Leviathan

by Dalen Keys

Acts of valor endure across the centuries . . . waiting, as secrets in a grave from long ago.From his adventures in The Sacred Mountain (Deep River Books 2011) fourteen-year-old skateboarder Will Evans learned to love history. Now, while visiting a civil war museum in the South, Will and his friends become fascinated by an old sword on display bearing the emblem of a sea monster. When they stumble upon the same strange emblem again—this time, on a tombstone near the ruins of a plantation home—the friends are swept up on an exciting journey of discovery.As clues to the mystery of Leviathan unfold, they meet Juanita, a wise African American woman, and her son Michael, and relive the dangerous quest of those who risked their lives to help slaves escape many years ago. But what does Leviathan have to do with slavery, racism, and segregation? And what does any of it have to do with a young skateboarder from Philadelphia?Unexpected twists lead to surprising discoveries, as Will and his friends learn from the past what it means to stand strong and courageous today.

191 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2013

Reviews

[Tina Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leviathan. I'll be honest I really didn't know what to expect when I received this book. The write up I received from the publisher & the back of the book sounded great and very interesting since it was about history and the lives of people who made an effort to make a difference in the lives of others but when I saw the cover I was like ho hum and then I began to read...

The writing and the dialogue weren't what caught my attention but the Civil War background and the story of the people who helped save escaping slaves is wonderful. It's a great way to introduce young people to that sad period of American History and a perfect opportunity for parents to open discussion for how we can help others who need help in so many ways. There are sections of the book that take the reader to a battle field and the story overlaps with actual battles that are about to take place and show the emotions and feelings of a 15 year old bugler during the war and some of the other soldiers, there is the story of a woman and her "staff" (yes, she refused to call them slaves or servants even) and how she set into motion a group of men who committed their lives to keeping secret how she helped slaves escape.

This is a very interesting story and I would love to read The Sacred Mountain which is the first book in this series. Very very interesting. I would say this book is for kids that have strong reading skills and the ability to stick to what they are reading. I found the dialogue a little hard to read personally but I think kids would definitely connect with this story if they enjoy history and "true story" type books about heroes.

[Danny Creasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series from Dalen Keys. I happened to read it first because it is set in my home town, Florence, Alabama. The author's intended target reader is probably aged from ten to fifteen. My age is several times those figures. However, I enjoyed this gentle mystery. I identified with the young characters (detectives) and got caught up in their adventures. My children are in their late twenties, but I will gladly save this book for my little granddaughter. She will be ready for it in a few years. Actually, I plan to accumulate the entire series for her. I am going to read the author's first book in the series very soon.