Scepter of the Ancients for Kids Who like Action and Adventure

As the blog has grown, I have been thinking about the wonderful books I wrote about only four short years ago.  So many of them remain incredibly relevant and fabulous for kids today, but they are no longer top of mind.

You may be a new reader to the blog, or you may have had children who weren't in the age range for these particular books when I reviewed them, so I thought I would use Fridays to revisit some of my favorites from years past.  These books are great, so it is time to shine some light on these can't put down reads.  You may notice some format differences as my blog has evolved over the years!

The book I am revisiting today was a new import to the US from the UK when I read it.  Since then the full set of books has been published here.  I only wish we had had the full series when my son was younger.  Lucky you.

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Title:       Skulduggery Pleasant (Scepter of the Ancients)

Author:   Derek Landy

Target:    Grades 5-8

Series:     Yes

This is a very funny  book about a girl who inherits her uncle’s possessions (yes, surprisingly the main character is a girl.)    Her inheritance includes the Scepter of the Ancients, an item that is coveted by the magic/sorcerer community.  Skulduggery becomes her guide into this mystical world as they attempt to save  the Scepter and humanity from the nefarious villain Serpine!  Oh, and did I mention that Skulduggery is a human skeleton!

Skulduggery was released in the UK and for the US release they renamed the book Scepter of the Ancients.  In fact, to my sons dismay, only 3 of the 6 books in the series have been released so far in the US.  The cover did get a revamping.  If I hadn’t first read a review of the book, I would never have picked this book up based on the skeleton in a suit which graces the front of the UK edition.   

Landy’s writing can be violent at times, that is why I have listed for an older age group, but his clever banter takes the edge off.  His humorous back and forths take the novel to a fun new level.  I was drawn in right away to the story, as was my oldest son.  This is a series filled with dry humor for kids who like action and adventure.  The bonus is that the characters are also dimensional!

To purchase this book:

Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Scepter of the Ancients.  A portion of each purchase will go back to support this blog at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.