Pirates!
by Celia Rees
Nancy Kington is the daughter of a merchantman living in Bristol, England. Not yet sixteen years old, she becomes owner of her father's sugar cane plantation in Jamaica. Nancy doesn't want to go to Jamaica because she is engaged to William, a boy destined to be a Navy man. Forced to run the plantation anyway, Nancy must contend with the horrors of slavery and an impending marriage to a ruthless Brazilian named Bartholome. Wanting to escape Bartholome's clutches and take more control over her life, Nancy, along with Minerva Sharpe, one of the plantation's slave girls, join a band of pirates.
Inspired by true accounts of female pirates disguised as men, Rees has fashioned a somewhat interesting adventure tale with intrigue and drama worthy of a daytime soap opera. There's fighting and plundering, storms and shipwrecks, mutiny and revelry, even a duel. Meanwhile, Nancy lives in fear of being captured by Bartholome and never seeing William again.
Pirates of the Caribbean fans may find the action rather tame since Rees' pirates vacillate between legal and illegal enterprises, often becoming quite respectable. Still, the honor code among them is inviolate and punishments are meted out accordingly.
Readers may get a little impatient with Nancy, who never really gets over her fears. A much stronger pirate is Minerva, who bravely and determinedly goes about her duties while providing Nancy with much needed moral support. Their friendship is the highlight of the book.
The Yo-Yo Prophet
by Karen Krossing
Calvin Layne is the shortest boy in his class, which makes him a target of Rozelle's gang. He's also struggling with a grandmother who is often mentally confused. The only time he feels in control is when he's yo-yoing. When he tries his hand at street performing, Rozelle insists on being his manager and taking a cut of his earnings. She comes up with the idea of calling him the yo-yo prophet and getting him to predict future events. The resulting attention soon goes to Calvin's head, making him cocky and over-confident. His predictable fall forces him to reevaluate his priorities.
Rozelle is an interesting character: a bully with a heart of gold. It's not clear why she would want to hang out with a wimp like Calvin, who's too scared to utter more than a squeak. As the yo-yo prophet, he's a rude, unlikeable, bad tempered jerk whose unsympathetic behaviour will turn off many readers. He treats his grandmother harshly and turns on Rozelle, not taking into account everything that she's done for him until she points it out. She may be overly aggressive, but she did get Calvin to stand up for himself and act with confidence. Calvin eventually turns things around for the better. The ending, when it comes, is a good one.
A flawed, yet ultimately satisfying novel.
The Boundless
by Kenneth Oppel
The Boundless is a seven-mile-long passenger train carrying nearly sixty-five hundred people from coach to first-class. The train is filled with wonders: saloons, lounges, a cinema, a terrace, even a swimming pool. More entertainment is provided by Zirkus Dante, a circus of acrobats, animals, and a sasquatch. Into this magical world steps Will Everett, the son of the train's chief engineer. He's looking for an adventure, and soon enough, he finds one. After witnessing a murder, some dangerous villains are hot on his trail. His only help comes from Mr. Dorian, the circus ringmaster, and Maren, a wire walker and escape artist. With many close calls and an exciting battle atop the moving train, this is life-changing journey that Will won't soon forget.
Fans of Oppel's many books, especially his Airborn
series, will thoroughly enjoy The Boundless, as will readers who are just discovering him.
