Audiobook7 hours
The Unbreakable Code
Written by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Narrated by Jessica Almasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Emily and James's teacher Mr. Quisling is up to something mysterious. First, there's the news clipping with an unusual note that he drops at a book event. Then Emily and James discover their teacher has been receiving encrypted messages in a series of Mark Twain books hidden through Book Scavenger. When Emily and James decipher the messages, they begin to suspect Mr. Quisling is hunting a long-rumored treasure of buried gold. Intrigued by this prospect and what it could mean for her family's financial struggles, Emily and James set out to best their teacher. But when they research Mark Twain and the Gold Rush era, they learn about a serial arsonist from the 1800s who called himself The Lightkeeper, and the seemingly unrelated string of arson fires around San Francisco suddenly seem more ominous. Especially when they realize the fires have been set in the exact locations where Mr. Quisling found the Mark Twain books. Is a copycat Lightkeeper trying to stop Mr. Quisling? Or could Mr. Quisling himself be the arsonist? By the time Emily and James uncover the answers, much more is at stake than whether or not Emily will have to move again.
Author
Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Jennifer Chambliss Bertman was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds an MFA in creative writing and has worked for literary agencies, magazines, educational publishers, and as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Book Scavenger is her debut novel.
Related to The Unbreakable Code
Titles in the series (3)
Book Scavenger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unbreakable Code Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alcatraz Escape Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Unbreakable Code
Rating: 4.309523815873016 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
63 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Emily and James are back in a second adventure. This time these middle schoolers are trying to solve the unbreakable code which dates back to the time of Mark Twain in San Francisco. Solving it is supposed to lead to a fantastic treasure. Emily and James are experienced puzzle solvers as they are members of an online game called Book Scavengers started by Emily's idol Garrison Griswold.Searching for the solution for the unbreakable code is only one of the mysteries they are working on. They are suspicious about their teacher Mr. Quisling who is tracking down copies of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain which wouldn't be suspicious except for the fires that are started in the locations where the books were found. Emily is also stressed by the possibility that her parents will need to move the family again despite promising her and her brother that they would settle in San Francisco for a while. Meanwhile, James is missing his father who has to travel a lot for business. Finding the treasure and giving the winnings to their parents could solve both of those problems. Adding to their schedule is the upcoming Presidents' Day/Valentine's Day Dance which Emily and James volunteered to help organize. I liked both Emily and James because they are readers. I liked that they were curious and resourceful. I liked the adults in this story too who were helpful and treated the kids with respect. I also liked the puzzles and think middle grade puzzle lovers will enjoy playing along with the clues to the mystery.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5LOVE these books! Full of mystery & excited!! Gonna start the next one as soon as I can!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Idk I was soooooo good I loved it you should do it
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Emily and James have stumbled across another mystery; this one involving the legendary "Unbreakable Code" that supposedly will lead to some kind of treasure. Emily is desperate to find this treasure to help her parents, who are in financial trouble. To solve the mystery Emily and James must find several encryptions placed inside books written by Mark Twain that have been hidden around San Francisco and using the Book Scavenger website for clues. When they realize that their teacher, Mr. Quisling may be after the same clues, the two sleuths begin to follow him in hopes of getting a jump on the mystery.
The Unbreakable Code is another fun book in the Book Scavenger series. As the title suggests, this episode focuses more on code breaking and less on books, however, there is still an element of the story involving books. There is very little in this book that hinges on the personal lives of the characters, but the plot is very thought-provoking, requiring some thought as the book is being read. Overall, The Unbreakable Code is an enjoyable read, especially for those who like puzzles and codes.
3 1/2 stars. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/54-1/2 stars I think I liked this one better than the first book. As with the first book it would have been a 5 star book, and a favorite, had I read it at ages 9-12.When I started this I thought I’d made a mistake and that I should have let more time elapse between reading books in this series, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it, and I’ve reserved book 3 at the library; it’s currently on order. I was in the mood for a light and fun book and that’s what these books are, but they also have some substance to the and I appreciate that.It’s a great San Francisco series. I love the multiple places mentioned, especially the real places, but the made up places too. Great San Francisco and area scenes!I did find this a bit scary and at one point wondered whether there was going to be a too dark sociopath character for a middle grade mystery, but it never gets too, too dark. I could do without “Steve” and don’t think I’d have much liked that aspect of the book at 9-12 either, though Steve didn’t seem to be mentioned as much as in the first book and I hope will be mentioned even less in the third book.I love spending time with these people, particularly Emily, James, and Hollister, but experiencing reading time with almost all the characters is interesting and enjoyable. The author’s notes at the end are wonderful. She explains what is real and what is made up for the story, and gives a bit of a mini history lesson at the same time, and I learned quite a bit, even though I’m a San Francisco person. I love learning new to me things about the city. Something I think I neglected to mention in my review of the first book is that the illustrations are charming. I loved them and I’m happy that they’re included. Story and pictures together make for a fun romp. It’s a great children’s mystery series!