Many books have claimed to be The Da Vinci Code for kids, but this is the first book that I’ve read that comes close. That’s partly because the city, Rome, plays as important a role as anything else in the book, but also because of the intellectual background to the mystery at its center. The author introduces the cult of Mithra, the writings of Seneca, and a lot of the history of Rome without ever overwhelming the story with detail.
Through a strange coincidence, the four main characters end up staying in the same small Pensione in Rome as the year comes to a close. Forced to room together, they discover another coincidence: they all share the same birthday (and Leap Day, no less). The weirdness continues when a stranger gives them a briefcase full of mysterious artifacts. When the stranger shows up dead the next day, the four kids embark on a dangerous adventure to find the Ring of Fire and keep it out of the hands of “them” (I loved that that’s how the kids refer to the bad guys because they never quite figure out who they are).
There will be a book for each main character, set in their various home towns (New York, Paris, and Shanghai are forthcoming). It’s the start of a fun, escapist ride (like The Da Vinci Code again) for 9 to 12 year-olds. ~ Lillian