Twice as much adventure
Bookshelves are already groaning under the weight of stories about children who suddenly discover that they have magical powers and are whisked off somewhere adventurous to undergo training.
So what does P.B. Kerr's series Children of the Lamp have to offer that hasn't already been written? Kerr's tale of growing up is an entertaining take on the genie-in-a-lamp myth. There is just enough imagination, fun and mystery in The Akhenaten Adventure - the first book of the series - to create an original and ingenious atmosphere.
Twelve-year-old twins John and Philippa Gaunt live a privileged but unexciting life in New York City. They are non-identical twins with very different personalities and looks, but they can read each other's minds.
One day, both their bodies and their minds suddenly start to change in very strange ways. And the changes are not just the inevitable changes that all teenagers face.
They both develop an inexplicable craving to smoke cigarettes. The spots that have been erupting on their faces suddenly clear up. And most disturbing of all, wishes they have long held start coming true.
To top it off, they have same bizarre dream in which their Uncle Nimrod instructs them to travel to England to stay with him during the summer.
Uncle Nimrod is the black sheep of the family. Mr and Mrs Gaunt hardly ever talk about him, so the twins have grave doubts their parents will give them permission to visit him. But they are wrong.
Before long, the twins are on a plane bound for London. Eccentric Uncle Nimrod tells the pair that they are descended from an important tribe of genies who are responsible for the good and bad luck that affects world order. He whisks them off to Egypt where an evil force is plotting to release bad luck over Earth.
As they rush from one exotic location to the next, Uncle Nimrod and the twins have all manner of adventures before they confront evil. The battle of good versus bad has been fought thousands of times before in stories, but very seldom has it been presented with such style and class.
Kerr obviously enjoyed writing the book and his enthusiasm spills onto every page. The plot might be all over the place at times, but The Akhenaten Adventure is a sharp and inventive adventure that is never anything less than entertaining.
It is a sassy book perfect for fuelling summer daydreams.
Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure
By P.B. Kerr
Published by Scholastic Press
ISBN 0 439 96365 6
