Book Description Review “Korman is reliably at the head of the pack in middle-grade quirkiness, and his fans will be well pleased with this fresh title.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)“Korman brings his usual humor and heart to this well-plotted mystery… that sensitively explores themes of friendship and family.” (Publishers Weekly)“Korman sketches characters with swift, sure strokes and places them in a distinctive setting… this a book that Korman fans won’t want to miss.” (ALA Booklist)“The fast-moving, action-packed plot makes this a great choice for reluctant readers… A diverting read full of suspense and historical intrigue.” (School Library Journal)“Another treat for Korman fans.” (Kirkus Reviews) Read more About the Author Gordon Korman published his first book at age fourteen and since then has written more than ninety middle grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times bestselling Ungifted, Supergifted, The Unteachables, Pop, Schooled, and the Masterminds series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York. You can visit him online at www.gordonkorman.com. Read more Customers Review: I’ve been a fan of Gordon Korman since high school, and I think it says a lot about him that he can still manage to engage someone who’s over double the age of his main characters. I will say I think some of the characters could have been fleshed out a little more, but overall it was a solid story and definitely a fun “mystery” book. Barney Two and Barney One cracked me up all the time, even though we never got to meet Barney One. I was kind of expecting the Canadian/American island to play a little bit more of a pivotal role, but it seemed it was mostly used to show why ZeeBee was so isolated. I will definitely read this book again, and I highly recommend it for middle schoolers, teenagers, adults, grandparents, dogs, cats, ghosts, everyone!
Thank you to the publisher, the author and @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.This MG book (grades 4-7) is set in a peculiar place named Centerlight Island. Half of the island is in the U.S. and half is in Canada. A squiggly line runs right through the downtown and across the island which means next door neighbors may actually be citizens of a different country! It also means the U.S. kids get to go to the island school and the Canadian kids have to ride a smelly ferry to their school everyday. This makes it so hard to be friends and ZeeBee really needs a friend. She so badly needs someone to believe her when she says her beloved monster of a dog, Barney, which was notorious for rampaging through the island and destroying anything in his path, was murdered. And no one believes her until Keenan moves to the island.This book will have you laughing out loud as Zeebee and Keenan use every problem solving skill imaginable to figure out the answer to the mystery. And it’s a mystery that may have begun a hundred years ago when gangsters called Centerlight home. You will love the adventures the kids encounter along the way and you’ll cheer to see their growing friendship.This is a great choice for those students looking for either an adventure or a mystery. There are plenty of chilling moments to satisfy those hungry for adventure and so many twists and turns to make a mystery lover reluctant to put it down.
This was a delightful read! For an adult audience perhaps it was more of a 4-star read, because the plot was reasonably guessable, but I certainly would expect a younger audience to love it. I did, and I am considerably older than the intended audience !Who could resist a tale of a 7th grader pulled from his mother’s international lifestyle to the quiet of a small island situated between Michigan and Canada where he recuperates from tuberculosis and meets a girl of his own age who is obsessed by the island’s history during the gangster age and by her conviction that her beloved dog Barney had been murdered by neighbors who hated him? And who could fail to be drawn in by poor little Barney Two, who only wants to be loved but is ignored because his human is still mourning his predecessor?This was enough for a thoroughly entertaining read, but it was enhanced further by wonderful details. For example, the setting of an island split between Canada and the US was fun as it showed the essential “unity” of the citizens and how artificial boundaries could sometimes get in the way.No matter what your age, if you are looking for a warmhearted read for a cold winter’s day (or a cool read for the beach in summer!), this book should give you a good time.
Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and HarperCollins/Balzar + Bray for the review copy of Notorious by Gordon Korman. All opinions are my own.Keenan is used to traveling the world with his mom and stepdad, so he is not looking forward to living with his dad on Centerlight Island. Although, Centerlight turns out to be more interesting than he thought when a local girl nicknamed Zeebee tells him about the island’s history with notorious gangsters. Zeebee and Keenan work together to try to uncover the shocking secrets of the past.Fans of Gordon Korman will not be disappointed! Zeebee is a quirky character that’s stubborn and opinionated, but also brave and cunning. Keenan is the new kid in town and it is interesting to watch him navigate his friendship between Zeebee and the kids that think Zeebee is a little too quirky. The plot has many twists and turns and will be sure to delight any reader interested in mystery or adventure books. This would also be a great book to teach point of view since each chapter is from a different character’s perspective. Most often the chapters are told by Zeebee or Keenan, but occasionally other characters are given a chapter and it is interesting to see their thoughts and feelings about what is happening. I recommend this book for grades 4 – 7. |
5 reviews