by Randy Wayne White ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 11, 2021
Something for everyone but especially fans of fast-paced eco-fiction.
A visit to a small Bahamian island pitches young shark taggers into a whirl of encounters with natural hazards, pirates past and present, and more than one kind of hidden treasure.
Following on their adventures with shark poachers in the series opener, Fins (2020), 13-year-old Maribel; her younger sister, Sabina (both Cuban refugees); and White ex–farm boy Luke teamed up as Sharks Incorporated. They have barely arrived on idyllic, cave-riddled Katt Island to help their secretive biologist employer investigate the invasive lionfish that are devastating the local reef ecology before one is sucked into a tidal whirlpool, another falls into a pit and finds a golden doubloon, and all three save an elderly author from sharks. Folding in real-life issues such as the pressures poverty puts on the racially diverse local residents as well as info-dumps on natural and island history as he goes, White puts his trio, who are joined by the writer and a young islander, on the trail of a century-old mystery featuring descendants of Anne Bonny and other pirates and also up against a bumbling but scary pair of treasure hunters on the way to climactic revelations, a glittering hoard, and the pursuit of poachers who are hunting hatchling sea turtles. Anything else? Well, there may or may not be a ghost or two in the mix, too.
Something for everyone but especially fans of fast-paced eco-fiction. (Adventure. 9-12)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-24463-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
by James Ponti ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2016
More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter
A smart kid foils big-time thieves in the nation’s capital—and joins the FBI.
Using a method he invented called the Theory of All Small Things, white seventh-grader Florian Bates solves mysteries by piecing together seemingly trivial clues in this engaging, humorous, but not always logical caper. When Florian easily helps the FBI recover three masterpieces stolen from the National Gallery of Art, the dazzled feds supply him with an alias and train him at Quantico. Collaborating with his African-American best friend, superbright, athletic Margaret, Florian finds that even with TOAST, sleuthing gets dangerous when the pair, working undercover, come up against a European crime syndicate—and another spectacular art heist in the form of a forgery substituted for an iconic Monet. Exciting adventures ensue, and clues accumulate until the culprit is revealed and the genuine painting located. Missteps intrude, though: a few lapses in logic may leave readers puzzled; some clues seem contrived; and a subplot involving Florian’s discovery of the startling identity of adopted Margaret’s biological father falls flat. The solution is also a letdown: the thief is a minor figure, and the means by which the painting was stolen and the forgery set in its place aren’t explained. The real draws here are the two resourceful leads’ solid, realistic friendship, bolstered by snappy dialogue, brisk pacing, and well-crafted ancillary characters—not to mention behind-the-scenes glimpses of the FBI.
More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter . (Mystery. 9-12)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3630-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by James Ponti
BOOK REVIEW
by James Ponti
BOOK REVIEW
by James Ponti
BOOK REVIEW
by James Ponti
by Daniel Kraus ; illustrated by Rovina Cai ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 2020
Reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world.
The journey to find a child becomes an existential quest for an abandoned teddy bear.
Buddy is not just any stuffed bear, but a blue Furrington Teddy with a Real Silk Heart. So why did he wake up in a landfill with other Furringtons of varying hues? A more pressing matter, however, is escaping Trashland and its murderous gulls and bulldozers. Yearning to connect with a child and achieve a state of peaceful Forever Sleep, Buddy and his new friends of differing temperaments and gifts set out on a harrowing journey through the city to find children who will want them. As they encounter other Furringtons in disarray, this opener in The Teddies Saga series becomes a mystery about why these teddies are being harmed in the first place. While the visceral narrative follows the teddy troupe’s adventurous challenges and survival, its focus is on Buddy’s inner struggles as he ponders identity, leadership, and other existential dilemmas. Kraus doesn’t shy away from anger, fear, death, and other dark subjects; instead they become opportunities for growth in difficult environments. Cai’s intense, slightly nightmarish grayscale illustrations add immeasurably to the text. Reminiscent of Watership Down in theme and structure, the novel’s intermittent teddy creation stories also become parables of a moral code and extend the epic story arc. A cliffhanger ending sets the scene for the next installment.
Reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-22440-8
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Daniel Kraus ; illustrated by Rovina Cai
by Daniel Kraus ; illustrated by Rovina Cai
More by Lisi Harrison
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Daniel Kraus ; illustrated by Rovina Cai
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.