The way that "The Mary Celeste" was written is very informational and exciting. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next and the author provided a bunch of information for people who may not know. She explained every little thing that is on a ship. I love reading mystery books because you never know what to expect and for this book, they do not give the ending away at all. This books makes you think of your own ending and keeps you guessing. ( )

This book kept me on my toes, not knowing what was going to happen next or if the mystery would be solved. I like that the story doesn't end by telling you what happened but allows you to come up with your own theory and keeps you guessing about what actually happened. The book provides some historical information and technical terms while keeping you intrigued and interested in what may have happened to the missing passengers. ( )

My 8-year-old son and I simply devoured this book!! The history, the vocabulary, the notes following along and highlighting (and rewording) important details of the story...all so informational and educational - a perfect support for this riveting mystery. It really got his imagination working! ( )

The Mary Celeste is a ship that was found abandoned 1872. The main character, a young girl, is trying to solve the mystery on what happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste. She goes through her books and notes with us, the readers, and tells us the facts of what we know so far about the ship. Then she states the most common theories as to what might have happened. The book does not say what did in fact happen, but leaves that up to the reader to decide. The history of the Mary Celeste is very important to this book because that is what the book is on. I really enjoyed how the book was written as a mystery and included clues so the reader could try to figure out what happened. The way it was written made the book more interesting to me because I was not just reading about the Mary Celeste, but I kept trying to figure out what happened. There is almost a setting within a setting for this book (if that is even possible). The setting of the young girl trying to solve the mystery does not say when it is taking place, but we get the feeling it is happening now. The setting of the Mary Celeste and her disappearance is vital to the story because they are actual facts and without them, there would be no mystery to tell about. ( )

The mystery of The Mary Celeste is something I’ve personally never heard about. This book by Jane Yolen is a terrific introduction to the mystery that is a fun read. The story takes you through clues, theories’, and ideas about what happened to the Mary Celeste ship that was found abandoned over 100 years ago leaving a multitude of still unanswered questions. This story encourage kids to use critical thinking. It also engages them and leads them to propose theories of their own. This is the second mystery book from Jane Yolen that I have read and that has intrigued me and tempted me to figure out what has really happened concerning these mysteries. I was impressed by the format: story text and notes to provide background knowledge. The setting effects the mystery, as it did one of her other mystery books “The Wolf Girls”. Many factors can all contribute to the mystery depending on the setting of the story, which is set New York and the Atlantic Ocean. ( )