Celtic Run [Paperback]

Sean Vogel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2012

Silver Medal: IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, Young Reader: Fiction (8-12 Years)
Gold Recipient:The Mom's Choice Awards®
Winner: The Global eBook Awards

Jake, a 14-year-old gadget whiz, didn't plan on a summer full of treasure, thieves, and danger. He just got lucky. While in Ireland on a class trip, Jake stumbles upon the first clue to a treasure missing from the Spanish Armada. Jake sees the riches as his chance to buy back the family sailboat and restore a piece of the life he enjoyed before his father was critically injured in an accident. Desperate to find the treasure, Jake teams up with Zach, his nemesis and class bully, and two girls in a clue-hunting chase across the Dingle Peninsula. Dodging would-be thieves, exchanging wisecracks with Zach, and concocting ingenious devices to get them out of scrapes, Jake leads the team as they connect piece after piece to the more than 400-year-old mystery.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: MB Publishing, LLC (April 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096241669X
• ISBN-13: 978-0962416699
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,299,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Romance, danger, intrigue, and personality clashes between peers--all make Celtic Run a vivid coming-of-age novel, drawing direct connections between life's changes, strife, and the process of maturity. Teens--and many an adult--will find Celtic Run a vivid, memorable adventure story."
Diane Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.

About the Author

Growing up in a small town in Michigan during the 1980s, Sean Vogel was provided with an excellent garden for cultivating his writing career. With only a few simplistic video games and three television channels, he became an accomplished daydreamer and a creative outside adventurer. A son of a garbage truck driver, Sean often received "gently used" items from his father's route. With a bit of imagination and a little tinkering, these items were reborn as tools for battles against backyard bandits. These childhood experiences would later serve as the foundation and inspiration for Jake McGreevy's gadgetry expertise. Seeking his own adventures, Sean joined the Army via an ROTC scholarship at Colorado State University. Living in Germany for several years gave him the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe. During his time in the Army, he served in the Field Artillery and Signal Corp, rising to the rank of Captain and receiving the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. Sean started drafting novels to fill down time during long deployments in the military; a pen is easier to carry than a guitar. But he soon fell in love with the frustrating yet satisfying science called writing and has been hard at work ever since. When he's not helping Jake get out of tangles, Sean is a department manager for a large aerospace company. He lives in Denver with his wife and daughter and their two dachshunds.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: MB Publishing, LLC (April 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096241669X
• ISBN-13: 978-0962416699
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,299,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sean Vogel
Growing up in a small town in Michigan during the 1980s, Sean was provided with an excellent garden for cultivating his writing career. With only a few simplistic video games and three television channels, he became an accomplished daydreamer and a creative outside adventurer.

A son of a garbage truck driver, Sean often received "gently used" items from his father's route. With a bit of imagination and a little tinkering, these items were reborn as tools for battles against backyard bandits. These childhood experiences would later serve as the foundation and inspiration for Jake McGreevy's gadgetry expertise.

Seeking his own adventures, Sean joined the Army via an ROTC scholarship at Colorado State University. Living in Germany for several years gave him the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe. During his time in the Army, he served in the Field Artillery and Signal Corp, rising to the rank of Captain and receiving the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq.

Sean started drafting novels to fill downtime during long deployments in the military; a pen is easier to carry than a guitar. But he soon fell in love with the frustrating yet satisfying science called writing and has been hard at work ever since.

When he's not helping Jake get out of tangles, Sean is a department manager for a large aerospace company. He lives in Denver with his wife, daughter, and their two dachshunds.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Characters, Well-Plotted, Cheerful, High Energy Adventure August 29, 2012

By Pop Bop TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

This book starts slowly. We have our hero, who feels a bit sorry for himself. A girl he likes, who sees him as a friend. And then we have a smart-mouth, jock, bully who is that girl's official boyfriend. All three are going to spend a summer abroad in Ireland. The first chapter consists mostly of the jock bullying our hero, our hero doing sneaky things to aggravate the bully, and the girl being oblivious to what's going on around her. I don't know why most middle grade books, be they fantasy, mystery, adventure or problem-themed, have to have a stick figure bully figuring so prominently in them. Luckily, our author, like many current authors, tires of the bully angle fairly early, and so while the jock/bully doesn't go away, he is at least toned way down.

And this opens up the field for everything else about this book that is so good. Our hero develops a backbone. A mini-romance starts with the girl who is part of his host family. The setting in Ireland is described very well, and the feel is a lot more authentic than what you generally get in adult mysteries and romances that are supposedly set in Ireland. Secondary characters develop and add a great deal of variety to the narrative.

Then the mystery/adventure starts and the treasure hunt takes off. The clues are pretty simple, but there are a number of creative and surprising touches. And, of course, we have to run all around the Irish countryside, which isn't a bad thing. Toward the end it all gets a little frantic and over-the-top action/adventurish, but that's O.K. - this isn't after all a dry police procedural and it is for middle graders.

And, as we sneak around empty museums and abandoned churches and secret passages and all of that fun stuff, the characters actually become more engaging.... Lots of times an author becomes so focused on the action that he just sort of moves the characters around like little cardboard pieces. Here, the action actually brings out interesting or amusing or charming aspects of the characters, which keeps you involved even if the action gets a bit over the top.

