Book Review: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman's: Book Scavenger: The Alcatraz Escape

 

Book Scavenger cover illustrated by Sarah Watts

 

Book Scavenger: The Alcatraz Escape, the third book in the Book Scavenger series by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is a page turning fictional mystery like the first two books in the series. Illustrations by Sarah Watts accompany the text. Twelve year olds Emily and James solve puzzles and explore Alcatraz Island and its historic, closed prison which are part of the National Parks. Illustrated by Sarah Watts, the novel was published in 2018 by Henry Holt and Company; today’s middle grade students would have been newborns and toddlers at the time and this will be new to them.

Ms. Bertman accurately evokes the cold, isolated, harsh conditions of Alcatraz. The main characters and many other characters have all solved puzzles in order to take a trip to Alcatraz Island where they will compete to solve another puzzle as part of a game series sponsored by publisher Garrison Griswold. While some characters own cell phones, Emily does not. Those characters who do own phones find them of limited use between low batteries, concrete and tunnels. Part of the fun is following Emily as she figures out how to communicate with James without using a cell phone. The novel has a satisfying ending and Emily and James learn who their friends are and are not. 

The novel can be read as a stand alone book but it is more fun to read it with the series.

Source: Purchased. Will be reread and then given to the grandchild.  At 262 pages long including an author’s note with historical explanations Book Scavenger, Escape from Alcatraz  is recommended for eleven years and older.

Links:

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Visit author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Visit illustrator here: Sarah Watts 

Visit book designer: April Ward  

Learn more about: Alcatraz Island

Previous book review: Book Scavenger: The Unbreakable Code

Previous Interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore 

Poems and Flash Fiction

  

Mount Blue Sky photo by ET Charles

 

FEATURED IN LIST: POEMS, FLASH FICTION and PRESENTATIONS

POEMS - Thank you Jonathan Humble, Editor of The Dirigible Balloon.

“Happy Fifth Anniversary DB,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2026.

 

Theme: Imagine the Future

“Abundance,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025.

“Meadows,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025.

“Ceres,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025.

 

“December Moon,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2025.

“Mountain Wave Sunrise,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2025.

 

“Elk Walk,” The Dirigible Balloon, March 2025.

“May,” The Dirigible Balloon, March 2025.

“Lemon Blossoms,” The Dirigible Balloon, March 2025.

 

“Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly,” The Dirigible Balloon, June 2025.

“Hello,” The Dirigible Balloon, June 2025.

“Bee and Iris,” The Dirigible Balloon, June 2025.

 

“Red Fox,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2024.

“Winter Day,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2024.

“December Lights,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2024.

“Osprey Chick,” The Dirigible Balloon, June 2024.

“Ruby Throated Hummingbird,” The Dirigible Balloon, June 2024.

 

FLASH FICTION - Thank you The Write-In Editors: Anita Goveas, Ingrid Jendrzejewski, Sara Hills, and Judi Walsh.

‘A Quarter of an Hour,’ The Write-In. 15 June 2026.

‘Blue Heron,’ The Write-In. 15 June 2026.

‘Detour,’ The Write-In. 15 June 2026.

 

PRESENTATIONS

‘How to Set up a Blogspot Blog on Google blogger,’ Boulder Connect, RMC SCBWI, March 2021. (Thanks to Laura Perdew, Connect Leader 2021).

‘Create Blogspot Blog,’ Nonfiction Connect, RMC SCBWI, June 2024. (Thanks to Gina Soldano, Connect Leader 2024).

‘Introductions,’ Novel Connect, RMC SCBWI, Fall 2024. (Thanks to Karen Deger McChesney, Connect Leader 2024).

 

Previous posts with poems and photos of Colorado

Poems, Imagine the Future, Winter 2026

Poems, Summer 2025

Poems, Winter 2025

 

Easy Peasy Key Lime Cheesecake Pie

 

Citrus thorns photo by ET Charles

Easy Peasy Key Lime Cheesecake Pie

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons Key lime juice, bottled

½ cup heavy whipping cream – liquid state, not whipped

1 - 14 ounce can, sweetened condensed milk

4 ounces cream cheese – generous 4 ounces

Optional 1 Tablespoon Key lime juice

10 inch store bought graham cracker crust

 

This recipe came about because of a shortage. A few days before Easter the grocery store did not have sweetened condensed milk so I substituted cream cheese, four or five ounces, into the Key Lime Pie recipe. It turned out to be tasty so when the weather was warmer and the grocery store shelves stocked, I experimented and added both cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk to the Key Lime Pie. The result is tart, firm, tasty, and makes a bit more pie.

