By Jessica Scott Kerrin
Kids Can Press, $15.95, 125 pages
Lower the Trap: The Lobster Chronicles 1, by Jessica Scott Kerrin, is the first book in a series featuring three boys and a lobster that changes their lives. Readers meet Graeme, a budding biologist, and the first to meet the gigantic lobster after his dad snares the gargantuan animal in his fishing net. Graeme’s dad promises him a trip to the nearest marine research station if he wins the highest bid for the lobster at the town’s annual lobster festival. Graeme must deal with the local bully and his own feelings about whether or not he should set the lobster free before the auction. Although the ending is rushed, this is a fairly decent book. There is an interesting issue with vocabulary. Although the use of scientific names for a number of species is acceptable given Graeme’s interests in biology, at times it weighs down the text. For example, Kerrin uses “tunicates” rather than the more recognizable “sea squirts.” The author creates fun characters. While Graeme is shown to be clever and likable, the bully is shown to be smart as well. Judging by the first entry in the series, it looks like The Lobster Chronicle will be a fun trilogy.
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