Dirkle Smat and the Flying Statue
By Lynn D. Garthwaite & Craig Howarth (illustrator)
(Castle Keep Press / 1-596-63553-3 / 978-1-596-63553-1 / April 2007 / 60 pages / $9.95)
Reviewed by Donna Nordmark Aviles for PODBRAM
Dirkle Smat and his Explorer Club friends are ready for adventure as they set out to determine the source of the midnight sightings in the sky over their small town. Some believe that it may be the Pegasus Statue in the town square that comes to life on a full moon, but how can a marble statue fly?
Author Lynn D. Garthwaite does a fine job of mixing adventure, gadgetry and perilous situations in just the right proportions for the curious minded young boy, keeping him engaged throughout the 41 pages. A sprinkling of well-drawn black and white illustrations throughout adds a visual element to the story that serves to hold the young reader’s attention as well. I especially liked the creativity of adding pages in the back of the book to start your own Explorers Club.
Although the book says that it is for ages 5-10, that is a broad age range and I feel that the nine and ten-year-olds would probably come away with a sense of wanting just a little bit more in the way of plot twists. I would recommend this book ideally for boys in the 6-8 age range who will undoubtedly be looking for other titles in this adventure series.
See Also: Donna's Orphan Train Review
The author's Jacket Flap Page
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