I really enjoyed this middle grade adventure story. It all begins when Jax gets a birthday present and her mom takes it away from her to return it. Jax is the kind of 12-year-old who just can't resist a secret. She becomes determined to find out what it is and who sent it to her. Jax is hyper and daring and doesn't always think before she acts.

Aiding and abetting her is her cousin Ethan who has long since taken on the role of sidekick despite Jax saying he is her partner. Ethan is a year older but, if he were a superhero, his name would be Caution Man. Jax is shy, introverted, and prone to nosebleeds when he is stressed. He also has a great knowledge of all sorts of facts and is a very practical kid.

The two of them begin to solve the puzzle but have to recruit Ethan's older brother Tyler to assist. He is old enough to drive a car. He treats the two of them like major annoyances and is constantly working on developing a video game with his friends. He is also obsessed with winning and has quite a collection of trophies.

When Jax and Ethan decided that they need to go to Washington, DC, to solve their riddle, they convince Tyler to take them using a geochaching contest as a lure. But their quest to open the mystery box takes on more significance when they are followed by strangers who want to buy the box and then steal the box when they leave it in the car briefly.

The kids need to find the great-aunt who sent the box to Jax to find out what is going on. Their quest takes them from New Jersey to Washington DC and has them confronting villains and a mystical object from the past.

The story was fast-paced and very entertaining. I especially liked the chapters from Ethan's point of view. It was great for him to find his inner hero. All the kids changed and grew through the course of this story.

I recommend it for middle grade adventure lovers. ( )

"On her twelfth birthday, Jax Malone receives an odd, unopenable present from an estranged aunt. When Jax and her cousins Ethan and Tyler go on a quest to open the box, they uncover a mystery with magical consequences ( )

This is a great book for the 8 to 12 year age group for which it is suggested. The plot involves a young girl (jax) receiving a package in the mail for her birthday from a long , lost aunt she knows nothing about. Her mother won't let her open it and sends it back to the post office to return to sender. Jax pirates it away before it is mailed. Inside she finds a beautiful and mysterious box that only can be opened up after unraveling a mystery. She enlists her cousin and his older brother tell help which takes them on a quest to Washington D. C. , and of course they encounter villains along the way. The cool thing is that what is inside the box really is shocking - even to an adult like me. Whitaker Ringwald is the pen name for a women who has written about 10 children's book under another name.. 5th through 7th graders will love this one. ( )