The Serpent's Shadow

After getting through this whole series, I modify my recommendation slightly. The story is still interesting, the Egyptian mythology is useful, the writing is still clever. However, there is some dissonance between the stated age of the characters and their actions. Both characters act in ways that at least one more year is almost mentally required to make this work.

I find this most odd with Sadie, who is 12 and 13 in the series as she is completely infatuated with characters in a way that is beyond her years; she is constantly (in clean terms) discussing her romantic physical urges. She also expresses some social and human consciousness that is more adult than her age suggests. Parents and younger middle grade kids may find the romance a bit off-putting. Slightly older middle grade readers may find it relatable if they don't think too hard about the age of the kids. Note that there are NO truly romantic scenes or sensitive topics.