LUCY & JAMES: The Shanghai Six is book one of a series dealing with the plight of vanishing species around the globe. Thirteen-year-olds Lucy and James meet by chance on the Star Ferry in Hong Kong, where they are both headed to The World Academy on nearby Lantau Island. But the real adventure lies ahead in their adrenaline-fueled chase through China to save six plowshare tortoises from ending up on the menu of a fancy restaurant in Shanghai. The devotion of the main characters is at the forefront of the storyline. Lucy, an introverted, gutsy New Yorker, lives to save endangered species from extinction, while James, a hyperactive San Franciscan, exists entirely for physical thrills but has been searching for something more meaningful to believe in, and knows Lucy is the key. This unlikely pair forge an unshakeable bond as they face life or death situations in a nearly impossible quest. Minor characters are woven into the action: Townes, Lucy's best friend and 'go-to tech guy' in New York, tracks the ship carrying illegal cargo; Madame Te (aka The Grey Ghost), a teacher who is also a master in martial arts, shadows them through the perils of their adventure; Danko, a terrifying but deeply flawed 'bad guy' sent to go after them - all the way to the Terracotta Army pits in Xian - to a final heart-stopping showdown. With thirty-two hyper-realistic illustrations by acclaimed fine artist Gwen Manfrin. For young readers, ages 9-14. Appropriate for MG and YA as well.