BOOK SCAVENGER by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is a middle grades adventure filled with quests, clues, and ciphers.
When Emily stumbles upon a strange copy of The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe, she teams up with cipher-solving neighbor James to solve a mystery. However when the pair find themselves tailed by two thugs, they realize their quest has become much more than a book scavenger game.
The author did a stellar job weaving codes and ciphers into the storyline. Although adults will quickly figure out the mystery, youth are likely to be on the edge-of-their-seats until the last couple chapters.
Librarians will find a broad audience for this fast-paced suspense. Use this book as the focus of a display containing both fiction and nonfiction books focusing on treasure hunts, games, codes, and geocaching.
What makes this book particularly fun is the transmedia element. The Book Scavenger game is real and youth can participate by hiding and finding books.
To learn more about the game go to the Book Scavenger website at http://bookscavenger.com/.
To learn more about the author, go to http://www.jenniferchamblissbertman.com/.
Published by Henry Holt on June 2, 2015.
