The Eye of Midnight

Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old cousins, sent away by their parents to the Jersey Shore during the summer of 1929, find themselves alone in their grandfather's huge, seemingly boring mansion. Though the novel's scenery, dress, and vocabulary are all historically accurate, the plot takes an adventurous and mysterious turn into the fantastical. With the ring of the doorbell and delivery of a message, boredom disappears for straitlaced Maxine ("M") and trouble-making Will as they are whisked away by their secretive grandfather Colonel Battersea to New York City, where he is suddenly kidnapped from the train station. They find themselves alone, again, this time in the streets of an unknown city following the instructions of an enigmatic telegram. Joining ranks with Nura, a Turkish girl tasked with delivering the powerful Eye of Midnight to Colonel Battersea (and, unbeknownst to them, their cousin), the children find themselves captured by gangsters and escaping to the literal underbelly of the city to face the evil Rafiq, a member of the Hashashin, an organization of killers who want to take over the world. In a desperate and brave attempt, the children must save their grandfather and the Eye of Midnight, though the consequences may be grave. The adventure is not complete by book's end, and the scene is set for another installment to take place across the sea. Reminiscent of "Indiana Jones" films, with the dapper Colonel Battersea being more than he seems and evil secret societies pursuing a powerful historical object, this danger-filled novel offers fast-paced action. In addition, M and Will grow as characters as they find out what they are capable of and the part they play in their family's history. Readers of R.L. LaFevers's "Theodosia Throckmorton" series (HMH) as well as lovers of the Rick Riordan books will enjoy this.