Sea Legs - Hardcover

Alex Shearer is a television scriptwriter as well as the author of a number of books for children and teens. Before he was a published author, Mr. Shearer had more than thirty odd jobs, including working as a worm picker and a computer programmer. He lives with his wife and two children in Bristol, England.

Grade 4-6–This present-day high-seas adventure features English twins Eric and Clive, who pick at, quip, and wisecrack with one another as they stow away on the cruise ship where their father is Senior Steward. In this laugh-out-loud story, the boys work their way through each problem confronting stowaways. They merge with a family group in order to embark. They find a sleeping room in "rat class," graze from buffets, lounge by the pool, nearly get stranded at a port of call in Egypt, and manage to stay away from first class, where their father works. Part of their cover-up involves befriending an elderly woman whom cruise mates believe is their grandmother. They out-swank the rich Swanker family by making them believe that the captain is their father and does not want anyone to know that his children are aboard. What one doesn't think of, the other does. Just when the two are discovered, robbers take over the ship, and father and sons spring into action. Eric tells the story in a voice that engages readers and is reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux (Candlewick, 2003) and Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books (HarperCollins). Eric and Clive are double trouble and double fun.–Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH