HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Danny Orlis and the Angle Inlet Mystery
Author: Bernard Palmer
Illustrator: David Miles
Publisher: Sword of the Lord, republished in2008
ISBN-13: 978-3727100642 Hardcover
ISBN-10: 3727100648 Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0873981903 Paperback
ISBN-10: 0873981901 Paperback
Related website: http://www,swordofthelord.com (publisher)
Language level: 1
(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)
Recommended reading level: Ages 8-16
Rating: ***** 5 stars (EXCELLENT)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Disclosure: Many publishers and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion. Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.
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Palmer, Bernard. Danny Orlis and the Angle Inlet Mystery (published in 1955 by Moody Press, a division of The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; republished in 2008 by Sword of the Lord Publishers, P. O. Box 1099, Murfreesboro, TN 37133). Twelve year old Danny Orlis, who lives at Angle Inlet in the Northwest Angle of Northern Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods region with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Orlis, dog Laddie, and cat Mr. Smith, is excited about having his twin cousins, Bob and Mike Lance from St. Paul, come for the summer. While on the way to pick them up, he overhears a conversation between two men on the boat about a map to a lost treasure at old Ft. Charles going back to 1735 or so when it was manned by French soldiers. With help from Danny’s friend Rick Thunderbird, an elderly Indian chief, they find some clues but soon discover that they are not the only ones searching for the treasure. Is there really a hidden treasure? What will happen to the boys?
The Danny Orlis books are overtly “Christian” mystery adventures. Danny leads not only his two cousins but also Rick Thunderbird to accept Christ in this one. Not all believers will necessarily agree with the plan of being saved pictured in the series of simply confessing sin, trusting in Jesus, and praying for forgiveness. Also, while Christians should guard against being conformed to this world, neither will everyone agree with Danny’s blanket opposition to all movies and comic books. And the idea that “everyone in the world is born into the world with a sinful nature” so that “we’re just naturally wicked” is presented, though many understand the Bible to teach otherwise. However, the stories are generally wholesome and written in a way so as to capture and retain the attention of most tweeners and early teens.
