Blog tour: "The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter" & Character Interview

I am very excited to share with you an exciting Middle Grade Book that I just had the pleasure to read.

When you  like the book it is fun to be a part of a blog tour and I loved getting to know the characters in "The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter" by Frank L. Cole.  I am very glad that I get to know my two favorite characters from the book a bit better.  My favorite is actually Trendon, I think you will be able to see why.

So without further delay - here is the interview with Trendon and Amber

Amber and Trendon what makes Ms. Holcomb such a compelling teacher?

Amber - I just love her passion and excitement. She has so much hands on experience. Assignments are never boring and she values our opinion. 

 Trendon - She's cool except when she sings those stupid jingles. Plus she's a real space cadet and she has no clue when I'm playing on my phone. 

Amber - Trendon, you don't really think she's a space cadet! And everyone knows when you're playing on your phone. It's not like you can be sly or anything.

  Trendon, we know Amber's Point of View when you rescued her form the fire.  How would you describe it? 

Geez, that door had to be made of steel. I don't know, I really wasn't that worried at first. I mean come on, Amber tends to blow things out of proportion. But then when I saw the fire, I realized it was pretty bad. Half the room was gone and Amber had these crazy eyes. Freaked me out a little.

  Amber, you are a 14 year old student, how did you feel when you were selected to keep an ancient artifact from a group of "bad guys"? 

I knew Ms. Holcomb would never put us in danger unless it was absolutely necessary. I was definitely afraid, but also glad she could trust us.
 Ok you two, you have lived through some horrifying and dangerous situations.  Where did you find the courage to keep going? 

Two words: caffeine and red rope licorice.

That’s five words and you’re just showing off. I think we were both really scared, but I knew we couldn’t give up and let Dorothy just stay in that cell forever… or worse. Trendon’s jokes also kept things light and helped to keep me focused.

(Long awkward pause)

Trendon, it’s your turn.

Didn’t I already answer? I said red rope licorice.

   Now that you both have had an adventure and travelled to distant countries, has it helped you determine what you plan to do in your future?

I think so. After I finish school at Roland & Tesh, I’m going to try to enroll at La Trobe University in Australia. That’s where Dorothy earned her Masters Degree and it’s supposed to be the best school for studying field archaeology. After what we’ve been through, it will probably seem low key.

How far in the future are we talking? Because planning ahead hurts my brain. I’m thinking in 16 months I’m getting my drivers license and then… when do we get lunch?

Thank you Amber and Trendon for taking the time to let us get to know you better!  Also, thank you Mr. Cole for being the voice behind them.

Now for my review of the book:

 The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank L. Cole

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description from Goodreads:
Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. This guaranteed page-turner from the bestselling author  Hashbrown Winters series is perfect for the adventurer in your family.

My thoughts:
This is an adventure book that both girls and boys will love. Amber is a 14 year old girl who loves her extracurricular archaeology class. It is taught by the vibrant Ms. Holcomb, who prefers to be called Dorothy.

Dorothy takes Amber to a museum and tells her that she is leaving for a while and gives her an antique necklace. Then a few weeks later a mysterious letter is sent to Amber, Trendon, Joseph, and Lisa. They begin to unravel the clues in the letters and figure out that Dorothy is in trouble.

Suddenly the kids are being chased by "bad guys" who want the clues in the letters. The kids find themselves on an adventure trying to keep an ancient artifact out of the hands of the men chasing them. One child meets with an accident and one is not who he/she appears to be. They travel from the US to Turkey and then find themselves in the Philippines.

The kids must unravel the clues and save the world from the evil that seeks to take it over.

I loved this book.  It was fun to read.  I know that my kids will love it.  It is full of adventure and kids facing adventures that are definitely part of everyday life.  I found that the writing style was perfect for the target audience.  There was not content that was inappropriate.  I feel very comfortable in recommending this book to all age groups and audiences.  I hope that there will be more adventures published from this brave group of kids.

Many thanks to Cedar Fort and Netgalley for making a galley available on NetGalley.  That is where I obtained the copy that I read.

I just thought I would add a note, that I have purchased a hard copy of the book for my kids to read.  It is the kind of book that I look for to share with my kids.  (Don't tell them though, my daughter is getting it for Easter. ;0) I don't think she regularly reads my posts.  Let's hope she waits until Sunday to see this one!)