YORK, by Laura Ruby

The story: Three kids trying to save their building from destruction stumble upon a mystery more than a hundred years old. If they can figure it out, they'll find a treasure--maybe enough to buy the building themselves. But it'll take more than luck...more than hard work...more than fast thinking, to make THAT happen. Because the mystery is in code--or, more precisely, a cipher. The Old York Cipher. And Tess, Theo and Jaime are not the only ones who would kill to solve it.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (sci-fi violence, plus the fact that readers actually have to THINK about the story) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I thought this one was terrific! Too bad it's so thick, and too bad it actually requires some thought to get what's going on. Most MS kids won't tackle it, but hand it to your GT Harry Potter fans, and watch them eat it up! Also great for kids who like the kinds of puzzles found in Blue Balliet's books.