Lost in the Jungle

Dr. Hank Witherspoon has disappeared. When Jack and his genius siblings, Ava and Matt, find Hank’s lab ransacked, they uncover clues pointing them to Brazil—but many questions remain. Why was Hank studying dangerous electric eels? And who is trying to steal his inventions? Their investigation leads them to a soccer prodigy, his savvy sister, a business tycoon who zips around on motorized boots, and a strangely incompetent riverboat captain.

In the depths of the Amazon rainforest, the three siblings and their new friends must overcome deadly piranhas, stealthy jaguars, and the dreaded “Trail of Pain” to save Hank . . . and make it out alive. 

Readers familiar with the Jack and the Geniuses Series will enjoy seeing Jack and his siblings take on another adventure. However, Lost in the Jungle has less science and fun gadgets. Instead, the siblings spend more time trying to locate Hank. Along the way, Jack has “mind drifts” where he thinks about random things; some readers may find the mind drifts irritating because they are so random. For example, after hearing about a sloth legend, Jack thinks, “. . . I started wondering what sort of creature I’d want to be in the rainforest. A vampire bat? A boa constrictor? The howler monkeys had amazing beards. It would be fun to yell all the time, too. . .”  

The adults in the kids’ lives are mostly absent. For example, Jack and his genius siblings rely on Hank; however, Hank gives them little guidance and leaves them alone for long periods. Hank doesn’t share his plans with the kids; instead, he leaves for the rainforest without a word. After not hearing from Hank for weeks, the siblings decide to find Hank. This causes them to put themselves and others in danger. Even though Hank is irresponsible, the story reinforces the idea that Hank and the kids are family despite not being biologically related. The conclusion proves that love can be found in some surprising ways. 

Lost in the Jungle is a fast-paced story that teaches how the Amazon is being destroyed by illegal logging and how this leads to global warming. While each book in the Jack and the Geniuses Series features a new location and a new dilemma, the books are best read in order so readers can understand the family dynamics of the kids. Readers who love adventure and science will enjoy learning about the Amazon by reading Lost in the Jungle. Readers can jump into another fast-paced adventure by reading the Explorer Academy Series by Trudi Trueit and Tom Swift Inventors’ Academy Series by Victor Appleton. 

Sexual Content  

• None

Violence  

• Someone breaks into the lab. When Jack and his siblings find him, the man puts Jack in a headlock. “The man clamped down harder on my head. My ears hurt. He yelled at them to back down the stairs as he dragged me out of the room.” The man threatens to drop Jack from the second story. Jack thinks, “One easy shove and I was going to sail right off the platform and splatter like a water balloon on the polished concrete.” The man leaves without injuring anyone. 
• A man tries to kidnap Jack, Ava, Matt, and their two friends. The kids jump out of the vehicle to get away, but the man follows. “The driver started to charge, splashing with each heavy step, and then [the sibling’s friend] leaned forward, flicked the stone into the air with his left foot. . . and struck. His leg moved like lightning and the stone flew through the air. . . striking the driver directly in the side of the head. Instantly the man dropped to his knees, twisted, and fell forward in a puddle.” The kids flee. 
• While lost in the rainforest, Jack follows the sound of voices and runs into a “burly and bearded” man. The man “kept shouting at me in Portuguese. He held his boot above my stomach like he was going to stomp on me.” The man pulls out a gun, but he doesn’t hurt anyone. 
• When Ava and the other kids find Matt, one of the bad guys, Alex, “dropped his arm across my chest and held me up like a human shield. Then he grabbed the gun off the ground and pressed it into my neck. The blood rushed from my head.” Jack passes out. Everyone is gone when he comes to, and Jack runs into the forest to hide.  
• Jack and the kids find several bad guys fighting over a flash drive. “Roger’s right fist flashed forward as quickly as a golden lancehead and smashed into Bobby’s forehead. He dropped like a puppet without string.” Two bad guys “showed us the pistol once more” and demanded that the kids take their shoes off. The kids comply.  
• One of the bad guys, Bobby, plans to take a boat and leave the kids stranded in the jungle. As Bobby waded to the boat, “the giant electric eel wrapped itself around his right leg and pumped him full of nine hundred volts. Every muscle in his body instantly tensed. His eyes bulged. . . [he] fell face-first into the water.” Bobby isn’t seriously injured.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• In a woman’s office, the kids see that “a thick, half-smoked cigar rested in a silver ashtray on the desk.” 
• In a crowd outside of a soccer match, “two old dudes chewing on cigars scurried alongside our car.” 
• During intermission at the opera, “a few dozen operagoers rushed outside, reaching for their cigarettes, cigars, and phones.” 

Language  

• One of the bad guys calls a woman a “greedy old hag.” 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None