Man Overboard!

April 1, 2012
In a story set during World War II and based on a true event, four teens find themselves caught up in a dangerous adventure involving Nazi spies. Sixteen-year-old Scott and his friend Adam have taken summer jobs aboard the Rapids Prince, a tourist boat that navigates the rapids on the St. Lawrence River. Setting events in motion, Scott overhears a suspicious conversation, and a man disappears overboard. Adam is kidnapped and taken into hiding, where he befriends Colette, the girl who brings him his meals. She warns Adam that she has overheard his captors speak of explosives, and it becomes increasingly clear that they work for Hitler. Meanwhile, Scott and his girlfriend, Lindsay, do some spy work of their own trying to rescue Adam. The action is propelled forward in chapters that alternate point of view. As the plot unfolds, the teens learn that the lines between good and bad, cowardice and courage are blurry. The action waxes and sometimes flags, but the novel breathes life into important events while exploring the complexities of human nature, especially in times of extreme duress. A mostly solid old-style adventure. (afterword) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-Scott and Adam are spending the summer of 1942 working on the Rapids Prince, a steamboat that travels through the Long Sault Rapids of the Saint Lawrence River. Trouble starts on their very first voyage when Scott sneaks off to take a look at one of the passenger's Packard 12 automobile and overhears a conversation between German spies. They try to grab him but Adam gets in the way, so they kidnap him in order to keep Scott quiet. While in captivity, Adam meets Collette, a French-Canadian girl who decides to help him escape. At the same time, Scott begins searching for Adam. He gets a lead when his friend and crush, Lindsay, who works at the hotel where the spies meet, finds a clue from Adam. Scott begins some spying of his own in order to find Adam and figure out how to stop the Germans. The story line moves quickly, which does not leave room for much character development. Regardless, the many elements in this story will capture readers.-Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY

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