Like the fun and inspirational quest in Goonies, Celtic Run's fast-paced treasure hunt will be irresistible to adventure-seeking readers! Jake McGreevy, a 14-year-old gadget whiz, has just landed in Ireland when he stumbles upon the first clue to a treasure missing from the Spanish Armada. Jake sees the riches as his chance to buy back the family sailboat and restore a piece of the life he enjoyed before his father was critically injured in an accident. Desperate to find the treasure, Jake teams up with Zach—his nemesis and class bully—and two girls, Julie and Maggie, in a clue-hunting chase across the Dingle Peninsula. Dodging would-be thieves, exchanging wisecracks with Zach, and concocting ingenious devices to get them out of scrapes, Jake leads the team as they connect piece after piece to the more than 400-year-old mystery. The humor, heart, and ingenuity displayed by Jake and his friends in this award-winning story make this an outstanding journey for readers ages 8 to 12. "Romance, danger, intrigue, and personality clashes between peers--all make Celtic Run a vivid coming-of-age novel, drawing direct connections between life's changes, strife, and the process of maturity. . . . a memorable adventure story." Diane Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review. "[In] Vogel's debut middle-grade adventure story, classmates Jake, Julie, and Zach follow centuries-old clues while on a school trip to Ireland. . . . The story focuses primarily on Jake and his jury-rigged inventions . . . and his inner dialogue provides a good source of humor throughout. A fun . . . kid's caper." -- Kirkus Reviews Gold: Mom's Choice Awards Gold: Global Ebook Awards Silver: Young Reader: Fiction (8-12): IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Growing up in a small town in Michigan during the 1980s, Sean Vogel was provided with an excellent garden for cultivating his writing career. With only a few simplistic video games and three television channels, he became an accomplished daydreamer and a creative outside adventurer. A son of a garbage truck driver, Sean often received "gently used" items from his father's route. With a bit of imagination and a little tinkering, these items were reborn as tools for battles against backyard bandits. These childhood experiences would later serve as the foundation and inspiration for Jake McGreevy's gadgetry expertise. Seeking his own adventures, Sean joined the Army via an ROTC scholarship at Colorado State University. Living in Germany for several years gave him the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe. During his time in the Army, he served in the Field Artillery and Signal Corp, rising to the rank of Captain and receiving the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. Sean started drafting novels to fill down time during long deployments in the military; a pen is easier to carry than a guitar. But he soon fell in love with the frustrating yet satisfying science called writing and has been hard at work ever since. When he's not helping Jake get out of tangles, Sean is a department manager for a large aerospace company. He lives in Denver with his wife and daughter and their two dachshunds. Used Book in Good Condition