The Bones in the Cliff (Laurel-Leaf Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

James Stevenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1996 | Series: Laurel-Leaf Books

When his father is terrified by the expected arrival of a mysterious man, Pete, with the help of his new friend Rootie, meets every ferryboat throughout the summer, until he learns the truth about his father's fear. Reprint. AB. H. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An 11-year-old boy on a New England island tries to shield his alcoholic father from the anticipated arrival of a dangerous pursuer. PW's starred review of this "utterly gripping" story praised the "deftly crafted moments of suspense [that] will keep even reluctant readers rapt." Ages 10-up.
- will keep even reluctant readers rapt." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?Pete, 11, lives on an island with his alcoholic father and has been given the chore of watching the ferry landings to spot the man who wants to kill his father. He makes friends with an adventurous girl named Rootie and her grandmother, enjoys a hurricane, worries about his courage, and saves his parent in the nick of time. The book cannot sustain all that is pushed into it. Pete must contend with the underworld, his father's drinking and subsequent rough behavior, not to mention the insecurities of every lonely kid. The settings, both time and place, skip around, from present to past, from Cape Cod to the Bronx. Necessary character development loses out to sudden introductions of dramatic plot twists. The bones of the title are disappointing. Rootie points them out in an early chapter during a bike ride near some eroded cliffs telling him they are human bones. What promise! But they are never mentioned again until the end, in a vague reference alluding to the fact that secrets don't stay covered up. Pete is a sensitive youngster, who readers will readily like. And Rootie sets a good course as the adventurous pal. But there is too much undeveloped and unresolved to give readers the story that wants to break through.?Sally Margolis, Deerfield Public Library, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 119 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (November 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440220327
• ISBN-13: 978-0440220329
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,185,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a 10 star book, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bones in the Cliff (Hardcover)

This book was great. It was the best and it was a very great thriller. If a hitman was after me dad I don't think I would be as brave as Pete!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is terrible for children!, September 16, 2011

By 

nancy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bones in the Cliff (Laurel-Leaf Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

My fourth grader brought The Bones in the Cliff home from the library. It is rated as a 4th grade reading level book by Accelerated Reader, but I don't think the story is appropriate for kids that age. The book references many grown up problems: alcoholism, mental illness, divorce, prostitution, suicide, murder-for-hire, and there were three curse words. The four adults in the story are all deeply flawed and/or scary: Dad - alcoholic and abusive, Mom - mentally ill and in an asylum, Frankie - a hit man who shoots the Dad and who chases and shoots at the nine year-old boy, Grandma - nice but smokes "ciggies" and has a daily afternoon martini, very dry with a twist of lemon. The plot is not much of a mystery: father and son are on the run from hitman. The hitman eventually shows up and tries to kill them. That's the story.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bones in The Cliff, May 21, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Bones in the Cliff (Hardcover)

The Bones in The Cliff

This is one of my favorite books. It was one of James Stevenson's books. I think he is a pretty good writer. I like how he worded the whole book. He really makes things interesting. There really wasn't anything I didn't like about his book. It isn't a very long book either, that's something I like. I like the types of book that are interesting but not a very lengthy book. Most of the books I've read have been real long and don't get interesting. That's why I like books from Stevenson. I would recommend this book to anyone over any other book in the library.