This book was on my family’s bookshelves pretty much my entire life, yet I don’t recall ever having it read it myself. I found the entire six-book series in my parents’ church library, so I figured it would be a suitable series for my family to try next.
I’ve got to admit, this book surprised me with its action, intrigue, and subject matter. I’ve known a lot about BJU and BJUP, so the surprise came in recognizing that this book didn’t seem to match the “style” of Bob Jones! It had depth and meat, which I didn’t expect, and it kept my kids’ interest throughout—though admittedly, my 8- and 10-year-olds weren’t quite tracking with the smuggling rings, Russian spies, and bootleggers.
The story follows Penny and Jack Derwood, two of several children in the newly-formed family the dad called, “Derwood, Inc.” They live in the chilly small town of Peabody, WI, where nothing much happens…until it does. With a penchant for weaving intriguing tales (like that of the “fifty-ton, mile-long, giant killer octopus”) and sniffing out ne’er-do-wells, Jack and Penny find themselves spying on the spies who run the beat-down mattress factory at the edge of town. The adventure that ensues makes up Part 1 (and is the source of the enticing scene on the book’s cover-art).
The book felt a little disjointed when jumping from Part 1 to Part 2, though that may be my fault as a reader more than Massi’s fault as an author. Yes, the characters remain the same, and yes, they continue to reference their experiences from Part 1 in Part 2, but I guess we didn’t expect them to solve the smuggling crime so quickly and move on to do completely unrelated things in a totally different state. Some sort of setup early on would have been helpful, like mentioning how the button-factory incident in Chapter 1 set them up for not one but two major adventures. At minimum, the two Parts should have titles.
Part 2 was a bit more personal than Part 1, following the kids as they live with their Aunt Irene for the summer. Things don’t seem right when they notice some thugs at the train station, what seems like a homeless boy that follows them, myths from the hills behind Irene’s house, and a series of strange stories from the people in town. Again, some of the subject matter was surprisingly dark for a book published by BJUP (bootleggers and kidnapping, for example) but it’s worth reading and proved entertaining and educational for my kids. Humorous at times, too, which is always good.
This book was a pleasant find, and the whole series will make an entertaining addition to our reading list. I’m excited that we have five more waiting in the wings—like the next book, Dangerous Game. I’ve known about these titles for nearly 4 decades, yet I’m finally getting down to know their appeal as well. If you get a chance to read this one, I’d recommend it. It ain’t your sappy Christian novel. Not at all.
©2021 E.T.
Read More from JourneyForth Press:
- With Wings as Eagles by William Pinkston (1983)
- These Are My People by Mildred T. Howard (1984)
- Medallion by Dawn L. Watkins (1985)
- Derwood, Inc. by Jerri Massi (1986)
- A Dangerous Game by Jerri Massi (1986)
- Treasure in the Yukon by Jerri Massi (1986)
- With Daring Faith by Rebecca Henry Davis (1987)
- Courage by Darkness by Jerri Massi (1987)
- Some Summer! by Jean Vandervenne (1987)
- Llamas on the Loose by Jerri Massi (1988)
- The Runaway Princess by Milly Howard (1988)
- Abandoned by Jerri Massi (1989)
- A Question of Yams by Gloria Repp (1992)
- Brill of Exitorn by Peggy Downing (1994)
- Peanut Butter Friends in a Chop Suey World by Deb Brammer (1994)
- The Lost Prince by Peggy Downing (1995)
- Tales from Dust River Gulch by Tim Davis (1996)
- Camp Sierra Secret by Esther G. Wilkinson (1996)
- Chickadee Winter by Dawn L. Watkins (1999)
- Songbird by Nancy Lohr (2000)
- Nix by Penny McKnight (2006)
- Shield by Dawn Watkins (2008)