Operation Red Jericho: The Guild Specialists Book 1 (The Guild of Specialists) (Hardcover)

by Joshua Mowll (Author), Niroot Puttapipat (Illustrator), Julek Heller (Illustrator), Benjamin Mowll (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Excerpts from 15-year-old Becca's diary interspersed with third-person narrative combine to produce a tale of high adventure, intrigue, and science fiction along the China coast in 1920. Following their parents' mysterious disappearance in the remote Sinkiang region, Becca and her younger brother, Doug, are sent from their home in India to live with their sea-captain uncle, whose research vessel they board in Shanghai. Through their inquisitiveness and spying, they learn of a secret society that may have had something to do with their parents' fate and of a very volatile substance called zoridium that their uncle is trying to retrieve from an evil warlord. Their curiosity leads to their capture and captivity on his island fortress–the site of a rousing showdown that sets the stage for the second volume in this trilogy. Memorable, over-the-top characters and an often unbelievable plot are united with fascinating sidebars and graphics, such as short biographies of people like Bohr and Einstein, archival photographs of old Shanghai, vintage newspaper clippings, a chart of the Morse code, diagrams of inventions, or Doug's sketches of the action scenes. Several confidential full-color pull-outs provide detailed descriptions of the various vessels and of an ancient fighting order, the Sujing Quantou. Some readers may pore over the details in this novel; others will simply appreciate the comic adventure.–Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 8--11. The first book of the Guild Trilogy quickly and deftly plunges readers into an exotic corner of the first quarter of the twentieth century. Teenage siblings Rebecca and Douglas run through a series of adventures in a submarine, on the streets of Shanghai, and among pirates. They are bold, inquisitive, and creative, and they leave behind for readers'inspection numerous documents of their adventures, including Becca's diary, Doug's sketches, and such visual artifacts as maps and photos. First-time novelist Mowll spins a heady yarn, and his characters have some distinctive traits: Doug's speech, for example, is peppered with the term lethal. The reproductions, which are highly detailed, look suitably authentic and will have great appeal for readers who thrive on schematics and puzzles. By the end of the story, Becca and Doug have survived a variety of terrifying exploits and are still in search of their missing parents. A sequel will find a ready audience. Francisca Goldsmith
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Har/Map edition (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763626341
• ISBN-13: 978-0763626341
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,294 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #22 in

  Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Exploration & Discoveries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An AMAZING Book, Textually and Pictorially, August 18, 2005

By	K. Forrest "mre13" (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is possibly the best read I have had this year! Not only has Joshua Mowll created an amazing story (which harkens back to the old-time radio programs such as Jack Armstrong, Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police or The Air Adventures of Jimmy Allen), the design of the book, the fold-out illustrations, the internal illustrations are nothing short of beautiful, fascinating and inspiring, to say the very least. The story, a tale of a sister and brother who begin their adventure in the 1920s Far East, is fast-paced, action-oriented, wonderfully structured, and just 'plain fun' to read, and follows their journey with an uncle (a mysterious ship's captain) they have been shunted to while their parents have gone missing in Sinkiang region of China. The uncle, apparently the member of a secret society, leads them from one cliffhanging situation to another, and leaves the reader wanting and needing more. This is, apparently, the first of a trilogy. I've already read the story three times, and cannot get enough. And while you may find this novel in the Young Adult section of most bookstores, any adult would enjoy this fictional ride. Cheers to Mr. Mowll for this inventive book, creative style, and originally mysterious plot!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Operation GREAT !!, October 13, 2005

By	Frank Sauermann (Edwardsville, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a great read! It is fast paced and full of excitement! The book also contains great illustrations and foldouts full of diagrams and maps that greatly enhance the book. While it is true that it is a book for children, anyone who enjoys a great adventure story in the style on a Indiana Jones movie will love this book!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read., August 29, 2005

By	Randall Richmond (Santa Rosa, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Marketed as a Young Adult novel, this might not be read my many adults, and that is too bad. It is an excellent book, and one that made me realize just how much I still enjoy reading adventure novels. Very few "novels for adults" contain this much pure fun. I'd rank this up there with Kenneth Opell's AIRBORN.