Nora, Diego and Rute Investigate: A Break-in at School

Joana Estrela

It all began one Tuesday morning. Rute arrived at school and discovered that there had been a break-in.

For Rute, head of the journalism club, this unexpected event couldn’t be more thrilling: who could be the thief who broke a window but seems not to have stolen “all that much”? What’s with shifty Augusto, the handyman followed everywhere by his dog? What might the friendly teacher, Júlia, be hiding? And what about Little Zé?

Helped by her friends, Diogo and Nora, Rute leads the investigation at the heart of this fun detective story which challenges the readers, to follow each clue and discover the true culprit.

First part in a series.

Press voices

“Indeed, across the course of the narrative, Joana Estrela handles our expectations with great skill, offering up possibilities before then knocking them down as she constructs a whole school environment around us /…/ If the younger readers amongst us haven’t yet tried a detective novel – that genre which, in its own particular way almost always reflects the society within which it develops – here they have an excellent starting point.” Sara Figueiredo Costa, Livros para Atravessar a Semana

“Joana Estrela has written and illustrated many books for children, but this is the first in which the illustrations shrink back to allow the text to take centre stage.  The Break-in at School, published by Planeta Tangerina, has as its protagonist aspiring journalist Rute, who tries to uncover a mystery with the help of her friends, Nora and Diogo. But will they manage it? That’s what we’ll find out in this very fun detective story which might well turn into a series. /…/

Joana Estrela, who is first and foremost a visual artist, proves yet again how a picture can speak a thousand words (or more!). Because if she didn’t tell us who Rute, Nora and Diogo are, we’d almost certainly be able to tell from the way she depicts them.” Raquel Dias da Silva, Time Out Lisbon

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