Marino,
Andy. Uncrashable
Dakota. Macmillan/Henry Holt 2013 309p. $17.99 ISBN 978-0-8050-9630-9 ms Fantasy VG
In 1912, the Dakota shipyards launched
its latest airship, the Wendell Dakota.
The family business thrived on the discovery by the grandfather of the
lifting power of a specific type of flatulent beetle. Hollis, heir to the business, is familiar
with the layout of the ship, inside and out.
With his stepbrother and an apprentice beetle keeper, he is used to
running quite wild during a voyage. With
the launch of the largest ship on its maiden voyage, something seems “off.” Early in the trip, the ship is hijacked and
set on a course down the US east coast rather than across the Atlantic. With smart thinking, chases through interior
passageways and trickery, Hollis discovers who is leading the hijacking - his stepfather.
Somehow, Hollis does manage to overthrow the hijackers and save most of the passengers.
Interspersed in the story are
chapters about the discovery of the beetles and Hollis’s grandfather’s work with President
Lincoln to end the Civil War.
This title is a cross between
action/adventure and fantasy, with a touch of steam punk.
Middle-school students will enjoy the improbable idea of a ship held aloft
by flatulent beetles.
Aircraft-Fiction,
Historical fiction --Joan Theal
No comments:
Post a Comment