The Cooper Kids Adventure Series

by: Frank Peretti

In this Christian-based, eight-book series, published between 1985 and 1997, the award-winning author tracks the international adventures of biblical archaeologist, Dr. Cooper, and his children, 14-year-old Jay and 13-year-old Lila. They travel across multiple continents, solve mind-boggling mysteries and fight vicious enemies. In a nutshell, they do everything but text each other. Following is a short review of each book. They can be read out of order. I highly recommend them for middle schoolers and young teens.

In The Door in the Dragon’s Throat, the Coopers travel to Nepur to excavate the contents of an ancient cavern called the Dragon’s Throat. The risk is high—everyone before them has died trying to access the forbidden door inside the cavern. When the Coopers plunge into the Dragon’s Throat, they are confronted with supernatural twists and turns in the ongoing battle between good and evil. This explosive book hooked me on the series.

Jay and Lila agree to help their dad track down the story behind a deceased missionary in Escape from the Island of Aquarius. As soon as they set foot on the shore of a South Sea island, they are confronted with a cult-like colony, a mysterious death, and eerie sounds. The author doesn’t give readers time to catch a breath with this fast-paced story. I sprinted from the beginning to end in one day with my heart in my throat.

Before opening The Tombs of Anak, I recommend you access your favorite Bible app and search for Anak and Anakim. Then check out II Samuel 21:20 and learn about a huge man with six fingers and six toes. Interesting stuff. The Coopers are summoned to a dig in Israel after a worker disappears into a mysterious pit. The site could be the ancient royal city of Gath, where treasure may be hidden. They soon find themselves ensnared in pagan rituals dating back to biblical times. And before long, a false god becomes very, very real, and they’re running for their lives. This is my series favorite.

Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea tugged on my heartstrings. Peretti delves into the death of Jay and Lila’s mother. He reveals Dr. Cooper’s deep sadness and how it has impacted his children. The book begins with a disagreement between Lila and him in Japan. It escalates, and she elects to return to America to live with her aunt. In an emotional twist, the plane crashes into the ocean. Lila may never see her family again. While she tries to escape and come to terms with her impending death, Dr. Cooper faces his own demons with help from a new character, Meaghan Flaherty, also widowed.

When a sleek, rectangular stone appears in the desert in The Secret of the Desert Stone, the Coopers are stumped by its mass. It’s more than two miles high and now divides two societies—one ruled by a brutal dictator and the other governed by a god-fearing chief. The Coopers soon figure out that the very-real stone is a metaphor for Jesus. But what is it trying to teach those living on either side of it? The siblings befriend the chief’s son, who has invented an alphabet that allows Jay to share the Bible with him. As in previous books, the family faces danger and witnesses God’s miracles. There’s some deep theology in this one.

I’m still suffering PTSD from The Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey. I’ll never look at dust the same again. And the freaky flying slugs ensured that I’ll never touch another snail. Where does Peretti come up with this stuff? Dr. Cooper is once again tasked with an archeological-based mission, this time to mine the treasure of the Toco-Rey ruins in Mexico. When he and his children arrive in the jungle, they learn their predecessors have perished from a deadly curse. It’s up to them to not only locate the treasure, but to determine how the deaths occurred. They’re faced with a mad scientist, angry villagers and a terrifying green man.

If you like to read about ghosts, time travel and mysterious murders, The Legend of Annie Murphy is for you. Set in the ruins of Bodine, Arizona, an old mining town, the story begins with four boys camping in a cemetery. After they see a gigantic woman in a cliff’s face AND a ghost, their parents prompt an investigation. The Coopers are summoned because of their experience with archaeology. They’re expected to uncover clues in the western town’s ruins. Within hours of exploring the ghost town with their professor friend, a slight earthquake slings Jay and Lila a hundred years into the past. At the same time, the town’s sheriff from 1885 appears in the present. And he’s trying to find Annie Murphy, who escaped from jail. This is my second favorite book in the series.

Originally published as Flying Blind, this story spotlights the worst day of Jay’s life. Very different from the first seven books, Mayday At Two Thousand Five Hundred is set in one location—a small airplane, piloted by Jay’s Uncle Rex. Jay is his co-pilot and the only other person in the plane. Lila makes brief appearances via radio. When air turbulence from a low-flying 757 causes the plane to flip and knock Uncle Rex unconscious, Jay must take over the controls. But, there’s a problem, Jay has a concussion and can’t see. The entire book follows Jay’s blind quest to return the plane to the ground with Dr. Cooper instructing him from a nearby plane. While full of exciting, heart-stopping moments, this book is my least favorite of the series.

Looking for more recommendations for clean MG and YA reads? Check out my book reviews page.

Have you ever read any of Frank Peretti’s books? If so, which is your favorite? Comment and you’ll be entered into our February drawing for a free book.