by Rachel WildavskyKatie and David’s mom and dad are no ordinary parents. They, along with Mrs. Bowden’s reclusive brother Alex, are the designers of “Rover,” a top-secret spying device recently purchased by the U.S. government. The sale of Rover brings the family a financial windfall, so they are finally able to afford the third child they have always wanted. The kids are thrilled when their parents share that they are adopting a little girl. Baby Theo is from the war-torn, and author-imagined, nation of Katkajan, which is clearly meant to resemble a middle-eastern country. The night before leaving to pick up Theo, the Bowdens introduce Trixie, a Katkajanian nanny who will care for Katie and David while their parents are away. Unfortunately, Trixie’s not a nanny, but a member of a gang of insurgent Katkajanians. Her counterparts in Katkajan kidnap the Bowdens and Theo as soon as they arrive, while the kids become prisoners in their own home. A daring escape leads them to their reclusive uncle Alex in the mountains of Vermont. A breath-taking cat and mouse game follows as the kidnappers pursue them relentlessly, and they fight to save their parents and sister. David and Katie’s relationship is realistically and amusingly portrayed as a sibling rivalry and a friendship. Their smarts and moxie are tempered with just enough rash teenage impulsiveness to make them believable. Fans of Roland Smith’s I.Q series will love this fun, intelligent, political page-turner.
This book won't be out until March 2011, but I can't wait for you guys to get to read it!
