You can tell from the very first page that P. B. Kerr had great fun writing his novel, The Akhenaten Adventure. The way the author introduces his cleverly named characters, the atmospheric setting, the fun tone of his narration--all indicate that a hugely entertaining story is in store. The first installment of his Children of the Lamp sequence is set firmly in the present day, but it soon breaks away and encompasses several wonderfully colorful parts of the globe, England and Egypt included.

John and Philippa Gaunt, two twelve-year-old not-very-identical twins, live a privileged life on the Upper East of Manhattan with their wealthy parents and two curiously-mannered Rottweilers named Alan and Neil. The twins realize there's something amiss with their world when a string of strange things begin to happen after their wisdom teeth are extracted--they dream the same dreams, become stronger, their zits clear up, and wishes wished in their presence inexplicably come true. And, when their estranged Uncle Nimrod asks them to come to England for the summer during one such shared dream, the discovery of their destiny is set in motion.

John and Phillippa discover that they are descended from a long line of Djinn, have great inherent powers. They must call on these powers a lot sooner than they anticipated, though, because the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten is not as dead as history has so far declared and his legion of seventy magical djinn could tip the balance of power in the magical realm and affect the whole world order.

P.B. Kerr, under his given name Philip Kerr, is the author of several bestselling thrillers for adult readers. His debut novel for children is a slick, zeitgeisty fantasy adventure that is sure to win him a new raft of fans. The Blue Djinn of Babylon is next up for those who get hooked. (Age 10 and over) --John McLay

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–In this uneven fantasy, 12-year-old twins live a privileged but uneventful life in New York City until both John and Philippa need to have their wisdom teeth extracted. Afterward, the children begin to experience strange growth spurts, have cravings for smoke and heat, and gain the ability to grant wishes. After inviting them to visit him in London, their Uncle Nimrod informs them that they are descended from the Marid tribe of djinn. As he begins their training, they travel to Egypt, where they are pursued by Iblis, the leader of an enemy tribe who thinks Nimrod knows the location of the lost tomb of Akhenaten. This pharaoh bound 70 djinn to his service and whoever finds his tomb will have the ability to command them and shift the balance of power from good to evil. As they travel around the world, the siblings and their uncle have numerous adventures, culminating in an encounter with Akhenaten's ghost. The writing has a cinematic quality as Kerr provides detailed glimpses at the changing scenery; at times, there is too much description, particularly of room furnishings. In-depth characterizations are sacrificed for the often humorous, fast-moving plot. For a more complex and satisfying fantasy about djinn, try Jonathan Stroud's "Bartimaeus Trilogy" (Miramax).–Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-9. British thriller-writer Kerr puts an ingenious spin on the enchanted-lamp theme in his first novel for children, in which 12-year-old twins John and Philippa discover that they come from a preeminent family of djinn. Although their powers are not yet fully fledged (they're constantly forgetting whether spiraling into a bottle should be done clockwise or counterclockwise), the twins must help their powerful uncle Nimrod preserve the balance between opposing djinn tribes. Kerr's background as a writer for adults may explain his tendency to give grown-ups more personality than his preteen protagonists, and one sometimes winces at characterizations that seem like holdovers from the colonial era (one Egyptian servant named Karim is dubbed "Creemy" because he smiles "like a cat that's had the cream"). But it's hard not to admire the well-crafted scaffolding that supports the fantasy (for instance, all djinn suffer from claustrophobia--you'd have it too if your ancestors were always getting trapped inside stoppered vessels). Casting kids in roles of real magic and power is a time-tested premise, and this variation gains extra appeal from its sources in a refreshingly different tradition than those generally tapped by witch-and-wizardry retreads. The enticing metallic cover won't hurt, either. Expect the twins to transubstantiate in two more volumes to complete the Children of the Lamp trilogy. For other genie-related titles, see adjacent Read-alikes column. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places (and not necessarily on public transportation), and make people and objects disappear. Luckily (and luck does have something to do with it), the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-Uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newly found power. And not a moment too soon!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A one-armed chauffeur + Two djinn? + Three wishes?

