The Monkey Howled at Midnight

Gr 4–6—In Skull Island, twins Cody and Otis Carson, 12, find themselves in the middle of a mystery while visiting Calavera Island with their painter father and their inquisitive cousin, Rae Lee. The boys' great-aunt is fixing up a hotel she bought on the island but has had one mishap after another and there have been repeated sightings of a strange pirate ghost. The twins and Rae Lee discover a hidden cavern underneath the old inn and figure out that the electrical equipment in this room is being used to burn illegal DVDs. They must race against time to prove that a Las Vegas gangster is behind the pirating activity. In Monkey, the young detectives visit Manaus, Brazil, and meet Pino and Luis Estevez, whose father has hired Hayden Carson to paint his portrait. Right away the sleuths sense that something is off with their abrasive host. Cody, Otis, and Rae Lee are eager to explore the rainforest but things don't turn out as expected, and they are abandoned at a remote campsite. The first title does a thorough job of establishing a foundation for the series. Both books are fast paced, but the second one is a real nail-biter. Otis and Cody are smart, quirky, and funny 12-year-olds. Readers will enjoy meeting them and will appreciate their quick-thinking ability to solve mysteries.Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC