(4) 4-6 Orphan Philip finds a home with a caring older couple in New Orleans, but when he stumbles across his uncle, a ship's captain, Philip joins the crew without a second thought. The plot relies too much on coincidence and Philip's naiveté, but it does provide some interesting information about the slave trade. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced adventure story. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) YA Brothers Nick and Dexter sign on to a whaling ship in 1851 anticipating a life of adventure and riches. What they experience falls leagues short of their expectations, as they toil under their cruel captain and fight for survival after the ship wrecks. This realistic novel would be well paired with Nathaniel Philbrick's nonfiction offering, Revenge of the Whale.

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman & Barbara Johansen Newman. Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey, fifth-grade science sleuths, return to solve new mysteries. While the characters are two-dimensional and the cases solved with implausible speed, scientific concepts, such as bacterial growth and the science of pulleys, are clearly explained and cleverly woven into humorous vignettes. Expressive black-and-white line drawings and science activities and experiments are included.

Reviewer: Karyn Ginsburg

(4) YA Recently orphaned, Mateo signs on to be a cabin boy on the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan. In a somewhat overwritten first-person narrative, Mateo describes daily life at sea, his love affair with a native girl, and witnessing both a mutiny and the murder of the captain. An afterword places events in historical perspective. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Young detectives Drake and Nell use their scientific acumen to solve several mysteries. First using carbon-dioxide gas to free a girl trapped in a clothes chute, the pair also demonstrate how capillary action caused some roses at a flower show to change color. The characterizations are clichéd and the dialogue is affected, but the activities and experiments will please budding scientists.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Fifth-graders Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey use their science know-how to solve four mysteries. The treatment of science is simplistic (principles of static electricity, buoyancy, and ultraviolet light are defined rather than explored), but the conversational, humorous writing has appeal. Cartoon-style illustrations and instructions for related experiments are included.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series. Illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. Using scientific principles, young detectives Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey solve four mysteries: gasping garbage, endangered frogs, a stuck truck, and an anonymous love letter. Lighthearted but not silly, the book models good problem-solving and concludes with suggested activities for the reader's own science lab. Black-and-white artwork and creative use of fonts enliven the presentation.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian