Uncrashable Dakota.

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

Marino, Andy. Unison Spark.

Marino, Andy.  Unison Spark.  Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group,  2011  232p.    $16.99  ISBN 978-0-8050-9293-6      ms/jr VG  Science Fiction    

     Unison is a social-network world that knows you better than you know yourself. However, it is another story when you are not on the inside. Readers will experience a fast-paced read with adventure between both Unison and the underworld. In addition they will meet some unusual characters.  The author has written a fast-paced novel that takes place in a futuristic world where everything is possible. Life in Unison is ideal, with every wish or thought fulfilled. However, life in the Under canopy is another story altogether. Life exists by barter and theft to stay alive. Mistletoe is a young girl who explores areas best left alone. She is a very resourceful individual, which helps to keep her out of trouble.
     Trouble starts when Ambrose Truax decides to explore the sub canopy world of Unison.  Immediately he is restrained by some uniformed security men. Mistletoe intercedes and takes him under her arm. Soon they find themselves involved in a series of thrilling, chilling, and curious adventures. During these stress-filled activities, readers will discover that the main characters have many similarities and the golden world of Unison is not all it is cracked up to be. 
     Readers who enjoy science fiction will also enjoy the laboratories and the test-tube results.

Linda McNeil