George, Jean Craighead. Tree Castle Island.

HarperTrophy. 242p. illus, c2002. 0-06000256-5. $5.99. J

To quote KLIATT's July 2002 review of the hardcover edition:

George is known for her novels My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves, in which young people survive in the wild, getting to know the flora and fauna that can feed and shelter them. She sets this similar novel in the Florida Okefenokee Swamp, with a 14-year-old boy setting out on an adventure in the canoe he has built himself. Jack is never lost. When he finds a lovely island, he decides to camp there. A dog similar to his own pet at home keeps him company. About halfway through the story, an amazing thing happens: Jack meets another boy who is his mirror image. As the boys spend more time together, comparing birthdays and personalities, they are convinced they are in fact identical twins. A major part of the plot is how they confront their families and learn about their own histories.

The glory of the plot, however, is typical George: detailed information about wildlife, how to build a shelter, how to survive in the wild. The beginning of the book, in which Jack sets off on his own, is strange in the way that Jack talks to himself constantly, addressing the canoe, for example, as a companion. This is annoying in a way, but it is woven into the plot as Jake says he too always talks to himself. The boys conclude they were each talking to the twin who wasn't there anymore. When the boys are reunited on Tree Castle Island, they have each other to talk to and they chat and argue and tease and thoroughly enjoy each other's company. YAs with an interest in Florida ecology, in wildlife rescue, in scouting, are naturals for this book.