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Index Interviews: Julie Ortolon Writing a Non-Boring Family History Blazing a New Trail: Taking the Next Step in Author Empowerment A Practical Guide to Blogging Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
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Children's Book ReviewsPage Two of TwoDuck in the Truck by Jez AlboroughHarperCollins, 2000Picture Book, 40 pages ISBN: 0060286857 Ages 3-6 Ordering information: Amazon.com 
Duck in a Truck is a rollicking little tale, silly, and
full of British drollery. It has a thoroughly British
vocabulary and we follow a rather silly looking duck
as he drives his little truck through rural English roads.
The little truck reminds us all of the classic MG roadster,
and this just adds to the fun for the adult reader.
Told in a style that reminds us of a famous nursery rhyme, Duck in a Truck takes the young reader through a familiar rural peril: getting stuck in the mud (or muck). Familiar animals such as a sheep and a toad lend their personalities to the story. Clearly the duck is stuck so the sheep cannot pass unless he helps the situation. Of course in trying unsuccessfully to free the truck, all of the creatures become full of mud and frustrated. Help appears in the form of a goat who comes along in his motor boat. A tow rope tied to the motor boat and the truck and pushing from behind by frog and sheep finally free the duck in the truck, and he takes off gleefully. This leaves the goat, the frog and the sheep stuck in the muck. Amusing, large drawings in primary colors make this little tale amusing and fun. The rhyming words, much enjoyed by children, add to the delight of this thoroughly enjoyable little story. --Sarah Reaves White Grave Matters by Patricia H. RushfordBethany House, April, 2002Paperback, 205 pages ISBN: 076422123X Young Adult Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Grave Matters is an exciting mystery that will
hold the reader's attention right up to the last page.
The heroine of the story is sixteen year old Jennie
McGrady who is on a summer trip with her grandmother
to visit their relatives in Ireland. One might guess that
such a trip would be a boring procession of dull relatives
and historical places, but not with this teenager and
especially not with this grandmother, who is a retired
government agent. "Gram" is slender and charming
with piercing blue eyes and a take charge spirit. It is
also clear that Jennie has inherited her grandmother's
curiosity and independent spirit.
The story begins in earnest while Jennie and Gram are in route to Shannon airport. A threatening note is found by Jennie in Gram's bag. It simply states that if they value their lives they should stay out of Ireland. Gram has come back to settle the estate of her late mother. She has inherited a farm which is currently occupied by a great aunt and some cousins. They are met at the airport by Declan, who is introduced as a close friend who happens to own a castle. Declan has made arrangements for the two visitors to stay at the castle while they visit relatives and go through Jennie's great grandmother's estate. As in all good mysteries, things are not exactly the way they seem on the surface, and the relatives and friends that the two travelers meet harbor many secrets. Family records found at the library of a nearby monastery and the diaries of Gram's mother reveal long hidden family secrets and add to the danger in which the two women find themselves. It would be impossible to write a story set in Ireland without mentioning the two main divisions of Christianity: Catholicism and Protestantism. Without preaching or taking sides, Ms. Rushford finds a positive and convincing way to show how Jennie's faith helps her in times of danger and stress. Grave Matters is a story that a young adult of any religious persuasion can be comfortable in reading, and it is an immensely entertaining mystery set in a very romantic location. --Sarah Reaves White Children's Book Reviews Page One | Page Two Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of children's books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |