"Wolf's latest weaves a dazzling tale. . . .Considering the vividly depicted events, the strong cast, and the young protagonist's personal triumphs, there's wow-worthy content aplenty here." --Booklist (starred review)
Part mystery, part fantasy-adventure, part riveting real-life disaster, this deft tale-within-a-tale blends the history of the 1980 Lake Peigneur drilling accident with a fateful quest for pirate treasure. When thirteen-year-old Junius Leak--expert on waterbodies and creator of the encyclopedic Amazing Waterbodies of the World--steps foot on Uncle Spot's rickety dock on Lake Peigneur, the truth assails him: he may love waterbodies, but that doesn't mean they love him back. The latest in a long line of Junius Leaks, he's the first to be doomed to ten days of awkwardness and boredom on a houseboat with a relative he doesn't know while his parents "work on" their marriage. Delcambre, Louisiana, where Junius was born, is awash with unwelcome surprises. He determines to learn why his mom left town when he was a baby--and to conquer his fear of water at the same time. But the lake has other plans for him, plans tied to a hundred-year-old family feud and a swashbuckling mystery. When disaster strikes, Junius must dive deep within to emerge an unlikely hero. Alternating viewpoints spin the perceptions of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)--and the wry voice of a lake with a long memory--into an inventive tale of sunken treasure and buried secrets anchored by a dramatic true event.
About the Author :
Allan Wolf is the author of several picture books, poetry books, and young adult novels, including The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party, The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic, Who Killed Christopher Goodman?, and Zane's Trace. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia with his wife and three children.
Review :
Wolf's latest weaves a dazzling tale. . . .Considering the vividly depicted events, the strong cast, and the young protagonist's personal triumphs, there's wow-worthy content aplenty here.
--Booklist (starred review) Wolf (The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep) blends swashbuckling mystery with ecological disaster in an epic novel. . . . Weighty topics such as grief and mental health are empathetically tackled by Wolf, who deploys captivating prose to spin a clever and engrossing adventure.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
This expansive, multilayered tale combines a pirate treasure mystery, environmental science and activism, Cajun cultural influences, and deep acceptance of and compassion for neurodivergence. An immersive and grounded story of becoming and self-discovery.
--Kirkus Reviews
The subtle representation of neurodivergence and invisible health conditions is well woven into quite a few characters and will provide a mirror to many. This swashbuckling story across time will pull readers in like a vortex.
--School Library Journal
Bold action, solid characterization, and an adept handling of subjects ranging from neurodivergence and environmental science to the slave trade and the origins of Cajun culture along the Gulf of Mexico make this an example of dramatic storytelling with substance.
--The Horn Book
Like its doomed lake, Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom spins you around, pulls you in, and lifts you up again, revealing buried treasure along the way.
--Alan Gratz, New York Times best-selling author of Refugee and Heroes
In a swashbuckling swirl of fact, fantasy, pirates, treasure, and science, Allan Wolf introduces us to Junius Leak, an almost teen who assures us that nobility and courage lurk in the most timid heart.
--Ann E. Burg, acclaimed author of All the Broken Pieces and Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown
