Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

Emily's Comments: I am guilty of judging a book by its cover, and I can honestly say that if I hadn’t assigned Black Duck as a choice for the Teen Book Club, I probably would have never picked it up to read. I could not put this book down; every time I did put it down, I’d start worrying about the characters and had to see what was going to happen.

David Peterson wants to be a journalist, so, in an attempt to find a juicy story, he starts to interview Ruben Hart, a local who lived during the Prohibition era when rumrunners were making thousands of dollars selling bootleg liquor on the east coast. Ruben Hart had never discussed his story with anyone until David Peterson. The story begins when Ruben and his best friend Jeddy find a dead body on the beach one afternoon. Soon the boys are swept up in the adventure, and dangers, of the time brushing elbows with the New York mafia, a corrupt police department, and the captain of the notorious Black Duck, the most elusive smuggling craft transporting liquor on the east coast.

Black Duck is a mystery, a thriller, and a history lesson all wrapped up into a thoroughly enjoyable book. It is a Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee this year, and is a quick read for both teens and adults. I can’t recommend it enough! Status at GPL