Hero of Hawaii: Hero of Hawaii
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Gr 3-5-"You live Hawaii, you live the ocean, ah?" This sentiment is definitely true for nine-year-old Calvin Coconut, whose island home is surrounded by miles of open water. He has grown up learning how to deal with the ocean, both in good situations and bad. Some of his friends do not have this ability, though, which nearly has disastrous consequences. Willy is not as water-savvy as Calvin, and when they are outside during a raging storm, he falls into a river and gets whisked out to sea. It's up to Calvin to hop into his skiff and try to save his friend. Salisbury's latest title in the series has some real potential, but misses the mark in several areas. While it's important to create multicultural protagonists, readers do not come away with a clear picture of Hawaiian customs or way of life. There is a brief mention of Pidgin English, but this may only confuse readers if they haven't encountered it before. Furthermore, Calvin's inner monologues are unrealistically mature for a fourth grader. Finally, the plot feels insubstantial, revolving almost solely around the storm and Willy's rescue, with only a minor subplot about Calvin's sister's birthday. Rogers's sketchy pen-and-ink illustrations add some visual flair but overall this story is unlikely to get kids excited about reading.-Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 3–5—"You live Hawaii, you live the ocean, ah?" This sentiment is definitely true for nine-year-old Calvin Coconut, whose island home is surrounded by miles of open water. He has grown up learning how to deal with the ocean, both in good situations and bad. Some of his friends do not have this ability, though, which nearly has disastrous consequences. Willy is not as water-savvy as Calvin, and when they are outside during a raging storm, he falls into a river and gets whisked out to sea. It's up to Calvin to hop into his skiff and try to save his friend. Salisbury's latest title in the series has some real potential, but misses the mark in several areas. While it's important to create multicultural protagonists, readers do not come away with a clear picture of Hawaiian customs or way of life. There is a brief mention of Pidgin English, but this may only confuse readers if they haven't encountered it before. Furthermore, Calvin's inner monologues are unrealistically mature for a fourth grader. Finally, the plot feels insubstantial, revolving almost solely around the storm and Willy's rescue, with only a minor subplot about Calvin's sister's birthday. Rogers's sketchy pen-and-ink illustrations add some visual flair but overall this story is unlikely to get kids excited about reading.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY