JUNGLE OF BONES
New Release with Scholastic February 2014
DYLAN BARSTOW HAS FINALLY CROSSED THE LINE.
After getting caught on a joyride in a stolen car, he is shipped off to live with his ex-Marine uncle for the summer. But Uncle Todd has bigger plans for Dylan than just early-morning jobs.
Half a world away, grown over by the steamy jungles of Papua New Guinea, there lies a WWII bomber named Second Ace, which was shot down during the war. The bomber's only survivor was Dylan's grandfather.
Nearly dead, he stumbled through the tangled underbrush for two weeks before being found. For years the jungle has hidden any traces of Second Ace, or of the crew's remains. Now Uncle Todd is taking Dylan to try and find the wreckage.
For Dylan, life has always been a joke. But in the depths of PNG, he finds a world that can't be controlled, and he's brought to a crossroad. These deadly jungles can either be Dylan's salvation, or they can swallow him whole.
Available in hard cover.
"The story weaves a father’s letter, the grandfather’s journal entries and plenty of hallucinatory jungle-survival scenes to make this a fast-paced adventure with quick resolutions.
Apparently, it takes a jungle to raise a child, and Dylan’s story will connect with readers seeking adventure."
School Library Journal
"Dylan’s attitude adjustment is predictable, but not too maudlin, and is offset by realistic skepticism from Uncle Todd. The details of war and jungle dangers will make this a good addition to middle grade adventure survival collections."
Vicki Reutter, State University of New York at Cortland