The Forbidden Stone

October 15, 2013
Grades 4-7 Right before Wade's uncle Henry, an astronomy professor in Berlin, meets a suspicious and untimely demise, he sends Wade's dad a coded e-mail. Using an antique star map Uncle Henry gave Wade for his birthday years earlier, Wade and his dad, along with Darrel, Lily, and Becca, unlock the first in long sequence of puzzles, leading them to Berlin, Bologna, Rome, and all around the world. As they dig deeper into the clues, they discover a hidden history of Nicolaus Copernicus, including 12 relics that are protected by guardians who make sure they stay out of the wrong hands. Unfortunately for Wade and his friends, those wrong hands are hot on their tail. Wade and his friends have to use all their smarts to solve the clues in this high-stakes adventure and beat their powerful pursuers to each magical relic. With word games and rebus puzzles to spare, this whirling first entry in a projected six-part series from Abbott (City of the Dead, 2011) has international intrigue, fast-paced action, entertaining characters, and a healthy helping of science history.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Best-selling Abbott is getting the usualsignings, tours, website tie-insbut the kicker is a sweepstakes for a trip to New York City for a real-life scavenger hunt led by the author.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

Starred review from November 1, 2013
Four precocious preteens and a distracted astrophysicist travel to Europe to unravel a mystery that has already claimed several lives. The arrival of a coded email reveals that 12-year-old Wade Kaplan's antique star map is not just a beautiful artifact, but a key. Unfortunately, as Wade, his astrophysicist father and his stepbrother, Darrell, discover, the map is only the first of many clues. The three would-be adventurers are joined by Wade's technophile cousin, Lily, and her bookish friend, Becca. The five follow the clues to Berlin, where Dr. Kaplan discovers that he is the only remaining member of the Asterias, a group run by his murdered mentor. The academic quest quickly becomes deadly as a ruthless group competes for the 12 hidden relics that can save the world and unlock the Copernicus Legacy. Filled with riddles and ciphers, this first of 12 installments will keep readers intellectually stimulated as well as entertained. The stepbrothers' bond, a budding crush and a mystery that plays off of real historical figures and facts make this more than a pedestrian whodunit. With engaging characters, a globe-trotting plot and dangerous villains, it is hard to find something not to like. Equal parts edge-of-your-seat suspense and heartfelt coming-of-age. (Mystery. 8-12)

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December 1, 2013

Gr 5-8- "Find the twelve relics. You are the last." This ominous message in code from his dad's former professor sends Wade Kaplan, his astrophysicist father, stepbrother Darrell, cousin Lily, and her friend Becca on an around-the-globe chase to locate hidden parts of a time-traveling astrolabe built in the 16th century by Copernicus. Fearing that the device would fall into the hands of the evil Knights of the Teutonic Order of Ancient Prussia, the astronomer removed 12 vital parts and scattered them throughout the world, protected by people known only as the Guardians. Now that the Knights have returned to power, they will stop at nothing to find the hidden relics and reactivate the astrolabe. In this first installment in the series, Abbott covers a lot of ground as the rapid-fire plot takes our heroes from Texas to Italy and Guam while establishing the backstories of Copernicus; the Guardians; the Knights; and their beautiful but deadly leader, Galina. The author masterfully pulls all the threads together and creates an engaging thriller enhanced by codes, puzzles, exotic locales, and narrow escapes. Characterization takes a backseat to action, but readers won't mind and will look forward to learning more about the people as the series progresses. However, since the book's title names what type of relic everyone is searching for, readers don't enjoy a big reveal when the questers make that discovery late in the story. Give this to Rick Riordan and Ridley Pearson fans or readers who've aged out of "The 39 Clues" (Scholastic).-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Middle schoolers Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca are embroiled in a mystery after deciphering a coded email. As the Da Vinci Codelite story unfolds, the kids zip around Europe, hunting for clues about a time machine built by Copernicus with bad guys in hot pursuit. Most readers won't mind the credibility-straining escape sequences. Instead, they'll be eagerly awaiting the sequels.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)