Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott Books 4-6

City in the Clouds

All of a sudden, one of Neal’s tennis shoes splits open at the toe revealing a brown claw-like foot.  Then, the other shoe breaks, and another transformed foot sticks out.  The curse that turned Neal into a bug while he was on the mysterious island has returned!  Eric, Julie, and Neal rush to Eric’s house.  They climb down the magic stairs and right on board Lord Sparr’s airship.  When the evil wizard sees them, he puts them on an outside platform so he can fling them into space.  The Lumpies rescue the trio before any harm can befall them.  Princess Keeah believes that Ro, the City in the Clouds, holds the key to breaking Neal’s insect curse.  They’ve got to work fast because Ro will disappear soon and be invisible for another seven years. 

The Great Ice Battle

During the last adventure, Eric heard Lord Sparr whisper the word, “Ice,” after reading the Quill’s prediction of the future.  Eric returns home and can’t seem to warm up.  The next time the upper world children see Jaffa City, it’s snowing and terribly cold.  Eric hears a young boy crying outside the city gates.  As soon as Eric lets him, Lord Sparr changes his form and begins freezing everything and everyone.  Prince Keeah’s mother, Queen Relna, appears as a white falcon and tells her daughter that she has the magical power to thaw the ice and free the city.     

The Sleeping Giant of Goll

While Jaffa City was frozen, Lord Sparr stole the amulet of Zorr.  Now he’s on his way to the ancient Kingdom of Goll to wake up the sleeping giant.  Sparr hopes Zorr with help him find the Golden Wasp, another magical object.  Eric, Julie, and Neal arrive in Droon where Max picks them up in a submarine.  While on their way to Goll, a cyclone carries Julie to the land of the Oobjas who crown her princess.  Finally arriving at their destination, they are attacked by Zorr, the formidable metal giant.  Luckily, a mysterious blue dragon comes to their rescue.

Abbott keeps the series exciting by introducing new characters and weaving new plot elements into each book.  I like the way he foreshadows events in each succeeding book.  It's like ending a chapter in the middle of the action so the reader wants to keep reading.