The Missing Manatee

By Cynthia DeFelice

     Who would kill a manatee? Everyone loves those adorable puppy-like sea creatures described in Cynthia DeFelice's newest book, The Missing Manatee, as "so dopey-acting and so homely they're cute". The idea that someone would go out of their way to hunt one down seems utterly inconceivable. Yet when eleven-year-old Skeet Waters finds a dead manatee floating in some saw grass with a bullet hole in its head, he knows that something is amiss. And that something turns out to be pretty big, when he comes back with the police to find the body has been mysteriously removed. It's not like Skeet's life has been all that great recently either. His mom and dad just separated and it doesn't look like they're getting back together anytime soon. Skeet lives in a Florida fishing community and with a mystery on his hands, he has to suspect everyone from the tourists that come in droves, to the fishermen that act as his heroes.

     In the course of his investigation, Skeet learns that human beings can't be placed in "good" or "bad" categories, and sometimes doing the right thing can be the hardest decision you ever make. DeFelice, already established as one of the most accomplished children's writers today, has penned an exciting and thoroughly researched tale that should satisfy mystery and adventure fans alike. She's accomplished at engaging the reader in a tense fight to catch a capon on a fly as she is describing the turmoil children go through when their parents fight. It's no exaggeration to say that DeFelice's newest offering is a wonderful addition to the library of any kid yearning for a good yarn. A great mystery and an even greater tale.