Youth Book Review: Middle grade readers become history detectives in this well organized book that masterfully connects time periods. I love a good non-fiction, and think that the style and interpretation of material in this book was thoughtful and original. The historical accounts are accurately and creatively presented, and the narratives are full of tension that made the book read like a great novel or work of fiction.

The book is fast paced with concise chapters that artfully navigate divergent timelines in a detailed but easy-to-follow way. Day's exceptional storytelling and meticulous research make this book a page-turner that blends the interest of a true crime story while raising questions about how how news is interpreted and celebrity is made.

Previous to reading this book, I knew both stories of Da Vinci and of the 20th century heist. The book goes beyond historical fact presentation, and succeeds in addressing complex themes of societal change, the impact of mass media, and the nature of art itself.

Masterful storytelling is punctuated by art in the margins, providing fun visual clues that keep the story moving and are welcomed in a book that shares the adventure of one of the world's most iconic paintings.

My notes for SLJ HMAC on 1/9/24: I was a pre-reader of THE MONA LISA VANISHES book in May. I enjoyed the details even more when I read it in September, but it was in that stack of great books published late in the year after School started.

It was in my top ten, going into the HMAC book ranking in November. After re-reading all 16 books in December, this book rose into my top stack of books. It is in my top 3 for appropriateness of style and presentation of information. The illustrations and text changes are excellent for middle-grade audiences and work with the writing to keep the book moving.

While it's my choice for the best nonfiction selection of the year for middle-grade readers, the Newbery Committee rarely selects nonfiction for that award distinction. With a few talented nonfiction librarians on the HMAC, it will likely win a top placement for the 2024 Heavy Medal Mock Newbery. It will require a committee member advocate to win an ALA Newbery selection, and it is a clear winner for the Robert F. Seibert Medal (Informational book award.)

This is a book I would have loved in 3rd-5th grade. It’s a non-fiction full of mystery and interesting real characters. It also puts a lens on how we interpret news and create celebrity.

Interesting to consider the authors suggestion that, “People will choose the better story every time.” (135). It’s great for kids to think about that and read many perspectives when studying history. I like that the seed is planted in THE MONA LISA VANISHES.



Thank you to Penguin Random House for Net Galley, ARC access.

This book has been nominated as a "north star" book for Maine 9-12 students for the 2024-2025 school year so I was excited to read it. Non-fiction is not my genre but I have enjoyed narrative non-fiction, such as The 57 Bus, where you are really drawn into the story. That's what I was hoping for from this book. While there were absolutely elements of narrative non-fiction and places where I was drawn in, a lot of the story felt all over the place to me and read much more general non-fiction. I would definitely recommend this for any 6-12 library or classroom collection and to recommend to artists, historians, and anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Mona Lisa.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free review copy! as a former art history major in college I loved this one. Compelling, well-researched and fascinating. I learned so much and couldn’t put the book down.

"The Mona Lisa Vanishes" is the perfect book for tween and middle graders who are interested in non-fiction books about art and history. It's about how the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci was stolen by the Louvre and how this robbery made it the most popular painting in the world. The thriller-like pace and writing style was engaging and captivating. I particularly enjoyed the accompanying black-and-white illustrations done by Brett Helquist (illustrator of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Chasing Vermeer"). I would definitely recommend this book!

This is a moment in history that I had heard about, though I suspect it is not something most will find familiar. Even with some familiarity, though, this book was a delight to read. Firstly, it talks about far more than the theft itself. We learn a great deal about Da Vinci, the history of the Louvre, art theft in general, news media, and the general social implications of the painting and it's theft throughout history. And the writing itself is charming. The tone is conversational with a solid dose of humor. It's easily digested and compelling.

History, heists, mystery, and intrigue. This will capture middle grade readers' imaginations and lead to some great discussions of the value of art as well as the changes in security that occurred over the years. I really enjoyed reading and learning about the original heist and the ways security has changed over the years, as well as the importance of the Mona lisa.

I will recommend this in my library and book clubs!

This narrative non-fiction for middle grade readers reads like a detective novel and quickly draws in readers, yet manages to weave in information about Leonardo da Vinci, Lisa Gherardini, Renaissance culture, early criminology methods, and art at the turn of the twentieth century. Day has done his research as evidencied by the sources listed in the back matter so this book can be used for research, but I would also recommend it to readers of any age who like a good police procedural.
Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.

I rearranged our nonfiction schedule and added this title to our November class. I know that my tween readers. will love it.

I can’t think of a more exciting way to learn about history! Written as a detective mystery, it kept my attention and had me cheering for her recovery. As a reader, a bit older than middle grade, cough – cough, I have always known about the Mona Lisa but really had no clue about her history. I loved the execution of the story and the time travel delivery. The illustrations are brilliant and really helped move the story along. Overall, this is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day is one of the most distinguished nonfiction works I have read in quite sometime. With a beautifully structured narrative and a memorable and consistent voice throughout, The Mona Lisa Vanishes delivers an informative tale kids won't soon forget.

From how the Mona Lisa was created by one of the most brilliant minds of the Renaissance and went from being an unassuming work of art to the most famous painting on planet Earth after its theft to the evolution of criminal detective work and how the heist of the century was finally solved [ after many many many missteps (hide spoiler)]. I highly recommend this one!

