 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Akhenaten Adventure: Children of the Lamp, Book 1
- By P. B. Kerr
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Twins discover they're djinn.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that an unnecessary prominence given to smoking is surprising, as is the rather positive attitude toward it taken by the author.
What's the story?
When wealthy New York twins John and Philippa have to have their wisdom teeth removed rather young (they're twelve), it triggers a series of events that reveal to them that they are djinn, descended from a powerful tribe of djinn, and just coming into their powers.
Sent to England to learn from their Uncle Nimrod all about being djinn, they are drawn into the age-old conflict between good and evil djinn, and travel with their uncle to Egypt to find the secret behind the disappearance of 70 djinn millennia ago. Now it's a race against the evil Iblis to rescue the missing ones and bring them to the side of good before the balance of luck in the universe is destroyed.
Is it any good?
Very much a mixed bag. On the plus side, it's an original idea, well written, the descriptions are vivid, and fantasy fans will love the wealth of detail and history behind this particular view of the magical world. On the minus side, there's not much action, lots of exposition, and the child heroes never become real people in the reader's mind. Kids who love arcana, exotic settings, and children with secret powers will revel in the fascinating details, but those looking for adventure won't find much in the first half to keep them reading.
This is Philip Kerr's first book for children. Like many other adult novelists trying to make the transition, he needs to learn that different rules apply: The pacing is different, and kids prefer warm passion to cool detachment. There's a lot of potential for future books, but to be successful he will need to bring John and Philippa to life.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the concept of magic here, as a carefully maintained balance of luck in the world. How does it compare with other magical systems, such as those in Bartimaeus, Harry Potter, and So You Want to Be a Wizard?
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Kid, 12 years old
May 5, 2011
AGE
Too scary
I never really wanted to go to Egypt since there were a lot of deadly creatures there, but my mom (who's willing to go to Egypt) forced me to read this book while homeschooled. I read the book, thinking that the plot would be copaque, it got boring in the middle. There is too much smoking, violence and suspense that only mature kids can read. A man is murdered in a shop, the twins confront Iblis and get bottled up and then Akhenaten's ghost comes to try to kill them.
Then at the end, the story gets complex.
Oh, and the naked boy with his father who's laid-back all day isn't appropriate either. Read something more childlike and hapoy such as The Doll People.
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AGE
little boys will love it
hate it. there is a competition for reading books at my school called battle of the books, lets say this was on the list and is the worst EVER!!!!!!!! TO MUCH FANTASY with djinn and dumb stuff like that
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AGE
Djinn, or Genie?
This book was fantastic! Adults say that it has some "iffy" parts in it, and so it does,(ex-smoking, swearing) but unless you are a 12 year old reading MAGIC TREEHOUSE books,its hard to find a juvenile book without "iffy" parts in it. For pete's sake, read the book!If you LOVE fantasy,get to your book stores quickly. I know I loved it. I read it in a day!!
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AGE
All Young Adults Must Read This!!
It's a good book
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AGE
Great book!
This is a good book. I got it from the Elko library on a trip to salt lake just so i wouldn't be bored to death. I read it two weeks later and loved it. It is a great book and the second is even better!
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Kid, 12 years old
June 27, 2011
AGE
young readers
This book is fairly enjoyable. The only concern i have of this book is that the fantasy is of too high of a level which suggests readers be young of age. The violence level is fairly low and overall it is a great book
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AGE
Ideas of respect and keeping the balance in the world. Smoking is the only concern and to be honest it's a non point. It is explained that only the djinn can smoke because they are derived from fire, and in fact the uncle explais that "only the most unintelligent [humans] smoke, and it kills them"
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AGE
A must-read book for teens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the book. I've read the 2nd book too and I'm waiting for the 3rd to come out. Get the book now or you're an idiot.
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AGE
Magical Creatures
If you like genies,you must read this book!It is a must reader!
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| Author: | P. B. Kerr |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Orchard Books |
| Publication date: | May 30, 2005 |
| Number of pages: | 355 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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