Curtis ParkinsonReseñas

I received this book as a giveaway. When the package first got here, my 11-year-old son stole it out of my hands, saying, "Finally, a book for me!" He disappeared for half a day, and when he emerged he made me order Curtis Parkinson's older books so he could read those as well. I also enjoyed this young adult book - it was fast-paced, full of dilemma, mystery, and a wee bit of romance - just right for a boy of a certain age. The combination of ships, Nazis, kidnapping, and a diabolical plan were spot on. Is he an author I would read more? No. But for my boys, he is the kind of writer that I will direct them toward.

Storm-blast by Curtis Parkinson is a children’s story of a life and death incident that happens to three teens as a day of snorkelling in the Grenadines turns to horror as a sudden storm whisks them out to sea. Their motor doesn’t work and the storm carries them for miles. All the kids have is one jug of water to share between them. Over the course of their adventure they experience rogue waves and sharks along with intense thirst and hunger.

Their dinghy is slowing losing air and sinking lower and lower into the water. To lighten the load they try to drop the useless outboard motor over the side but two of them end up injured. Regan, his sister, Carol and their cousin Matt are on vacation with their families, sailing around St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but now these three who aren’t the best of friends, must work together to survive until rescue can come.

Aimed at kids around the age of 10 - 12, the author delivers a taunt, exciting story that shows how each of the three kids had their own strengths and weaknesses and how working together enabled them to survive. While a little light for an adult, I can see this would be an exciting reading for younger readers.

An excellent action-packed adventure novel, great for middle-grade boys who like a story to start right off with the action, no waiting around for slow character or setting-building. Right off the bat we are on a ship cruising the rapids of the St. Lawrence River, and someone is about to fall overboard, and our hero, Scott, 16, a deckhand on the ship, is afraid to reveal that he knows there is a Nazi spy on board! Whew! And away we go! The book is long on action--spies, double agents, kidnapping, thugs, and some nautical adventures--and short on character development for any of the side characters (Scott's girlfriend Lindsay is nice, but you know nothing about her; his best friend Adam, also 16 and a waiter on the ship, falls in love with a French girl who is given a name and helpful nature but not much else). But that's okay, it's a lot of fun, a story about a little-seen aspect of World War II, with a Canadian twist as the action takes place in Canadian towns along the northern border of the river. I would recommend it for boys in 4th-6th grades or older low-level high interest readers.

Man Overboard! by Curtis Parkinson is a very nice young adult mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The mystery isn't particularly deep, or mysterious, but Parkinson still manages to impart tension and suspense to the reader. It is a relatively short book (152 pages) so there isn't a lot of room for plot twists, but still Parkinson manages to effect a sense of suspense and excitement about the mysterious German agent. A good read for young adults.

Taking a job on a river boat seemed exciting enough, but after overhearing a conversation between a German spy and his driver, Scott and Adam's summer becomes that much more exciting. A great mystery for boys that enjoy a litte bit of history and a girl or two thrown into the mix. Starts a bit slow, but picks up steam as it goes on. Views switch between Scott and Adam in third person, keeping the reader aware of what's going on when they are separated. Enjoyable!½

I would suggest this book to a kid who is looking for its first novel. It really is targeted to a younger audience and I felt it lack a bit of description, background story and even it the timeline is kinda of shady. We get into the story right away without any idea of who the characters are nor do we get a bit of info on the period of time it was written in. The book is not bad, but has I stipulated, it's the perfect kinda book for a pre-teen looking for a good first novel.

I received this book as a giveaway. When the package first got here, my 11-year-old son stole it out of my hands, saying, "Finally, a book for me!" He disappeared for half a day, and when he emerged he made me order Curtis Parkinson's older books so he could read those as well. I also enjoyed this young adult book - it was fast-paced, full of dilemma, mystery, and a wee bit of romance - just right for a boy of a certain age. The combination of ships, Nazis, kidnapping, and a diabolical plan were spot on. Is he an author I would read more? No. But for my boys, he is the kind of writer that I will direct them toward.½

I was beyond thrilled to receive this book. I've been a member of the LibraryThing website for about three or four years now, and just recently discovered the Early Reviewer option. This special feature allows you to browse the books which publishers are releasing for early review, and enter a lottery to win them. Although I had won a book prior to this one, I received the envelope sans book and was sorely disappointed. It made it even more exciting to actually receive this one!!

Okay, enough excitement. Down to business.

