Ordinary Basil: Attack of the Volcano Monkeys

Grade 3–4—The characters from The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil (Scholastic, 2006) are back for another adventure. Louise entices Basil to come on a trip to mysterious Monkey Island, neglecting to tell him that children are banned from visiting there. Once on the island—complete with a volcano—they discover intelligent monkeys who have been part of an experiment conducted by evil Dr. Von Röttweil, a character from the first book. But the experiment has gone terribly wrong and the monkeys have set up a despotic society. Basil and Louise are recruited to help a group of rebels overthrow the monkey king, and battles, capture, rescues, surprises, and reversals of fortune ensue. At one point Basil escapes, almost drowns, but is rescued and returned home by Von Röttweil. Nevertheless he returns to the island to try and save Louise. On his arrival, he finds that the rebels have defeated the king and set up a democracy. Flat character development and a jumbled plot make this an additional purchase that may appeal to readers who can't get enough of nonstop adventure. Bright, colorful illustrations from Miller, the creator of the comic strip Non Sequitur, fill the pages.—Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
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