Inspiring Young Readers

posted on 28 Oct 2025

Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures by Mario Ambrosi

One of the great triumphs of post-war health and social care has been the increasing numbers of people living to extended ages – it’s estimated that over 8% of the UK population is now over the age of 75 and more than 15,000 are over the age of 100 : but this success comes with problems. One of the critical issues that has become pressing in recent years is the growth in the number of elderly people living with memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

These debilitating illnesses aren’t just a tragedy for the individual because they can strike right at the heart of family life. In particular they can raise problems of how to explain what’s happening to younger children who might struggle to understand why an elderly relative or friend has started behaving differently. 

Mario Ambrosi’s engaging book for young readers tries to tackle this issue in an inventive, non-threatening and entertaining way. When 12-year-old Scarlett finds her grandmother behaving very oddly she resolves to discover what’s happening to her and why she’s clearly distressed about some ‘lost pictures’.

She’s joined in her endeavours by the eccentric and slightly nerdy schoolfriend, Bournemouth, who rather foists himself on Scarlett but who, in the end, becomes an indispensable help (despite his ability to say just the wrong thing at the wrong time).

Scarlett has another problem going on too – her mother has a new boyfriend, James, who is obviously a bad lot. He views the idea of looking after Scarlett’s grandmother as a terrible imposition and tries all he can to force her into a care home. He’s also up to no good with Grans belongings  – Scarlett and Bournemouth are sure he’s stealing from the old woman but they need the proof!

So, the young detectives have three jobs on their hands: find out about dementia, solve the problem of Grans missing pictures, and trap James into revealing just what a rat he is.

Of course, I’m not going to tell you how all this works out because you’re going to want to follow the cunning plot for yourselves – and believe me there are some twists and turns along the way. What I can tell you is that solving the question of why Gran is so agitated about the ‘lost pictures’ turns out to be key to a positive outcome for everyone (except James!).

Available from Tiny Tree publishing, you will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

October 2025