Monday, May 1, 2017

Vanished (Book #2) by James Ponti -ADVISABLE

Ponti, James Vanished (Book #2)  372 pgs. Aladdin, 2017. $16.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: G
Florian and Margaret work for the FBI. In their newest case, they must find the culprit committing pranks at a middle school. Considering the case’s they have helped with in the first book (and some in-between apparently), their newest case may seem a bit silly, but it is the school where the President of the United States daughter attends. Florian and Margaret get to work using Florian’s method of T.O.A.S.T, which helps them to notice the little details around them. Just when they think they are closing in, a new friend goes missing, and they are determined to find him.
I was excited to read the continuing adventures of Florian and Margaret! Their adventures are multi-faceted with lots of sub-plots, as well as twists and turns, which helps to draw the reader into the story. The friendship is very close now, to the point of being either a crush or cringe-worthy (for elementary aged readers). It is implied that they solved some cases between the first and second book, which at first made me feel confused, like a missed a book in the series, then disconnected because I had obviously missed so much. Due to the length of the book and complexity of plot, I recommend this book for middle school. Sorry James, but the covers are still atrocious and I cannot get your fans of Dead City to give this new series a chance. I understand you do not get to pick the art. I am here to let your publisher know that cover art is important for younger readers, they have a difficult time not judging a book by its cover (even with lessons from school librarians). I cannot image why the publisher would want book sales to suffer by choosing low budget artwork for such a talented author. MS -ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author. 

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