Capitol Chase

National Archive Hunters #1

by Matthew Landis

Twins race to find the thief stealing valuable historical artifacts before their family’s framed for the crimes in this high-octane middle grade action-adventure series starter for fans of City Spies and Alex Rider.

Ten-year-old Ike Carter has committed large chunks of American history to memory. That’s what happens when you’re a genius who loves the past. His twin, Iris, prefers the present (aka reality). She’s an elite athlete, dominating the competition thanks to her wicked-sharp spatial awareness.

During the opening night of a new exhibit at their mom’s boutique museum in Washington, D.C., Ike and Iris inadvertently stumble onto a robbery in progress. A girl not much older than them is stealing a miniature portrait of George Washington from the collection. It's only the first in a string of crimes, all focused on items that were once gifted by the Marquis de Lafayette to his American friends. With some help from the National Archives Research Center, the twins puzzle out the culprit’s next targets, and are soon hot on the trail of the mystery girl.

But their efforts also put them in the crosshairs of the FBI’s Art Crime team, who suspect their family is involved. If the twins can’t catch the real perp as they target the final item, it’ll be game over.

An action-packed series opener from highly-acclaimed author Matthew Landis, Capitol Chase introduces a new secret agent team sure to engross fans of National Treasure, City Spies, and Alex Rider with plot twists and turns that make this one unputdownable from first page to last.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Crime

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2024

About the author

Matthew Landis teaches middle school history outside Philadelphia, where he seeks to slay boredom wherever it lurks in his classroom. He is the author of five novels, including the forthcoming NATIONAL ARCHIVE HUNTERS series for 8–12-year-olds. He won Mississippi's 2020 Magnolia Book Award and the ILA 2019 Teacher’s Choices Reading List Award. A three-time Junior Library Guild recipient, Matthew's MG novel, IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS I KNOW IT, was shortlisted for the Virginia Reader’s Award, the Missouri Truman Reading Award, Oklahoma's Sequoyah Book Award, and the South Dakota Teen Choice Award. He has one epic wife, four kids, thirty-five chickens, three barn cats, and love tacos. He hasn't slept good since 2015.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was a great history/mystery book! The author artfully balanced both aspects to make the plot very intriguing, guaranteed to hook readers from the first page. History buffs of all ages would love this one ( and “history haters” would very likely be converted!)
*Warning: Upon finishing this book, the reader will immediately feel the need to book a trip to Washington D.C.. They will want the first stop to be Lincoln’s Waffle Shop, home of the dinner-plate sized waffles!*
This history buff can’t wait for the next one in the series! Keep them coming, Mr. Landis!

[Debra B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it … eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[Beaches and Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

History, heists, and hilarity join forces in National Archive Hunters! Sending a ginormous thank you to author Matthew Landis for sending me a signed copy for review!!🎉
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National Archive Hunters: Capitol Chase is the first in a brand new series, and I am so excited for the rest of the books. This is an action-packed mystery that is absolutely full of historical information... but presented in the most fun, exciting, and often hilarious way...right down to some flying mini hot dogs.
This is the story of twins Ike and Iris...who couldn't be more different. Ike is an American History genius...just ask him...he will tell you...and Iris is an athlete who doesn't have much use for history. They find themselves thrown into some real life National Treasure stuff when they witness a robbery in progress on the opening night of their mom's new exhibit at her museum in Washington D.C. The robber? A girl who looks to be the same age as the twins. As it turns out...this is only the first of what will be many crimes to come. The twins are determined to get to the bottom of this and begin some research at the National Archives Research Center. When they find themselves at the scene of another robbery the FBI begins to suspect Ike and Iris and their family of the thefts! Not only do they need to find out who the culprit is...but they need to find the important historical artifacts...and clear their names!
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This is going to be such a hit with middle-grade readers! It is fast-paced, so funny, and so full of really cool info. The passion that author Matthew Landis has for history...and making learning FUN is so evident in the pages of this book!

