The Missing

Gr 3–5—The Troubletwisters are back and the stakes are higher than they've ever been for twins Jack and Jaide. The Evil is threatening not just Portland but the whole world. The twins haven't even passed their tests to become Wardens yet, but they must join the battle against The Evil while the current Wardens are divided as to how to meet this terrible challenge. Grandma X turns out to have a much more significant role than they ever imagined, as does a long-lost relative. The twins are separated for much of the book, leading them to develop their strengths individually. Unfortunately, while one might expect this episode in the series to start with a bang, it takes quite a while to get moving and may put off reluctant readers who have stuck with the series up until now. Narrator Stanley McGeagh also falls off a bit; his foreign accents all sound the same in this recording. Still, he voices the twins as real individuals, and does an excellent job with the cats. While the book seems predominantly to tell and not show, it will be likely be popular with fans of the series and of Rick Riordan.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Library, CA