Additional information
by Art Collins (Author)
The eighth book in The Adventures of Archibald and Jockabeb series finds the two brothers on the other side of the globe in the "Pearl of the Orient"-Hong Kong. At the conclusion of Archibald's summer Students' Living Abroad Program, Jockabab and a surprise visitor, Willow, arrive in Hong Kong for a week of what they assumed would be pleasant sightseeing. All that changes when May Chen, a member of Archibald's host family, takes her three young American visitors to a nearby island for a hike to the summit of Landau Peak. When the four teenagers leave the beaten path to explore a remote part of the peak that is shrouded in a dense, low-hanging cloud, they have no idea that Willow will soon find a secret entrance into the side of the mountain. The moment they step out of the mist and into the dark passageway that leads deep inside the giant peak, their fate is sealed Dr. Chen's personal bodyguard, May's martial arts instructor, and a mysterious old alchemist from the Chinese mainland are only a few of the memorable characters swept into the intrigue when an ancient Chinese legend comes to life. The frantic twenty-four race to outsmart a wily, supernatural foe-and to free its helpless captive-ultimately tests each of the teenagers' ingenuity and bravery as never before. The reader is treated to an intimate glimpse of Hong Kong-past and present-that only adds to the exotic sense of adventure with each new twist and turn as the fast-paced story unfolds. Consistent with other books in the series, the underlying power of goodness is pitted against the forces of evil as the two brothers continue to mature in every way.
Author Biography
When Art Collins retired as a highly successful chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, he didn't write the book on leadership that many expected. Instead, he decided that penning children's stories would be far more interesting. Borrowing two characters, Archibald and Jockabeb, from tales told by his father many years before, and drawing up his own rich imagination, Art introduces the two young brothers to an incredible cast of characters - some human, some otherworldly - in locations that range from the mysterious forest behind the boys' house to the lush and exotic Amazon. Collins honed his stories by running them past his target audience; fourth-graders taught by his brother Geoffrey Collins, who allowed his classes to be used as a focus group over several years. Art currently divides his time between Chicago and the Vail Valley in Colorado.
