Danger on the River

Carolyn Ryder was Humanities Librarian at Calgary Public Library.

The title of J. Robert Janes’s latest addition to the burgeoning field of Canadian children’s literature is certainly indicative of the key elements to be found in this story — namely, mystery, suspense, and the importance of the river. The river is indeed the focal point of this story, and it serves to draw together all the diverse characters and actions for a surprise ending.

Rolly, Jim, and their mysterious friend and leader, Tiger, have started an informal gang, complete with a hide-out on the shores of a nearby river. The boys are fascinated with this river. Unfortunately, it is also extensively polluted, and the book abounds with descriptions of the sewage. The boys have a few skirmishes with Katie and Alice, but eventually they all get together when they determine that someone is repeatedly dumping chemicals in the river. After suffering chemical burns and bruises, Tiger runs away. When the children discover that Tiger’s step-father, who cleans stables during the day, also does trucking at night, they are certain that Tiger’s father is the ringleader of a gang that dumps industry waste into the river for money. The children team up with Mr. Longvitie, the pollution inspector, in order to help capture the polluters. After some surprise reversals and exciting encounters with the villains, the mystery is suitably solved.

All the elements of a good, suspenseful, relevant mystery story are here. Interestingly, the influence of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn can be seen, especially in the opening portion of the book with the symbolic river, the adventurous gang leader, and the raft, to name a few examples. Janes gives his book a contemporary setting and deals with serious issues in a very credible manner. The discussions on pollution and its effects are well expressed and not done in a condescending way. These discussions are effectively contrasted with the descriptions of the foulness of the river. The children’s experience with a duck dying from pollution is the most moving section of the book.

However, the entire book does not seem to hang together as it might. The characterization leans toward stereotyping, especially with Rolly, the fat boy, and Tiger, who is frequently compared to a lean and hungry cat. Little description of the characters’ lives is given, which makes it difficult to respond to them at times. The adult-children relationship, though, is well done and quite plausible. The action tends to be a bit jumpy at times, and the most annoying factor is the children’s constant jumping to conclusions. Fortunately, Janes deals with this last problem to some extent in the final chapters.

The book has a pleasing format and clear large type which makes it enjoyable to read. The style is appropriate and consistent for readers in the grade 5 to 7 range. The addition of a map at the beginning is quite useful, although perhaps a few more illustrations might help enhance the story. While descriptions of the river and events are clear, a little more detail on the overall setting and characters would be useful. Dialogue is realistic and the action is fast-paced. Overall, though, there are certainly some good lessons to be learned here, for children and adults alike.