Kidnapped in Key West

by Edwina Raffa, Annelle Rigsby

A daring adventure on Henry Flaglers Over-Sea Railroad! Twelve-year-old Eddie Malone is living a carefree life swimming and fishing in the Florida Keys in 1912 when suddenly his world is turned upside down. His father, a worker on Henry Flaglers Over-Sea Railroad, is thrown into jail for stealing the railroad payroll. Convinced that he is responsible for his pa's arrest, Eddie sets out for Key West with his faithful dog, Rex, on a daring mission to prove his father's innocence. Eddie arrives in Key West as preparations are under way for the arrival of Flagler's first train. Eddie meets the Kimble twins, T. J. and Jen, who live at the Key West Lighthouse and are practicing for their part in the great celebration. They offer to help Eddie with his plan to find the real payroll thieves. Eddie finds them, all right, but they kidnap him and lock him aboard their sailboat. As the boat moves swiftly away from Key West, Eddie realizes he's in serious trouble. Can Eddie escape from the clutches of the ruthless thieves? Will he ever get back home to Marathon? Most importantly, will Eddie be able to prove Pa's innocence? Historical fiction, ages 8–12

Genres: History

127 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Yvette Calleiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that my son was assigned to read for his summer vacation, so I decided to read it as well. My son is ten years old, and he read it with ease. I really enjoyed it. The whole story is told from Eddie's point of view, and the authors did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to feel what the character was experiencing. Although I am not a history buff, I enjoyed how the authors made the entire adventure take place around a real event in history. Because I live in Florida and have visited the Keys many times, I think I enjoyed the book even more. Still, anyone who has never been to the Keys would easily be able to enjoy the scenes described in the book. Plus, the authors have a "Historical Notes" section in the back to help the reader better understand terminology, locations, and historical events. My son became emotional at a certain part (no spoilers from me) which just goes to show how well the authors created the scenes. This is a quick-paced adventure filled with dangerous moments for the main character while also showing both the good and bad sides of humans. Luckily, the good side prevails. :-)

[K M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun bit of historical fiction for our Florida youngsters (or anyone else interested in Florida history.)

[Jacqulyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adventure!!! Perfect first chapter book for young readers that boys, girls, and even parents will find entertaining. Plus, the reader will learn some interesting facts about the Florida Keys in the early twentieth century.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

My nine year old read this and loved it so he asked me to read it as well. It's a perfect story for his age group. He loved learning about Henry Flagler's railroad, and after COVID-19 passes we plan on visiting the Flagler Museum in WPB to learn more.

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mainly read this book because it was a purchase for my future classroom. However, the Florida history integrated throughout it was very interesting! This will be a great book for high elementary readers.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read this book was! I read it because I was checking out the kind of books this publisher produces, since I am a Florida writer and may want to submit to them. The historical fiction was well done, and the story was interesting. I only found one problem in the story line I would have like to have seen differently with how the protaganist escaped from the jail. Otherwise, I was very intrigued by the history, having been born and raised in Florida and traveled it from one end to the other often. Well done!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating adventure book that follows Eddie on a quest to clear his father of false theft charges. It is full of facts about Florida's history and even has historical notes and a map at the end of the book.I think that this book will keep young readers captivated, but it is also a great one for reading aloud to children. This is a great example of a historical fiction book for anyone, but targeted for children aged 8-12.

[Chana Billet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the book that taught my kids how effective a cliffhanger can be. Every chapter ends in suspense, which makes this an easy read for kids. While they learned about Henry Flager's overseas railroad and what life was like before Florida was settled, unfortunately, the prose leaves much to be desired.

[Bracy Ratcliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, great for pre-teens to learn about writing, literary elements, dialogue, and some great history of Florida.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kid Lit. Required reading in South Florida. Well written, covers the main historical points of the rail built to Key West, and may be engaging enough for 4-5 grade students.