Reading Corner | Skip and Scooter continue their adventures

“The Half Doubloon” by Ron Wing is the fourth book in the Skip and Scooter Adventure series. In this episode, 12-year-olds Skip Olsen and Scooter McCray of Bay Hollow have a skiing mishap and, in the process, discover two skeletons and six coins on the ground near them. Scooter puts the coins in his pocket, saying he has a cousin who collects old coins.

When Scooter’s dad, Brad McCray, and a ski patrol find them, the boys tell about the skeletons but don’t mention the coins. The skeletons are believed to be from 1888, which means that 70 years have passed before their discovery. The story makes headlines and spreads throughout the area, making the boys celebrities.

What the boys didn’t reveal after the incident is that they saw a sign on a store saying it buys and sells coins. The proprietor realizes that one of the dirt-encrusted coins is valuable. His nervous reaction alerts the boys, who decide they’ll keep the coins and consult their friend Doc, the boy genius. Doc tells them the coin is a half-doubloon worth $3 million. Thus, the saga of the bad guys chasing after the good guys to get the booty begins.

The mystery of the “hows” and “whys” of the skeletons and the coins intrigues the boys, and Doc does the research and solves the mystery. Charles Babcock IV, his brother Robert Babcock, Mel Stover and his henchman, Jack, are in pursuit of this valuable coin and won’t stop until they get it, even if it involves murder.

The book is fast-paced, but two specific details are missing. Is Bay Hollow near Lake Tahoe? Wisconsin Dells? Montpelier? If it was identified in the three previous books, it should be repeated again. Another glitch is Doc. There is no indication he is a child-friend of Skip and Scooter. Without adults in the home, when Skip and Scooter come to see him and only Doc’s sister, Annie, is present, it is logical to believe these two new characters are adults. It wasn’t until one of the criminals mentions Doc being a “kid” that it is clear he and Annie are not adults.

Intrigue, conflict, mystery, suspense and chases in cars on bikes and on foot are all part of this adventure. The ending surprises and lets the reader believe that Book V is in the works. These qualities are sure to captivate preteen boys, including reluctant readers.

Jo Ann Mathews, For The Sun News

Author Monroe to sign books in Southport, N.C.

New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe, whose latest work is “The Summer’s End,” will have a book-signing at 11 a.m. May 23 in the Tasting Room at Silver Coast Winery, 105 S. Howe St., Southport, N.C. The event will cost $7.50, which includes a glass of wine, and is sponsored by Pelican Books.

This story was originally published May 9, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "Reading Corner | Skip and Scooter continue their adventures."