Customer Reviews

Murder at Ocean View College

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Murder at Ocean View College is a delightful look into the lives of Danny Soto and Jade Lee. Two student police officers who round up a murderer while breaking lots of rules. Even though it's written for remedial readers, with its short concise chapters and easy to understand language, it doesn't lack in substance or entertainment value.

Pursuing a killer and disregarding direct orders, two dedicated police academy students struggle to solve a murder and establish their street credentials in this engaging detective story. Written in a clear, direct, and concise style, this thriller should appeal to English language learners, adult ESL students, and young adults interested in criminal justice careers. The vocabulary will stretch students without intimidating them. It's easy to imagine immigrant and community college students enjoying the book, particularly since the main characters resemble them in so many ways. Karen Batchelor, an experienced ESL author, knows both her subject and her target audience. Murder at Ocean View College should develop a loyal following among both educators and students and might even become a seminal work in this rapidly expanding niche area.

High school libraries, community college ESL programs, and adult school counselors will find this book a popular addition to their bookshelves.

It's a winner!

Murder at Ocean View College, set in a coastal city with an immigrant population, showcases the everyday heroism required of any immigrant and the amazing bravery of two college students, Danny Soto and Jade Lee. It is a fast-paced murder mystery on a campus where college football and the college police force collide. Combining humor and romance with the danger of a murderer on the loose, Batchelor reaches emergent readers with characters they know and emotions they all feel.

Girl In The Mirror

Murder At Ocean View College is an excellent mystery crafted to capture the interest of readers from sixth grade level on up. Karen Batchelor used careful, well chosen language, an appealing story line, and believable characters, Jade and Danny. My many years of working in elementary and middle schools showed me there are still many readers looking for "the book" that turns them on to the love of reading. Perhaps this is "the book" for them.

Karen Bachelor has created a book that will hold the interest of reluctant young readers as well as readers for whom English is a relatively new language. The main characters are college students, serving as campus police, who find the body of a dead English teacher, stabbed with a pencil! Who would do such a deed? Investigating the murder threatens the fledgling romance between Danny and Jade as Danny is compelled to go to a football game with Amber who has information vital to the solution of the mystery. Danny is caught by a jealous Jade who is comforted and supported by her friend Crystal who then becomes the go-between for the couple. In the meantime all three get into trouble with their police supervisor for violating his orders not to investigate the case on their own. There is plenty of action and familiar human interaction within a framework of short chapters, diverse characters, and easy vocabulary to keep the reader involved and satisfied.