[Stephanie Affinito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has made the list of my new favorite middle grade series novels. In it, a hard-working family with a curious streak and special talents comes together to solve a series of art heists that even the FBI cannot crack. Carter and Iris are 10-year-old twins with incredibly different personalities. Carter loves history and learning, and Iris is a terrific athlete with amazing spatial awareness. When an item goes missing from their mother’s Washington museum, they put their heads together to solve the case…which gets more and more interesting. It's a book about sibling relationships and family, of leaning into who you are and the special talents you possess and having the adventure of a lifetime. The characters are relatable, the banter is funny, and the history is attention-grabbing. Matt Landis has certainly achieved his goal of making history not boring.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DNF for me. Not super into poorly researched books that like to spin the "feds aren't helpful" line. P.S. employees of the national archives are also federal employees, not just FBI agents. insert eye roll here.
Instead of complex round characters we have 1 dimensional (you can only be smart OR athletic) twins. And obviously you can't be smart & thoughtful. Or least this author doesn't think so.

Do NOT hand this to James Ponti fans; it will severely disappoint

[Brandi Rae Fong]

Delivered exactly what the blurb promised: history filled National Treasure style heist book for kids (complete with required suspension of belief). I'll definitely be reading book two, and I appreciate that this was not a cliffhanger. Hand it to James Ponti fans, or readers who are into Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales but won't balk at books that aren't graphic novels.

[David Bedillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 3rd grade daughter and I loved reading this book together! As she said to me when we finished… “This was OUR kind of book.” It was full of fun, adventure, mystery, action and history! The characters were well developed and relatable for kids and adults. Excited for this new SERIES and we can’t wait for Book #2!

Dave & Lucy

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of National Treasure (referenced several times in the book) and other smart kid books such as Framed or The Van Gogh Deception will enjoy this one too!

Ike & Iris are twins with exceptional skills; Ike: brains, Iris: athletics. They put these to use when they witness a robbery at their mother's museum. As they do research to track down the thief, they find themselves in some trouble.

I loved the real DC & other US landmark locations that were highlighted. I also loved the emphasis on research and primary sources.

Ike was a bit much for me. He was very rude to adults in an unrestrained way. While perhaps real with kids these days, it's not an admirable characteristic that I like to see highlighted. I'm glad his parents called him on it.

e-Arc provided by Eidelweiss.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much potential with this title! It could have been a great one for kiddos who love National Treasure. But I could not stand how the twins were know-it-alls and were extremely disrespectful to adults. You can be smart AND kind.

[Rebecca Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school appropriate. I love the way that research skills are highlighted. The jokes about Nicholas Cage were funny. I also loved the way that the twins had great gifts but those gifts also were sometimes flaws. Lots of fun.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous riff on National Treasure (one of my favorite movies) for kids.

[BookstrovertReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The National Archive Hunters is perfect for lovers of mystery, action, and National Treasure. Thank you so much to Pixel and Ink and Holiday House Publishing for giving me an ARC of this awesome book.

One of my favorite parts of National Archive Hunters is the pacing. Matthew Landis knows just when to slow it down and just when to speed it up. We get high speed chases and lighting fast clue solving but also the slow heartfelt scenes. All this wraps up to be a present of perfect pacing.

I also love the juxtaposition of the two main characters Iris and Ike. They are twins, but couldn't be more un-alike. Iris is sporty while Ike is devoted to his history books. Their dialogue is so entertaining to read because they are so different. It's genius how Landis steps up their rapport. The distinction between them also helps in knowing whose POV you are in. Usually, I don't like alternating POVs because it gets confusing if you don't read the title of each chapter. But, with these characters, they are so well-written it is easy to tell them apart. They both have uniquely individual voices.

I would highly, highly recommend this book, as I know it will quickly win you over and become a favorite. I know it has for me.

[Jill Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun nightly read aloud with my daughter after our Washington DC vacation this summer.

[Kendra Wisenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made my 5th grade American History teacher heart happy!
I can’t wait for the next book!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 5 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Twins Ike and Iris Carter are very different. Ike is a huge history buff, and Iris is a select athlete. Both get along with their parents; ex-Army dad works in security at the children's Montessor school, K Street Academy, and their mother is in charge of the small Americana museum. The family, who lives in Foggy Bottom, often does training runs on the Rock Creek Trail at 5 a.m. to the Lincoln Memorial and are very supportive of the mother's work. When she has a new installation, Fashion of the Founders, Ike and Iris both help out, circulating hors d'oeuvres while the father tries to cover security. When checking out the miniature display, Iris sees a girl acting suspiciously, and when she breaks the glass and steals a miniature of George Washington. Hoping to be able to catch the girl, the twins take after her, but are unable to catch her due to a man in spandex who slams into them. The miniature is not worth much, so Ike suspects that the thief is trying to amass a collection. They consult with Ruby, who works at the National Archives Research Center where their mother has taken a part time job. They get some good information, and when they suspect that another theft will occur, they go with their mother on a trip she takes to Philadelphia to try to shore up the poor reputation of the Americana. They again run into the girl, who manages to steal a ring that had belonged to Alexander Hamilton. Since they are present at a second robbery, they are questioned by the FBI. It looks bad, and they retain Stu, a lawyer who operates out of a deli. He tells them not to answer questions without him. When Ike and Iris find out that a French book is going to be viewed in Boston, they think it is the net item that will be stolen. They try to stop this heist, are unable to, and are now in BIG trouble. Their names are all over the news, and their mother is fired. Not only has Ike worked out that there is a French connection to American history, and determined what items are likely to be targets, but he has even figured out the most likely culprit. It's not someone who wants to steal things, although she is quite good at it, and there seems to be an evil organization involving Cincinnatus behind the plot. Will Ike and Iris be able to catch the thief, retrieve the items, and somehow manage to save the Americana museum so their mother can keep her job?

