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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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As reviewed in:
Great Reads for the Kids
Mysteries on the Go
THE BRIDGES IN EDINBURGH
A missing will has the Bridge sisters, 14-year-old Robin and 12-year-old Jo snooping around the Scottish capital as they help a newly discovered cousin claim his inheritance. The book's look and tone is in the spirit of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and includes a map and Robin's guide to Edinburgh's top sites. In previous books, all by Michele Sobel Spirn, the sisters solved mysteries in London and Paris.
Additional Praise for THE BRIDGES IN EDINBURGH
The wordplay in the title sets the stage for a book that is both travel guide and fast-paced mystery. The Bridges is the name of a family on vacation abroad. The bridges are also those that the publisher intends to make by understanding other cultures through its "Going to" series. The daughters hope to spend the last week of their trip in either Italy or Spain, but their father announces they are heading to Edinburgh to stay at the home of his distant cousin, Angus.
Intrigue abounds shortly after they are shown to their rooms. Late Uncle Ambrose, a prankster, has promised his estate, including the lovely house in which Angus lives to whichever relative, the good Angus or the evil Tammie, can be the first to solve a series of riddles. Angus is flustered and sure he can't be successful within the week allowed. Robin is up to the task; she reads mysteries and draws extensively on what she has learned from the classics. Jo, twelve, and Robin, fourteen, learn about the landmarks and history of Edinburgh to find clues.
Tammie is sometimes a step ahead, but at other times, thwarted by the girls' resourcefulness. Jo and Robin are also puzzled by mysterious doings at the mansion. Nelly, the housekeeper, is unfriendly, and their room is haunted. Their parents become increasingly alarmed by dangerous events, and inadvertently put the girls in harm's way by grounding them in the mansion.
Spirn deftly accomplishes her mission to entertain, educate and break down stereotypes. To escape bondage in order to find the final clue, Robin persuades their guard to free them. Robin tells him that they would really like to explore Edinburgh for just an hour. His view of the United States, based on TV and movies, is that it is filled violence and criminals -- a stereotype. When he volunteers that it must be terrible to live where it is so unsafe, Robin sizes the opportunity to gain his sympathy and their freedom. Spirn is the author of more than forty books, including two others in the "Going to" series.
The maps, tour information and Web sites provide nifty references. The series includes adventures in cities in America, plus Paris, Mexico and London. The action and intrigue will keep young readers with their noses in this book. The familiar refrain "Are we there yet?" will come from a desire to explore, rather than as a complaint.
-- Linda Salisbury, Foreword Magazine
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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The new title in the Going To® series:
The Bridges in Edinburgh
by Michele Sobel Spirn
 Edinburgh sights and local lore come alive in this adventure story and travel guide for 9-13-year-olds.
Robin Bridge, a lover of mysteries, seems to encounter them wherever she goes--and readers have loved Robin and Jo in their previous adventures, The Bridges in London and The Bridges in Paris.
This time, she and her sister, Jo, are in Edinburgh to help Cousin Angus McDougall claim his inheritance of the family mansion. But the will specifies that he or another cousin will inherit, depending on who is the first to find and decipher all the riddles hidden around the city by their dear, departed Uncle Ambrose.
The girls race around Edinburgh to help Angus be the one, but their adversary has some very mean tricks up his sleeve and the outcome is in doubt until the very last moment.
The girls' adventures take them to the famous landmarks of Edinburgh, such as Arthur's Seat; the Palace of Holyroodhouse; Brodie's Close, the house of Deacon Brodie, the model for Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; the Camera Obscura; Clarinda's Tea Room; and Edinburgh Castle.
Special features after the novel include:
A fun glossary of Scottish terms (an example: A bogle is a frightening ghost);
Robin's personal guide to Edinburgh sights and a map to the city, keyed to the guide;
Recommended Web sites for planning a trip to the city of bogles, ceilidhs, and haggis from your own desk chair.
In addition to her books about the Bridges, Michele Sobel Spirn has written over 40 picture books, chapter books, and young adult books, including the Know-Nothings series and a retelling of The Nutcracker. She also teaches creative writing at the New School University in New York City.
Real Kids -- Real Places -- and Great Fun!
Contact: Ruth Lutnick, Four Corners Publishing
Tel. 516-623-2977
E-mail: rlutnick@fourcornersbooks.com
Young Americans Lack Geography Skills—
Only One in Seven Young Americans Can Pick Out Iraq on Map according to a Recent National Geographic Survey
Ask young people to pick out Iraq on a map of the Middle East, and only 13 percent can locate it, despite a barrage of headlines. The same goes for Israel or Iran. Even when asked to find 10 specific states on a map of the United States, only California and Texas could be located by a large majority of those surveyed.
Going To®, an intriguing series of travel novels for middle grade readers from Four Corners Publishing, addresses this issue with a combination of adventure story and travel guide that gets kids involved with places through the magic of fiction.
Did you ever like a book's major character so much you didn't want to say goodbye? In a Going To® book, you don't have to. A guide at the end of the story, written in the first person of the major character in the novel is like a personal letter telling you what's great to do and see in the place you just finished reading about.
Add a skillfully drawn map keyed to the guide and both armchair travelers and actual kids can have a terrific time and, shh, learn something.
Contact: Ruth Lutnick, Four Corners Publishing
Tel. 516-623-2977
E-mail: rlutnick@fourcornersbooks.com
What Kids Really Like To Do On Vacation May Surprise Parents
Hilton Hotels and Resorts posed the question to 402 parents and 503 children age six to twelve in a telephone survey. Among children, 39% said exploring new adventures was their favorite part of vacation, but many more parents, 60% thought this would be the children's most popular answer. Almost as many children, 31%, said meeting other children was their favorite part of vacation, while only 20% of parents thought this was something their children enjoyed most.
The Going To® series of children's travel novels pique kids' interest in different places and people by providing exciting adventure stories with fun characters. There is even a guide section specifically for kids, written in the first person of the major character in the story. Add a clear map keyed to the guide and parents will find their own travel plans made easier and more enjoyable.
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