I had no idea that the Mona Lisa had been stolen and that this act had made it famous. I learned so much about the painter, the crime, and life in the early 1900s. I remember seeing the Mona Lisa 20 years ago in the Louvre and was surprised at how small it was. The history of the painting definitely makes it larger than life. I’m so glad to see more middle grade nonfiction published. It did skip around quite a bit and that might confuse some younger readers.

Informative, imaginative, and enjoyable! This book brings education about such a deep and well known topic to a rise with their fast paced yet fun way of writing. It never had me hoping for the end or forcing myself to finish. I truly enjoyed learning little bits I’d never heard and would have loved this in school. I think this is such a fantastic way to educate I hope this book ends up in libraries everywhere! The Mona Lisa being as famous as it is, it’s a rare sight to have something recapture that mystery and prose surrounding it.

An excellent book to hook your middle grade readers on nonfiction. Yes! HOOK! On NON-FICTION! This one follows how the Mona Lisa be and denies because guess who knew about the painting before it was stolen? Very few. Now? Everyone knows her face. Read to find out why!

The Mona Lisa Vanishes is a new middle grade narrative nonfiction by Nicholas Day with art by Brett Helquist. As a school librarian, I've noticed that very young students are often interested in nonfiction, but that interest usually starts to dwindle as they get older. I believe that the reason why is because nonfiction typically presents the facts rather than tells a story. That is NOT the case with The Mona Lisa Vanishes. The writing style of this book reads like a novel and the sentences and chapters are short and concise. I love that this book is split into sections and then into chapters. I feel that this format makes this book more engaging and easier to read.

The illustrations throughout the book are a fun addition. While some are a full-page spread, others take up a small part of the page. Regardless, the highly detailed illustrations are effective at drawing the reader further into the story through the use of fun, quirky characters.

I recommend this book for libraries and classrooms serving 4th grade and up. I'm actually going to add a copy to my high school library because I think some of my readers will enjoy it!

Wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me.

The way it was written didn't flow well for me, I couldn't get into it no matter how much I tried.

This non-fiction middle grade book does an excellent job of putting the theft of the Mona Lisa in context of world events and how against this backdrop the perfect storm of publicity created the iconic image of the Mona Lisa that persists today. Even older readers will learn things and discover new connections. Frankly, it is pretty fascinating stuff.

Stylistically, this book moves back and forth in time between the crime and the history of Da Vinci; the narrative also moves around geographically. The author’s voice is almost conversational and written as if the he is speaking directly to the young reader. The moving timeline and the sheer number of historical individuals being pulled into the story make for a more challenging middle grade read, but certainly an interesting one.

Appropriately, for a book about art, there are charming illustrations by Brett Helquist to enhance the narrative. Fans of non-fiction, history, the art heist, crime novels, and even mysteries, will find appeal in this book.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Publisher

This is an engaging nonfiction book about the Mona Lisa. Told in dual timelines, we learn about the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 as well as the story of how Leonardo DaVinci painted the portrait. The tone is light and fun, which makes this a fun book to hand to upper elementary students. Recommended for grades 4-6.

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day (Random House, September 2023) is a nonfiction middle grade story about the famous Mona Lisa. With alternating chapters telling the stories of the painting’s creation and its 1911 theft, The Mona Lisa Vanishes manages to capture the attention of a young reader with a friendly and humorous tone, as well as a sense of mystery that makes the unfolding of this true account all the more exciting.

Rather than being a straightforward account of the Mona Lisa theft in August 1911, the book incorporates the history of the art into the story. It gives context to the painting as it highlights what makes the portrait of Lisa Gherardini unique among Renaissance art, as well as how it ended up in France. In addition, as the strange mystery of the theft is developed throughout the book, we see just how the aftermath of the theft made this piece of art a legend.

With the skill of a storyteller and the facts of a historian, Nicholas Day manages to twist these events and the entire history and legacy of the Mona Lisa into a coherent and fascinating nonfiction account. It reads like a novel, with a colorful cast of characters and a bizarre combination of circumstances. Illustrator Brett Helquist has added his talent to the pages with humorous illustrations that nicely complement the text. From start to finish, The Mona Lisa Vanishes delights the reader with history storytelling at its finest!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world…but why? Welcome to the page-turning, revealing, irreverent and utterly fascinating story of the greatest heist of all time. But wait, was it? Day, in his first foray into middle-grade nonfiction has written a flawless book that is packed in equal measure with entertainment, information, surprise and insight. We learn not only about the 1911 heist, DaVinci, the Mona herself, the oddity of fame but also why myths are more persuasive than the truth and thus why it is crucial to be able to see the world the way DaVinci did. Day addresses the reader directly – his conversational tone manages to be both friendly and assured. Helquist’s illustrations, with their wealth of detail, wry sensibility and vintage feel are a perfect match. Back matter includes an epilogue and extensive sources. Reviewed from a digital ARC. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a digital arc in return for an honest review.

This was a fantastic narrative nonfiction book! My students will be just as enthralled as I was learning more about da Vinci and the art heist. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for access to this book!