By Cat Urbain

Front Street Books, 2008
Ages 9 – 12
Hardcover, ISBN-10: 1590785169

A sleepy town on the coast of Maine is the last place where thirteen-year-old Manuel wants to spend his summer vacation. He’d give anything to be back in New Haven, with the greatest pizza in the world and a twelve-theater Cineplex around the corner from his house. So far the only thing that Manuel has found to do is watch Zeke, a cranky, old lobsterman, unload his boat, while a one-legged seagull perches nearby. But Manuel soon discovers that even sleepy New England towns can bring trouble. And trouble finds him in the form of a kid named Justin, who taunts him and steals his Ipod. Manuel’s mother plans to enroll him in summer camp, but her son has plans of his own. He’s determined to find Justin, get his property back, and get out of town. In the meantime, he takes a job working on the lobsterman’s boat to earn some money. But one thing wasn’t part of his plan: a run-in with the law. In a twist of fate, Manuel’s future hinges on that cranky, old lobsterman who has a secret—a big secret—that could yield a lot of money if he and Manuel can make it to an island called Jagged Jakes and a lagoon filled with “black gold.” Catherine Urbain’s fast-paced adventure on land and sea features two unforgettable characters and a plot that thickens at every turn.

Subjects:

• Animals
• Bullying
• City Settings
• Divorce
• Jobs/Employment and Teens