Realistic local color and characters make up for a somewhat poor mystery plot.
In Depression-era Kansas, young Ralph McConnell and his friends find a body down by the river in the latest in the Young Ralph McMystery series.
Veteran author Neighbor (Princess Waconda, 2016, etc.) takes readers back to a story of childhood in north-central Kansas in the 1930s. (The dedicatee—and the protagonist’s namesake—is the author’s uncle, who died in a car crash in 1937 at the age of 10.) The discovery of the titular awful smell sets the plot in motion. Intrepid Ralph and his best buddies, Rusty and Teag, eventually steel themselves and fight through horseflies and stench to discover a body. It’s terribly decomposed, and no one has a clue whose it could be. Other characters include Ralph’s “maw,” Esther; his stepfather, Jeb; and various townspeople, relatives, disreputable “gandy dancers” from the railroad, and carnies, as the annual Celebration carnival is in town. Much of the story involves the kids’ pastimes and camaraderie and, especially, the backdrop of the Celebration. After word gets out about the body, practically the whole town comes out to gawk, but there are very few clues, as nobody has been reported missing. The lawmen and forensic people move in, the body is taken to a lab in Topeka, and the boys get caught up in the Celebration. Later, though, Ralph barely escapes from the bad guy. Overall, the mystery itself is rather weak. However, Neighbor still tells a good story, and his picture of life in that time and place is lovingly detailed. The language the author uses is true-to-life except for a couple of fancy words put in Ralph’s mouth, such as “castigate” and “explicated.” These characters are good people: Ralph’s anxious maw, his taciturn stepfather (the brother of Ralph’s late father), and others don’t have much money, but they do have love and religion and spunk, and that carries the day. All of this rings true.
Realistic local color and characters make up for a somewhat poor mystery plot.Pub Date: March 25, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5227-1057-8
Page Count: 134
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
1893
Pub Date: March 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028454-4
Page Count: 250
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The Germans may have failed to destroy England, but this book hits its target.
Strong young characters, a solidly researched historical storyline and expressive illustrations work well here, as they did in Berten and Schott’s previous partnership (Littsie of Cincinnati, 2003).
Joining the ranks of books about children evacuated from London during World War II, Jake and Samantha, or Sam, ages 10 and 8, find themselves in Pevensey in 1940 under the care of the horrible Miss Bottomley. Sam is easily tired by her leg braces, a result of having polio, but Miss Bottomley still forces both children to do all the chores, remain outdoors for long hours in the cold, and barely gives them anything to eat. After one particularly bad morning, the siblings befriend both Miss Bottomley’s pet ferret, Fulham, and Brother Godric, a monk who maintains the ruins of the local abbey. Descriptions of life as an evacuee and the fear of German bombing are interspersed with tales of English history. Berten includes gas mask drills and home front guards while also covering the destruction of monasteries under Henry VIII, the problems of medieval lepers in England and more. Schott’s illustrations are well spaced, well envisioned and complement the text. The seemingly pat ending, in which medieval treasure is found and the children are reunited with their parents, is actually well researched. Fulham’s discovery of a secret area in the abbey is in character for the burrower, and British law does indeed allow for treasure hunters to be paid the full value of their finds. The only resolution that feels rushed and far-fetched is Miss Bottomley’s sudden turnaround of character after a childhood admirer professes his affection. Fans of the Chronicles of Narnia are rediscovering this era in history, and Berten, without the fantasy setting of the classic series, helps the reader find magic in exploring new settings and uncovering medieval history.
The Germans may have failed to destroy England, but this book hits its target.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-9724421-1-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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