Never Say Genius

Gr 4–6—This sequel to Mission Unstoppable (HarperCollins, 2011) picks up right in the middle of the McDonald family road trip, but knowledge of that book is not essential as the narrator breathlessly recounts its highlights. It isn't long before the 13-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi find themselves in hot, er, oil. Yes. Even though they thought they dispatched the evil Dr. Warsaw in the last go-round, it seems that a new evil mastermind is pursuing them—Archie Clone, a kid genius with a penchant for hats and a resemblance to Archie of comic-book fame. As the family zigzags across the eastern half of the country en route to Washington, DC, they stop at a variety of oddball roadside attractions, where, if the twins don't find themselves in immediate peril, they find mysterious ciphers that need decoding. The various stops are real places, such as the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin and Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. Text boxes give instructions for finding the McDonalds' route in Google Maps, and black-and-white photographs and illustrations of the codes are included. Kids will appreciate the book for its nonstop action and goofball humor; character development is weak. Coke and Pepsi have the most clueless parents ever and the villains are strictly laughable. Buy for reluctant readers wanting something fast, or for fans of "The 39 Clues" (Scholastic).—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