follows the Cahill kids Amy and Dan in another terrifying race to find the next clue before the rest of their vicious family. In Egypt, the Cahills venture into ancient tombs and into their worst fears - betrayal from those they love.
Things I Liked:
I think this series is a lot of fun. They are packed with adventure, clues, mystery, and humor. I also liked that in this book there was more depth and feeling from Amy and Dan. They actually sat down and thought about their grandmother. Some of the other evil family members had some interesting internal debates that provide insight into their motivations. I think this series will be a big hit for reluctant readers - short, quick, fast-paced adventure.
Things I Didn't Like:
This episode used a lot of foreign words that might throw kids off or just become annoying. It was (usually) quite easy to figure out the clues, twists, and mysteries. But, I still enjoyed the ride.
Read-alikes:
First three in the series: The Maze of Bones, One False Note, and The Sword Thief
A little like The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->
might be a teeny bit scary for really young kids
Overall rating: ****
Got any great books you hand to reluctant readers (adults or kids)?
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I will get a very small percentage
Posts
I know it's obvious at this point, but I can't tell you how many people I know started reading on a regular basis after reading Twilight.
ReplyDeleteWhen I want my geek friends to get hooked on YA, I always lend out Hunger Games.
Some reluctant readers are easier to convince than others.... ;)
ReplyDeleteMy preschooler has decided she's not interested in learning to read. Or going to school. But she's young, so I figure we'll get past it.
I'm not desperate enough to try giving her Twilight. :D
I keep meaning to read these books. Gotta start at the beginning though...
Brodi, it Twilight accomplished something fabulous it was encouraging the hordes to read - even to read classics like Wuthering Heights.
ReplyDeleteBritt, yeah you might want to hold off on Twilight for a while. And she definitely has time to grow into reading. And school.
Especially since I haven't read Twilight.... and don't really have any plans to do so....
ReplyDelete:D
I would say Harry Potter. I know that series got a lot of young people reading. I loved the Hunger Games too. I think that could be a fairly exciting book for young people. It has just enough romance for the girls, and plenty of action for the boys.
ReplyDeleteI read the first 39 Clues book, and for some reason it just didn't leave me wanting more. Perhaps I'll pick up the next ones eventually.
Amy, Harry Potter was a BIG one for lots of kids! Too bad you didn't love 39 clues. Then again, I think it is much more exciting for kids, not so much adults.
ReplyDeleteMy kids ADORE the 39 Clues books. Not only do they read them, but they also "play" 39 Clues. They pretend to be the characters and make up their own plots. It's cute. I haven't read the books, so I have no opinion of them except to say that kids obviously love them.
ReplyDeleteMy 10 yo son was actually a pretty reluctant reader up until this year. The books that finally "hooked" him were: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket; the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan; Diary of A Wimpy Kid books; and an oldie-but-goodie, Hatchet. He definitely needed "boy" books to really get him reading.
A lot of the "boy" books are the best at grabbing the reluctant readers! They grab me and I'm very un-reluctant.
ReplyDelete