Behind The Book With Melody Kelly 

Last year after doing the Q&A discussing Lulu At The Louvre by Melody Kelly, I am delighted to be doing this Behind The Book With Melody Kelly discussing the sequel Lulu Cracks the Case. 

Q: Melody, would you please give a brief description of Lulu Cracks the Case for those who haven’t read the novel yet?

A: Lulu Cracks the Case picks up right where Lulu at The Louvre left off. Lulu successfully helped capture the thieves who stole the painting and took her along with her trunk to The Louvre. However, there is one lingering problem. Lulu wants to know how Miss, the beloved owner of The Manor House in which she lived, came to have a stolen painting. In essence she wants to clear her name so that no one believes Miss could have been a thief. It’s a story that takes us to Claude Monet’s house in Giverny, France as well as all the way back to where it all began at The Manor House in England. 

Q: We briefly discussed Lulu Cracks The Case last year with Lulu trying to figure out how Miss came to have the painting. What made you want to have this be the plot of the sequel?  

A: I think it is a natural next step for our little mouse detective. She loved Miss, even though it was from a distance since humans and mice aren’t usually friends. Her loyalty to Miss is what makes her want to find out the truth about how Miss came to have the painting in the first place. She doesn’t believe the woman she knew could have been a thief. 

Also, it is a great opportunity to show Lulu stepping fully into the role of detective. In Lulu at The Louvre, she fell into the job quite by accident, but now we get to see her taking on responsibilities in the job and living her new life at The Louvre. It’s an opportunity for her to show just how good she is at being a detective in a case that really matters to her. 

Q: What lessons do you hope children learn after reading Lulu Cracks the Case? 

A: First and foremost, I want children and parents alike to simply enjoy the story and have a good time reading together. It’s so important for children to know that reading isn’t a subject at school but a lifelong pleasure. 

Also, I hope they see that no matter how young or how small they may feel, they can do big things and make a difference. Lulu is afraid sometimes but also adventurous. She is one small mouse, but she does great things. 

Lastly, I think Lulu is an example of how important our relationships with our friends and family are. She goes to her parents as well as Rousseau and Jacques for advice and assistance. And when she does things on her own that are a bit dangerous, they remind her that she can ask for help. 

Q: Without spoiling too much, which scenes of yours were your favorites to write? 

A: I loved Lulu’s visit to Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, France. I read a book about it many years ago, and it was so much fun to put my mice friends in that setting. I also love that part of the book because Lulu meets Cecile, who oversees the mice at Monet’s home. Cecile is warm and friendly but also sophisticated and accomplished. Lulu sees in her what she can possibly aspire to, and I think Cecile is a kind and wonderful role model. 

I also loved writing the scenes with Jerome and Sue, the mice she stays with when she goes back to her village in England. I based them on dear friends of mine when I lived in that same village, Isleham, in England more than twenty years ago. One of them is named after my friend, but both of them are based on the warm couple who opened their hearts and home to us so long ago. I think I have given them those qualities in this book. That makes me smile. 

And of course, the scene where Lulu, Jacques, and Rousseau are chased by Barkley, the dog, was a lot of fun to write. It was a treat to make Lulu the hero of that little moment.