The Secret of Skull Island

September 1, 2012
Is Black Heart's treasure still on Skull Island? Twelve-year-old twins Cody and Otis Carson are excited that they and their supersmart cousin Rae Lee get to visit their great-aunt on Calavera ("skull" in Spanish) Island in the Caribbean. Since they love a good mystery, they're even happier when they learn that the inn she owns, which has been plagued by problems since opening, is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of a pirate looking for his treasure. Strange things begin happening as soon as they arrive, and all six guests at the inn seem to be hiding something. Secret passageways, ghostly footsteps, secret identities and a snooty teen idol keep things interesting as the double detectives follow the clues. Norris, pen name for Clue series scribe Dona Smith, kicks off a new series of inoffensive whodunits with a cartoon-style mystery: think Scooby Doo minus talking dog, musical chase scenes and most of the laughs. Wooden characters, stilted dialogue and a few too many scenes of eavesdropping make this simply plotted and paced clue-crawler best for newly fledged mystery mavens rather than sophisticated sleuths. Fans can follow the twins to the Amazon, Paris and the Rockies later this year...if they haven't found something better. (Mystery. 8-11)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-In Skull Island, twins Cody and Otis Carson, 12, find themselves in the middle of a mystery while visiting Calavera Island with their painter father and their inquisitive cousin, Rae Lee. The boys' great-aunt is fixing up a hotel she bought on the island but has had one mishap after another and there have been repeated sightings of a strange pirate ghost. The twins and Rae Lee discover a hidden cavern underneath the old inn and figure out that the electrical equipment in this room is being used to burn illegal DVDs. They must race against time to prove that a Las Vegas gangster is behind the pirating activity. In Monkey, the young detectives visit Manaus, Brazil, and meet Pino and Luis Estevez, whose father has hired Hayden Carson to paint his portrait. Right away the sleuths sense that something is off with their abrasive host. Cody, Otis, and Rae Lee are eager to explore the rainforest but things don't turn out as expected, and they are abandoned at a remote campsite. The first title does a thorough job of establishing a foundation for the series. Both books are fast paced, but the second one is a real nail-biter. Otis and Cody are smart, quirky, and funny 12-year-olds. Readers will enjoy meeting them and will appreciate their quick-thinking ability to solve mysteries.Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.