Directions: Whisk or beat together the condensed milk, cream, Key lime juice and then add the cream cheese and whip some more. The cream cheese will leave small lumps, quarter to half inch in diameter. Pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Remove promptly and cool on a wooden cutting board for 15 minutes. Then, place pie in the freezer for a minimum of two hours. The pie may then be served; moved to the refrigerator or remain in the freezer.

Place pie on a wooden cutting board before slicing. Depending on room temperature, the pie may need to warm for 15 minutes before slicing. We return the leftover pie to the freezer.

Yields six slices.

Notes: Key Lime Pie variation 1

Date: 8 July 2026

Link: Key Lime Pie, Easy

Above is a previous version of Key Lime Pie.

Review: Fleur Bradley's Get a Clue: How to Plot, Write, and Sell Your MG or YA Mystery

 

Get a Clue cover by Damonza

 

Award winning author Fleur Bradley’s latest book, Get a Clue: How to Plot, Write, and Sell Your MG or YA Mystery is a succinct exploration of the process of writing a mystery from beginning to end. With an eponymous publisher and a green high top sneaker on the cover designed by Damonza, Ms. Bradley describes plotting based on sequences such as those in films of 100 years ago. She explains character development, plot progression, clues and finding time to write as well as pitches, jacket flap copy and writing organizations such as The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

The written explanations of pitches and back covers are excellent. It would be nice to see an illustration or photo of the back cover of a mystery with the pitch and explanation pointed out. (I have no idea what the legal and/or financial requirements would be.)

This book will appeal to those who would like structure and/or guidance on their writing journey and it would be a helpful resource for those teaching writing workshops to middle grade and high school students.

Source: Purchased by self. Published in 2026, the book is a slim 126 pages which includes Resources.

Internal and External links:

Visit author: Fleur Bradley  

Learn more about: The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

Previous interviews with Fleur Bradley: Daybreak on Raven Island  and 

    Midnight at the Barclay Hotel 

Visit James Ponti's Writing Workshop Videos:  James Ponti Resources scroll all the way down to access the videos.

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

 

Wendelin Van Draanen's: Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary

 

Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary cover art by Craig Phillips

Wendelin Van Draanen’s Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Mustache Mary, a middle grade mystery first published in 2000 by Penguin Random House Children’s Books, combines bicycles, pigs and gold into an adventurous romp while solving a crime. Craig Phillips illustrated the 2017 paperback cover. This is the fifth book in the Sammy Keyes series and was nominated for an Edgar Award. Sammy and her friends ride their bicycles about farms and to a nearby development on December 31, New Year’s Eve. They encounter mysteries, vendettas and unique characters in both settings. While over 25 years old, Ms. Van Draanen’s story is fun, relevant and the absence of portable electronic devices may be explained by the lack of cell phone coverage in a rural area. Perhaps the most salient point is the arch criminal’s insidious behavior and lies and the ripple effects of those actions. At the end Sammy reflects on friendships, choices and future paths.

Source: Purchased, 2017 paperback version with 272 pages. The novel is appropriate for fifth grade and older. 

Thanks as always to Greg Pattridge host of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. 

Links:

Visit Wendelin Van Draanen   

Visit cover artist: Craig Phillips  

Previous review of Wendelin Van Draanen's: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

 

Graham Cracker Cookies

 

Citrus Root Stock, Leaves photo by ET Charles 

We used to bake more cakes and have left over frosting with which we made graham cracker cookies. These cookies make a pleasant mid-morning snack with coffee. Following are two versions of graham cracker cookies.

Graham Cracker Cookies

Key Lime Frosting

4 graham crackers, split in half

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon key lime juice, bottled

¼ cup powdered sugar

Directions: In a small sauce pan melt the butter and lime juice together. Barely bring to a boil. Sift in powdered sugar. Frost the eight graham cracker halves.

Yields: Makes 8 open faced graham cracker cookies.

Notes: I use unsalted butter. This makes bright, citrus cookies. 

