EARTHQUAKE TERROR

Kehret (Danger at the Fair, p. 226, etc.) provides pulse- pounding suspense from beginning to end of an action novel that few readers will be able to put down. While Jonathan and his family are camping on an uninhabited island, Jonathan's mother breaks her ankle. His father takes her to a mainland hospital, leaving behind Jonathan, his handicapped sister, Abby, and their dog. Soon afterward an earthquake strikes, destroying their camper and the bridge to the mainland. With no way of knowing if his parents are alive or able to send help, and as the water rises to cover the island, Jonathan must find a way to keep his sister and himself alive. Although he is brave and resourceful, the earthquake is only the beginning of the trials and terrors that rapidly mount beyond even an adult's ability to cope. Abby's whining is too grating for her to be likable, and Jonathan is almost incredibly empathetic, but the rapid rush of events will involve even less-practiced readers. (Fiction. 10+)