Juvenile Fiction Book Review: “Island of Thieves” by Josh Lacey

Every kid needs an Uncle Harvey.

Uncle Harvey lives and breathes adventure. When Tom is dropped off by his parents at Harvey’s Greenwich Village apartment, Tom is in for the adventure of his life. Harvey is off to Peru to see if he can find some missing pages that might tell him where to find an ancient treasure. Tom badgers to go along and the two are off.

Through good detective skills and a lot of luck, they discover their treasure is eight boxes of Spanish booty stolen by the English pirate Sir Francis Drake. They, however, are not the only ones interested in the looted gold and silver. Otto Gonzales, a big-time crook — along with his henchmen — come along with Harvey and Tom and assist them by providing a boat to take them to the mysterious Island of Thieves, where the sunken treasure might be buried.

Harvey and Tom must try to escape the clutches of the crooks, secure the treasure, and get themselves back to New York before Tom’s parents arrive home. This book is also worth reading because its end pages describe the real life of Sir Francis Drake and the young nephew who recorded his deeds.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston (2011). Reviewed by Lillian Hecker, Children Services Librarian. For ages 9 -12.