CINNAMON STEVENS - Crime Buster

By Pauline Hosking

Originally published in 2015 this was instantly added to the Victorian Premiers' Challenge Reading List for Grades 5 and 6.

Twelve-year-old Cinnamon dreams of being a super sleuth. Her chance comes when a classmate disappears during a school camp. BUT...does Cinnamon have the Nerves of Steel necessary to solve this dark and dangerous crime? Will her Wing Chun Kung Fu skills protect her? And can she survive Year 7 without her very best friend?

This fun, adventure/mystery for readers 9+ is firmly set in the state of Victoria, Australia. Cinnamon lives in the Dandenong Ranges. Her investigation begins with the penguins of Phillip Island and ends in a heart-stopping chase through the laneways of Melbourne.

Themes include: dealing with the onset of puberty, worries about starting secondary school, the importance of keeping and finding friends, and Cinnamon's surprise at discovering her inner strength. There's a hint of romance. Cinnamon has a secret crush on a boy in her martial arts class.

Clues are released slowly but honestly. Alert readers will always be one step ahead of Cinnamon.

The book is in the form of Cinnamon's messy journal, her day-to-day record of the case, crammed with handwritten and typed entries, photos, cartoons, maps and footnotes. The different visuals/typefaces add to its interest.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0958038120
• ISBN13: 9780958038126
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Lilly Pilly Publishing
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7