The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls

By: Judith Rossell

Published by Penguin Group, 2026-05-26

A whimsical, adventure-filled mystery about a young orphan at the edge of society who finds herself at the center of a city's secrets. For fans of The Swifts and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

"I was hooked from the beginning … Move over Lemony Snicket!" —Karen Foxlee, award-winning author of Lenny’s Book of Everything

Maggie Fishbone is not expecting much when she’s sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls—the last resort after causing a ruckus at the orphanage where she was living. Except . . . the Institute isn’t some dreadful, dreary place like she thought.

Instead it’s full of curious girls training to solve mysteries, fight bad guys, and keep the city safe. In between fencing lessons and discovering all the shortcuts in the building, Maggie finds herself making friends at the Midwatch and finally feeling like she’s home. And when a woman goes missing, Maggie’s off on her first assignment, with each step leading her deeper into the secrets of the city.

With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and pages of “Useful Things Every Girl Should Know” (like how send messages in morse code and how to shout extremely loudly), The Midwatch is a whimsical, adventure-filled mystery from internationally bestselling author-illustrator Judith Rossell.