ISLAND OF THE GREAT YELLOW OX

Fortunately, when Conor (an Irish boy), his toddler brother Babo, and two American acquaintances are caught in a sudden storm, they are swept to Ox Island. Conor—who has already had one run-in with the treasure-seeking Lady Agnes and her husband, the Captain—is shocked when they also arrive on the island, via a sturdy cruiser. Lady Agnes's desperate fear is that the boys will interfere with her hard-won discovery of a solid gold statue—a Druid icon. She and the Captain bury the four boys alive; the boys' old-fashioned ingenuity turns the tables on Lady Agnes and leads to a safe return home for all. Macken's tightly plotted treasure hunt makes a spirited armchair adventure. The character depiction is convincing and complex—especially when the boys pass up an opportunity to escape so that they, too, can view the wondrous statue. Wholesomely gripping. (Fiction. 10-12)*justify no*