Nacky Patcher & the Curse of the Dry-Land Boats - Hardcover

Jeffrey Kluger lives in New York City.

For many generations, the poverty-stricken inhabitants of Yole have been under the thumb of the cruel Baloo family. When Nacky Patcher and his young friend Teedie discover the pieces of a sailing ship floating in the town lake, they rally the townspeople. Soon the luckless folk who have been oppressed by the Baloos are working toward a dream of rebuilding the ship and hauling it from their inland lake to the sea. By fulfilling the local legend of the "dry-land boats," they hope to restore their good fortune. The plot unfolds slowly, giving Kluger plenty of time to describe settings and colorful characters, and he takes full advantage of that. The inclusion of lengthy backstories and the deliberate pace of the telling may discourage readers at the book's beginning, but once the boatbuilding begins, the novel gains momentum. An attractive shaded pencil drawing appears at the beginning of each section, and a small drawing enhances each chapter heading. Phelan, Carolyn