I'm a big fan of a good art heist, like Salane's Lawless, Wells' Eddie Red, McLean's Catch Us if You Can (Jewel Society#1), Ponti's Framed! A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery,or Carter's Heist Society, and this does have a decided National Treasure feel to it that even Ike and Iris acknowledge. There haven't been as many new spy and heist books as I need lately, so it was great to see this one.

It's also very clear that Landis' knows his history. He's a social studies teacher who clearly has a good sense of humor and knows how to engage kids. He's also invented an interesting small museum, the Americana, which the Carter family is quite attached to. There is a lot of Revolutionary War history conveyed through the artifacts, and even more about the various repositories of artifacts that was fascinating. Ruby is a fabulous character, and so knowledgeable that I was pretty sure at several points that SHE might be the thief. (Is she? I won't tell.)

There's plenty of action and adventure, and the Carter's training with their ex-military father comes in handy. One of the things that I enjoyed the most was the fact that they got in trouble with the FBI and got a lot of negative press. I've read a lot of stories where children are in the wrong place at the wrong time, but any repercussions always seem to magically go away. The fact that Ike and Iris had to prove that they weren't the thieves tickled me and also moved the plot along quickly.

I wasn't as big a fan of the kids personalities and attitudes, but that might be because I have to deal with similar sassiness from middle school students every day. Ike's mother knows that he has a tendency to talk down to people and to be rather brusque, and even punishes him for it. I'm hoping that as the series continues and the twins identify and fight against Cincinnatus that they both grow as characters.

Like Gibbs' Spy School series, this involves parents, which I always find delightful. With mom's antiquities skills, you know they won't be putting lemon juice on the back of the Constitution to look for clues, and when we find out more about dad's army service, I see a lot of opportunities for connections from the past to surface, some of whom might have access to exciting forms of transportation or secret locations. I would be all for a return visit to Camp David, which I first got to visit in Garretson's Wildfire Run and can imagine a great chase scene in The Cozy Restaurant, which sadly closed in 2014. This is a fantastic title to have to encourage middle grade readers to understand the impact on history on the present day.

[Jamie Steinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Landis is an eighth-grade Social Studies teacher. You can quickly tell by his incredible knowledge of history in the fun and action-packed – yet educational – book National Archive Hunters 1: Capitol Chase. Here ten-year-old twins Ike and Iris Carter tackle art thieves determined to capture items gifted by the Marquis de Lafayette. With the FBI’s Art Crime team in their crosshairs, readers will quickly and truly find themselves entrenched and enthralled by this tale of minis on a mission.

Ike (short for Icarus) and Iris are twins, and each has their own talents. Ike is an American history genius while his sister is an exceptional athlete. Their talents combine when a robbery occurs during the opening night of a new exhibit that is being introduced at the museum where their mother works. The two find a girl around their age attempting to steal an artifact from the collection, which captivates and confounds them. However, with a little help from the National Archives Research Center, Iris and Ike are able to put enough of the pieces to the puzzle together that will help them take down this pint-sized art thief. Unfortunately, becoming so close to the case puts them in the sights of the FBI’s Art Crime team who begin to think that maybe Ike and Iris are involved in these crimes. Looking to clear their name and help their mom save her museum, all the Carters team up to keep America’s treasures out of the hands of this youngster and whomever may be behind her sticky-fingered steals.

