The mad, mad, mad, mad treasure hunt

For a vacation, the Moody family visits North Carolina's Okracoke Island, where Judy and Stink take part in the Pirate Island Treasure Hunt. They work together, visiting sites on the island and figuring out five clues phrased as rhyming riddles. Rivalry with another set of siblings provides mild tension, but characterization is perfunctory and the episodic story line is unexciting. Still, the pirate theme has definite appeal, and readers who enjoy wordplay and verbal sparring will find something to like here. Like the previous volume in the Judy Moody & Stink sub-series, Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday (2007), this book features many colorful illustrations.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

Gr 1-3-It's a pirate-themed holiday for Judy and younger brother Stink as the Moody family makes their way to historic Ocracoke Island, home of Blackbeard. Stepping off the ferry, the siblings enthusiastically tackle a scavenger hunt organized by "Scurvy Sam," aka Cap'n Weevil. Solving each riddle leads to "pieces of eight" given by locals playing along with the contest. As Judy and Stink race around the island, two other kids seem to be hot on their heels. With a bit of ingenuity and perseverance, the Moodys manage to outwit their competition. Their joy in victory is tempered by the realization that the other kids who have been trying hard have inadvertently led them to the answers on a number of their clues. They decide to include them on their prize trip-a sail around the bay on a real pirate ship. With a mix of pirate slang, silly jokes, Morse code, and tantalizing puzzles, enlivened with full-color cartoons throughout, this book is a humorous summer read.-Madigan McGillicuddy, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.