I read this last year, but I have been thinking about it lately, so I thought I would share. Edward Michael Groverton, or Em, as he is known is devastated when his father suddenly dies. At the funeral he sees a man with a gun. Things begin to really get strange when their house is broken into and only his father’s study is ransacked. His mother encourages him to go to France with a friend of his father and his daughter, Charlotte. What he discovered about his father and Nostradamus leads the three of them on a dangerous journey through London and eventually to Arizona.  This fascinating tale, a mixture of fantasy, science, and politics will keep the reader engaged right to the end. The end itself seems a little contrived, and there is no doubt that this is the first of a series. Still, I recommend it for middle school readers. Watch for the second book!