This delightful book targets junior high age readers, but it’s a treat for all ages… a magical fantasy that will make your heart dance then break then dance again. For lovers of Harry Potter, Jagger Jones is a natural. –The Cat That Reads Blog Jagger Jones is a whiz kid from Chicago’s South Side. Ask him anything about Ancient Egypt, and Jagger can fill hours describing all that he knows.

But when he and his precocious little sister Aria fall more than three thousand years back in time to the court of Amarna, Egypt, Jagger discovers a truth that rocks his world: books don’t teach you everything there is to know. Mummies, pyramids, and cool hieroglyphics make awesome movie props, but the ancient court of Amarna is full of over-sized scorpions, magical amulets, and evil deities determined to scare unwanted visitors away.

If Jagger and Aria are to return safely home, they must find nine soul-infested gemstones, defeat an evil general, save the royal family, and figure out how to rescue themselves! Armed only with Jagger’s knowledge of history and a few modern objects mined from his pockets and Aria’s sparkly purse, the siblings have exactly one week to solve supernatural riddles and rescue the royal family. If they can pull it off, Jagger Jones just might return to Chicago a hero.

Includes a discussion guide for middle school readers.

This book would make a great classroom read aloud or book club selection, and since it’s the first of a planned trilogy, there’s more to look forward to. I, for one, can’t wait! –Kristin Thorsness, author of The Wicked Tree