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From School Library Journal --------------------------- Gr 6–9—Fans of the "Tunnels" series (Scholastic, 2008) will enjoy Smith's latest. Pat and Coop were always close. Coop even let Pat help with his secret tunnel project under Washington, DC. But after an accidental explosion, Coop runs away. One year later, Pat receives a package with a recorder and a message that leads him on a mission to find and rescue his old friend. Smith spends much of the first 100 pages on backstory, though it is imperative to understanding the relationship between Pat and Coop had and why Pat is so motivated to travel alone to New York City to find him. This makes the pacing slow at first, but it increases dramatically once Pat makes it to the society under the city. The second half is better paced and action-packed. Beneath hits all the notes of an underground novel, with several allusions to classics such as Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth and H.G. Wells's The Time Machine. Avid lovers of adventure fiction will enjoy this quick read.—Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School RI Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) Review ------ Praise for TENTACLES: "A high-octane page-turner that will reel readers in and keep them riveted." --SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "Swashbuckling adventure, narrow escapes, sea monsters: The fascinating science of cryptids and Smith's fast-paced story will capture the imagination of any action-loving reader." --BOOKPAGE Praise for the STORM RUNNERS series: "A breakneck read, perfectly geared to the restless and reluctant." --BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS "This slice of natural disaster . . . offers nary a dull moment. A high-velocity page-turner . . ." --KIRKUS REVIEWS Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) About the Author ---------------- Roland Smith first worked with animals at the Portland Zoo, and he has been involved in animal rescues and conservation work around the world for more than twenty years. He is the author of numerous books for young readers, including JACK'S RUN, ZACH'S LIE, CRYPTID HUNTERS, PEAK, TENTACLES, and the Storm Runners series. He is also the co-author of numerous picture books with his wife, Marie. Roland lives with Marie on a farm south of Portland, Oregon. You can find him online at www.rolandsmith.com. Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------- Exactly one year to the day after my brother, Coop, ditched me, I got a package in the mail. It came to the school, not our house. The secretary handed me the package with a warning that I was never to use the school as my personal address. I was going to tell her that I hadn't when I saw my name: Pat Meatloaf O'Toole scrawled in Coop's familiar handwriting. Meatloaf is not my real middle name. I told her I would never do it again, grabbed the package, locked myself in a restroom stall, and tore the box open. Inside was a handheld digital voice recorder, a supply of memory sticks, and a note written on a greasy hamburger wrapper: "Lil Bro, Pat, just turn the recorder to Play, and I'll explain what you're supposed to do with this. DO NOT share with parents. This is just between you and me. Your big bro, Coop . . ." I made sure the restroom was empty and switched on the recorder. Read more ( javascript:void(0) )