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Tom and Liz Austen #9
Spirit in the Rainforest
The rainforest of British Columbia holds many secrets, but none stranger than those of Nearby Island. After hair-raising events during a Pacific storm, Tom and Liz Austen seek answers among the island's looming trees. Alarmed by the ghostly shape of the hermit Mosquito Joe, they look for shelter in a deserted school in the rainforest. Then in the night, Tom and Liz hear a girl's voice crying, "Beware Beware "
142 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Eric Wilson
37 books59 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
Eric Wilson is a Canadian children's author and now living in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 11, 2019
This is the first novel I read. I remember it was a gift from my classmate during the Christmas party. I was sixth grade then. I can still remember the story. It is about a brother and a sister lost in a rainforest. There are mysteries around, similar to that movie The Blairwitch Project. I am not sure if the story ends in a cliffhanger or something predictable. I need a re-read but frustratingly, I can't now search the book in my shelf.
June 30, 2013
I admire Eric Wilson’s body of work. The patriotism in visiting and researching all our provinces gives me pride in the spectrum of his adventures. He was a school teacher who wanted to give kids exciting material, the way the 1930s introduced ‘Nancy Drew’ by Mildred A Wirt. I far prefer Liz Austen to her brother. One can’t tell from the synopsis of “Spirit In The Rainforest” that she only appears near the end.
A form of false advertising that occurs with innumerable authors, is touting ethereal components to attract a reader. But they compose no such thing within. Eric sir, please consider that choosers of titles bearing “spirit” or “ghost of”, are indeed seeking paranormal content! In fiction, you can most certainly fabricate this realm of excitement and can raise stories beyond “reasonable explanations” in their endings. Even the physical, much-pondered personage ‘Mosquito Joe’ had no meeting with this cast of characters. I’ll also admit, here is a writer keen on the “have got” verb use that happens to make me cringe. Perhaps there is a grammatical defence of this widespread habit. But “got” should solely be past tense of “get”. “We HAVE an idea” should suffice. It is a personal distaste that gets under my skin.
I recommend that authors watch for repetition. Eric engages our senses, pleasant testimony that he’s stood upon this soil. After several novels one notes that he frequently uses “pound”, “into the night”, and objects always “gleam in the sun”. Writers might share other adjectives for an ocean surf, or a whale’s sleek form. I give no fewer than 3 stars because the ecological education here is fantastic. He isn’t preaching condescendingly. He manages to show by example, why forests and oceans come before dollars. We learn that children too, can protect them.
A form of false advertising that occurs with innumerable authors, is touting ethereal components to attract a reader. But they compose no such thing within. Eric sir, please consider that choosers of titles bearing “spirit” or “ghost of”, are indeed seeking paranormal content! In fiction, you can most certainly fabricate this realm of excitement and can raise stories beyond “reasonable explanations” in their endings. Even the physical, much-pondered personage ‘Mosquito Joe’ had no meeting with this cast of characters. I’ll also admit, here is a writer keen on the “have got” verb use that happens to make me cringe. Perhaps there is a grammatical defence of this widespread habit. But “got” should solely be past tense of “get”. “We HAVE an idea” should suffice. It is a personal distaste that gets under my skin.
I recommend that authors watch for repetition. Eric engages our senses, pleasant testimony that he’s stood upon this soil. After several novels one notes that he frequently uses “pound”, “into the night”, and objects always “gleam in the sun”. Writers might share other adjectives for an ocean surf, or a whale’s sleek form. I give no fewer than 3 stars because the ecological education here is fantastic. He isn’t preaching condescendingly. He manages to show by example, why forests and oceans come before dollars. We learn that children too, can protect them.
February 12, 2024
2 stars - 1 star for still being under copyright = 1 star
Pretty typical Canadian 1980s young adult/childrens pulp fiction, complete with Zodiacs. It is a small, somewhat self contained world (in terms of the world Tom is exploring), but there is some decent world building around BC as he explores it. Which is, I think the point: to try to give the young reader a realistic look into BC, along with some of the political issues of its day. Questionable but perhaps just boy-crazy girls. Gurer jrer fbzr dhrfgvbanoyr qrpvfvbaf gung pbhyq unir tbar gur jebat jnl ol gur punenpgref, ohg gura ntnva, pna'g snhyg lbhat crbcyr sbe qbvat qnatrebhf guvatf bhg bs cnffvba naq ybir gbb uneq.
Pretty typical Canadian 1980s young adult/childrens pulp fiction, complete with Zodiacs. It is a small, somewhat self contained world (in terms of the world Tom is exploring), but there is some decent world building around BC as he explores it. Which is, I think the point: to try to give the young reader a realistic look into BC, along with some of the political issues of its day. Questionable but perhaps just boy-crazy girls. Gurer jrer fbzr dhrfgvbanoyr qrpvfvbaf gung pbhyq unir tbar gur jebat jnl ol gur punenpgref, ohg gura ntnva, pna'g snhyg lbhat crbcyr sbe qbvat qnatrebhf guvatf bhg bs cnffvba naq ybir gbb uneq.
September 23, 2020
A little "Scooby-Do-ish" in places, but I thought it was a solid book. Really nice sense of coastal Vancouver Island life. It definitely entertained me.
November 25, 2024
read this in grade 5 with my class so wanted to read it again for the nostalgia. ended up enjoying it, and twas fun to see all the local references. I am Mosquito Joe in another life
September 25, 2010
It was pretty well written.
June 1, 2013
It's about a boy who is visiting Vancouver BC and there's an abandoned school where there's said to be a ghost and he wants to find out more about it. It's a fast paced book and it was really good.
March 24, 2009
This Book contains a lot of actions and excitement!!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews