Kirby, Matthew J. The Lost Kingdom, 352 p. Scholastic, 2013. $18. Content: PG (violent, but not bloody death by dangerous monster).
Billy is proud to be finally considered old enough to accompany his father on one of his trips into the wilds of a new America. This time is even better, because they are voyaging on a super secret flying ship and headed off to find a myth – the Land of Madoc – the descendants of an Irish prince who came long before the first English settlers. The colonists need help to defend themselves from the French, who have joined forces with many Indian tribes in order to claim the new land for themselves. But discoverers can be eccentric and this new technology can be dangerous – and a traitor finds his (or her) way into the group. The chances of anyone from the team making it back to any of colonies seem very slim.
This different take on the colonization of America and the French-Indian war (see a glimpse of a very young George Washington in his first Command). I was almost left breathless by the never-ending action and the danger. Only one thing bothered me. There is a mystery on board when a message from the traitor has been discovered. I really would have thought that hand-writing analysis would have been a simple way to solve it, but it never even comes up. It made me call the intelligence of the men into question. Otherwise, if you can ignore that, will you thoroughly enjoy this.
EL, MS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
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