Series: Ulysses Moore - Author: Pierdomenico Baccalario - Ages 9+

About the Series
Okay, I've got some good news and some bad news about this series.  If you like the books, the good news is there are 12 books in the series so far and there might be more coming.  The bad news is that you need to

 know Italian to read the last eight.

The author of the Ulysses Moore (Pierdomenico Baccalario) is from Italy and over there, the books are very popular with kids. The 12th book was released early in 2011.  Here in the US, only the first four books were trasnslated to English and there are no plans to translate the rest.  So if you like this series and you speak Italian or know somebody who does, you're in luck.  The rest of us will have to be happy with the first four books.

The Door to Time

Summary - Eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia have just moved from London to an old mansion on the English coast. Their new home is filled with twisting tunnels and strange artifacts from around the world, and the twins can't wait to discover all its secrets. Before long, Jason, Julia, and their friend Rick stumble upon a mysterious-looking door hidden behind an old wardrobe. But none of the keys in the house will open it. What lies behind the door? And why has someone tried to conceal it? Jason, Julia, and Rick are determined to find out, no matter what it takes....

Reviews

"While The Door to Time maintains a breakneck pace as the kids go from solving one intriguing puzzle to the next, the book falls short of its fulfilling promise, building up to the ultimate revelation about Ulysses Moore -- only to end on a cliffhanger, leaving the reader overeager for the next book in the series." - The Trades


"(T)he mystery will keep the reader guessing about what’s going to happen and as the children discover more and more, it’s hard to put the book down. Budding explorers will get a kick out of The Door to Time, but they have to want it because the story moves fairly slowly."

You'll find reviews of the other three American translations @ GoodReads
Ulysses Moore:  The Long Lost Map
Ulysses Moore:  The House of Mirrors
Ulysses Moore:  The Isle of Masks

Official Book Site (US)
Ulysses Moore @ Scholastic

Authors Site (Italy)
Pierdomenico Baccalario (site is in Italian)