Jungle of Bones

November 1, 2013
Dylan Barstow, "major screw-up from Wisconsin," finds his life changed by a trip to Papua New Guinea. Dylan has been in trouble with the law many times, even though he's just going into the eighth grade; he has "a file as thick as a phone book." Last time, it was for stealing candy bars; this time, he stole a car and took a joy ride through a planted field, tearing down the fence and wrecking the car. Since his father, a war correspondent, was killed covering the genocide in Darfur, Dylan has been an angry young man, disaffected and thumbing his nose at the world. His mother has had enough and unloads Dylan on Uncle Todd, who takes him to Papua New Guinea to locate the B-17 bomber Dylan's grandfather crashed in the jungle during World War II. Uncle Todd figures an encounter with the jungle, swamps, 14,000-foot mountains, crocodiles and snakes just might make a man of Dylan. The third-person perspective is appropriate here, as a narrative in Dylan's voice would be dripping with his anger, cynicism and self-absorption. The story weaves a father's letter, the grandfather's journal entries and plenty of hallucinatory jungle-survival scenes to make this a fast-paced adventure with quick resolutions. Apparently, it takes a jungle to raise a child, and Dylan's story will connect with readers seeking adventure. (author's note) (Adventure. 9-13)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-Dylan Barstow steals a junkyard car for a joyride, landing him in jail, and exasperating his widowed mom. The seventh grader is sent off with Uncle Todd, who is assembling a search team to find Second Ace, Grandpa Henry's B-17 bomber that crashed in the jungles of Papua New Guinea (PNG) during World War II. Dylan's own journalist father died in Darfur, on a peacekeeping mission, and he has yet to come to terms with the loss. The protagonist begins reading Grandpa Henry's journal that chronicles the Japanese aerial attack on Second Ace, and learns that a trek to PNG promises malaria, headhunters, crocs, snakes, and rats-plus an airplane wreck with the probable bones of his grandfather's crewmen. Despite Todd's patience with his nephew, the boy flushes his malaria pills down the toilet and is antagonistic toward the search team. Dylan wanders too far away from camp, and his irresponsibility is the beginning of a survival tale rivaling Grandpa Henry's own. In scenes reminiscent of the his Touching Spirit Bear (HarperCollins, 2001), Mikaelsen calls up native spirits. In this case "Kanzi" appears as a young girl who guides Dylan to the plane wreckage and keep him safe, albeit suffering from malaria, leeches, and gangrene. Dylan's attitude adjustment is predictable, but not too maudlin, and is offset by realistic skepticism from Uncle Todd. The details of war and jungle dangers will make this a good addition to middle grade adventure survival collections.-Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2014
Grades 3-6 Dylan Barstow never expected to be wandering the jungle of Papua New Guinea the summer before eighth grade, but stealing a car has its consequences. After screwing up one time too many, Dylan is sent to finish the summer with his uncle, Todd, an ex-marine determined to teach his nephew respect and discipline. If that weren't bad enough, Dylan's uncle is forcing him to be part of a PNG search team looking for the wreckage of the Second Ace, a B-17 bomber that his grandfather flew in WWII. Feeling angry and misunderstood, Dylan strikes out into the dense jungle alone and quickly loses his way, realizing this time that his foolishness might cost him his life. Reverent in tone, Mikaelsen's novel offers harrowing accounts of veterans' war experiences that are brought home by Dylan's struggles, both in the jungle and in everyday life. Only after confronting isolation, poisonous snakes, and crippling hunger does Dylan truly understand the value of freedom and his own capacity for change.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)