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Kirkus Reviews (starred):
"Hurricanes, volcanoes, capsized fishing boats in shark-infested waters, cliff-diving in a dangerous ravine, and a mysterious stranger at the Taco Bell are among the thrills in this excellent collection of stories. Running through them - through the storms of nature and human nature - is a reverence for the "most mind-boggling, most impossible universe you could ever imagine." The author's affection for the Hawaiian Islands where he grew up is evident throughout. Despite the menace or malice in each story, above the surface or below, the characters always reflect the last lines of the opening poem: "I would not have traded places with anyone not even God." "Mrs. Noonan" and "The Doi Store Monkey" are two fine contributions about the cruel underbelly of boarding-school life, whose protagonists find quiet means of resistance to evil. "Waiting for the War" superbly tells of how the bombing of Pearl Harbor affected peoples' lives and attitudes on the island, through the relationship between two boys and an "army guy" named Mike. The final selection, "Hat of Clouds," is about brothers, the Vietnam War, and the healing power of a place to come home to. Each story stands alone, but much of the power and appeal of the collection lies in how each individual piece contributes to a larger portrait of the place. A must for any good collection."
School Library Journal (starred):
"An outstanding collection of short stories set in Hawaii, five of which have appeared
in other anthologies. BOYZ is a mix of first-person narratives that are rich in local
vernacular, drawing readers into a variety of island-life experiences. Two stories worth
noting are 'The Doi Store Monkey' and 'Waiting for the War.' The first is a psychologically
arresting story that exposes the cruelty that darkens prep-school life. A physically handicapped
boy and a caged monkey are the easy marks for a band of boys on a mean spree. Only when it's too
late does the narrator take a measured look at the pain he's helped inflict. 'Waiting for the War' is
set two years after the bombing of Pearl harbor. On the surface it is about two boys and an ornery horse.
It is rife with humor as the protagonists are pitted against a wise and exasperatingly evasive animal.
When the boys meet a serviceman from Texas who has the know-how to manage the animal, they indirectly gain
a respect for the thousands of military men who inhabit their island. On a deeper level, the story speaks
of the multitude of ways in which war touches people. The beauty of ISLAND BOYZ is that it covers a wide
spectrum of situations and emotions, from the effects of war on small-town life to the irrepressible
adventure of deep-sea fishing. Its power is in the creative and credible narrative voices. Salisbury has
artfully crafted difficult situations into recognizable facts of life in this terrific contribution to
short-story collections." (Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY)
Oregonian:
"Why Portland author Graham Salisbury isn't better appreciated is inexplicable.
His collection of new and previously published short stories is set in Hawaii,
where his family has lived for nearly 200 years. Salisbury's evocation of the rhythms
and patois of Hawaii are so vivid that the island and ocean seem familiar, or even nearby.
He uses place in a manner few writers for young adults seem willing to explore, giving equal
weight with character and action. They are masterfully combined into quiet, moving snapshots
of the stasis between adolescence and young manhood, when everything, it seems, hangs in the balance.
"ISLAND BOYZ begins with a terrific, loose poem: "…in the starry black night/we sat under palm trees/talking story/getting
dizzy on punchy laughter/probably looking to anyone/who might have seen us/like some weird tribe/of little half men..."
"Talking story" describes the ease of Salisbury's prose; somehow he manages to set things in motion so
naturally that we are as astonished or shamed or bewildered as the narrator. In "Angel-Baby" we sympathize with Izzy,
delirious with the pangs and giddiness of first love; in "Forty Bucks" we marvel right along with Shane and Jimmy
at how truly random events can make you feel glad to be alive. And "The Doi Store Monkey" is, quite simply, the most
stunning piece about bullying that I've ever read in this genre.
"The teen-agers in ISLAND BOYZ crackle with vitality and humor; they are fools and the are
heroes; they are "boyz" in all their glory. Salisbury writes about them with such genuine,
reflective tenderness - even when they are being bone-headed - that it's hard to believe each story
is not his own." (Carol E. Hickman)
Booklist (starred):
"Salisbury's characters are fully formed, distinct but familiar, and he
writes about the tropical setting with a vivid, tangible detail that
electrifies each boy's drama with constant reminders of wildness: a lava
flow's scorching heat; the sudden violence of storms; the 'cool earth
smells of mud and iron.'"
The Bulletin (recommended):
"Eleven short stories chronicle pivotal episodes in the lives of teenage boys
growing up in the Hawaiian Islands, leeward of the tourist gale that shapes popular
perception of that state. Tales range in mood from the bi-level humor of 'Forty Bucks,'
which packs a second twist for readers with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish (or a little
curiosity and a bilingual dictionary), to the emotional turbulence of first love in 'Angel-Baby,' to the
flat-out nastiness of prep school life in 'Mrs. Noonan' and 'The Doi Store Monkey.' Themes are
timeless in their appeal - guys testing their mettle against hurricanes and bullies and the
irresponsible dares of their best friends, against fear of sharks and fear of failure and fear of war -
and plotting is exceptionally well crafted to maximize suspense and to meticulously develop a teen a
narrator's frame of mind and state of consciousness. Readers who resist Salisbury's full-length novels
should be enticed by these compact offerings, and kids with a well-developed taste for Gary Paulsen
works might latch onto a second 'favorite author.'" (EB)
Washington Post:
"Of his boyhood in Hawaii, Salisbury writes, 'I would not have traded places with anyone, not even God.'
In 10 hard-hitting, funny, poignant stories inspired by and dedicated to 'all the guys I kicked around with'
(try 'Forty Bucks' first, then 'Frankie Diamond is Robbing Us Blind'), he shows why. There were many
reasons, but 'best of all... the girls on the beach at night.'"
The Horn Book:
"In the beguiling poem that opens this collection of short stories, Salisbury celebrates
island 'boyz': 'haole / hawaiian / japanese / chinese / filipino / portuguese / korean /
tongan / samoan / whatever.' The boys in these stories are not always identified by ethnicity,
but their distinctive voices and speech patterns attest to both the variety of their backgrounds and
their individuality as characters. Billy Kiefer in 'Mrs. Noonan' (which, like half of the ten entries,
has been previously published) is a boarding-school student with a crush on his teacher's wife and a
morally questionable method of dispatching the school bully. In the exuberantly romantic 'Angel-Baby,' Izzy
and Tina Marie Angel-Baby Diminico admit their feelings for each other on a night when 'you can see into
every corner of the inkiest, blackest, most mind-boggling, most impossible universe you could ever even imagine.' A
couple of entries aren't quite as striking. 'Aumakua' founders under its self-consciously
literary style. 'The Hurricane' lacks focus - though its narrator, Joey, and his friend turn
up later in a sharper comic tale, 'Frankie Diamond is Robbing Us Blind.' In the two strongest stories, 'Hat of Clouds'
and 'Waiting for the War,' the teenage protagonists get a look at war through the eyes of new
recruits: for Jake, a beloved older brother who has returned from Vietnam without a leg; for Henry,
a stranger about to be shipped off to battle in World War II. As always, Salisbury's Hawaiian settings
are evocatively and lovingly described, and he realistically captures the feelings - both universal and
unique - of his island boys. Or boyz. Whatever." (P.D.S.)
Library Talk (recommended):
"In the 10 stories in this collection, five of which have appeared in other anthologies, readers
find comedy, suspense, and tenderness set in the culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Graham Salisbury
is a former island boy himself, having grown up in Hawaii. The book begins with a poem drawn from
Graham's own experiences of surfing, stealing papayas, and nights on the beach. Each story gives an
island-life experience. Two of the stories worth noting are "Waiting for the War" and "Hat of Clouds."
On the surface, "Waiting for the War" appears to be about two boys and a devilish horse. It is humorous
as the boys try to outwit the horse that refuses to let them ride. When a serviceman from Texas comes
along and manages to ride the horse, the boys gain respect for the military. Pearl Harbor had happened
just two years prior to this incident and readers learn that war touches people in many ways. In "Hat of
Clouds" Jake returns from the Vietnam conflict, minus a leg, and must face life with his new body. This
is a creative collection of stories that will appeal to any teen of any culture. Recommended." (Dian Boysen,
Media Specialist, Roosevelt Middle School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.)
VOYA:
"This collection of five previously published stories, five new stories, and one
poem is set in Hawaii and explores teen themes such as dealing with bullies and peer
pressure. Salisbury's other works for teens have received numerous awards, including
BLUE SKIN OF THE SEA (Delacorte, 1992) and JUNGLE DOGS (Delacote, 1998), both named
Young Adult Library Association (YALSA) Best Books for Young Adults. Salisbury examines
universal teen issues in a simpler way, as seen in the story "The Rivine" in which Vinny
must decide whether to give in to peer pressure and take a terrifying leap into the pond
below or listen to his heart and walk away from the edge. In this reviewer's favorite story,
'Frankie Diamond is Robbing Us Blind,' a group of sixth graders who are terrorized by the older
Frankie Diamond looks to get even by enlisting the aid of Lynnette Piper. The brilliance of this
story is that it does not take the easy way out and end predictably with lynnette taking Frankie down.
Every story here is a pleasure to read, and the initial poem helps to set the tone for the short stories.
Salisbury does a masterful job of blending Hawaiian dialect and culture into his work. He never goes
overboard with it, though. If led to this book, even reluctant teen readers will have trouble putting it
down. It is an absolute must for all school or public libraries." - David Goodale.
Online Review (four stars):
"This collection of short stories set in Hawaii is a reading experience that young boys will not soon
forget. It explores life lessons including difficult decisions, the reality of war, and love. Although
the book has strong messages, readers will enjoy the stories. Bottom line: a collection of short stories that
young teens will enjoy."
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