Saturday, July 23, 2016

Summer Reads: Treasure Hunters: Peril At The Top Of The World


Jimmy Patterson; 384 pages; $14.99; Amazon
With the 100+ degree weather this week, I had some free time to sit down with a cup of coffee and read a good book.
What title did I pick out to read?

Well, I grabbed the recently released Treasure Hunters: Peril At The Top Of The World by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. Yes, I'm well aware the title is a kid's book, but like the other three installments in the series, this one is written for any age group, even adults.

The Treasure Hunter series is told from point-of-view of a twelve-year-old named Bick Kidd, and the illustrations in each book is supposed to be illustrated by his twin sister, Beck. Along with their older siblings Tommy and Storm, the Kidd kids travel around the world in search of their missing treasure hunter parents.

Now reunited with their parents, the Kidd family are on a brand-new adventure in Treasure Hunters: Peril At The Top Of The World. This time they are in Moscow, Russia, where they are investigating the disappearance of several famous painting from the Hermitage Museum. With several clues let behind for them to follow, Dr. Kidd suspects the Enlightened Ones, a secret club who keeps all the worlds treasures for themselves, is responsible for the thefts.

Unfortunately, the Enlightened Ones are always one step ahead, and before long the entire Kidd family is thrown into a Russian prison. Of course they find away to get out, but the damage had been done as their father, Dr. Kidd, had been framed for the crimes.

Separated from their father once again, the Kid family must travel across the world to search for clues that will lead them to the Enlightened Ones.

Final Thoughts: The "Treasure Hunters" franchise has been one of my favorites from James Patterson's kids books, but sadly, the 4th entry has a similar problem that also appeared in another Patterson's title, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning, which the story has an unnecessary side-plot about global warming. I have nothing against the authors wanting to inform young readers about the subject, but the science that is mentioned in this book is completely false. The side-plot takes up the entire middle "act," which is is a bit too long. Plus, it adds nothing to the story, aside from a side-trip the Kid family takes to the North Pole.

The rest of the book involving the Enlightened Ones plot is a great read with plenty of action and humor to keep kids entertained. The illustrations by Juliana Neufeld are done really well; adding a bit of sparkle to the narration.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Treasure Hunters: Peril At The Top Of The World. As a whole, the book is decent read, but then again, the "global warming" plot was uncalled for and felt forced upon the reader. While I'm only going to give the book 3 out of 5, I'm still going to recommend the title to others; like I already said, there is plenty of humor as well as a few twists and turns to keep the reader interested.

Note: Make sure to keep an eye out for the "gag" about Mr. Patterson's I Funny series.



*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

About the Contest: At the very back of the book, you will find rules to James Patterson Presents: The Treasure Hunters Secret Hideout Contest. To enter the contest, the reader must solve a puzzle using the codes that are provided at the end of the book. Additionally, you must invent your own original clue (25 words or less) describing the museum-related secret base location, and include the answer to it.

Submit your response to your puzzle and the clue/answer at: middleschoolbook.com/treasurehunt

The contest will run through October 4, 2016. Judges will choose the most clever, creative, and humorous entry (correctly spelled!), and the winner will receive a treasure of $10,000. Happy hunting! 

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