A Family Trait

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. (Oct.)