We the Children (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: We the Children Elizabeth Bush Clements, Andrew . We the Children; illus. by Adam Stower. Atheneum, 2010 143p. (Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School) ISBN 978-1-4169-3886-6$14.99 Ad Gr. 3-5 When Massachusetts sea captain Duncan Oakes established a school at the end of the eighteenth century, he foresaw a time when it would come under some sort of attack, and he was right. Real estate developers, in cahoots with the town council and Oakes' heirs, have done an end run around Oakes' will, and they are planning to tear down the harborside building and use the land for an amusement park. Like most kids, Benjamin Pratt initially welcomed that idea, but since the school janitor died after entrusting him with a gold coin engraved with a message, he's begun to consider just how much the community should treasure this piece of their heritage. In this first volume of a planned series, there are a lot of foundations to lay and relatively little time for the concrete to set. The most engaging plotline, which revolves around a cryptic message hidden behind a school baseboard, is sidetracked by concerns over an arrogant classmate and Ben's parents' separation, and the most gripping action scene, in which Ben saves a boy's life in a sailboat race, is so encumbered by sailing jargon as to intimidate the nautically disinclined. Still, Captain Oakes' weird legacy is a fruitful premise, and kids may want to return for the next title to see if it fulfills its promise. Sketchy, amiable two-color (black touched with blue) illustrations appear throughout. Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois