Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow

by James Rollins (Author)

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Jake Ransom
A "New York Times"-bestselling author delivers his first book for young readers. An artifact found by their parents on the expedition from which they never returned leads Jake Ransom and his sister Kady to a strange world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations.
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Publishers Weekly

This exciting time-travel adventure opens three years after Jake Ransoms archeologist parents have disappeared in the Yucatán, leaving him and his sister, Kady, nothing but their journals and a Mayan coin, broken in half. The siblings receive an invitation to attend an exhibition of Mayan antiquities at the British Museum, and are soon after catapulted into the prehistoric past where ancient Mayans, Romans, Egyptians, Vikings and even Neanderthals have joined together to do battle with the Skull King, a creature so evil that he only appears wrapped in shadows, as if the darkness were scared of what lay hidden at its heart and attempted to hide the horror from the world. Jake, an Indiana Jones in the making, and Kady, a cheerleader who learns to channel her inner Viking, fight the Skull King to a draw, discovering clues about their missing parents. In this series opener, Rollins ("The Last Oracle") presents a wide range of interesting historical information while telling a rollicking good story that should please a wide range of readers and maybe even some of his adult fans. Ages 10 up. (May)

Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9  Eighth-grader Jake and his older sister Kady are invited to the British Museum to view the Mayan treasures their archaeologist parents discovered shortly before their disappearance three years earlier. Jake takes along what is left of their parents' possessions: a field log, a sketch book, and two halves of a gold Mayan coin (worn by the siblings around their necks). At the exhibit, Jake examines a two-foot-tall solid gold pyramid with a round hole in its side. He places the Mayan coin in the slot, which creates an explosion, transporting the siblings to another place and time. Calypsos is a land inhabited by dinosaurs, mythical and fantastical creatures, and people from long-lost civilizations. Upon their arrival, Jake and Kady befriend two teens, Pindor and Marika. Together they must save Calypsos from the banished Skull King who threatens to return and take over the land. The pace of the story is occasionally a little slow, but readers who stick with it will be caught up in the adventure, particularly those who are interested in Mayan culture. The characters are likable, especially Jake and Pindor, who experience the insecurities of most teens. Simple drawings add visual aid to the descriptions of Mayan glyphs and other objects. Unanswered questions surrounding their parents' disappearance and the connection between Jake and the Skull King will have readers eagerly looking for the next installment in the series. - Kelley Siegrist, Farmington Community Library, MI

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780061473791
Lexile Measure
680
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
April 28, 2009
Series
Jake Ransom
BISAC categories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV005000 - Juvenile Fiction | Boys & Men
JUV016020 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Ancient Civilizations
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Brothers and sisters
Adventure and adventurers
Science fiction
Space and time
Antiquities
Prehistoric animals
Archaeology
Mayas
Indians of Central America
Bluebonnet Awards
Nominee 2011 - 2011

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