The Buccaneers of St. Frederick Island
What can possibly happen when a crime happens under the very noses of a group of very savvy eighth graders at St. BeSillius’ Catholic School on St. Frederick’s Island? When the money they raised to buy toys for children in homeless shelters in near-by NYC is stolen, the Buccaneers, as they call themselves are outraged. Despite warnings from Father Felix and Sr. Jo, Sprocket, the leader of the Buccaneers, and her determined buddies set out to follow the clues, run down the thief, and get those toys for the homeless kids. When their clubhouse is burned down, and a threatening letter is sent to the local newspaper, The Foghorn, owned and operated by Sprocket’s mother, the Buccaneers are even more determined to unravel the plot against them. A mysterious island once owned by the pirate, Jon Buccleigh and a labyrinthine cave serve as the setting for this skullduggery. A Native American healer, her community, and a group of the beach people conspire with the Buccaneers to get that money back.You will be laughing at some of the Buccaneers’ antics and gasping at what those brave eight-graders face to solve the mystery. The story is rich with colorful and engaging characters as well as the flavor of post-war America in 1947. An altogether fun and satisfying read.
Kathy Terranova –
Wonderful preteen mystery.
The Buccaneers of St. Frederick Island, is a brightly written mystery for pre-teen children written by Linda Maria Frank. The adventure begins from the first page and continues to the last with the mystery being solved. The author gave great description of a child’s and adult perspectives in the matter at hand. The Native American history intertwined into the story makes it even more interesting and difference in today’s world. I would recommend this author, this book as well as her many others for children and families to enjoy. Ms Frank’s writing style brought me back to my childhood with Nancy Drew.
Ashley Denno –
Swashbuckling adventure!
Such a fun adventure to read for kiddos, and even for those who are kids only at heart. I wish I had been that adventurous as a kid. Fast paced and fun read. Set in a cozy, tight knit island community, this book will make you smile for sure.
Rachel Moss –
An interesting read.
The Buccaneers of St. Frederick Island by Linda Maria Frank was a really good read. I wasn’t sure what to expect reading this book, and it was a very pleasant and easy read. This was definitely a book for all ages. It was an interesting little adventure, children’s mystery book to read. This was also a very quick read, which I enjoyed. I really enjoyed the little back story at the beginning, of the authors childhood. It was very interesting to me. This wasn’t my favorite book I’ve read, but it was really good nonetheless. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.
Candi H. –
This book was a quick and entertaining read. There are a lot of fun witty moments in this story. These kids all want to be detectives and they are determined to find out who stole the money they worked hard to raise so they could donate to charity. Their club house burns down which is a small set back for them but they are very tenacious kids. They do get some help from a few adults on the island as well. Even though this is a quick read it is rich in detail. This book took me on a sweet adventure with mystery that is good for all ages. I recommend this book.
Heidi Schoolman –
This story is set on St. Frederick’s Island in the late 1940’s. When a group of eighth graders find the money they raised for toys for homeless kids is stolen, they are understandably upset. The group bands together, calling themselves the Buccaneers, and set out to find who stole it. Each member of the group is sworn to secrecy and given a code name. As they inch closer, they receive a threatening letter and their clubhouse gets burned down. This was truly a great read with mystery and even some laughs and my son and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it together.
Angela Hayes –
“….one night last summer at our club house which is just a shack on the beach, we decided to form our own little PI group, that’s Private Investigator. We voted on and accepted our official title, Buccaneers of St.Besillius. Look. You can’t beat our creativity in naming the group. We even researched St. BS. She’s the patron saint of mimes.
As we gathered around the fire, we wrote up a charter including the following:
✔ Each member is sworn to secrecy, under pain of… what? Oh, I don’t know.
✔ All clues are to be shared by everyone.
✔ All communications would be done using our code names. Mine is Sprocket.
✔ Our meeting place would be the old fishing shack on the beach.
We made a list of our code names.
Lily code name Sprocket, all around smarty, leader, that’s me.
Ryan: code name Bletch, general genius.
Frank: code name Wingnut, mechanical genius, and a bit dippy.
Leon: code name Snap Shackle, math genius, can put two and two together.
Amalie: code name Ratchet, electronic surveillance, or just plain snoop, meaning she can use a camera.
And so, the story begins.”
The Buccaneer’s of St. Frederick’s Island by Linda Maria Frank is a book aimed at younger readers- and is a bit of a swashbuckling kids adventure story. There is crime, friendship, history, Catholic school, nuns, priests, drama, danger, mystery, and fun.
We join the young private-eyes as they endeavour to track down who stole the money from the church that was meant to go to charity. Add some humour, banter, and just a little mayhem- and you get a fun read.
Thank you, Linda Maria Frank!
Lois W. Stern, Author, Creator of tales2inspire –
Lots of intrigue jammed into this little book, along with hidden gems of humor!
When author Linda Maria Frank presented me with a free copy of her book (no strings attached), I didn’t hesitate for a minute to write a review. Why? Because I long admired her style and competence and knew this book, like all the books in her Annie Tillery Mystery series, would not disappoint. So let me start with the Author Notes in her opening pages, as they brought back some vivid memories of my childhood, when my father also was an air raid warden during WWII. If you are of a similar vintage, be sure to read these pages first for some timeless touches of nostalgia. And if you are too young to have experienced the turbulence of those years, don’t overlook these introductory pages, for they not only will give you some historical insights, but also quickly introduce you to Linda’s inimitable style, which is evident throughout this book, the seamless blending of humor with mystery and intrigue. Bravo to Linda for another job well done!
Lois W. Stern
Creator of Tales2Inspire® – An Authors Helping Authors project/contest
Book review acquisition coodinator for TheNewBookReview