The Secret Box - Hardcover

Ringwald, Whitaker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062216147 ISBN 13: 9780062216144

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2014

Synopsis

The Secret Box is a Junior Library Guild selection and the first in an irresistible middle grade series that will delight fans of Dan Gutman, Wendy Mass, and Trenton Lee Stewart.

What starts as a fun quest to open a mysterious birthday present quickly turns crazy and dangerous when Jax and her cousin Ethan discover themselves at the center of a special magical legacy. Soon they realize the secret box was not intended as a gift, but as call for help that they alone can answer.

Readers will love the page-turning mystery, hilarious girl and boy narrators, and clever incorporation of mythology—and lingering questions will leave them eager for more.

About this title

About the Author

Before becoming an author, Whitaker Ringwald was certified as World's Greatest Snowball Maker and developed a nonstick peanut butter formula in conjunction with lauded Ig Nobel scientists. Whitaker spends six months of every year in a deep sea submersible trying to film live footage of giant squids. But giant squids are hard to come by, so that's where Whitaker gets a lot of writing done.

From the Back Cover

It looked like an ordinary package.

On her twelfth birthday, Jax Malone receives a surprise gift from her great-aunt Juniper: a mysterious locked box that will only open in one location. If Jax's mom hadn't freaked out and tried to return it, Jax wouldn't have paid much attention. She would have assumed it was just another boring present to add to the most boring, un-magical birthday ever.

Instead, Jax decides she must open the box—whatever it takes. So she recruits her reluctant cousin Ethan and together they trick Ethan's obnoxious older brother, Tyler, into helping them find the site where the box will open.

But what starts as a fun adventure quickly turns crazy, even dangerous, when Jax, Ethan, and Tyler discover themselves at the center of a mysterious family legacy—and learn that the box was not intended as a gift, but as a call for help. . . .

Reviews

Gr 5–8—Jax Malone is a 12-year-old tomboy with a thirst for adventure and an inquisitive mind. Ethan is her younger, quieter, nerdy cousin who is just along for the ride. When a mysterious gift appears on Jax's 12th birthday, Jax's mother quickly tries to hide it. What happens next is a string of events that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Great Aunt Juniper sent the box, a great aunt Jax didn't even know existed. After a few failed attempts at opening it, Jax and Ethan enlist the help of Ethan's older brother Tyler, a gamer who loves to win at anything, and a wild, crazy and even dangerous road trip adventure begins. Jax and her cousins quickly find out that the box was not really a present after all but a call for help. Ringwald creates a cast of characters that are relatable to any middle-grade child; Jax could be any smart, sassy tween in any school. The chapters are told in alternating voices between Jax and Ethan, using both points of view. Ethan's chapter even starts with fun real facts. This is a great read for reluctant readers or for anyone who loves adventure, mystery, or a touch of magic or who is curious in nature, for, as Jax says… "Curiosity may have killed the cat but I was no cat."—Joanne Albano, Commack Public Library, NY

A mysteriously sealed birthday present, family secrets, and a dangerous relic from Greek mythology are the ingredients for this middle-grade series opener. In spite of her mother’s efforts to return the intriguing gift, 12-year-old Jax Malone retrieves it, and with cousins Ethan and Tyler, she sets off on a quest to open it that leads them to Washington, D.C., where they meet a dangerous pair of thieving archaeologists and an estranged great-aunt. Though this is mainly the story of Jax’s obsession with the box and her curiosity about her anonymous father and previously unknown relative, the first-person narrative alternates among the protagonists: frizzy-haired Jax, the impulsive leader; introverted Ethan, always her sidekick; and his obnoxious video game–making older brother, Tyler. Description and characterization are accomplished through shortcuts, but the action is fast-paced and the suspense is real: Jax doesn’t hesitate at burglary, and Mr. and Mrs. Camel have actual guns. Though the story is complete, there are tantalizing loose ends from this equally mysterious pseudonymous author. Grades 4-7. --Kathleen Isaacs

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062216147
• ISBN 13: 9780062216144
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 297