Alice-Miranda in Japan by Jacqueline Harvey

Random House Australia Children's, 2014. ISBN: 9781742757599.
Highly recommended for readers from 8-10 years of age. Themes: Mystery, Adventure, Japan - travel, Tokyo. Jacqueline Harvey's ninth Alice-Miranda book takes the reader on another exciting overseas adventure. The pacing with the effective transitions between the two female protagonists, underpinned by the rich descriptive setting makes this another winner for the author.
Alice-Miranda's family seize the opportunity and travel to Japan when their family cook Dolly Oliver receives an invitation to share her food invention at a Tokyo conference. Along for the adventure are Millie, Jacinta and her mother Ambrosia, Uncle Lawrence the famous actor, Aunt Charlotte and Alice-Miranda's cousin Lucas. The Highton-Smith-Kensington Jones family and friends pack a lot into their holiday, exploring a temple, tasting sushi, trying on kimonos and dressing up in Harajuku costumes.
Intertwined with the excitement of experiencing the different food, fashion and culture, there is another mystery for Alice-Miranda to solve. For an eight and one quarter year old girl she is extremely perceptive and intelligent, piecing together the strange occurrences happening around her, with the problems in the house next door, their meetings with a young servant boy, a missing princess and strangers tracking their movements. Dolly's newest invention helps save the day. A chance meeting between Alice-Miranda's father and his old friend Kenzo Aoki the Emperor's Grand Chamberlain leads to a luxurious meal at the Imperial Palace. Here Alice-Miranda and her friends finally unravel the mystery of the missing princess.
Rhyllis Bignell