Overview

"Join Iris and the Voodoo Shack gang as they investigate a mysterious death and an unsolved crime! (For ages 9 and up) When 11-year-old Iris Weston discovers a ramshackle hunting cabin deep in Hazard Swamp, she and her friends decide it's perfect for a secret clubhouse. The gang dubs it the Voodoo Shack and meets there to swap stories and play card games. Ol' Man Hazard, the former owner, died under mysterious circumstances, and the kids speculate whether it was an accident, suicide or maybe even murder! The gang believes that cash from an unsolved crime may have been stashed within feet of the cabin. Even as things go badly awry, feisty Iris learns how to use her wit and independence to put things right, discovering what family really means in this adventurous and often humorous coming-of-age story set in rural Michigan in 1962. ""Set in the early 1960s, Martin's novel traces a girl's journey toward understanding the true meaning of love, family and friendship. Iris is an appealing character whose relationships with friends and family are realistically portrayed as she struggles to find her place."" --School Library Journal ""Martin has drawn on her childhood memories to create an engaging, feisty heroine, lively supporting characters and an easy-to-visualize early 1960s rural Michigan setting. And, although Iris doesn't solve all her mysteries, she finds the answers to the most important ones in this fast-paced story."" --ALA Booklist ""Readers fond of lightweight mysteries solved by spunky heroines will take to this fiction debut, though a heavy ballast of tragedy and near-tragedy keeps it low to the ground. Some of the dialogue and set pieces show a promising authorial gift for comedy. (Fiction. 10-12)"" --Kirkus Reviews ""...add to this drama that Iris's grandmother is ill, maybe dying in her fears, and she has messed absolutely everything up. Of course, the obvious thing is to admit all her messes to her parents, but who of us at that age ever did that? Any of us 'grownups' who are the least bit honest know exactly how Iris feels. Kids that age today (in the middle of their hopes, dreams, and fears) find a heroine in Voodoo Shack who they identify with and will begin to feel: If she can do it, I can, too."" -- Deborah K. Frontiera, U.P. Book Review This book was originally released as A Family Trait Learn more at www.TerriLynnMartin.com From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com"

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9781615997206

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Reviews

This debut novel may be set in 1960s Scottsburg, Mich., but today's readers will readily relate to the antics of spunky sixth-grade narrator Iris Weston. As the story opens, Iris is riffling through the dictionary, looking up illegitimate -a word snooty Alice Pruitt called her because Iris won't reveal the whereabouts of her secret club. The bulk of the tale takes place in and around the club's headquarters, the Voodoo Shack, an abandoned lean-to that belonged to hard-drinking Ol' Man Hazard, who died mysteriously. In a subplot reminiscent of Louis Sachar's Holes, Iris and her friends are convinced that a sum of money Ol' Man Hazard allegedly stole must be hidden somewhere near the shack. But they're not the only ones looking: Ol' Lady Hazard seems to be searching, too, and her half-dug holes surround the lean-to. Martin infuses the novel with a spirit of adventure and a strong supporting cast (Iris's grandparents and eccentric Ol' Lady Hazard are especially compelling), and the author's smooth interweaving of parallels in Silas Marner (assigned to Iris for a book report) help the heroine cope with the mystery of her own roots. Young adventurers cum sleuths will hope to hear more from the unsinkable Iris Weston. Ages 8-12. --Publisher's Weekly (review of A Family Trait, the original title) Grade 4-8-Stolen money, a Voodoo Shack for a clubhouse, an eccentric old lady whose actions frighten the club members, and being called illegitimate by one of her schoolmates provide Iris Mae Weston with plenty of distractions to keep her from reading Silas Marner for her assigned book report. Iris and her friends decide to search for the money Ol' Man Hazard supposedly stole, not knowing that his widow is also looking for it along with her recipe book of potions that he hid as well. As Iris struggles with understanding her family's relationships, the chores her grandmother insists she complete, the hunt for the money, and Silas Marner, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn into the story, which in many ways seems to parallel the problems she faces in her own life. When her grandmother nearly dies from pneumonia, Iris discovers that helping the eccentric Widow Hazard is the key for curing her grandmother. Set in the early 1960s, Martin's novel traces the girl's journey toward understanding the true meaning of love, family, and friendship. Iris is an appealing character whose relationships with friends and family are realistically portrayed as she struggles to find her place. The plot and characters work well together and have enough action and interaction to provide a good read. --School Library Journal review Readers fond of lightweight mysteries solved by spunky heroines will take to this fiction debut, though a heavy ballast of tragedy and near-tragedy keeps it low to the ground. Having used the discovery of an empty hunting cabin as an excuse to form a secret club, Iris and four friends spin news reports of missing carnival receipts and the (supposedly) accidental death of the cabin's owner, Ol' Man Hazard, into an exciting scenario involving hidden loot and murder. Then they find a cryptic rhymed clue that mentions treasure, which they take as a broad hint that they're on the right track. The story is carried along on sad undercurrents: Iris, called illegitimate by another girl in the opening pages, learns that her parents weren't married when her father was killed in the Korean War; her tough grandmother is rushed to the hospital with severe pneumonia; Iris sets fire to the cabin and nearly suffocates inside; and the reclusive Ol' Lady Hazard, thought to be a witch and chief suspect in her husband's death, turns out to be the sickly, abused widow of a cruel alcoholic. Some of the dialogue and set pieces show a promising authorial gift for comedy. (Fiction. 10-12) --Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

"Terri Martin and her husband moved to Upper Michigan 22 years ago and have no desire to live anywhere else, in spite of the 250 inches of snowfall each winter. Voodoo Shack reflects a setting in rural Michigan similar to where Terri grew up. She recalls a simpler time when kids relied on their imaginations for fun, and phones were anything but mobile and the television got three channels on a good day. Terri has an additional middle-grade children's book, The Home Wind, which is a U.P. Notable Book recipient. ""Moose Willow Mystery: A Yooper Romance"" is Terri's first full length adult novel, which is set firmly in Upper Michigan's culture. Terri is a regular contributor to UP Magazine (Porcupine Press) where she finds an outlet for her humorous writing. Many of her stories from UP Magazine have been anthologized in her two books: ""Church Lady Chronicles: Devilish Encounters"" (2020) and ""High on the Vine"" (2022). Terri has a master's degree in English and has taught college success courses, tutored English at the college level, and served as an aide for college composition classes. Visit Terri's website at www.terrilynnmartin.com"

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