I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: Kids Corner on WXPN (2011).

Kids Corner is a great radio show on WXPN (88.5 Philadelphia).  It airs Sunday through Thursday night at 7PM.  It’s also available online (you can listen live at 7PM!).  In addition to some smart radio for kids (Science Thursday!), there’s quizzes and call in stuff and lots of music.

Most of the music is funny/novelty stuff.  From standard bearers like “Weird Al” Yankovic, to great bands like Trout Fishing in America, to the ancient novelty song “Star Trekkin” and my new favorite kids’ band The Amoeba People.

Every night they have a contest for song of the day, which anyone can vote in (democracy in action!).

Check out the last six years of Ton Ten songs (Steve Martin’s “King Tut!”).  And be sure to tune in, you just might just learn something.

[READ: March 2, 2011] Beyond the Grave

This fourth book in the series excited me because it broke with the format of the kids traveling to two cities with no help.  When they land in Egypt, they are greeted by an old friend (whom they never met before).   This old friend,  Hilary Vale, is actually a friend of their grandmother, Grace.  Grace went to Egypt every year and spent her time with Hilary, traveling, seeing the sights and, of course, looking for clues (although Hilary didn’t know any details of what Grace was up to).  Hilary (and her grandson, Theo) play a helping role in the book, and I have to say that it was nice to let the kids have a little breather with some people that they can trust.

They also get to go to a super fancy hotel room (using Alasdair Oh’s frequent number card).  Of course, as is the way with cool spy stories, the super fancy hotel turns out to be the stronghold for the branch of the Cahill family that Alasitar Oh is part of (I still can’t keep those branch names straight).  They pretty easily access the super spy area of super cool hotel suite.  (Because they have Alastair’s card, they are given the fancy suite).  Of course, once they are in the secret room, Alastair’s uncle, the sinister Bae Oh, knows that they’re there (he owns the hotel).  And they are suitably trapped.

While in the stronghold, the kids learn a little bit about the items they are seeking in Egypt (there is a fake statue in the room).  But mostly they’re concerned about trying to escape.  Thanks goodness thier au pair (who getts cooler with each book) has been paying attention.

But really they learn most of their infomration from Hilary.  For Hilary has access to Grace’s safe depsoit box.  And the box contains not only the clue to what they’re looking for, it also contains a lot of information for the next stage of their adventure.  And here Theo proves to be very helpful, because he is able to take them to their next location: a sacred Egyptian tomb. Theo, who is a tour guide, shows them around the normally closed tomb (he knows how to schmooze).

The kids notice something in the tomb and sneak back in on their own.  Naturally, they get trapped in it (how much of this adventure has been spent in utter darkness?  Good grief!).   Of course they escape (there wouldn’t be ten books if they didn’t), but when they get out, they learn of a terrible double cross.  (These stories are more about how they do it rather than will they do it, at least now that the series is over).

This book also brings back Irina Spasky (she won’t give up!) and Jonah Wizard (who is even more nasty than usual).  Jonah plays a very nasty, and potentially fatal trick on them involving crocodiles.  Of all the bad guys, I like Jonah Wizard the most because he’s pompous and foolish.

There’s a final return trip to Cairo where they wind up virtually right where they started in Egypt.  (This trip was a major circle for them).  And for the first time in the series, the final clue doesn’t immediately let us know where they are headed next.  So book five will open in Cairo once again.

I really enjoyed this book quite a lot.  As I mention in the review of Book 3, Watson really makes the sights and sounds of Egypt come alive.  The thronging masses, the heat–it was all very real.  Plus, I like that he deviated from the standard a little (with the introduction of an ally). Finally, he really put the kids in peril. And while I know that they’re going to manage to get out of it, I was always surprised by the clever ways he gets them out.

I’ve also come to realize that the one branch of the family that I don’t enjoy at all really haven’t really appeared in the books that much.  (The Holts are a too one-dimensional for my tastes, so I ‘m glad they weren’t in this book).

On to book 5!