Review by Booklist Review
The infamous island fortress in San Francisco Bay is the setting for this spooky interactive entry in the You Choose: Haunted Places series. Written in a second-person narrative, the book has readers serve as the main character and choose their own plot points along the way. During a field trip to Alcatraz, readers find themselves encountering landmarks on the island. Poor choices will result in an early end, while successful choices lead to safety. Chandler capitalizes on the creepy reputation of the prison, dotting the pages with the ghosts of its most notorious inmates (Robert the Birdman Stroud, Al Capone). Captioned photographs and endnotes provide a summary of the most notorious events in the history of Alcatraz. A high-interest topic coupled with myriad potential outcomes ensures that readers will be entertained.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-These interactive titles are not only scary but informative as well. The use of the choose-your-own adventure format allows for fact and fiction to blend together into a well-wrought package of fun reading and considerable history. Readers begin on their own or with a fictional friendly accomplice and soon encounter the famous ghostly inhabitants. The assorted choices they're given lead to frightening, comical, and even disastrous possibilities. Small captioned photographs complement true descriptions of these places and their spooky residents. The mix of haunted sites-a house, a ship, a prison, and the royal palace/prison-offer plentiful intrigue. An epilogue provides several pages of history and a substantial time line. "Other Paths to Explore" asks students three questions that invite them to think about the subject from various points of view. VERDICT Thoughtfully crafted, these should satisfy, inform, and stimulate many readers. Highly recommended. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
On guided tours of the famous prison (Alcatraz) and grand steamship (Queen Mary), readers are given a choice of numerous scenarios and endings which supposedly portray the ghostly haunting of each. The Choose Your Own Adventurestyle speculative narratives offer as many as forty-two entertaining choices and fifteen endings accompanied by archival photographs. An epilogue provides limited historical background. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers the following You Choose: Haunted Places titles: Alcatraz and The Queen Mary.] (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
