Notorious
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4.3 • 4 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
A funny, suspenseful mystery and unlikely friendship story from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman—perfect for fans of Swindle and Ungifted.
Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the United States and Canada. The only thing weirder than Centerlight itself is his neighbor Zarabeth, aka ZeeBee.
ZeeBee is obsessed with the island’s history as a Prohibition-era smuggling route. She’s also convinced that her beloved dog, Barney, was murdered—something Keenan finds pretty hard to believe.
Just about everyone on Centerlight is a suspect, because everyone hated Barney, a huge dog—part mastiff, part rottweiler—notorious for terrorizing the community. Accompanied by a mild-mannered new dog who is practically Barney’s opposite, ZeeBee enlists Keenan’s help to solve the mystery.
As Keenan and ZeeBee start to unravel the clues, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that dates back to Centerlight’s gangster past. The good news is that Keenan may have found the best friend he’s ever had. The bad news is that the stakes are sky-high.
And now someone is after them. . . .
An Unlikely Friendship: Keenan is the new kid, just trying to get better. ZeeBee is the local oddball obsessed with a murder no one else believes happened. Together, they might be the only ones who can crack the case.A Small Town Mystery: On an island split between the U.S. and Canada, everyone is a suspect in the death of Barney, the most notorious dog in town.Gangster History and Buried Treasure: The clues to Barney’s death lead back to Prohibition-era smugglers, Al Capone’s old stomping grounds, and a conspiracy that’s anything but ancient history.A Humorous Adventure for Kids: Perfect for middle grade readers who love a fast-paced, funny story full of twists, turns, and two kids in way over their heads.
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.
