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Operation Red Jericho (The Guild of Specialists, Book 1)

(2005, Fiction - Adventure, Written by Joshua Mowll)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 10.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    A top-notch, old-fashioned, rip-roaring adventure.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 10–12

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The siblings are reflexively disobedient and defiant, often putting themselves and others in extreme danger.
  • Violence:

    Swordfighting, explosions, battles, murder, torture, dead and decaying bodies and body parts, rats and snakes, a pirate who cuts the little fingers off his still-living victims, including two of the characters, and wears them as a necklace.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some drinking and smoking, and opium is mentioned several times: an evil character uses it, and forces his captive to do the same.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Operation Red Jericho (The Guild of Specialists, Book 1)

Parents need to know that, though little is described in graphic detail, the level of violence is pretty high for a children's book. At one point, the children are chained for two days in a cage that floods almost to the top at high tide, and at another they are trapped in a flooding cave filled with rats and snakes. Clearly not for the sensitive child.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the wealth of historical, geographic, scientific, and period detail. Does all this detail make you want to research any particular topic in depth? Famlies can also talk about the behavior of the siblings, who have been kicked out of several schools. Why do you think they behave the way they do?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Arkansas
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Thrilling adventure

    This story is one that is based on real things; it almost seems real that way. There are a few cuss words, but what would you expect from a sailor?? There is also lots of shooting, cutting,, etc. This story is so hard to grasp and give a review on... the plot is so "large" it's hard to sum everything up. The tale tells of two siblings, the Mackenzie kids. Their parents are missing, and so they are forced to live with relatives. Nobody will give them answers about their parents, so they set off to find them themselves. Their journey begins as they are staying with an uncle, who happens to be captain of a ship. Again, secrets are being kept from them, so they snoop a bit and find details of what their uncle and parents are involved in. That's really all I can say, or else I'll spoil the whole epic read. If you think that the book is dragging and boring, don't give up on it -- it's worth the read at the end, for they find companions who change their lives. Something cool about this book is that there are little references every so few pages. They are really interesting and help you to understand the book better.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  3. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 5.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0

    it was great

    This book would be good for a 6-7 grade historical ficton report

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