Review – The Cooper Kids Adventure Series

Join teenagers, Jay and Lila, and their father, archaeologist Dr. Jake Cooper, in this four volume tween thriller set- The Cooper Kids. The teen’s excavations and travels take them to foreign lands where they uncover ancient legends, expose evil superstitions, rescue a hijacked aircraft, and battle angry terrorists.

The series contains elements of the popular Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries, with edge-of-your-seat reading, in the style of “Indiana Jones.” Peretti’s skilled plotting, age appropriate characterizations, and true-to-life dialogue spill across the pages to keep children glued to their seats and eager to learn what happens next.

His work is endorsed by Jenkins, author of The Left Behind series, who wrote that Christian authors owed Peretti a debt of gratitude for opening the doors to Christian novelists.

Peretti’s ability to weave spiritual warfare and prayer into imaginative story form for adults made me an avid fan of his writing in This Present Darkness. When I discovered The Cooper Kids Adventure Series, with that same quality of skilled writing, I wanted to endorse the series and encourage parents and grandparents to purchase these books for children. A brief synopsis of each book follows:

Book 1-The Door in the Dragon’s Throat, by Frank E. Peretti, Crossway Books, 2004, 125 Pages, ISBN: 13:978-1-58134-618-3, $5.99 Book one, The Door in the Dragon’s Throat, takes the Cooper family and their three-person team to Nepur, a tiny Middle Eastern nation of great wealth and uninviting deserts. President Al-Dullam rules this land of strange customs and renowned superstitions. As Chief Magistrate and bearer of the Royal Scepter, he hired the Coopers to enter the Dragon’s Throat cavern to find and open the legendary, forbidden door hidden in its depths. He had hired many other teams, but they all disappeared. Al-Dullam thought it was because of ridiculous rumors and superstitions. When the president learned the Coopers served a powerful and fearless God, he knew he had found a team that could succeed.

Armed with faith and their knowledge of God, the Coopers plunge down the Dragon’s Throat to learn if an incredible treasure lies behind the forbidden door, or does something sinister and dangerous await them.

Book 2-Escape From the Island of Aquarius, by Frank E. Peretti, Crossway Books, 2004, 160 Pages, ISBN-13:978-158134-619-0, $5.99

In book two, Jay, Lila, and Dr. Cooper travel to the South Seas to rescue a sinking South Sea Island. This page-turning, action adventure involves stolen identities, impersonations, a mystery missionary thought long-dead, and earthquakes that threaten to tear the island apart. The Coopers must quickly learn who or what is making the island self-destruct. Or is it really just nature gone wild, as pseudo missionary, Adam Mackenzie claims. With more questions than answers, the race is on to rescue the ill-fated island and its inhabitants before it is doomed. Chapters end with nail-biting tension that will keep the lights on long after tweens are told “lights out.”

Book 3-The Tombs of Anak, by Frank E. Peretti, Crossway Books, 2004, 143 Pages, ISBN-13: 978-1-58134-620-6, $5.99

Book three takes the Coopers to the recent excavation site of the ancient Philistine Temple of Dagon, just outside Jerusalem. The crew methodically works the site to discover Dagon’s treasures. When an impatient treasure-seeker is lowered into the pit by winch, the rope suddenly breaks and only horrifying screams can be heard from the darkness below. No one knows about Ha-Raphah, the dangerous and greedy, man-eating creature that lurks at the bottom of the dark pit, except for superstitious locals who worship him. Join Jay, Lila and Dr. Cooper in their dangerous search to find out who Ha-Raphah really is and why islanders fear him.

Book 4-Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea, by Frank E. Peretti, Crossway Books, 2004,144 Pages, ISBN-13:978-1-58134-621-3

In book four, Lila Cooper boards a plan to the United States, still angry over a recent disagreement with her father. Shortly after becoming airborne, her fretting is interrupted by an announcement that the airplane has been taken over by hijackers. A sudden brilliant explosion blinds passengers and forces the plane into a steep nosedive that takes the plane and passengers into a mysterious chamber in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Lila tries to contain her feelings of fear and being trapped. She believes her father will mount a rescue operation for her and the planes passengers and prays for the Lord’s help. But Lila can’t know about the angry terrorists Jay and her father must fight to be first to reach the doomed plane.