A parent might reach for this book when their adventurous child is ready for a complex, puzzle-filled quest that goes beyond a simple chapter book. Operation Storm City is a thrilling steampunk adventure about siblings Becca and Doug, who must decipher clues left by their missing parents to find a legendary lost city. The story is a high-stakes race against a sinister organization, taking the children across the Himalayas by steam train, riverboat, and airship. The book celebrates sibling teamwork, bravery in the face of fear, and perseverance. Its unique format, filled with diagrams, maps, and 'found documents,' makes it especially engaging for visual learners and reluctant readers in the 9 to 12 age range, offering a rich, immersive world to explore.
Scenes involving pursuit by menacing villains and the threat of capture.
Sensitive Topics
The central conflict revolves around missing, endangered parents. This is handled directly as the driving force of the adventure plot. The emotional focus is on the children's mission and determination, not on grief or loss. The resolution is hopeful but incomplete, as this is the first book in a series. Peril is constant, but violence is not graphic and is typical of the adventure genre.
Ideal Reader
A 10 to 12-year-old who loves intricate world-building, gadgets, and puzzles. This child is fascinated by maps, diagrams, and code-breaking, and enjoys feeling like an active participant in the story. They have likely enjoyed series like The 39 Clues or Percy Jackson and are seeking a new, complex world to dive into, particularly one with a unique visual and narrative style.
Parent Prep
The book can be read cold. Parents should know it is the first in a trilogy, so the story does not fully conclude. Highlighting the unique mixed-media format can be a great way to introduce the book. The peril is persistent and involves menacing villains, but it remains in the realm of adventure fiction and is not overly frightening. A parent's child has asked for a "spy book" or a "big adventure story with puzzles." The parent might also be looking for something to engage a reluctant reader who is drawn to visual elements like diagrams and illustrations over dense blocks of text.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will be swept up in the fast-paced action, the cool vehicles, and the strong sibling dynamic. An older reader (11-12) will more deeply appreciate the intricate world-building, the historical and geographical details woven into the plot, and the pseudo-documentary format that makes the world feel authentic and explorable.
What Makes It Special
The book's format is its most unique quality. It is not a straightforward novel but a curated collection of archival documents. This dossier style, featuring detailed schematics of airships, photos of artifacts, and character profiles, creates a tactile and highly immersive experience that distinguishes it from other adventure stories. It reads like a puzzle box the child gets to open.
Read plot summary
Siblings Becca (14) and Doug (12) MacKenzie are wards of the Honourable Guild of Specialist Geographers. When their explorer parents go missing, they discover they are in a race against a rival organization, the Sindiculate of Pontus, to find the fabled Storm City of Ur-Can. Following a trail of cryptic clues, they journey from Shanghai into the treacherous Takla Makan desert. The narrative is uniquely presented as an assembled dossier of letters, journal entries, schematics, and photographs, creating an immersive, puzzle-like experience for the reader.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Becca is very protective of her younger brother, Doug. Can you think of a time she used her skills to save him? How does their teamwork make them stronger than they would be alone?
2
The book is filled with diagrams, maps, and letters. Did you enjoy this style? Which illustration or document was your favorite and why did it help you understand the story?
3
The Sindiculate of Pontus wants to find Ur-Can for its own selfish reasons. What do you think motivates villains like Julius Ver Demeulen? Do you think he believes he is doing the right thing?
4
If you found a secret message from your parents like the one in the sextant, what would you do? Would you have been as brave as Becca and Doug to go on the journey?
