Connie Lee Berry

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Max and Sam learn that Mr. Stone is being sent to the exotic island of Tahiti for work, and they accompany him in this new INCREDIBLE JOURNEY adventure. It's a last-minute dash to get ready and to the airport in time for their flight. Everything seems to delay them, but they finally board the plane.

They are ushered to a small, rickety hut; no fancy hotel like they had in the Caymans. However, the hut does have a beach and the ocean in the backyard. Though Mom is less than excited about the prospect, camping in paradise might be fun...

When the boys find a jar buried beneath the floor of the hut containing what appears to be an old treasure map, dated 1904, the adventure begins. Mr. Stone agrees to take the boys to a nearby island by canoe, where they come across signs that warn them off the island. The signs seem to be very old. Then Max and Sam remember rumors that the bounty from a bank robbery many years ago was hidden on an island.

Could the treasure map lead them to this cache of stolen money? Their interest piqued, the boys decide to explore the island and they find more trouble than they bargained for. They aren't the only ones looking for the loot, and the guy that confronts them on the island is out to make sure that they don't tell anyone about him.

Connie Lee Berry continues the exciting series with compelling characters, fast action, and lots of laughs. The illustrations add visual impact to the story, and Berry includes historical items and interesting facts about the location, cool science projects, and a poem in the back of the book.

Watch for upcoming INCREDIBLE JOURNEY books, ADVENTURE IN AFRICA and PIRATES IN PARADISE, available in October 2007.… (mehr)

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Sam and Max Stone just can't wait for spring break. Mr. Stone has a job to do in the Cayman Islands, and they will be going there, too. What a great way to spend spring break! Odd things start happening to Max and Sam after they find out they are going to the Cayman Islands. Two mysterious boxes arrive on their doorstep. One contains an ancient leather bound journal, and the other an old, frail map. A notation on the map indicated that it was made over 40 years ago, but across the top was printed "Max and Sam's Incredible Journey Map." Mom doesn't know where the boxes came from, either.

Unusual, funny events seem to plague the two boys, but their plane finally arrives at their Caribbean destination. Then they overhear a telephone conversation and discover that a guy on the beach may be one that was shown on national television on the America's Most Wanted program. After they spot a tell-tale parrot tattoo on his stomach as he relaxes in a beach chair the kids are certain that it is the wanted man.

The adventurous boys plot to help catch this frightening character, and the action escalates and the kids find themselves in great danger. Then they discover a shocking secret about their father and his reason for coming to the Caymans.

Max and Sam are engaging characters that manage to get themselves tangled in peril and excitement in this fast-paced adventure that takes place in an exotic setting. Connie Lee Berry has crafted a hard-to-put-down, lively, funny story, filled with mysteries and secrets. The illustrations add visual interest, and the back pages of the book have interesting facts about the Cayman Islands, tell you how you can join the Incredible Journey Club, and submit your own science projects and fun poems to be included in future INCREDIBLE JOURNEY books. What fun!… (mehr)

Treasure in Tahiti by Connie Lee Berry is the second book of the Incredible Journey series IJBooks.com. In the first book, we met the Stone family and the Incredible Journey map. A ‘W’ had mysteriously appeared on the map beside the Cayman Islands, where book one’s adventure was.

This adventure takes place in the summer when Mr. Stone has to go to Tahiti for a week long business trip and decides to take the family along. The plan is a family vacation for the first week, and then Mr. Stone will stay for his business week.

Since this was a last minute decision, all had to pack up and leave the next morning. After a long flight to Tahiti and a scary taxi cab ride up a winding mountainous road, the family discovers their vacation cabin has only 3 walls, along with a fire pit, jugs of water and soda, a box of can goods, four cots, and a big mosquito net. The view of the ocean, the private beach, the lush, green forest, and gorgeous sunsets makes up for the hardship.

As in the first book, there is a fact sheet on the Tahiti Islands. Also the science page is how sand filters water and how to make your own sand water filter. Something I didn’t know.

The island adventure starts with ocean fishing, and after catching a small shark we see the Stone family males are not outdoorsmen. Next, Max finds a sealed jar under a floorboard and it contains a map, a treasure map. The treasure is on a small island near by, protected by warnings and a hermit. After solving the puzzling landmarks, the boys found the treasure, which were bonds and gold coins from a bank robbery in 1904. Their reward was a write up in the local newspaper and the vacation hut and land.

This is a good read for the grade school group. There is plenty of fun and adventure with a bit of mystery and pictures and illustrations highlighting the ten chapters. The mysterious map now has an ‘I’ that appeared beside Tahiti. What does this mean? We’ll have to read to whole series to find out.
… (mehr)

THE CRIMINALS IN THE CAYMANS by Connie Lee Berry is the first book of the Incredible Journey series. In this book for ages 7 to 9, we meet the Stone family, Sam, a second grader, Max, a third grader, Sydney their 2 year old sister and their parents. Mr. Stone is a lawyer for a large banking corporation, and their mother is a stay-at-home Mom.

Connie Berry got the idea for writing the Incredible Journey series from her eight year old who was complaining about writing a paragraph. She told him writing can be fun and to prove it, she was going to write a book for him and his brother to read. She believes reading and learning should be fun.

The book starts out right before spring break when the boys find out they are going to the Caymans. Mr. Stone has a business trip there and decides to take the family. Before they leave, two mysterious packages arrive on the doorstep addressed to Maxwell and Samuel. One had an old, frail map of the world with a title of Max and Sam’s Incredible Journey Map. In the lower right hand corner it was dated Oct. 11, 1964, over 40 years ago, and at the bottom was written, “May good fortune be with you.”

The other package contained a newspaper from 1955 and an old leather journal. Inside were several old, crackly, yellowed papers. The first one had ‘Notes taken wisely can be of great use to you’ written on it. This was used by Sam in the adventure.

An overheard conversation by Sam on the beach leads him to discover an outlaw fugitive on America’s Most Wanted staying in the same hotel. On the way to helping capture the fugitive, Max and Sam discovers their father is a FBI agent.

Berry has done a good job included facts about the Cayman Islands and a neat science page. This one was about dissecting owl pellets. Really great for grade school boys!

This is a good read for the grade school group. There is plenty of fun and adventure with a bit of mystery and pictures and illustrations highlighting the eleven chapters. The facts are suitable for grade schoolers like, turtle farming is big, and it’s part of the U.K. so it is ruled by Queen Elizabeth II. I recommend this book.

Review by Steve (hubby)… (mehr)