Signed by Zelda

The plot in this mystery turns on one of the young main characters' passion for handwriting analysis. Lucy has just reluctantly moved with her parents from Savannah to New York City. Her one consolation is having a new pool of people whose handwriting she can analyze. The family's new apartment is right below that of Lucy's classmate Nicky, who drives her crazy with his incessant jumping around upstairs. Nicky has a more pressing concern: his beloved grandma Zelda has suddenly disappeared from their building, leaving behind a note that says, "Help me." What Nicky doesn't know is that Lucy intercepted an earlier note sent by Zelda because she loved the writing. Since the story moves forward and backward through time, readers learn the facts out of order, heightening both the mystery and the confusion. There are some serious issues raised in the book: Nicky's father isn't a nice guy, and the way he treats Zelda is appalling. But Feiffer keeps the tone light, incorporating a talking pigeon and lots of handwriting analysis tips that readers may find intriguing.

In a New York City apartment building, two lonely children, a pie-baking grandmother and a talking pigeon connect in this gratifying mystery.

Eleven-year-old Nicky has mostly stayed in his room ever since his mother moved to India two years ago, and his "Time-Out Average" has spiked to .750. One floor below, Indian-American Lucy, also 11, a budding forensic scientist and graphologist interested in the study of handwriting, has just moved to the city. Although she's been unlucky making new friends and gathering more samples for her handwriting journal, she's reluctant to get to know Nicky. But when the resident talking pigeon intervenes, Lucy soon finds herself putting her sleuthing skills to the test to help Nicky find his missing Grandma Zelda, who never leaves her apartment (only one floor above). Believing "you are what you write," Lucy offers witty writing rules (e.g., "Life changes lead to letter changes"), which guide the suspense. Simulated writing samples and actual signatures of such notable individuals from history as Eleanor Roosevelt, Al Capone and, of course, John Hancock, fuel Lucy's forensic applications. When Nicky's father becomes a prime suspect, his grandmother's disappearance also becomes a moral dilemma.

A quick and steady story for readers who like some substance to their mystery but are not quite ready for the complexity of Blue Balliett. (author's note) (Mystery. 8-12) --"Kirkus Reviews", April 15, 2012

Nicky's mother has taken a permanent vacation to India and his apathetic father puts him in time-out for the slightest offenses, so he sneaks out to spend time with his beloved Grandma Zelda. When she goes missing, he enlists the help of his friend Lucy, handwriting analyst extraordinaire, and a talking pigeon, and they search the city for her. With Pigeon's help, the children unravel the nefarious dealings of Nicky's father and the scheme behind Zelda's disappearance. Told as a rotating arc, this quirky mystery is interspersed with handwriting samples, notes, and Lucy's Writing Rules #1-11, which add a fun element to the cast of eccentric characters.... readers will be drawn into the story and will enjoy the fast-paced action. Feiffer has included a signature test to help savvy readers spot forgeries and an author's note that is almost as entertaining as the book itself.- School Library Journal

Set in New York City, Feiffer's (The Problem with Puddles) fantasy-tinged mystery follows two 11-year-olds--Indian-American Lucy, a recent transplant from Savannah, Ga., who "planned on becoming the world's leading expert on handwriting," and Nicky, Lucy's upstairs neighbor, a boy who has no trouble getting into trouble. Along with a talking pigeon, the pair tries to figure out what happened to Nicky's grandmother, Zelda, who disappears on April Fool's Day. Initially, Lucy and Nicky spar with each other, but the friendly presence of Pigeon and a cryptic note left behind by Grandma Zelda bring the children together. Handwriting samples, letters, and clues help build tension, and Lucy's rules about handwriting and character offer humor and insight ("Confused people have confused writing").

Publishers Weekly