Or with

Chocolate Frosting

8 graham crackers, split in half

½ ounce, 1 square, of 60% cacao chocolate

3 Tablespoons cream

½ cup powdered sugar

Directions: Melt chocolate and cream together. Stir. Sift in powdered sugar, stirring well after each ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Stir some more until a smooth mixture is formed. Frost the 16 graham cracker halves.

Yields: Makes 16 open faced graham cracker cookies.

Notes: This is a sweeter graham cracker cookie than the key lime frosting graham cracker cookie. One could reduce the amount of cream and then reduce the powdered sugar and the result would be fewer, less sweet cookies, and more chocolate flavor.

Link

For a brown sugar based frosting, try: Icing for Banana Cake

Book Review Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Book Scavengers: The Unbreakable Code

Illustrated by Sarah Watts

 

Book Scavenger: The Unbreakable Code, a New York Times best seller by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman nods to Mark Twain while he lived in San Francisco. The second book in the Book Scavenger series, Ms. Bertman’s mystery includes ciphers, games, rivalry and arson. Illustrations by Sarah Watts complement the novel which was published in 2017 by Henry Holt and Company; today’s middle grade students would have been newborns and toddlers at the time and this page turning novel will be new to them. Twelve year olds, Emily and James, eat delicious food, attend junior high and solve puzzles, unaware that an arsonist is dangerously close.

Ms. Bertman vividly describes main and secondary characters as well as the city of San Francisco. Humor delightfully breaks the tension.

Interview – An extensive interview with the author is included in the back matter of the book.

Source: Purchased. Will be reread and then given as a present. At 384 pages long including an author’s note with historical explanations and the aforementioned interview, Book Scavenger is recommended for nine years and older.

 

Links:

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Previous interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Visit author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 

Visit illustrator here:  Sarah Watts 

Visit book designer: April Ward  

Learn more about: Transamerica Redwood Park and here.

Learn more about Mark Twain: San Francisco Digital Archive  

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore 

Book Review Emily Ecton's The Great Pet Heist

  

Illustrated by David Mottram

Emily Ecton’s The Great Pet Heist published in 2020 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, is a hilarious romp through an apartment complex from the viewpoint of the pets. Animal tracks decorate the chapters. Dave Mottram rendered the humorous pet illustrations digitally. Ms. Ecton touches on homelessness, empathy and problem solving. Butterbean, a dog, Walt the cat and a host of pet friends engage in witty conversations and antics while attempting to preserve their living situation. Mostly, this is a funny book about pets and I laughed on almost every page. The Great Pet Heist is the first book in a series of five.

Source: I purchased this book and it will be given as a present. It is designated for ages 8 - 12 years and grades 3 – 7 with 272 pages. 

 

Many thanks to Greg Pattridge for hosting: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Links:

Visit author: Emily Ecton 

Visit illustrator: Dave Mottram

     Examples of character design: Dave Mottram Character Design

 Interior Book Design: Tom Daly

 Visit your local book store: Second Star to the Right

Imagine the Future, Poems

 

Blue Sky and Colorado Snow photo by ET Charles

 

 Happy New Year 

 Delighted to have my poems fly on The Dirigible Balloon which is edited by the brilliant Jonathan Humble.

 On the theme of Imagine the Future

 “Abundance,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025. 

 “Meadows,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025. 

 “Ceres,” The Dirigible Balloon, August 2025. 

 

 

  “December Moon,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2025. 

  “Mountain Wave Sunrise,” The Dirigible Balloon, December 2025. 

 

  Note: Photo was taken in the winter of 2016. It is far too dry this winter.

  More poems and photographs of Colorado

 

  Poems, Summer 2025 

 

  Poems, Winter 2024 

 

Interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Book Scavenger

Illustrations by Sarah Watts

 

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman nods to Edgar Allan Poe and his short story The Gold-Bug. Ms. Bertman’s mystery includes ciphers, a game, school rivalry and a crime which begins with the shooting of an eccentric publisher in San Francisco. Illustrated by Sarah Watts complement the novel which was published in 2015 by Henry Holt and Company; today’s middle grade students would have been newborns and toddlers at the time and this engaging book will be new to them. Twelve year olds, Emily and James form a friendship and solve ciphers and puzzles while unaware that the publisher’s assailants are hunting them.

