Series Review: The Magnificent 12, by Michael Grant

Okay, it may be a bit of a stretch to call this a series review when the first book, The Call, isn't due out for another month. But we love it! Think The Grey Griffiths, or Percy Jackson, for slightly younger readers - but just as enjoyable for adults. From the back cover (ARC):

"Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a severe case of mediumness...And then, one day, a three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, whatever that is. An evil force is on its way, and Mack must track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. But Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?"

Of course, Mack doesn't have much of a choice in the matter, what with the poison snakes and the golem. His story is told alongside that of Grimluk's sad tale. Geico's cavemen may not be happy with those parts - much is made of the fact that 12 had recently been discovered as an astronomical number beyond most people's comprehension. (Btw, try plugging the words "So simple even a cave man can do it" into your favorite search engine. Talk about capitalizing off someone else's advertising!) This is definitely more lighthearted than The Grey Griffiths series, and contains plenty of humorous situations and one-liners to keep even your most reluctant readers chuckling. We can't wait to read the next in the series! Click on the link above to reserve your copy now, or stop by your local library to make double-triple sure they have it on order. We give it an easy

5 out of 5.