The Mystery of Rascal Pratt [Perfect Paperback]

Robbie Scott (Author), Gary Cianciarulo (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Set on the shores of San Francisco Bay in 1866, this lovingly crafted adventure tale tells the story of twelve year old Emma Green who finds her world turned upside down when her father, an initiate lighthouse keeper, takes his first assignment at Point Bonita, a remote rock on the California coast, a dozen miles north of far more glamorous San Francisco. Despite Emma's isolation, she manages to make friends with the son of a powerful rancher and with the granddaughter of an American Indian. But when a mysterious shipwreck survivor - a young, feverish boy who claims improbably to be a pirate - washes into their cove, secrets that have been tranquilly hidden across generations are suddenly threatened, and in order to survive the rifts, the four youths must forge a fellowship in spite of newly opened mistrusts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Four children bond over multiple mysteries in this historical adventure for preteens.

It's 1866, and young Emma Green has moved with her family -- including her ex-Navy Civil War hero father -- to remote Point Bonita, a lighthouse post overlooking San Francisco Bay. Lonely and isolated at first, she's also confused as to why the move was necessary and why her father seems ashamed of his role in the war. Emma soon meets other children Harris, the son of a rancher, and Sue, the granddaughter of the ranch's oldest worker and they play at solving mysteries every day. Things turn serious when a boat washes into the cove, with raving, feverish boy Rascal Pratt inside. Rascal claims to be an infamous pirate, but his real origins are intertwined in the narrative with the stories of Sue's grandfather ranch-hand Achilles, a Native American seeking his freedom, and the mystery of long-lost buccaneer treasure. Achilles is blind and unable to find the alleged long-lost booty of Sir Francis Drake that would let him buy his way out of bondage. Instead, he entrusts Rascal to find it for him. Rascal, initially distrustful of the other children, is forced to bond with them to find it and to secure his own freedom once his true origins are revealed. Scott's tale manages to deftly tie together all these threads, incorporating a generous amount of historical detail and educational footnotes about different types of boats, vegetation and other trivia along the way. Scott generally avoids talking down to young readers, avoiding preachiness while exploring bigotry and military culture in America's post-Civil War past.

A satisfying adventure for young readers, bucking fantasy trends in current Potter-obsessed lit to winning effect. (Fiction. YA) --Kirkus Discoveries

About the Author

Robbie Scott is a native of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and grew up sailing, shrimping, and working on farms. He studied marine biology in college, and moved west where he has lived ever since, working in various jobs, including map maker, stable hand, and engineer. The Mystery of Rascal Pratt is the first of a series of adventures he invented to entertain his own children, and it is also his first published work. He resides in San Francisco with his family.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Greenwich Mill; 1st edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1604025190
• ISBN-13: 978-1604025194
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #892,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rascal Pratt - page turner for adults and kids, December 22, 2007

By 

J. Elias (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mystery of Rascal Pratt (Perfect Paperback)

I got the Mystery of Rascal Pratt for my 9 and 12-year old nieces, who are avid readers and they loved it. It's an adventure story with unexpected twists and turns, and features intriguing girl and boy characters. I read it as well and found myself eagerly moving from chapter to chapter, wanting to find out what happens.

The author also creates an interesting educational part of the book by including a number of footnotes that provide information about ships of the 1800s, sea lions, and other interesting facets of the book. You can easily read the whole book without going into the footnotes, but they add a dimension that's great for inquisitive young readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well drawn characters and an authentic sense of place, October 21, 2011

By 

Pop Bop (Denver, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mystery of Rascal Pratt (Paperback)

If you reflect on Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, I think it would be fair to say that character development and a strong sense of place are not the first things that come to mind. What does come to mind is action, excitement, adventure, and a bit of mystery.

Well, "The Mystery of Rascal Pratt", which is aimed at pretty much the same reading audience, does give you everything. First off, there is no doubt that you are at Point Bonita, north of San Francisco Bay. This is one of the best middle readers books I've seen for establishing a compelling sense of place. The book is worth reading just to get the feel of post-civil war San Francisco. Second, all of the major and most of the minor characters are well drawn, if a bit romanticised. Finally, the mystery is engaging and, while implausible, certainly appropriate for the reading level.

So, this is one of those overlooked and undermarketed books that deserve a chance, and would certainly be a worthwhile addition to a middle reader library.