The Secret of Rover

To start off, this is a high quality book. The plot is gripping, the characters are well developed, and it is otherwise an awesome book. I got this book for my teenage daughter, but after rave reviews from her decided to read it myself. As an adult, I appreciate quality books like this. I do not like the fact that my my kids have been reading and obsessing about books such as the Twilights. If you are looking for an alternative to Twilight for your children, choose The Secret of Rover and you will not be disappointed.

Because the book had many parts that were so exciting and it makes you want to read more, more and more!!!!!!

Great read for a 5-7th grader or a read together for family

This book is on my daughters summer reading list. She thought is sounded interesting so she chose it. It was interesting. It had a little too many unneeded sentence fragments that were over her head and would be in an adult novel. She only became really interested in the book about half way through. She did like it in the end. If your child is interested in this book, go for it. Just be prepared to help them understand certain parts.

How do you think that you would react if your parents were kidnapped while abroad by foreign terrorists and the terrorists' friends in the United States were after you? Lisa and David Bowden, twelve-year-old twins, live in Washington, DC, with their parents Alan and Sandra. They used to be poor, but the Bowdens, along with Sandra's brother Uncle Alex, invented a top-secret device known as Rover and sold it to the United States government, so now they live comfortably in a new house, and Mr. and Mrs. Bowden have decided to go to Katkajan to adopt an orphan baby named Theo. The adoption agency even finds a Katkajanian nanny named Trixie to watch Lisa and David while their parents are out of the country and then to help with the baby after they return. However, once in Katkajan, their parents are kidnapped by Katkajanian rebels trying to overthrow the government, and it turns out that Trixie, who has a lot of friends in the United States, is in on the plot. Lisa and David are taken to their old house and tied up but manage to escape. Now what? They decide that their best option is to find their Uncle Alex. They have never met him, but they know that he lives like a hermit in the mountains near Melville, VT, so they become stowaways aboard a grocery truck heading north to Yonkers, NY. However, at a rest stop they find that some of Trixie's friends are also out on the road looking for them. Stowing away on another truck to Vermont, they find a taxi driver who takes them from Hawthorne to Melville. Will they make it to their uncle's place? Is there anything that Uncle Alex can do to help them? And what will happen to their parents? Author Rachel Wildavsky is a former journalist who has written for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications. The Secret of Rover is a fairly long book (343 pages), but I had trouble putting it down and finished it in just a few days. I must admit that it is one of the most exciting, suspenseful thrillers for young people that I have read in a long time. And there is almost nothing objectionable in it. Lisa and David do steal a few things along the way to their uncle's house, mostly food for survival, but they have been brought up to know that stealing is wrong and they talk about somehow repaying what they have taken. There is some bickering between the siblings, but they learn to work together and also grow in their appreciation for one another. A strong sense of family pervades the plot. Pre-teens and teenagers who like spy stories with a lot of intrigue and action will enjoy this book.

It was ok Too much drama it think and not enough action more for kids twelve - thirteen. It was good though

The Secret of Rover is a twisty - turny mystery that chases each thrilling moment with another one. This book is about twins Katie and David whose life is pretty much all you can wish about. Suddenly their family is mysteriously swept away and a mean very strange nanny arrives. Now the twins are involved in the most thrilling most dangerous adventure of their lives. This book will whisk you up and keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you begging for more. This thriller is perfect for fans of mysteries. Now strap yourself in for the ride of your life! Review by Masha K, Age 9, Boston Mensa

Some people read to escape their everyday lives; some read to see their lives reflected back to them. Both kinds of readers will love The Secret of Rover by Rachel Wildavsky. Intended for children ten and older, it offers a thrilling, suspenseful, at times downright frightening story, along with believable characters who you care about. The plot involves an evil babysitter, a mysterious hermit, and a top-secret invention (the "Rover" of the title), and features armed insurgents, the U.S. secretary of state, and the president. The main characters, twelve-year-old twins Katie and David, are beautifully delineated and instantly likeable: careful, organized Katie thinks ahead and wants to have a plan at all times, while spontaneous, intuitive David thinks on his feet and improvises. Although the two squabble, mock each other, and even hit each other (as real siblings do), they also cooperate in a daunting task: to save their parents and newly adopted baby sister from kidnappers. One caveat: if you read this book when you get into bed, get into bed early, because you will find yourself saying, "Just one more chapter. . ." (And one quibble: why does Amulet Press not put a comma where it belongs in "Washington, DC"?) (And one confession: I read this book in draft and made some suggestions that the author incorporated, so perhaps that is part of why I like it so much!)