This is a lively mystery with vivid descriptions of San Francisco and memorable, humorous depictions of main and secondary characters.

At 343 pages long plus an author’s note with historical explanations, Book Scavenger is recommended for nine years and older.

One Question Interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

ETC: Welcome Jennifer. What advice would you give to those in K - 12 school who would like to write?

JCB: My advice to young writers is to make it fun! Write as a form of play. Write to entertain yourself. Write yourself a story you want to read. If you're not sure where to start, try different writing prompts as a jumping off point. (You'll find many prompts in my Substack newsletter: https://jenniferchamblissbertman.substack.com/.) And remember, all writing counts. There are many different ways to tell a story. When I was young, I wrote plays for my Cabbage Patch Kids and skits with my friends. Once we even wrote a script for a murder mystery party!  You can tell stories in the form of comics or poetry or make a zine or create art to go along with your words--follow where your imagination leads you. And have fun!

ETC: What a nice suggestion, “Make it fun.” Thank you for visiting, Jennifer.

Links:

Visit author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Visit illustrator: Sarah Watts 

Book design by: April Ward  

Visit Greg Pattridge host of:  Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Learn more about Edgar Allan Poe:

 Edgar Allan Poe Library Sullivan's Island, setting for The Gold-bug.

Richmond, Virginia Museum: Poe Museum 

Baltimore, Maryland Museum: Poe in Baltimore

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

Interview with Megan E. Freeman: Away

Cover art by Pascal Campion. Location Tattered Cover, Aspen Grove.

 

 

 

 

With Away the companion novel to Alone, Megan E. Freeman has written another New York Times bestselling novel. Away published by Aladdin an imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2025, caries one to a dystopian future with engaging, captivating characters.  

Pascal Campion’s cover art invites the reader into the novel in verse. Away is told from four points of view in a varied format which includes: newspaper articles, letters, and screenplays. Ms. Freeman demonstrates prescience with her depiction of evacuation scenes and camps. The main characters solve the puzzle and the novel concludes with hope and a satisfying ending.  

Clay Hobson rendered the interior illustrations and Heather Palisi designed the book jacket. The novel is 480 pages and was purchased and will be given to a grandchild.

 

One Question Interview with Megan E. Freeman

ETC: Welcome Megan. I loved the Pax character, vomit and all. What was your inspiration for her?

MEF: I knew when I was writing AWAY that I wanted to have multiple points of view and that the main characters would span a variety of ages and be from different parts of Colorado. But I also liked the idea that at least one of them would have a sibling. Making Pax quite a bit younger than Harmony opened the door for some levity, as well as created a proxy character who could ask questions and be curious about things the reader might also wonder about. Pax also introduced some occasional conflict, either directly with her sister or when the friends had to censor their conversations in front of her. Her maturation throughout the story also helped illustrate the passage of time.

ETC: Thank you for visiting, Megan.

Links:

Visit author: Megan E. Freeman

Visit cover illustrator here: Pascal Campion

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Previous interview with: Megan E. Freeman: Alone 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

 

Interview with Stan Yan: The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang

 

Art by Stan Yan

 

Stan Yan’s middle grade, graphic novel, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, with its flame red and embossed black cover, leaps out and catches the eye and was published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers an imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2025. The text and plot carry the reader through the travails of Eugenia, not least of which is the dreaded rope climb in physical education. Eugenia encounters parental pressure regarding grades and academic studies, an annoying younger brother and a dear friend who is accident prone. Humor stalks the pages. This book will engage reluctant and advanced readers with its action, hilarity and resolution.

Mr. Yan wrote, digitally illustrated and created a new font, Eugenia Wang for his novel. Greg Stadnyk designed the book. This novel was purchased by me and will be given to the grandson.

One Question Interview with Stan Yan

ETC: Welcome Stan. What advice would you give those in grades K-12 who would like to become writers, or illustrators or cartoonists?

SY: My advice would be to lean into your passions. The only guarantee in our pursuit is you will spend a lot of time doing it. There is no guarantee you will make money at it. Sometimes the only payment we get is in the enjoyment or satisfaction of the process. If you'd be willing to do something even if you're not getting paid, it's probably a passion. And regularly finding time for our passions is important.

ETC: Thank you, Stan for the realistic answer.

Links:

Visit author, illustrator and font designer: Stan Yan

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore