THE DISTINGUISHED JOURNALIST AND scriptwriter, Arthur Mayse, has turned his hand to children's literature in Handliner's Island (Harbour $12.95) illustrated by Nola Johnston. The novel, set in 1946, tells the story of young Paddy Logan who is determined to help his grandfather payoff a $700 debt. Paddy plans to earn the money hand lining salmon. With his Kwakiutl friend Mayus, Paddy gathers the necessary gear and the boys establish camp on a remote island, unaware that they are intruding on the fishing grounds of an old man and his granddaughter Lynn. The boys have little luck fishing, catching only sun bums and blisters. Then the old man has an accident. Mayus and Paddy help Lynn get her grandfather to the mainland during a storm. The plot includes a confrontation between the boys and two "creek robbers" (illegal fishermen). Interwoven into the story is a wealth of information about the tides, sea life and commercial fishing. Mayse's goal in writing Handliner's Island was to create a story which combined a sense of freedom and independence with adventure and nautical know-how. He has succeeded, and at the same time created an absorbing story. Mayse considers himself primarily a short story writer, although he has co written over 40 scripts for the Beachcombers television series (with his wife Win) and three adult novels. "Every novel I ever wrote," he says, "is a short story that just got out of hand." -- by Allison Haupt

[BCBW 1991] "Kidlit";