Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff

Violet and the Velvets is a punchy little novel about loveable tween Violet, her passion for music and her strong sense of justice. In a sway away from her usual style, Rachael King has based this middle grade fiction firmly on solid ground, no folklore and myth, fewer foggy mornings and more sunny evenings strumming guitars. This is a shorter novel, with accessible font and language, Phoebe Morris’s dynamic drawing style lends a sassy and fast paced vibe to the pages.

Violet’s primary school is entering a rock contest and so many students want to join the band that they end up with two rival bands. In the process Violet is learning and highlighting the ways in which women and gender minorities are marginalised within the music industry, often relegated to back up singer roles or not given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Violet and her motley crew of a band not only have to contend with treachery and wavering self-esteem but as the story unfolds, a mystery needs solving - someone is nicking their gear.

Although Violet has ADHD, she summons her hyperfocus and wrangles her disorganisation to keep her band on track and, with the help of her amazing mum, Violet and her new friends achieve great things. King’s casual but intentional gender and neurodiversity inclusion is smoothly integrated into the story and elevates Violet and The Velvets from a simple madcap mystery into a novel with a lot of kick and genuine heart.