr\u003e   Mrs. Watson returned to 54 Deckawoo Drive with dread in her heart. What had started as a pebble of worry was turning into a boulder of despair.\u003cbr\u003e   Mercy lent weight and shape and wonder to all of Mrs. Watson’s days.\u003cbr\u003e   Life without her was unimaginable.","brand":"Candlewick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303205196005,"sku":"NP9781536210231","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781536210231.jpg?v=1767732574","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/mercy-watson-is-missing-isbn-9781536210231","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}