The Convicts
Grade 5-8 -To say that this lively novel is Dickensian is to understate its debt to that author. The story abounds in terrifying villains, grime, misery, and cruelty. Yet it also serves up a fair share of optimism. The narrator, Tom Tin, has fallen on hard times through no fault of his own. When his father, an unemployed ship's captain, is taken to debtor's prison, Tom discovers the dark underbelly of 19th-century London. He has the incredible luck of finding a valuable diamond, only to lose it in a grave robbery. Then he is arrested for theft, convicted of murder, and incarcerated on a dismal prison ship for boys. There he is mistaken for a boy called Smasher, who was part of a dastardly gang of pickpockets. Unfortunately for Tom, one of Smasher's victims is also on the ship and vows revenge. A wretched and weak youngster named Midgely convinces Tom that they can escape to a better life, and they hatch a plan. The plot twists in this story rely on a series of coincidences that no reader will take seriously, but this is where the fun lies. One is never sure what lurks around the next corner. This book is as action packed and as thoroughly researched as the author's seafaring trilogy, but it will be accessible to a wider audience because of its easier reading level. Give it to reluctant readers who are looking for an exciting adventure.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.