A throwback to the style of The Boxcar Children and the Nancy Drew series, this book will delight any reader who enjoys those old classics. Although the plot may be a bit of a stretch for adult fiction, as with stories like the Boxcar Children, it seems to make sense for younger audiences. The problem is introduced, and the kids are able to reach a resolution by the end of the book. In the meantime we encounter some interesting characters and feel right along with the kids in the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I am a fan of pulp fiction and I would definitely place this book in that category. I like it even more so because this is a Canadian adventure. If I still had my sons at home I would be buying up more from this author for their reading pleasure. The story was crisp, engaging from the very beginning and ended very well. It is written in the very spirit of a pulp fiction tale with not a lot of character development or scenery description to bog the story down and lose the attention of the targeted audience. I particularly like the way the book handled, it actually felt like a pulp novel in my hand and the cover is really neat and reminiscent of that period. My dilemma now is if I should keep it for myself or add it to the collection at the elementary school library where I work...

This is an entertaining, fast-paced read that I think many adolescents (especially male readers or reluctant readers) would enjoy. The plot is loosely based on a real incident where a German soldier secretly boarded a Canadian boat in order to sabotage on the opposing soil. I learned new historical information that I wasn't aware of prior to reading the book. The two male main characters are very like-able. I didn't feel like there was a significant amount of character development as a whole, but I do plan on sharing this read with my middle school students. I think it makes for a great leisure read.

This "based on fact" novel about Nazi spies in Canada and the U.S. centers around two 16YO boys who are working as crew on a steamer on the St. Lawrence. One overhears part of a plot and the other gets caught trying to rescue his friend. There are two girls who are peripherally part of the story line. The history is slight, the adventure is better, and all ends well.

And that's about the style of writing of the book. It's fast-paced and a different war story than most boys about 10 or slightly older might read, and would be recommended for that age group. I found the cover annoyingly crass, although it seems to have been styled after adventure books of the forties.½

In July of 1943, Adam and his friend Scott take jobs on the Rapids Prince to make some money during the summer. Adam moves up to a server in the ship's dining room and Scott works as a deckhand by the always find ways to spend their time together. When Scott overhears a suspicious conversation about Nazis who are planning to block the St. Lawrence River in Canada, he realizes he has been spotted and he is in danger. Adam comes to his aid and creates a diversion so he can get away but Adam is captured instead. This is only the beginning of their story.

This book has the fast paced action that draws in boys from ages 10-adult. Its story is also rooted in fact when German agents were reported to be coming into Canada on U-boats and trying to find ways to help the war effort in Germany by infiltrating the United States. The content is written in a way that even a novice of boating can understand though their is quiet of bit of mariner terminology. The story was good, the pace was excellent and the chapters were not to long that they could be read in small quips. The content is clean and I would recommend this book for ages 10 and up.

In the summer of 1943, teenage friends Scott and Adam have jobs aboard the Rapids Prince on Canada's St. Lawrence River. Before one of the ship's runs, Scott overhears a suspicious conversation. Remembering the conversation after a man disappears overboard during the trip, Scott realizes that German agents were among the passengers. Revealing what Scott had overheard might cost Scott and Adam their jobs, so they tackle the situation on their own, with the help of Scott's girlfriend and another young girl in close proximity to the German agents.

In adult novels, I find this kind of situation unbelievable. However, it works in this YA novel. Teenagers worry about getting in trouble with parents, teachers, and other authority figures, and sometimes they don't seek help when they should. When they finally do alert adults to the threat, the adults don't believe their story, which is also realistic. The adventure reminds me of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books I read in my early teen years. The book provided an enjoyable escape for a couple of weekend hours, as well as exposure to unfamiliar aspects of geography and history.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.½

14 year old Neil, along with his friend Crescent, is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the sounds he hears from the casket when his uncle dies and is cremated in the furnace of a ship. What follows is a fast-paced, easy read for those looking for a good murder mystery.

Personal response:

Historical novel focusing on the effects war has on civilians whose land is occupied by opposing armies. Dominic, the main character is forced to work for the Germans, then for the Allies. His family and community is sorely tried. Antonio, the other main character, has a similar experience, as his family is also very much affected. These boys learn how to survive and take risks to help others. They see war as a terrible and unnecessary hardship for all involved. I think this story would make a great movie. The only thing it lacks is humor, but some situations could easily be shown in an amusing way.

cirriculum/programming connections:

Good for use in unit/display of books on children & war, World War II, occupied countries, effects of war on civilians.

The castle on Deadman's Island is supposedly cursed; at least it seems that way, since mysterious things have happened to all its previous owners. When Graham's aunt inherits it along with two others, then suddenly disappears, could it be the curse or something more human in design? Graham, Neil, and Crescent are determined to find out.