Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario

Baccalario, P.D. Ring of Fire (Century quartet #1), 291 p. Random, 2009. Content PG (5 swears, some violence). By provident chance, four young people, all born on February 29, find themselves together in a hotel in Rome on December 29th. That night, a blackout sends the children, 12, into the strets, where they encounter a man who hands them a briefcase. The next morning, they discover that the man is dead – murdered. With just the contents of the briefcase as their clues, the four must piece together a puzzle that could affect the future of the entire world. Before they are finished, they will find a connection with ancient heroes who have all traveled their same path. Students who enjoyed Chasing Vermeer will also enjoy this puzzle novel; the kids are extremely likable (I get tired of precocious tweens who are not as smart as they think they are) – and they need each other to find the answers. EL, MS – ADVISABLE.