Qwertyuiop! What does it all add up to? An amazing and magical adventure, for sure (and that's not counting the Rottweilers, Alan and Neil, who are not exactly the pets they seem to be).

Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places (and not necessarily on public transportation), and make people and objects disappear.

Luckily (and luck does have something to do with it), the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newly found power. And not a moment too soon! Because John and Philippa are about to embark on a search to locate a monstrous looking (but supposed to be dead) pharoah named Akhenaten, and his tomb, which may be holding seventy lost djinn.

Will the twins be strong and skilled and clever enough to outwit Iblis, the most evil djinn in the universe and live to see another day -- another city -- another adventure?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In thriller writer Philip Kerr's YA debut, he puts an entertaining spin on the genie-in-a-lantern mythos, thanks to the exotic setting and a breezy and humorous delivery. Twelve-year-old John and Philippa Gaunt are "the least identical twins imaginable," at least in appearance, though they can read each other's minds. While anesthetized at the dentist, they meet their Uncle Nimrod in a hallucination; he encourages them to come to London to stay with him over the summer. Their parents agree to the plan, surprising the siblings. Before they arrive in England, strange things begin happening-a neighbor who mentions to the twins that she wishes she would win the lottery suddenly does, and a scared couple on their London-bound plane tells Philippa that they wish they were back home then promptly vanish. In his palatial home, Nimrod tells the twins that they are djinn, or "children of the lamp... the guardians of all the luck in the universe," and whisks them off to Egypt to continue their training. While in Cairo, the family encounters an explorer who claims to have discovered the key to the lost tomb of Akhenaten, which legend says contains enough trapped djinn to upset the balance of luck in the world. A breakneck paced, Indiana Jones-style adventure ensues, taking Nimrod and the twins from the heat of the Egyptian desert to the bowels of the British Museum. Kerr keeps the emphasis on fun, making this the first in a series worth watching. Ages 9-12. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Christopher Moning

Author P.B. Kerr's attempt to divert his children from the lure of video games and into the world of books eventually evolved into a first rate young adult adventure novel. Until their twelfth year, twins John and Phillipa Gaunt's lives were pretty normal. Then their bodies and minds begin to change in strange ways. They grow wisdom teeth. They have a sudden and strong desire to smoke cigarettes. Strangest of all, it seems like they can make wishes come true. While under anesthesia, the twins share a bizarre dream in which their Uncle Nimrod, whom they barely remember meeting, invites them to visit him in London. Remarkably, the twins' parents go along with this request. Nimrod explains to the children that they are "djinns," which humans refer to as Genies. Djinns are responsible for tracking the luck of the world, and right now that luck is in a dangerous imbalance: an evil group of djinns are attempting to set free seventy ancient Egyptian genies that have been bottled up for thousands of years. Nimrod and the twins' adventures take them to the hottest place on earth as well as to the coolest. Along the way, they find themselves embroiled in many harrowing scrapes, which they get out of with the help of a cast of colorful characters. Humorous dialogue and vivid imagery abound in this witty and imaginative read. 2004, Orchard Books/Scholastic, Ages 8 to 12.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-In this uneven fantasy, 12-year-old twins live a privileged but uneventful life in New York City until both John and Philippa need to have their wisdom teeth extracted. Afterward, the children begin to experience strange growth spurts, have cravings for smoke and heat, and gain the ability to grant wishes. After inviting them to visit him in London, their Uncle Nimrod informs them that they are descended from the Marid tribe of djinn. As he begins their training, they travel to Egypt, where they are pursued by Iblis, the leader of an enemy tribe who thinks Nimrod knows the location of the lost tomb of Akhenaten. This pharaoh bound 70 djinn to his service and whoever finds his tomb will have the ability to command them and shift the balance of power from good to evil. As they travel around the world, the siblings and their uncle have numerous adventures, culminating in an encounter with Akhenaten's ghost. The writing has a cinematic quality as Kerr provides detailed glimpses at the changing scenery; at times, there is too much description, particularly of room furnishings. In-depth characterizations are sacrificed for the often humorous, fast-moving plot. For a more complex and satisfying fantasy about djinn, try Jonathan Stroud's "Bartimaeus Trilogy" (Miramax).-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews