When I was a kid, I was the consummate quiet, bookish child. I’d spend recess in the school library or stay late after school to sit in the shade of the trees on the school property where I could read in the peace and quiet that was blissfully sibling-free. (I have a few meddlesome siblings who like to tease me by stealing my books for hiding or losing my place).
It was in those moments as a grade-school kid that I first developed an intense love for an adventure story. Growing up in a rural area, many of the days passed in what can be reasonably be assumed was “adventure-free.” I devoured the Nancy Drew books, then The Hardy Boys.
Later, I’d get sucked into Huckleberry Finn or those silly choose your own adventure books. (Please don’t judge me…I was a still developing tastes! If there was a cereal box available, I read that, too.) Years after that, I couldn’t get enough of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.
If, like me, you or your child has a drive towards tales of adventure, you’re really in for a treat. One of the more popular writers of children’s adventure books recently released the third book in the Kane Series, the darkly titled book, “The Serpent’s Shadow.”
In this latest tale of the escapades of primary characters Carter and Katie Cane, the living members of a long line of powerful Egyptian magicians, get to enjoy all of the challenges and heroic antics the duo tackle. Kids will love reading up on these modern magicians as they continue to fight against the Egyptian gods, wretched monstrosities and even rival wizards who are set on disrupting everything convenient in the contemporary world.
Most kids have had the opportunity to see the book-based film “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” so if you’re child hasn’t had the opportunity to read any of the series, there’s a good chance they’ve seen that film (and likely loved it) and will naturally be inclined to pick up a book by a the same writer. If they do, you might want to snuggle up next to them for a peek-over-the-shoulder read.
Even if you happen to be reading from the safety of a shady tree, Riordan’s books are just magical enough to make you believe you’ve become part of the story line. And, yes, you should stop hoarding the book and give it back to your child once you’re done.
Just released at the beginning of the year, Rick Riordan’s “The Serpent’s Shadow” has a ton of buzz about it so far. Riodan is the author of the uber-popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles and the Heroes of Olympus, and with millions of books in print, he is a New York Times best-selling author.
