BOOK OF THE DEAD

Scholastic launches its latest multiplatform series, this one steeped in ancient Egyptian magic.

Twelve-year-old Alex Sennefer is blessed with a mother who would risk everything for him, a best friend, Ren (short for Renata), who accepts him just as he is, and an insatiable hunger for anything having to do with ancient Egypt. It’s a good thing that his second home is the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, where his Egyptologist mother is preparing to open a groundbreaking new exhibition. If only his body would hang on long enough for him to see it. A lifetime of illness catches up with him, and he is pronounced dead by his doctors—but then Alex is suddenly pulled from the brink and awakens to discover he is not only alive, but also healthier than ever. Unfortunately, Alex isn’t the only one being given a second chance at life. Almost immediately, he and Ren find themselves in a battle of ancient Egyptian proportions and embroiled in a quest to find his mysteriously missing mother and save the world. Like a preteen Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, Alex and Ren make a compelling duo, and Northrop balances pathos and action effectively to engage readers.

Funny and smart, Alex and Ren are excellent companions for this fast-paced and scorpion-filled ride. (Adventure. 8-12)