Notorious
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $7.99
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
A new standalone middle-grade novel from Gordon Korman, set (partly) in Canada!
Keenan is bored. He is recovering from tuberculosis, acquired while overseas with his mom. Now he’s stuck sitting in a lawn chair at his dad’s place on Centerlight, Michigan, an island of about 7000 residents in the St. Clair River which is divided in two by the Canada/US border.
When Keenan meets a girl his age, ZeeBee, who lives on the Canadian side of the border, his life becomes anything but boring. ZeeBee is full of conspiracy theories. Paramount among her theories is that notorious gangster Tommy-Gun Ferguson (original owner of the house she now lives in) buried millions in treasure on the island during the Prohibition era. She’s also convinced her recently deceased dog Barney was murdered — apparently he was a notorious terror and not a favourite among the locals.
Keenan isn’t convinced by either of these theories, but soon some clues turn up that even he can’t ignore. Will the pair of them find the treasure and solve the mystery of what happened to Barney . . . or will the dog-murdering criminals find them first?
Told in Gordon’s now classic multi-voice style, his new novel combines mystery, comedy, and a story of new friendships.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Keenan, 12, has lived all over, thanks to his mother and stepfather's jobs in international schools. When he ends up stuck at his father's house on Centerlight a "one-horse" river island on the border between Canada and the U.S. to recover from tuberculosis, he is eager to heal and get back to Shanghai. The only Canadian his age on Centerlight, lonely ZeeBee, befriends Keenan immediately. She is obsessed with the island's gangster history including her home, where Tommy-Gun Ferguson once lived and is also convinced that someone murdered her dog, Barney. Keenan initially ignores ZeeBee's conviction that the gangster hid gold on the island, and the American kids he befriends find ZeeBee odd, creating conflict. When Keenan discovers evidence that someone may be killing island animals, he and ZeeBee begin a treasure hunt with someone on their tail. Korman (The Unteachables) brings his usual humor and heart to this well-plotted mystery told in alternating chapters by Keenan, ZeeBee, and a few other characters that sensitively explores themes of friendship and family and offers realistically flawed, believable characters. Ages 8 12.
