The Doldrums and the Helmsley Curse

September 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-The Doldrums are back with another fast-paced and quirky adventure. Archer Helmsley is elated that his grandparents (once thought dead and floating away on an iceberg) are back safe and sound. The epic story of Ralph and Rachel Helmsley becomes international news, as does the story of how Archer and his friends risked their lives to find them. Not everyone believes their story, however, and their reputation as famous explorers comes into question. Archer teams up once again with his friends to prove that his grandparents are telling the truth. Fans of the previous installment will dive into this volume as many of the same elements are present, including eccentric characters, exciting action, eye-catching spot art, and full-page illustrations throughout. New readers will have no problem following along as sufficient backstory is provided. VERDICT Fans of idiosyncratic fantasies, as well as the first book, will enjoy this treat.-Christopher Lassen, BookOps: The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
When Archer arrives home at Rosewood from boarding school, finally to meet the grandparents he has never known, he quickly learns about a dastardly campaign against the returning explorers. Oliver Glub, whose newspaperman father owns the Doldrums Press, and Adelaide, the neighboring French girl, are Archer's best friends. They show Archer the slanderous news stories being published by the untrustworthy Rosewood Chronicle, stories that claim the explorers fabricated their stranded-on-an-iceberg story, are insane, and have caused an unusually snowy winter. When Grandma and Grandpa Helmsley arrive, they take the children to visit the huge campus of the Society, whose current president, Herbert Birthwhistle, has been trying to ostracize the grandparents--or probably worse. Archer's determined to help, but the evil Mr. Mullfort, Birthwhistle's confederate, threatens to disappear the three children. As in the first book, there are amusing descriptions, madcap excursions, and narrow escapes from danger. The effects of herbal Doxical Powder fuel a funny party scene. Unfortunately, Adelaide's wooden leg, which worked its way so organically into the first book, has now become an uncomfortable, overly frequent, semicomical reference. There is also a long sequence during which the friends are using a ham radio--not apt to excite contemporary readers. It is heartening, however, that the text sets readers right on the often misunderstood history of chocolate. The full-color illustrations depict a cozy, quaint village and its residents, seemingly mostly white. Rather overstuffed. (Adventure. 8-12)

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