The Dagger X.

Gr 4–8—This book picks up where The Dagger Quick (S & S, 2011) left off. It is September 1678, and 12-year-old Kitto wakes up to realize that he has lost a leg to a shark attack and that he, his stepmother, and his friend are stranded on a Carribbean island with Ontoquas, a Native American girl, and the baby she rescued during her escape from a slave-trading ship. With her help, Kitto discovers that a cave on the island holds the large treasure that his uncle had been planning to recover when his ship was attacked by pirates under the command of the vengeful Captain John Morris. When another group of pirates arrives, the ragtag group decides to join forces to outwit Morris, escape the island, and try to find Kitto's younger brother and uncle. This exciting tale has all of the essential elements of a grand adventure—a flamboyant, hook-handed pirate; bloody battles; hidden treasure; a vicious crocodile; and a peg-legged boy—and the inclusion of escaped slaves and Native Americans makes for a unique and well-rounded story. Readers will root for Kitto and his companions as they use their wit and courage to fight against seemingly impossible circumstances, and most will finish The Dagger X eager to see what happens to the characters in Eames's next volume.—Sarah Reid, Broome County Public Library, Binghamton, NY