Compass South

April 25, 2016
Hot-tempered Alex and thoughtful Cleo are pretty sure that their father is dead. Armed only with the watch and knife he left them, the Dodge twins are on their own in an antebellum world of crime and double-dealing. If they can get to San Francisco, they plan to pass as a pair of lost redheaded twins for whom a reward has been offered. To their astonishment, they meet Silas and Edwin, an older set of redheaded twins doing the same thing. (“We expected to meet all kinds of people,” Cleo tells them, “but never ourselves.”) Separated, Alex and Edwin round Cape Horn on a ship, while Cleo and Silas travel through Panama. Larson’s (Who Is AC?) concoction of tried-and-true adventure elements—stowaways, pirate raids, jungle tribes—hangs together convincingly, and scene-stealers such as Tarboro, a free black man who’s a brilliant swordsman and the story’s true hero, provide moral ballast. Illustrator Mock, making her debut, adeptly captures the changing relationships between the twins—especially the gender-bending awkwardness that accompanies Cleo’s stint as a boy. A sequel is promised (so the knife and watch can reveal their secrets). Ages 10–12.

April 15, 2016
Two sets of twins find themselves pursued by gangs and pirates on a swashbuckling sea adventure.In mid-19th-century Manhattan, white, carrot-topped 12-year-old twins Cleopatra and Alexander Dodge have taken up with the no-good Black Hook gang since their father's gone missing. When they bumble one of their break-ins, they end up snitching on the gang to save their own skins. Exiled from New York, they decide to head west. On their way, they encounter another set of white, titian-tressed con-artist twins, Silas and Edwin. After a destructive melee, the two sets of twins are separated, and Silas and Cleo (now disguised as a boy and going by Pat) must track down the shanghaied Edwin and Alex. All are being pursued by the Black Hooks and a fierce pirate, who is seeking items carried by Cleo and Alex. With a keen eye to detail and deft pacing, Larson has created a sweeping and richly woven tale that never once loses its breakneck momentum and adroitly juggles a number of themes and plotlines. Mock's clearly delineated panels and earth-toned art breathe life into the historical setting, although some readers may have a hard time distinguishing between the mismatched, similarly dressed sets of identical-looking twins, especially on their sea adventures. The vast cast of secondary characters appropriately includes people of color.Complex, engaging, and sure to please a wide audience. (Graphic historical adventure. 8-13)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Gr 4-8-In this fast-paced, high-energy tale, 12-year-old twins Alex and Cleo Dodge find adventure-and trouble-as they search for their father and, at times, each other. The siblings join the Black Hook Gang, but Alex is soon arrested for stealing. The twins leave town, yet there's still more excitement to come. Has the key to finding a lost pirate treasure been in their possession all along? Set in 1860, the story includes stops in Manhattan, New Orleans, and even a pirate ship on the high seas. Larson, best known for her graphic novel adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, weaves a wonderful, vivid story, assisted beautifully by Mock's illustrations, which take the twins from murky back alleys to bright and vibrant ocean scenes. VERDICT A charming choice for elementary and middle school library graphic novel collections.-John Trischitti, Midland County Public Libraries, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2016
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* After finking on their gang leader and skipping town, redheaded twins Alex and Cleo plan to con a wealthy forty-niner in San Francisco who placed an ad in the paper looking for his long-lost ginger-haired twin boys. Alex and Cleo (after she gets a boyish haircut, naturally) think their plan is a piece of cake, until they meet another pair of red-haired twinsEdwin and Silason their way to San Francisco, hoping to pull the same hustle. But that's the least of their problems: the gang leader is after them, with the help of some pirates interested in the heirlooms left to the twins by their mother. In their escape, the foursome get separated: Alex and Edwin get shanghaied on a ship headed around the Horn, while Cleo and Silas stow away on a boat headed to Panama. Mock's luminous full-color artwork beautifully showcases the late-nineteenth-century locations, swashbuckling pirate battles, and jungle treks, all while effortlessly distinguishing among characters (no small feat, given the expansive, diverse cast and two sets of twins). Meanwhile, Larson, befitting the seafaring adventure, keeps the pace clipping along with frequent scene breaks and propulsive reveals. Thankfully, the twins all reunite in San Francisco, but a bevy of remaining mysteries guarantee a sequel. A gorgeously executed, lively caper.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
In 1860, twelve-year-old twins Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge head to San Francisco, planning to con a wealthy man into believing they're his long-lost twin sons. On the way, they meet another set of redheaded twins with the same idea. A variety of panel sizes keeps the pace brisk in this rollicking graphic novel series-opener, and plenty of tantalizing questions remain.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2016
It's 1860. Twelve-year-old twins Alexander and Cleopatra Dodge's father disappears, leaving them alone; the siblings survive the New York City streets by stealing for the Black Hook gang. After a run-in with the police, they decide to head to San Francisco for a fresh start, planning to con a wealthy man into believing they are his long-lost twin sons. But on the way, Alex and "Pat" run into Silas and Edwin, another set of redheaded twins with the same idea. Alex and Silas get kidnapped onto one steamer, set to round Cape Horn to California; Pat and Edwin stow away on another. Forced to rely on each other in order to reunite with their own siblings, the now mixed-up pairs slowly develop trust and friendship. In the meantime, Alex and Silas face pirates and storms; Pat and Edwin make a dangerous trek through the Panama jungle after hastily disembarking. And the Black Hook gang is in pursuit, after the Dodge twins' family heirloomswhich, it turns out, may conceal directions to a hidden treasure. With two sets of red-haired, freckled, similarly dressed, and occasionally similar-sounding twins as main characters, it can be a bit difficult to keep track of who's who. But thrill-seekers likely won't mind: this graphic novel series-opener captures all the rollicking action of a Robert Louis Stevenson sea adventure -- with the welcome additions of a capable female protagonist and several fully realized secondary characters of color. A variety of panel sizes keeps the pace brisk while allowing for the occasional pause to set the scene or linger in an emotional moment. Plenty of tantalizing questions remain, setting up another exciting adventure. katie bircher

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)