Stars: 3
Author: Andrew Clements
Format: 142 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up

Summary: This is the latest book by our favorite author, Clements, book one of a trilogy. Ben Pratt is in sixth grade at a school in the northeast coast. The city decided to demolish the seaside school to build an amusement park. However, near the end of the school year, the janitor gets very sick and gives Ben a special coin and tells him that the school must be saved at all costs. When the janitor dies on the same day Ben realizes that he was given a very serious mission, for which he enlists the help of his good friend, whom he is starting to like in a special way.

As big Clement's fans, we are a bit disappointed by this book, then again, we put the man on a very high pedestal. I'd say that this book is still better literature than any of the 39 Clues books. However, the ending leaves a lot to be desired as, simply, there is none. The book is the first of  a trilogy, but still books that are trilogies usually end an adventure of story in some form. A chapter is wasted with details of a sailing race which has seemingly nothing to do with the story (at least up to this point). I also disliked the illustrations.