Whomever has Landis for a Social Studies teacher is clearly a lucky kid. They’re bound to be doing cool research projects and learning plenty about the rich history of America. He’s also a very talented writer when it comes to action, adventure and creating a quality storyline that is easy to invest in. For those who aren’t even history buffs, you’ll certainly find yourself learning plenty along the way. Pages will turn quickly. Readers will be begging their parents for even five more minutes to read another chapter.

National Archive Hunters: Capitol Chase seems to be just the beginning of this series. I, for one, am eager to see more of the adventures of the Carters and learn more about the artifacts that will surely find their paths. Pick up a copy of this book Indiana Jones fans, older and younger. And parents, be ready for a trip to the library as I have no doubt your children will be clamoring for a bit more knowledge about the events included within this intriguing tale.

[Beth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun start to a series!

Capitol Chase, the first book in the new National Archive Hunters series, has a lot to recommend. This was an excellent true middle grade novel with twin 10-year-old main characters. The narration switches between Ike and Iris every other chapter, highlighting both their strengths and their weaknesses. Those weaknesses show the twins how much they need each other, which is the second great thing about this book.

The characters have real flaws, including how they interact with each other. The family matures together through a series of incidents when kids and parents alike are not fully honest with each other. This happens early on and is a big turning point for the family together.

The National Treasure connection is real and vibrant and fun! The characters talk about it often, so the story leans into being a real life National Treasure with clues in manuscripts, scenes in National Archives, plus missing historic artifacts.

Themes of the importance of history and the way that it connects to the present run through this book as well. It's in many ways a love letter to history nerds, but also an invitation from the author (a middle school history teacher) to kids everywhere: history is fun, history matters, and you are living history.

And this book is first in a series, with "book 1" on the spine. This is so rare for middle grade titles now and I very much appreciate that the ending isn't unclear about a sequel.

Ok, so gushing aside, I actually had several issues with the editing of this book. There was at least one scene with a large continuity error, plus issues throughout in the narration that really pulled me out of the story. I realize that I am attuned to these types of mistakes more than the average adult reader, and certainly even more so than kid readers. I really hope that it was more of a rushing to publication issue and that things will be tightened up more for subsequent books. That's my main reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 right now, and I may change my mind after thinking about it for a few days.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twins Ike and Iris aren't just your average ten-year-olds. Ike is a genius who is super into American history and Iris is an elite athlete with next level spacial awareness.

They live in Washington D.C. where their mom runs a boutique museum. And on the opening night of the newest exhibit an artifact is stolen by a girl their age before their eyes.

They chase the girl around New England as they anticipate her next targets by finding clues with the help of a historian at The National Archives. But with the twins being at each crime scene, the FBI suspects they might be involved! They have to clean their family's name and save the artifacts before it is too late!
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I flew through this book in a day. Which, for a book I read on Kindle is saying a lot during this season of life. I love a treasure hunt/heist novel or tv show or movie and this one was like catnip to me. It references continually the movie National Treasure in a tongue in cheek way that really amused me. But also I LOVE the movie National Treasure (and I definitely watched it after reading this).

Other than the treasure hunt element, which honestly is hard to top for me, some other things really worked in this story.

The narrative voice of each of the twins. Their personalities were distinct and I loved getting each of their perspectives.

This book isn't technology heavy. The twins don't even have smart phones. I LOVE that this is modeled in a middle grade novel.

The plethora of historical fact and geography of D.C. that fit into the story. This book could have easily been bogged down by this information, but it propped up the story instead.

One note about Ike's personality: he is BLUNT. He is called out on how he talks to and treats people, but regularly calls people idiots and handles them as such. I wish he would have been disciplined a bit more for this, but I have a feeling he will gain some tact over this series.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss Plus for the E ARC. Two talented twins, Ike and Iris live in Washington, DC with their mom, who owns a small, struggling historical museum, and their dad, an ex-army guy. The entire family helps with the mom's museum, and one night while helping with an event, the twins notice a girl about their age stealing an artifact. The twins chase after her, and almost apprehend her, but are knocked down by a man wearing spandex. Ike, who is a history aficionado, realizes that while the artifact alone, isn't worth much, but could be a small piece of a more valuable treasure. The twins contact Ruby, a friend of their mother, who works at the National Archives, who gives them valuable information. The twins realize that another theft could occur and try to stop it, but end up getting blamed and having to hire a lawyer. Will the twins put the pieces together to solve the mystery and save their mother's museum?
What I liked: I am a huge history nerd and D.C. lover so I loved all the history and primary sources in the story. The story is well-researched and the author note at the end explains what is real and what is made up.
My only issue: I wish the twins were 12 instead of 10 to broaden the overall appeal of the book to catch those 7th and 8th graders, especially since 8th grade studies American history.
Bottom line; This will appeal to City Spies fans, which is hugely popular in my library. For now, I'll purchase one copy to see how it circulates. If students don't care about the age of the twins, will recommend for next year's Trail Challenge.

