Another "help me find this book" thread

Cafe Society
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Once again, it’s a children’s (maybe young adult?) book. I’ve done a lot of searching on Amazon and Google for key words that I remember about the book, but I have no idea about the title or author.

OK, I’m pretty sure the main character’s name is Dickory. She goes to work for a guy who solves mysteries - I think he’s an artist and tries to paint portraits of people who commit crimes. One of them includes discovering that counterfeit money was made by a guy who ate red pistachios. Her boss likes to dress up in different costumes/pretend to be different people. He also likes to tease her about her name, and makes up different versions of that children’s rhyme to recite at her. He tries to get her to see more than what people normally see when she looks at things - I think she’s interested in art, too.

I know that at one point the rhyme “Oranges and Lemons” is used. I also know that at one point Dickory learns about the poet Christina Rossetti.

But I can’t for the life of me remember the name or the author! It’s in a style similar to Ellen Raskin (The Westing Game) but I’ve looked at all her books on Amazon and it’s not any of those. I read the book 3 or 4 times when I was a kid and I loved it.

Anyone have any ideas?

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Now, you’re driving me crazy. I read this book too, but if it’s not Ellen Raskin, then I don’t know who it is.

The only information I have to add is that Dickory is an artist. She works in magic markers because that’s all she can afford.

I think she might have a sister that she’s supporting.

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Ha! Nailed it! It WAS Ellen Raskin

The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues

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THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

I THOUGHT it was Ellen Raskin, but I couldn’t find any evidence of it on Amazon (it’s out of print and not listed in a search on Ellen Raskin, but I found it in a title search when you told me the title). Now I’ve found it, and I might have to buy it. I LOVED it when I was 10.