I received this book as a giveaway. When the package first got here, my 11-year-old son stole it out of my hands, saying, "Finally, a book for me!" He disappeared for half a day, and when he emerged he made me order Curtis Parkinson's older books so he could read those as well. I also enjoyed this young adult book - it was fast-paced, full of dilemma, mystery, and a wee bit of romance - just right for a boy of a certain age. The combination of ships, Nazis, kidnapping, and a diabolical plan were spot on. Is he an author I would read more? No. But for my boys, he is the kind of writer that I will direct them toward. ( )

An excellent action-packed adventure novel, great for middle-grade boys who like a story to start right off with the action, no waiting around for slow character or setting-building. Right off the bat we are on a ship cruising the rapids of the St. Lawrence River, and someone is about to fall overboard, and our hero, Scott, 16, a deckhand on the ship, is afraid to reveal that he knows there is a Nazi spy on board! Whew! And away we go! The book is long on action--spies, double agents, kidnapping, thugs, and some nautical adventures--and short on character development for any of the side characters (Scott's girlfriend Lindsay is nice, but you know nothing about her; his best friend Adam, also 16 and a waiter on the ship, falls in love with a French girl who is given a name and helpful nature but not much else). But that's okay, it's a lot of fun, a story about a little-seen aspect of World War II, with a Canadian twist as the action takes place in Canadian towns along the northern border of the river. I would recommend it for boys in 4th-6th grades or older low-level high interest readers. ( )

Man Overboard! by Curtis Parkinson is a very nice young adult mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The mystery isn't particularly deep, or mysterious, but Parkinson still manages to impart tension and suspense to the reader. It is a relatively short book (152 pages) so there isn't a lot of room for plot twists, but still Parkinson manages to effect a sense of suspense and excitement about the mysterious German agent. A good read for young adults. ( )

Taking a job on a river boat seemed exciting enough, but after overhearing a conversation between a German spy and his driver, Scott and Adam's summer becomes that much more exciting. A great mystery for boys that enjoy a litte bit of history and a girl or two thrown into the mix. Starts a bit slow, but picks up steam as it goes on. Views switch between Scott and Adam in third person, keeping the reader aware of what's going on when they are separated. Enjoyable! ( )

I would suggest this book to a kid who is looking for its first novel. It really is targeted to a younger audience and I felt it lack a bit of description, background story and even it the timeline is kinda of shady. We get into the story right away without any idea of who the characters are nor do we get a bit of info on the period of time it was written in. The book is not bad, but has I stipulated, it's the perfect kinda book for a pre-teen looking for a good first novel. ( )