[Ronald Roseborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Archive Hunters, by Matthew Landis, is a treasure. It combines a great story line with realistic, age appropriate dialogue. Ike and Iris Carter are ten year old twins who each have their own claims to fame. Ike is the more scholarly, who lives for history and all it’s cool facts. His sister, Iris is the physical one, excelling in running, soccer, and all athletic endeavors. Both kids have the usual rivalry often seen with twins. Each one knows just the right buttons to push to get under the skin of the other. A theft at the museum where their mother not only works, but who has a financial interest in as well, causes great concern in the Carter family. A young girl steals a valuable miniature portrait of George Washington, right under the noses of the twins. The theft of the historical relict from the early American exhibit may cause the museum to have to close. Whats worse, this is only the first a series of thefts, each seemingly more daring than the other. The twin’s mother introduces them to a friend of hers who works in the National Archives in order try to figure out what the next moves by the thief will be. The Carter family and their friend make a good team, but even their historical knowledge and physical attributes still seem to leave them a step behind the mysterious girl thief. This book has plenty of action and fast moving dialogue to keep young readers attention. The historical references are very educational without slowing the story line. A great start for a new series. This book was provided for review by Pixel&Ink books at Holiday House Publishing.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Carter family owns and runs the Americana museum in Washington D.C. On opening night of a new exhibit, the family’s last ditch effort to save the museum from failing financially, a borrowed item from the display is stolen during the party. Ten year old twins, Ike and Iris, discover the theft in progress. Athletic Iris chases the young female thief fruitlessly. There are suspicions that the Carter family actually stole this first item and a subsequent item stolen later from another location. The family tries to cooperate with the investigating FBI, but feels they are not taken seriously and launches their own investigation. Ike is a history buff and Iris is very athletic. With their skills and help from family and friends, they use their ingenuity to track down the thief through two additional robberies (making four in total). The story is told from the perspective of each of the twins in alternating chapters. It’s a great way to gain insight into both of their lines of thinking. The book actually references the movie National Treasure as they follow clues like that movie's hero. It’s a great kids who-dun-it which goes beyond the usual question of who, into why. Because the teen thief doesn’t seem to want to steal these items. They find she is being blackmailed to commit these crimes. When the story is over, the Carter Twins are asked to be consultants to the FBI’s Art Crime Team for future cases if the need arises. Between that and the mastermind remaining at large, kids will be wanting book two right away! A fast-paced mystery adventure that might even teach readers a little bit about American history while entertaining them.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea! Fun! Twins go to mom’s museum opening and a miniature of George Washington is stolen. Iris, the athlete, just misses catching the thief. The twins get bad publicity because Ike (Icarus) touched the damaged display case and got cut so his blood was there. Iris because no one could verify her story. So the chase is on with a the mysterious girl thief who is stealing historic artifacts. First the twins have to figure out the connection and quickly because mom lost her job at the museum that she is part owner of and the museum could close.

Ike, the brain without social skills, is good with research, etc. Iris is athletic and has great spacial and geometrical awareness. Plus the parents are supportive.

Theft is of things given to Americans by Lafayette. French diplomat and daughter doing it because they are being blackmailed by a master criminal, Cincinnatus. FBI agent asks Carter family and Ruby (friend of mom’s from history archives) to be special team for stolen art. Carter family is on Cincinnatus’s radar.

Things I had problems with as a Montessori teacher:
1. Yes, there are three grades in one class, but it’s 4th, 5th, and 6th, not 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
2. No Grading.
3. All Montessori students are taught cursive before print so 5th graders would have been able to read it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most exciting and engaging stories I've read from this year, and I've read books by Erin Entrada Kelly, Lois Lowry, James Ponti, Jasmine Warga, and Gennifer Choldenko this year. Wow, it made me want to pick up everything else the author has written for MG, because it's got to be good, too, right? I think Pixel + Ink was genius for picking this up from him because it fits so well as a series. The best part for me was the action scenes in the 2nd half of the book. Wow, they were so so good. I read a lot of Anthony Horowitz, and the scenes were practically as good! I cannot wait for #2 in the series, and I hope it's also action-packed, because the author did that so well in this one. And what a unique idea for a series, too. And I actually liked learning the history-ish history! (He said most of it was real; he just changed a few things.)

