Carol Ottley-Mitchell

This third and thus far final entry in Carol Ottley-Mitchell's Caribbean Adventure Series, which chronicles the exploits of a group of Kittitian schoolchildren who undergo a variety of time-slip experiences, thereby witnessing and participating in some of the interesting moments in the region's history, sees Mark, Kyle and Ingrid - together with Mark's irrepressible vervet monkey, Chee Chee - once again embroiled in danger. Wandering off during a class field trip to the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad, home to countless avian species, including the endangered oilbird, Kyle sees a poacher at work and is taken captive, leaving Ingrid and Mark - aided by the ever-resourceful Chee Chee - to try to rescue him. Playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse in Dunston's Cave, the children once again find themselves in the past, where they encounter a young boy who bears a striking resemblance to the poacher...

Like its two predecessors, I found Trapped in Dunston's Cave a fairly engaging story, and enjoyed revisiting Ottley-Mitchell's appealing young characters. That said, the issue I had with the earlier two titles - namely, that the narratives simply weren't fleshed out enough to carry the plots, and that more detail was needed to really make the story successful - was likewise a problem here. I think the author is a capable writer, and that she has good ideas, but I was left wanting more: more background information about the Asa Wright Centre, more details about the children's adventures (the time travel happens in a few pages!), and more in-depth descriptions of the character's emotional state and/or thoughts. I also found that, because this third story did not involve any significant historical incident, as both Adventure At Brimstone Hill and Pirates At Port Royal did, that it was slightly less interesting than it could have been.

Leaving these criticisms aside, I am glad to have read this series, as children's fiction set in the Caribbean and written by Caribbean authors is still thin on the ground, and I think this author has real potential. I hope she goes on to write more in the field - perhaps something a little longer...… (altro)

That mischievous monkey Chee Chee leads Kittitian schoolboys Mark and Kyle, on holiday in Jamaica for two weeks in order to visit Kyle's grandmother, into another adventure in the past in this second installment of Carol Ottley-Mitchell's Caribbean Adventures Series. Stowing away in Mark's bag, just as he did in Adventure At Brimstone Hill, Chee Chee makes it to Port Royal with the friends, but runs off on his own while they are visiting the historical museum at Fort Charles. Pursuing him, the boys suddenly find themselves in 1669, and are soon caught up in an adventure with the pirate Henry Morgan, sailing with his fleet to confront the Spaniards on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo.

Pirates at Port Royal was an engaging story, with many of the same qualities that I enjoyed in Adventure At Brimstone Hill. The child characters are likeable, and their adventures involving, while the historical background - the series of disasters that overtook Port Royal, the conflict between England and Spain, in the late seventeenth century Caribbean - is fascinating. The artwork by Ann-Catherine Loo, done in what looks like pencil to me, is appealing. All that said, I continue to feel that these stories are a little too brief, given the scope of the adventures involved. Ottley-Mitchell is a capable writer, but I was left with the feeling that she needed to flesh out her narrative a bit. There needs to be more detail, and a little more showing, rather than telling, when it comes to working in some of that historical background. As is noted in the author's afterword, the voyage from Jamaica to Venezuela, which is covered in a few pages here, would have taken weeks, possibly even months in real life. While I appreciate that the realities are dealt with honestly, in the afterword, I couldn't help feeling (much as I did upon learning that the author changed the outcome of the battle being depicted in her first entry in this series), that this isn't the best way to deal with history, in children's fiction.

Despite these issues, I did enjoy this second entry in the Caribbean Adventure Series, and plan to proceed to the third, Trapped in Dunston's Cave. I would recommend this one to young readers who like time-slip tales, or who have read and enjoyed Adventure At Brimstone Hill, and to anyone looking for children's stories from Caribbean writers.… (altro)

Set on the island of Saint Kitts, Adventure at Brimstone Hill is the first entry in Carol Ottley-Mitchell's Caribbean Adventure Series, which follows a group of children through a number of time-slip experiences that allow them to witness first-hand some of the exciting moments in the history of the region. When Mark's class goes on a field trip to Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the best-preserved historical fortifications in the western hemisphere, the young boy tries to leave his pet vervet monkey Chee Chee at home. Unfortunately (or not), Chee Chee has other ideas in mind, and manages to tag along. While pursuing the mischievous monkey through the tunnels of the fortress, Mark and his classmate Ingrid find themselves transported back in time to the late eighteenth century, where they lend a hand during the Siege of Brimstone Hill, participating in a dangerous mission to warn British Admiral Hood of the French fleet lying in wait for him.

Chosen as our November selection over in The International Children's Book Club to which I belong, where we try to read a children's book from a different country each month, this brief chapter-book is an engaging read, with likeable child characters and an entertaining and educational story. As someone who knows very little about the history of St. Kitts, I appreciated all of the information about the island and its important fortress - not to mention its abundant vervet monkey population! - that the author worked into the story. That said, I couldn't help but wonder whether younger readers might occasionally feel that there was too much information, and not enough adventure. It also seemed to me that the historical figures whom the children encountered, from General Fraser to Admiral Hood, accepted their presence far more quickly than seemed at all probable. These were, after all, powerful colonial figures who would probably not have brooked any interference from two young children that they took to be slaves. Of course, Adventure at Brimstone Hill is a scant ninety-six pages long, so I imagine that the author had to move her tale along at a good clip, and I understand that she may not have wanted to delve too deeply into the issues of slavery and racism.

Despite some of these suspension-of-disbelief issues - and the fact that the author changed the historical outcome of the battle, in her story, something I really don't agree with, in historical fiction! - I did enjoy this first children's novel from Ms. Ottley-Mitchell, and look forward to reading subsequent entries in her series. As an American, it was particularly interesting to read about the Siege of Brimstone Hill, as it is considered a battle of the American Revolutionary War. Hopefully Pirates At Port Royal and Trapped in Dunston's Cave will be just as absorbing as this first volume!… (altro)

The Journey

Carol Ottley-Mitchell’s “Adventure at Brimstone Hill” is an exciting children's story that educates with true events from history!

This short story involves three characters - Mark, Ingrid, and Mark’s pet monkey Chee Chee –and their travel back in time during a field trip. The author has a vivid imagination and paints excellent pictures giving the reader an idea of the scenery throughout the story. There are no editing issues, but I do believe some of the words are a bit strong for young readers. Overall, the story was great. I would have liked for the inclusion of more details at some points during the story. I will definitely recommend this book to younger readers and will continue to look for more books from Carol in the future.

Reviewed by: Tekisha
3.5… (altro)