Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wacky tale of middle schooler, '30s gangsters, murdered dog.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Back in the day, the island of Centerlight/Centrelight (depending on whether you're on the U.S. or Canadian side), was NOTORIOUS for Prohibition-era gangs, luckless people getting killed when those gangsters were in town, and lawmen like Eliot Ness trying to put an end to their bad deeds. Nowadays, the only people who really care about that stuff are the tourists who flock to the island for the Al Capone tours -- and also 12-year-old Zarabeth Tice, the only middle-schooler who lives on the Canadian side of town in a house once occupied by Tommy-Gun Ferguson, who may or may not have left a hidden treasure. But ZeeBee, as she's known, is on a quest to avenge the untimely death of her late dog Barney (hated by all in the town for his wild ways). And, before the poor lad quite knows what hit him, she's roped Keenan -- a visiting American kid who's convalescing on the island -- into assorted schemes, usually with unsettling results.
Is It Any Good?
Gordon Korman mixes international relations, middle school misadventures, legendary Prohibition-era gangsters, and a possible case of dog murder in this wild tale set on an island shared by the U.S. and Canada. As 12-year-old American expat Keenan finds his quiet convalescence dramatically interrupted by young Canadian ZeeBee Tice, her new and unappreciated cocker spaniel, and her dual obsessions with Notorious gangland legends and the recent death of her beloved dog, he's forced to reevaluate his first impression that life on the island is boring. With lots of appealing characters (human and otherwise), skilled storytelling, and loony goings-on, there's lots to love in this fast-moving, funny story of friendship, family, and inclusion.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like Notorious that involve international borders -- and how they affect people's lives. What would it be like to go back and forth between two countries about 10 times a day doing your regular errands, like Keenan does? Is it always that way for people crossing national borders?
Have you ever visited a lighthouse? How did you like it? Did anything about it surprise you?
Keenan's used to going to international schools, where his classmates come from a lot of different countries and speak a lot of different languages. Do you think you'd like being in a school like that? Especially if it was on the other side of the world?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Animals , Friendship , History , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzar+Bray
- Publication date : January 7, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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