Hide and Seek

by Kate Messner

Overview

Three friends venture into the Costa Rican rain forests in search of missing treasure in this fast-paced mystery by the author of Capture the Flag.

José, Anna, and Henry are junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, sworn to protect the world’s most important artifacts. When they discover that the society’s treasured Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the trio and their families rush to the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of the real chalice. But when the trail runs dry, new mysteries emerge: Who can they trust? Is there a traitor in their midst? With danger at every turn, it will take more than they realize for José and his friends to recover the cup before it falls into the wrong hands.

Praise for Hide and Seek

“A gratifying page-turner. Aptly titled, this energetic treasure hunt is sure to find an enthusiastic audience.” —Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545533676
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	08/17/2022
Series:	Silver Jaguar Society Series , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	261
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kate Messner is the author of The Seventh Wish; All the Answers; The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., winner of the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers; Capture the Flag, an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner; Hide and Seek; Manhunt; and the Ranger in Time and Marty McGuire chapter book series. A former middle-school English teacher, Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her family and loves reading, walking in the woods, and traveling. Visit her online at katemessner.com.

Read an Excerpt

From HIDE AND SEEKJosé stepped up to the glass and bent down. "That's the Jaguar Cup?" Inside the case, a golden chalice glowed with a soft shine in the display lights. Beautiful -- but its shape surprised José. This cup had two faces: the gleaming eyes and powerful jaws of a jaguar on one side of the vessel, and on the other, the dagger-toothed head of a serpent. José shivered a little. How could the sacred symbol of the Silver Jaguar Society also include the chilling image of the society's most notorious enemies? When he looked up, his mother was frowning, too. Anna whispered, "So if I'd been part of the original Silver Jaguar Society, this is the cup I'd have held in my hands to drink from at the ritual of initiation?" "No," her mom replied, slowly shaking her head. "The Jaguar Cup WAS part of that ceremony," José's mother whispered into their tight circle while the other visitors thinned out. "But this --" She looked down at the glowing gold in the case. "This is a fake."

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–6—In this follow-up to Capture the Flag (Scholastic, 2012), Anna, Henry, and José reconnect in Washington, DC, a few months after having tracked down the thieves of a precious historical artifact. As the three preteens are honored for their work, their adult relatives, who are members of the Silver Jaguar Society, learn that the golden Jaguar Cup has been stolen. All three families board the next flight for Costa Rica, where the adults plan to hunt down the thief while Anna, Henry, and José remain in the care of their friend at his "rain forest eco-lodge." Not content to sit idly by, the kids track down any clues that they can find, and they end up having wild and breathtaking adventures. While Capture the Flag focused on Anna, this installment follows José as he deals with feeling left out and tries to solve the mystery on his own. Although the story line is complex and includes many characters, it is easy to follow, and readers will find themselves caught up in the action, especially in a gripping chase scene toward the end. Messner does an admirable job of taking her readers to the rain forest, and she provides a few helpful photos and an author's note at the end of the book. Hide and Seek is a great read for students who enjoy mysteries and action-packed adventures.—Sarah Reid, Broome County Public Library, Binghamton, NY

School Library Journal

Praise for CAPTURE THE FLAGA Junior Library Guild SelectionA SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner"A fast-paced mystery . . . a sparkling start for a promising new series." —KIRKUS "A novel as cinematic in execution as it is patriotic in theme." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLYPraise for HIDE AND SEEK"Aptly titled, this energetic treasure hunt is sure to find an enthusiastic audience." —KIRKUS

From the Publisher

Three young members of the Silver Jaguar Society team up with a Costa Rican 10-year-old to find the stolen Jaguar Cup, a pre-Columbian gold artifact hidden at a rain-forest ecolodge. Anna, José and Henry, fresh from their rescue of the Star-Spangled Banner, described in Capture the Flag (2012), are sent to wait at the lodge Sofia's father runs not too far from the Costa Rican capital, San José, while the adults responsible for them plan to begin their search for the priceless object. But the thief and his even more dangerous pursuer are staying at this same out-of-the-way sanctuary. This fast-paced mystery makes good use of the rain-forest setting as the young people encounter venomous snakes, biting ants and endangered great green macaws. A hanging, swaying bridge and a long zip line play important parts in suspenseful chase scenes. While the episode resolves satisfactorily, the ringleader of a gang of international art thieves, who now knows and hates them personally, has escaped. There's plenty of room for a third book in this gripping series. Readers who care to know more about characters may want to start with the first title; this one is all plot and setting, a gratifying page-turner. Aptly titled, this energetic treasure hunt is sure to find an enthusiastic audience. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews