The Red Pyramid

By Rick Riordan
Carter, 14, and Sadie, 12, (brother and sister) have grown up apart. He has traveled all over the world with his Egyptologist father, Dr. Julius Kane, while Sadie has lived in London with their grandparents. Their mother passed away under mysterious circumstances, so when their father arrives in London and wants to take them both on a private tour of the British Museum, all is not necessarily what it seems. The evening ends with the apparent destruction of the Rosetta Stone, the disappearance of Dr. Kane, and the kidnapping of Carter and Sadie. More insidiously, it leads to the release of five Egyptian gods, including Set, who is their mortal enemy. Carter and Sadie discover the secrets of their family heritage and their ability to work magic as they realize that their task will be to save humanity from Set, who is building a destructive red pyramid inside Camelback Mountain in Phoenix.

This book is written as an audio recording that both children made. Occasionally they interrupt the story with a quip to their sibling. Funny book and full of Egyptian history.

*Warnings: Some swearing - mainly Sadie - who grew up in London and uses the English swear words.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Michael Scott
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Sophie and Josh Newman think their summer jobs at a coffee shop and a bookshop across the street are just perfect. Then strange things start happening - goons show up at the bookstore and kidnap the owner's wife - the owner of the coffee shop - and they also get away with a book that has important meaning to Nick Flemming, the bookstore owner (aka Nicholas Flamel). Join Sophie and Josh on an incredible adventure full of magical powers and wondrous creatures.

Wee Free Men

Terry Pratchet

Audio Book

Publisher: Harper Children's Audio

Read by Stephen Briggs

Tiffany has always wanted to be a witch because all the other girls in stories are princess who twist their ankles or some other silly thing. That's why it would be good to be a witch. When she finally meets a witch and learns about finding the witch school she thinks she is on her way. Then her brother, Wentworth, gets kidnapped by the Queen of Fairyland. Tiffany sets out with a frying pan and some little helpers - the Nac Mac Feegle (also known as the Wee Free Men). Will Tiffany be able to rescue her brother with the help of these new friends? What will she learn about being a witch?

*Listening to this on audio book was hilarious! Love the accents the reader uses!!!

The House of the Scorpion

Nancy Farmer

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Matteo Alacáran has been raised very sheltered. He lives with Celia who works at the big house all day. Matt is left alone. He is not allowed to go outside or interact with anyone else. Then comes the day when he breaks the rules. He finds out that he a clone of El Patrón - the boss/ruler of the nation of Opium. Most clones are kept simply for the use of transplants for the original donor. But Matt is different - he is El Patrón's favorite. He is educated (when the servant in the big house doesn't have him a cage) and he learns to think for himself. As Matt grows older he realizes that El Patrón has strange ideas of running a country. As Matt struggles to find what is right and wrong, he sets of on a series of adventures and meets several friends.

WARNINGS: EDGY! It's not an easy or light read - a lot of social and political issues are discussed in this book.

Cherry Ames Clinic Nurse

Julie Tatham

Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap

Cherry Ames works at a clinic near her home almost every day and she is worn out. Everyone is starting to notice how tired she is. In fact, everyone thinks she is so tired that when she tells a tale of being kidnapped and helping with a surgery, most people think she only dreamed it. Can Cherry find evidence to prove she wasn't dreaming?

Pirates!

By Celia Rees

Publisher: Bloomsbury, New York and London

Nancy Kington is the only girl in her family and somewhat spoiled. She lives a life of luxury and dreams of marrying the boy of her dreams. But everything changes when her father dies. Suddenly she is under the care of her brothers who have plans for who she should marry. When things turn sour with her intended Nancy flees along with her servant, Minerva. They join up with a band of pirates and have adventures no woman of their time would dream of.

Warnings: They are pirates and they attack ships, steal, and plunder.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

By Rick Yancey

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, Children’s Books, USA

Alfred Kropp, age 15, just doesn’t fit in. He’s too big, too awkward, and extremely unintelligent. At least, that’s what everyone says. He lives with his uncle, Farrell – his only living family he knows of. When a get rich quick scheme is presented, Uncle Farrell will stop at nothing to get the money. This puts Alfred into an extraordinary adventure full of modern day knights, robed men dressed in black, a helicopter strike, a high-speed motorcycle/car attack, mystery, and betrayal. A wonderful adventure story.

Would suggest – for someone who likes action movies and the history of King Arthur.

Warnings: Some swear words, violence, some graphic deaths (heads flying through the air, ect.)