得獎感言

Thank the jury for the recognition. It’s truly a surprise for me to be notified that I am awarded this prize because I have little confidence in my English writing. Undoubtedly, this is such an encouragement to me.

Writing a book report is a wonderful way to improve both the ability of reading and the skill of writing. Besides, it helps us to think more and learn more because we have to have an insight into the book’s content. Participating this contest brings me not only a feeling of interest but also precious experiences. I want to appreciate my teacher who teaches me with all her heart and my friends who always support and accompany me. I am willing to share the honor with all of you.

On an ordinary day, twelve-year-old Xena Holmes and her younger brother Xander sat on the steps of the Dulcey Hotel, played games and received an odd note from a stranger. Following the instructions on the note, they were locked in a room but escaped with their keen observation and wisdom, and then met a group called Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives (SPFD) . People of that told them that they were descendants of the great detective Sherlock Holmes and gave them a book, which contained the unsolved cases of Sherlock Holmes. It truly changed the siblings’ lives.

The two kids tried to solve one of the unsolved cases in that book－finding a painting lost almost one hundred years ago. There were not many clues their ancestor had left, so they had to solve it themselves. That was a painting about a blond-hair girl in a purple hat. They understood they should find who the model was. First they did much research. But it didn’t work because all they could know was that the painter was too unsociable to paint someone except his family, but he just had three sons. They didn’t give up, though. They tried every means, such as visiting the descendants of that painter, investigating the mysterious girl dressed as the model in the painting, etc. During the process of their detection, they had one crucial conclusion that the model could be the painter’s youngest son dressed as a girl. He stole the painting since he didn’t want others to see his ridiculous dressing. At the end of the book, Xena and Xander were bound for the old school the painter’s son had studied in, and found the missing painting.

When I read this book, I was totally absorbed in the interesting story and delicate characterization. Xena and Xander are both talented, but there are still some differences between them. Xena is always calm and positive no matter what problems she meets, while Xander is less sensible. But the great memory and the ability of leaping thought Xander has are exactly what Xena lacks. They teamed up with each other perfectly and thus achieved this “impossible mission”. Instead of their intelligence, there are some things I admire more－the courage of their convictions. Undoubtedly, it is such a tough work for people to find a painting vanishing more than one hundred years, especially for kids. It seems too unrealistic and unbelievable after all. However, Xena and Xander didn’t think so, obviously. Although they were met with obstacles again and again, they never gave up. It seems that they were convinced that they could succeed. In my opinion, whatever the result it was, the two kids should be respected just for their rare and commendable insistence.

Aside from the appealing siblings, the wonderful plot is the other reason why I love this book. The writer gives the clues in clever way. We read them－but who knows that they are the keys to this case? When I read this book, I always thought, “What does it mean? Is it important? ” and suddenly saw the light after finishing it. It is not exaggerated that I am so nervous when I read it, especially at the moment which Xena found the painting. “……and then her hand emerged. It grasped a gold-colored frame, and in the frame was …” The climax of this story is coming. “… Girl in a Purple Hat.” I don’t know how to describe my excitement at that time. Despite the difficulty, they still made it! Booklist commented that this is “a fast-paced, entertaining mystery.” Indeed, reading this book can be a good choice when you’re at leisure.