Notorious

Vivid secondary characters commit spontaneous acts of hilarious mayhem—the unscheduled school-lockdown drill is one standout—though Barney’s extreme depredations (like destroying a Porsche and a house porch in one go) occasionally strain credulity.... Chalk up another treat for Korman fans.

Keenan, 12, has lived all over, thanks to his mother and stepfather's jobs in international schools. When he ends up stuck at his father's house on Centerlight--a "one-horse" river island on the border between Canada and the U.S.--to recover from tuberculosis, he is eager to heal and get back to Shanghai. The only Canadian his age on Centerlight, lonely ZeeBee, befriends Keenan immediately. She is obsessed with the island's gangster history--including her home, where Tommy-Gun Ferguson once lived--and is also convinced that someone murdered her dog, Barney. Keenan initially ignores ZeeBee's conviction that the gangster hid gold on the island, and the American kids he befriends find ZeeBee odd, creating conflict. When Keenan discovers evidence that someone may be killing island animals, he and ZeeBee begin a treasure hunt with someone on their tail. Korman (The Unteachables) brings his usual humor and heart to this well-plotted mystery--told in alternating chapters by Keenan, ZeeBee, and a few other characters--that sensitively explores themes of friendship and family and offers realistically flawed, believable characters. Ages 8-12. (Jan.)

Gr 3-7--Keenan is a world traveler thanks to his mother, who teaches in international schools. He's forced to recover from tuberculosis on sleepy Centerlight Island. Half of this odd town is in Canada, and the other half is in the United States. At first, his only friend is a Canadian girl named Zarabeth, or ZeeBee, who is convinced that Prohibition-era gangsters buried treasure somewhere on the island. ZeeBee also talks constantly about her deceased dog, Barney, a humongous mutt that terrorized the town and all its residents but died under mysterious circumstances that ZeeBee is determined to uncover. ZeeBee loved Barney despite all his flaws and sees her new dog, calm and obedient Barney Two, as a poor substitute. When Keenan starts school (on the American side), he makes multiple friends, but doesn't connect with any of them like he does with ZeeBee. As Keenan and ZeeBee investigate the many residents of Centerlight who had reason to want Barney dead, they discover a deep kinship in each other that neither has experienced before. Chapters mostly alternate between Keenan's and ZeeBee's perspectives. Chapters narrated by the other residents of Centerlight move the narrative along, but the inclusion of adult-narrated chapters feels odd. Overall, however, the fast-moving, action-packed plot makes this a great choice for reluctant readers. VERDICT While not as funny as many of Korman's other titles, this is nevertheless a diverting read full of suspense and historical intrigue.--Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA