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listen_learn's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
cinderelles's review against another edition
2015 Challenge: A Mystery of Thriller
I have not finished this book yet, stars to come later.
I have not finished this book yet, stars to come later.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun story, especially since it's set right in my backyard and we got to see the Star-Spangled Banner flag that's at the center of the mystery when the Smithsonian Museum of American History reopened a couple of years ago after renovations. Anna, Jose, and Henry are all at a museum gala with their parents or guardians, celebrating the unveiling of the restored flag, on the evening that it is stolen. They don't actually meet until the next day, when they are all snowed in at the airport together. As news of the flag's theft is reported, Anna realizes that there's a good chance that it's at the airport and that the thief can't make the quick getaway that he had intended. She begins tracking down clues with the (at first reluctant) help of her new friends. Through the story, Messner also touches on timely issues of political races, how we treat visitors to the country, and how news is reported. Reminiscent of the movie National Treasure, this is a fast-paced mystery that kids will enjoy. And the behind-the-scenes glimpses into airport life, especially the chase scenes through the large baggage storage areas, will seal the deal.
heylook's review against another edition
3.0
Probably not going to be too great for older readers - all the plot twists and whodunits were painfully obvious. Well-written, though.
potato_dog's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
gbliss's review
2.0
Actually, considering the hour and switch out of Daylight Savings Time, I'm not sure what day I finished this.
I have to continually remind myself the target age range for this book, but then I think that I am excusing flaws just because the readers are so young.
This book has many of the familiar stock elements of an MG mystery -- annoyingly precocious and unrealistically independent children and each one has some special talent that is the single dominating aspect of their personality and which, so nicely, ties to the solution of the mystery.
The actual solution was staggeringly obvious (again, I remind myself of the target age range and weigh the number of mysteries I have read vs the number read by your average, oh, 9-12 year old.) The book reads like stage directions for a slap dash TV episode in too many sections, providing "action" scenes that are meant to be suspenseful but really just end up being tedious, repetitive, and confusing.
The book took forever to get actually get rolling and move beyond Square Two -- we got hints of Square Three every once in a while at the beginning, only to bounce back to Square Two time and time again.
The airport in question has no resemblance to any 21st century airport I have been in, let alone Washington National. I am not looking for ultra-realistic verisimilitude in an MG mystery, but the plot-convenient-suspension of reality gets old.
On to the next in the series. Out of curiosity, not desire.
I have to continually remind myself the target age range for this book, but then I think that I am excusing flaws just because the readers are so young.
This book has many of the familiar stock elements of an MG mystery -- annoyingly precocious and unrealistically independent children and each one has some special talent that is the single dominating aspect of their personality and which, so nicely, ties to the solution of the mystery.
The actual solution was staggeringly obvious (again, I remind myself of the target age range and weigh the number of mysteries I have read vs the number read by your average, oh, 9-12 year old.) The book reads like stage directions for a slap dash TV episode in too many sections, providing "action" scenes that are meant to be suspenseful but really just end up being tedious, repetitive, and confusing.
The book took forever to get actually get rolling and move beyond Square Two -- we got hints of Square Three every once in a while at the beginning, only to bounce back to Square Two time and time again.
The airport in question has no resemblance to any 21st century airport I have been in, let alone Washington National. I am not looking for ultra-realistic verisimilitude in an MG mystery, but the plot-convenient-suspension of reality gets old.
On to the next in the series. Out of curiosity, not desire.
libraryrobin's review
3.0
Kids snowed in at an airport solve the mystery of the stolen Stars and Stripes and discover they all have relatives who belong to a secret society, the Siver Jaguars.
kelleemoye's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Capture the Flag is up there with National Treasure and Heist Society in heist stories- it adds a nice element to middle grade fiction.
I loved the different personalities of the kids in this book and I love that they are all realistic. Henry loves his video games, Jose loves to read especially Harry Potter and Anna wants to be a journalist just like her mother. Analogies are made throughout the book between video games & books and the adventure that they are on (I specifically like the one comparing Malfoy's outlook on pure bloods in Harry Potter and the immigration debate here in the US). I also love that Jose collects quotes and they are spattered throughout the novel. Finally you meet Sinan, a young man learning English and gives us illustrations of idioms, and his dog Hammurabi who is the comic relief.
Another great story from the great Kate Messner!
Capture the Flag is up there with National Treasure and Heist Society in heist stories- it adds a nice element to middle grade fiction.
I loved the different personalities of the kids in this book and I love that they are all realistic. Henry loves his video games, Jose loves to read especially Harry Potter and Anna wants to be a journalist just like her mother. Analogies are made throughout the book between video games & books and the adventure that they are on (I specifically like the one comparing Malfoy's outlook on pure bloods in Harry Potter and the immigration debate here in the US). I also love that Jose collects quotes and they are spattered throughout the novel. Finally you meet Sinan, a young man learning English and gives us illustrations of idioms, and his dog Hammurabi who is the comic relief.
Another great story from the great Kate Messner!