Kidnap in the Caribbean
Author: Lauren St John
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Laura Marlin is delighted when she wins a cruise to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, but little does she realise that her lucky win was fixed. She is about to set off on an adventure involving kidnapping, an exploding volcano, and a secret plot to sell rare marine life. Laura brings her friend Tariq onto the boat to look around, before it sails sail, but a series of mishaps mean that both her friend Tariq and her three legged dog Skye are still on board the ship when the boat sets off. On the cruise to the Caribbean, the two friends meet a boy called Jimmy. At first they don't want to befriend him, but eventually they realise that he is more sad than annoying, and they take him under their wing. When (pretend) pirates board the ship and Laura's uncle goes missing, the children need to figure out what on earth is going on. They are kidnapped too, but manage to escape from the clutches of the evil LeFevers. Eventually they locate Laura's uncle, free him from the baddies, and make it out of the evil lair just in time.
Although it's not great literature, this book is a rollicking and adventure filled detective story for children aged 7 to 11 years. The main character Laura is brave, clever and adventurous, and Lauren St John has written several more books featuring her young detective. The book basically takes the form of a classic detective story, just written for kids. Even though the plot rests a bit too heavily on a series of coincidences, and some of it is very far fetched, that is not really the point of this book. If you (and your children) like fast paced adventure, that isn't too taxing on the brain to read, then you will enjoy this book. The story takes place in various different locations, and you will learn quite a bit about the Caribbean, and about the volcano on Montserrat in particular. My daughter has really enjoyed reading this series and I think it's great that she is reading books with a brave and adventurous female lead character.
Author: Lauren St John
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Laura Marlin is delighted when she wins a cruise to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, but little does she realise that her lucky win was fixed. She is about to set off on an adventure involving kidnapping, an exploding volcano, and a secret plot to sell rare marine life. Laura brings her friend Tariq onto the boat to look around, before it sails sail, but a series of mishaps mean that both her friend Tariq and her three legged dog Skye are still on board the ship when the boat sets off. On the cruise to the Caribbean, the two friends meet a boy called Jimmy. At first they don't want to befriend him, but eventually they realise that he is more sad than annoying, and they take him under their wing. When (pretend) pirates board the ship and Laura's uncle goes missing, the children need to figure out what on earth is going on. They are kidnapped too, but manage to escape from the clutches of the evil LeFevers. Eventually they locate Laura's uncle, free him from the baddies, and make it out of the evil lair just in time.
Although it's not great literature, this book is a rollicking and adventure filled detective story for children aged 7 to 11 years. The main character Laura is brave, clever and adventurous, and Lauren St John has written several more books featuring her young detective. The book basically takes the form of a classic detective story, just written for kids. Even though the plot rests a bit too heavily on a series of coincidences, and some of it is very far fetched, that is not really the point of this book. If you (and your children) like fast paced adventure, that isn't too taxing on the brain to read, then you will enjoy this book. The story takes place in various different locations, and you will learn quite a bit about the Caribbean, and about the volcano on Montserrat in particular. My daughter has really enjoyed reading this series and I think it's great that she is reading books with a brave and adventurous female lead character.
