Pat Trattles (Children's Literature)
When Ruben and Jeddy scour the Rhode Island shore for lost lobster posts, they never expect to find a dead body--let alone one with a bullet hole through his neck, dressed in a fancy suit and wearing a gold wristwatch. Ruben and Jeddy rush into town to report their finding, but the police seem in no hurry to check out the crime scene. They tell the boys to go home and wait for further instructions. When the deputy finally returns several hours later and the boys lead him back to the beach, the body is gone. Convinced that the dead man is somehow involved in the lucrative bootlegging trade, the boys are determined to solve the mystery of the man’s death and disappearance in spite of warnings from the police and their own families to not get involved. Ruben and Jeddy’s story is told in reminiscences of an elderly Ruben to a not-quite-high-school-age reporter digging into the story of a legendary rumrunner that eluded the law for years along the Rhode Island coast during the height of prohibition. Successfully combining gripping mystery and suspense with historical fiction, this book engages readers from page one all the way to its satisfying conclusion. 2006, Philomel/Penguin, $15.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Gordon Avant (Children's Literature)
David Peterson, an incoming high school freshman, aspires to become independent of his father’s landscaping business by becoming a journalist. David tries to get a job at the local paper but when that fails, he takes matters into his own hands by conducting an interview with a local man named Ruben Hart, a man rumored to have participated in rum-running during the 1920s prohibition. In this story, Ruben and David pass-off point-of-view like a baton in a relay, only in a less structured and less effective manner. Ruben delivers the majority of the narrative through a first person flashback of his adolescent adventures in a Boston port town consumed with dirty law enforcement and greedy rum-running mobs. Much of the novel’s buzz centers around the mystery of discovering who is involved in Ruben’s portrayal of the corrupted alcohol smuggling. The novel lacks a character with real voice. Whether through the point of view of David or Ruben, the novel sounds monotone, and since the point of view switches relatively often, the reader is prone to be confused over who is telling the story. It does not help that the universal voice given to both narrators seems unconvincing. The novel does read quickly and affords some cliffhanging thrills while providing insight into the American prohibition era, a positive side that is all too hard to remember once the novel is finished. 2006, Philomel Books/Penguin, $ 15.99. Ages 13 to 16.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 7))
Two boys find a man's body on the shore. He's barefoot but dressed in a suit and has a bullet hole in his neck. When they bring help, the body has disappeared. It's 1929, along the coast of Rhode Island, a site of rum-running during the Prohibition era. Bootleggers, modern-day pirates, locals cheering on the bad guys-it's the stuff of fine storytelling. Based on the true story of the Black Duck, a fast, hard-to-catch boat that ran circles around the Coast Guard, Lisle's tale is told through an interview conducted by young David Peterson of old Ruben Hart, rumored to have been a rumrunner. The interview scenes interrupt the pace and drama of the narrative, but readers will enjoy the unfolding story as David hears it. Like The Art of Keeping Cool (2000), also set in Lisle's home state of Rhode Island, this is solid historical fiction. Together, they make a nice one-two punch-one about the Prohibition era, one of the home front during WWII. (author's note) 2006, Philomel, 240p, $15.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 up. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Janis Flint-Ferguson (KLIATT Review, May 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 3))
All his life David Peterson has heard about the rumrunners who sold illegal alcohol on and off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island during Prohibition. In his attempt to break into journalism, David tracks down Ruben Hart, now an old man, who was supposedly on the most notorious of all rum running boats, the Black Duck. He is surprised to find Hart so easy to track down and even more surprised that Ruben engages him in this story of friendship, betrayal, and intrigue. The Black Duck was "attacked" by a Coast Guard cutter trying to put an end to the illegal alcohol trade. All but one of the crewmembers were killed. The newspaper accounts were ambiguous but Ruben, who was a young teen about David's age, is able to give David the inside perspective on what happened. Ruben and his best friend, the son of the local police chief, found a dead body washed ashore. Ruben's curiosity led him into the middle of the alcohol trade where different factions were vying for the lucrative cargo. His story will keep readers on the edge of their seats as he knows both too much and too little. The character of David is a convenient plot device; Ruben is the true protagonist. Integrated throughout are newspaper accounts of the event, providing an interesting comparison between Ruben's story and the local news reports. Lisle includes an Author's Note giving readers a bit of the history of the time and the known details of the actual event. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2006, Penguin, Philomel, 240p., $15.99. Ages 12 to 15.

Diane Coslin (Library Media Connection, January 2007)
This book tells the story of two boys involved in rum running on the Rhode Island coast in the 1920s. When Ruben and Jeddy find a dead body on the Rhode Island shore, they become involved in a dangerous war between Prohibition gangs. The book, while using excellent historical references, lacks emotion. The use of a secondary character relating the story adds an interesting dimension to the book. This title provides a fiction choice about the 1920s and Prohibition. Additional Selection. 2006, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group), 204pp., $15.99 hc. Ages 11 to 14.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2006)
Intrigued by rumors about local Prohibition-era rumrunners and their boat, the Black Duck, young David tracks down an old man who had been part of it all. As Ruben Hart recalls those dangerous days, Lisle moves the narrative back to 1929 coastal Rhode Island. Well-developed characters and a suspenseful plot make this an entertaining, accessible historical mystery for middle graders. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2006, Philomel/Sleuth, 252pp, 15.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Jenny Ingram (VOYA, June 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 2))
Framed as a modern-day interview between a teenage boy and the last surviving rumrunner in a Rhode Island town, Ruben Hart tells the story of the Black Duck, a legendary, fast smuggling boat, from his firsthand experience in 1929, when he was a teenager. Ruben and his best friend, Jeddy McKenzie, the police chief's son, find a body washed up on the beach, confirming the rumor that rumrunners are working in the area. They report it to the police, and then return to find the body missing. Over time, both boys notice that most of the town's residents are involved in smuggling, mainly out of necessity, and they watch as bootlegging escalates, larger and more sinister gangs take over, and corruption spreads. A philosophical difference separates the friends, who end up on opposite sides of the conflict between the authorities and the rumrunners. Lisle's story presents complex issues about Prohibition: that many of the authorities were corrupt, and that the violence resulting from bootlegging was worse than the effects of alcohol. Her book is filled with material for a good classroom discussion on history and ethics. There is lots of adventure and mystery, and careful readers will find clues to the story all along that they can piece together. The subject of rum-running should interest boys and reluctant readers. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Philomel, 240p., $15.99. Ages 11 to 15.

Rebecca Moreland, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, June 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 2))
Black Duck is an enjoyable read that pulls the reader along for the ride and only lets go when it drops off the goods it was smuggling-its many secrets. The plot is engaging and is especially interesting because of its relevance to the history of rum-running. Because of the point of view, the writing is sometimes choppy and unclear. Although the plot makes the reader want to see what will happen, the writing makes the book slower. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Philomel, 240p., $15.99. Ages 11 to 15.