I have one small thing to say. I don't think the characters had super distinct voices. Yes, I know Ike is the blabber/frustrated one for sure and Iris is more steady. But in some characters I'd be like, oh yeah, I could see Ike saying that and then find out it was an Iris chapter. Or vice versa.

[Karen Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Landis knows middle schoolers! I’m sure that is in large part because he has spent 17 years as a middle school teacher. When you read Landis’s books you feel like you are hanging out with 11- and 12-year-olds. They talk like kids talk, act like kids act, think like kids think. I have no problem believing that I am reading from the viewpoint of an 11-year-old in his books!
National Archive Hunters is an exciting adventure reminiscent of the movie, National Treasure. I love the way that Landis pulls you into learning about history in a fascinating way. I love the treasure hunt! I love cheering Ike and Iris on as they try to beat the thieves to the next precious historical artifact! Whether you like history or just enjoy a good adventure, National Archive Hunters is for you! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, action-packed book! Full of humor, heart, and history, Capitol Chase captured my attention and held it all the way to the end. It was told in the alternating viewpoints of twins Iris & Ike, as they try to solve the crime that threatens their mother's museum. They each have their own strong voices, strengths, and perspectives and I really enjoyed getting to read each POV. They also played off each other well, and the whole family dynamic was a joy to read.

Landis does an excellent job of bringing history to life, and I can definitely see Ike's enthusiasm spilling over into young readers. I also appreciated the historical notes at the end. I cannot wait to share this with my students. It's exciting, fun, and thoughtful and, oh my gosh, I can't wait for the sequel!!!

[Jenny Ashby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I'm really second-guessing myself about only giving this three stars when I see all the other five star reviews, but I felt this was a fine, but average, mystery. From my POV as an adult reader, I found the twins a little abrasive at times and pretty unbelievable in their physical and mental skills. I also struggled with how they continue to try to track down the real thief even when they have been told not to and are under suspicion for being the thieves themselves. And then, suddenly, they are heralded as being heroes on one of the robberies.

From a kid's POV, I'd say there is way too much history minutia and entirely too much time devoted to the wonder of archives. I don't think middle schoolers will be as fascinated by that as Ike or the author are. "National Treasure" is also referenced too many times.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten-year-old Ike is a history genius, while his twin sister Iris is like a genius is physical stuff, competitions, sports, and special awareness is her thing. Together there is nothing they can not do or solve. When a picture is stolen from the museum their mom is the curator at and their father works as security they take on the case and become the FBI’s main suspects as it seems they are always at the scene of the crimes at other museums as well.
This is one fast pace, action packed, suspenseful wild ride, but it is so fun you won’t be able to wait for the next book. This book was so much fun with the twins as characters, you can only hope to be one of their friends. This book gets thumbs up for sure.

Thiss review copy was supplied by Edelwiess

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so good. You can tell at the start they are going for that National Treasure feel- and they play that up and make jokes about it throughout the book. This is a great book for both the history lover & the adventure lover. It's told through duel narration by the twins Iris and Ike. Ike is the history nerd and young genius while Iris is the gifted athlete and has a photographic memory.
As one expects from a kids mystery the adult authority figures- in this case specifically the FBI are portrayed as less than intelligent, but the other adults are more relatable and realistic- ish.
I just might have to continue reading this series if they continue to be published.

Read as a possibility for summer reading give away

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun to read. I enjoyed the sarcastic humor of Ike and Iris as well as their determination to solve the heist mystery. The twins' parents were loving and involved and built a trust between adult and child that when Ike and Iris were allowed to bike and explore D.C. on their own, it felt natural. The historical and geographical pieces of this setting and plot felt authentic to me.

Before reading this book, I didn't realize a sequel was in the works, but the ending made me really hope I'd get more of these characters. I am more than delighted with my purchase and have book #2 on my wish list.

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the action and definite National Treasure vibe.
Love the neurodivergent twins and the family dynamics.
Couple things I just couldn't get over. At least two references to National Treasure and waking up the dinosaurs, but that was Night at the Museum.
Also the archivist wouldn't have told them what someone else had requested or what time the appointment was. But I get that it was necessary for plot purposes.

Looking forward to more in this series.