Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In a few months, he’s going to die. Jack needs to find seven magic loculi that, when combined, have the power to cure him. One Problem. The loculi are the relics of a lost civilization and haven’t been seen in thousands of years. Because they’re hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. (Goodreads)
Reviewed by Ems - who cannot read enough books
Wow.
That's pretty much how I was left feeling after this book. To
say that it ends on a cliffhanger is a gross understatement. Luckily, it's one that has me jonesing for the next book in the series. Fall 2013 can't come soon
enough!
I had a completely different experience with this book. I chose
it as a classroom read aloud for my fourth graders. The trick to picking a good
read aloud is to get one that's the start of a series and one that will capture
the students and make them demand more. A good read aloud can spark a love of
reading in reluctant readers and get your casual readers to jump into more
books.
This one was PERFECT.
It was really fantastic to read THE COLOSSUS RISES out
loud and see the reactions of my students. To say that they enjoyed it would
also be a gross understatement. They really love being read to, but with this
one, they were begging me to keep going. I think they'd have gone for an
all-day read aloud if we'd been able to swing it. They laughed, they cried (for
real!), they shouted, they jumped out of their chairs...perfect reactions to
this book, in my opinion!
For me, I loved how Peter Lerangis pulled a genius move on us
with the way he ended his chapters. Brilliant. It definitely keeps you coming
back for more. They were absolutely perfect for ending as read alouds too,
because my students were irate that we stopped! They just HAD to know more! A
book that captures the interest of ten year olds like that is pretty darn
awesome.
I loved the story, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that he incorporated
the ancient wonders. See, I'm a huge geek, and the ancient wonders are all over
my geekish radar. I love learning more about them, and I've actually toyed with
the idea of writing a series myself. Well, now I don't need to, because this book
is the start of a fantastic series. I know I couldn't do the wonders any more
justice.
It's fast-paced, very appropriate for tweens, fun, and with
characters that you'll come to love. I'm definitely ordering the next book in
the series, and I may just read this one aloud again. My students will
definitely thank me for it.
Market: Middle Grade
Language: Mild
Sensuality: None
Violence: Moderate
Mature Themes: death, illness,
kidnapping
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