Parents should know that, though little is described in graphic detail, the level of violence is pretty high for a children's book, especially the finger collector mentioned above. At one point the children are chained for two days in a cage that floods almost to the top at high tide, and at another they are trapped in a flooding cave filled with rats and snakes. Clearly not for the sensitive child.
The wealth of historical, geographic, scientific, and period detail can prompt lots of research and discussion. The behavior of the siblings, who have been kicked out of several schools, should also be a topic for discussion.
What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that, though little is described in
graphic detail, the level of violence is pretty high for a
children's book, especially the finger collector mentioned
above. At one point the children are chained for two days in a
cage that floods almost to the top at high tide, and at another
they are trapped in a flooding cave filled with rats and
snakes. Clearly not for the sensitive child.
The wealth of historical, geographic, scientific, and period detail can prompt lots of research and discussion. The behavior of the siblings, who have been kicked out of several schools, should also be a topic for discussion.
Common Sense Media Review
From the moment you pick up this book it is plain,
old-fashioned literary fun, the kind you rarely see nowadays.
The book itself is made to look like a journal, complete with
elastic holding band, fold-out classified documents, sketches,
newspaper articles, file stamps from the secret society, and
lots more. Purporting to be from a secret underground archive
found when the author's great-aunt, who was the young girl of
the story, died and left him her house, it boasts an incredible
level of detail and extras. They show a devotion to the
creation of this fictional society that borders on the
obsessive.
A delightful mix of Jules Verne, Tom Swift, and Sherlock Holmes, this mystery/adventure features two brilliant, if unruly, teens who happen to be well-trained in swordfighting, exotic locales, lots of science and pseudo-science, photos, maps, appendices, and nonstop excitement, all making for a rich and stimulating reading experience of a kind all too rare in these wizard-dominated days. It's certainly one of the most purely enjoyable books of the year -- which means the Newbery committee will ignore it for sure.
From the Book:
The door was only half open when a huge, roaring, fanged
mouth lunged at them. Becca grabbed her brother's shoulder and
bundled him to the floor. The creature landed in the corridor
with a rolling thump. It was an immense tiger with ice-white
fur and black stripes. It turned toward them, snarling and
flashing razor-sharp teeth.
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