So, a very satisfying effort, with strong male and female characters, and just a lot of across the board appeal.

Please note that I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a frank review. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read! July 18, 2012

By Sandra K. Stiles

Format:Paperback

I seldom read books twice unless a long period of time has passed. I read this book twice to make sure I had not missed anything. I don't know if it is my desire to one day visit Ireland, my love of all things Irish, all coupled with characters that were very believable that made this such a wonderful book to read. I was with them throughout their adventures. I loved the way they had to go from one clue, and research different parts of the island to find what they were looking for. I loved the way that Jake became more mature and assertive as time went on. I really enjoyed the way he could come up with gadgets to help them out. Once scene came to life in my mind that I could see Maggie dancing and hear the music in my head. Maybe it is because my daughter did Irish dance for a couple of years. I have a small collection Irish music. Books like this make me want to research my family to see where we come from. I know my great-grandfather and two of his brother's came from Ireland and settled along the Ohio River. That is all I know at this point. I will definitely recommend this book to my students. I see this is the first in a series so I look forward to seeing what other adventures Jake will get himself into.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Good Run Is Better than a Bad Stand" December 22, 2012

By fredtownward VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is the best juvenile adventure book I've ever read, and I'm speaking as someone who has read and collected juvenile adventure books all of my life! Mr. Vogel CONTINUALLY surprised me with the direction the story went in, invariably producing something other than what I was expecting, but the resulting change was always an improvement over what I was expecting. I'm not sure how he turns this into a series given the events of the Epilogue, but I can't wait to see the movie!

14-year-old Jake McGreevy, violinist and something of a Boy MacGyver thanks to his part time job at a home security shop, his childhood crush gymnast Julie, and his worst enemy and Julie's insufferable football playing jock boyfriend Zachary "Zach" Maguire, are intending to spend the summer in Ireland as part of a "Trace Your Heritage" school trip. But what they don't know yet is that they, along with the daughter of Jake's sponsors, 15-year-old Maggie O'Connell, are actually going to be trying to solve a 400-year-old mystery dating from the Spanish Armada...

before it is solved by some murderous thugs willing to kill every one of them to get the supposed treasure. Mr. Vogel keeps the action going nonstop from a hilariously MacGyver-style prank on the plane going over, an insanely brave rescue that starts the treasure hunt, and Jake's unexpected first introduction to the game of rugby... as a player, then on to the increasingly lethal encounters with their vicious rivals as the fearless four try to get along, track down and decipher the clues, and keep one Irish dance step ahead.

A magnificent achievement, not to mention an excellent travelogue!... If there IS a sequel, I'll be reading it, if there is a movie version, I'll be watching it, and if opportunity arises to visit the Dingle Peninsula, I'm going!

Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley in return for agreeing to review it. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An adventurous lesson in Ireland about family September 7, 2012

By K. D. Davie

Format:Paperback

Review source: MB Publishing

An adventure for young adults.

The Story
Jake's class is spending the summer in Ireland and his dad insisted he go. Learn about his ancestors. But, a freak accident ends with Jake in possession of a clue to a treasure and he, Maggie, Julie, and Zach are hot on the trail as they explore Ireland and its own particular treasures, foiling crooks along the way.

What a way to learn about Ireland!

My Take
This was great! I enjoyed this bright and lively adventurous tale very much. Vogel creates a nice homey feel with some telling insights for Jake on family and what is truly important. The images at each chapter start were rather fun---a good clue as to what the topic of each chapter was about! Gorgeous pictures both fore and aft of the story as well.

There were a few odd hiccups in the story, but nothing to spoil this adventure! Being a gadget-nut myself, I crowed with delight at all of Jake's handy inventions! Too much fun!

I could wish that Vogel had emphasized that family was more important than things a little more intensively, but, hey, it's an adventure not a tale of morality.

Events certainly did fulfill Julie's intentions of regarding the boys!

I get the impression that Vogel has a series planned around Jake McGreevy. At least I hope so as I'm looking forward to reading more of Jake's adventures!

The Characters
Jake McGreevy is a mischievous 14-year-old quite willing to sneakily pay Zach back for his bullying. Still depressed over his dad's selling their sailboat to pay the medical bills, he's obsessed with figuring out how to get it back. It's the only way he and his dad can be together again, he thinks.

Gerald and Mrs.... O'Connell and their daughter Maggie who is 15 are Jake's host family in Ireland. Mrs. O'Connell manages a pub in Dingle and the unemployed Mr. O'Connell is mysteriously busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maggie won in a competition for stepdancing, but had to give it up when her father lost his job.

Julie grew up with Jake, but is Zach's girlfriend. A fact that Jake hates as he's in love with her himself. Zachary Maguire is the class bully and never fails to pick on Jake. He dreams of writing, but is, instead, resigned to his father's dreams.

The Colonel turns out to be Jake's great-uncle with friends in high places. Evan is a skinny guy with glasses and pointy nose. So is Constable Fritz. Malic is one of the crooks. Shamus is the museum curator.

The Cover
It's a bit odd and busy. It's a collage with, I'm guessing, the textured green representing the Irish coast, the parchment colored block underneath with its coffee-brown representation of the British Isles is a metaphor for a map, and the ruby is the initial and final clue.

The title is all about Jake's rush for the rescue for a Celtic Run is better than a bad stand. Read more ›