What Should I Read? Book Talks and More

I finished Clash of the Demons last night. Kids are always asking for scary books, and this series is pretty scary! Here is a synopsis from the card catalog: "Tom is reunited with his mother and must return to Greece to face a new and terrible threat from the dark forces, and a momentous decision must be made, causing a serious rift between Tom and the Spook that threatens to separate them forever."

Someone brought The Hunger Games back to the library yesterday--can you believe it--no one else checked it out...so I did. I can't wait to read it! I bought the squeal from the book fair for the library--hope to get it on the shelves soon.

I am continuing to read the Darren Shan saga. It is good! Take a look at some of the earlier blogs about this series. Here's what is on the card catalog of Trials of Death . "Darren begins the Trials of Initiation to prove himself worthy of being a half-vampire, even as the the clan's blood foes, the vampaneze, gather near Vampire Mountain."

If you are a regular reader of this blog (crickets chirping), you know that I have been reading a lot of fantasy and talking with people who do, too. I received a funny titled list in email the other day...called Clean Vampire Books. That's because kids are asking my colleagues and I for vampire books ALL THE TIME right now. Twilight and all that...so my friend asked around and found a bunch. I will post it later and you can tell me what you think!!!

We have some real readers at Hadley Middle School. One of my helpers in the library, Chris, reads SO much that he is always telling me about new series and new books. He told me about the Darren Shan series The Demonata (Shan is known for Cirque Du Freak of course--and Chris is one of the people who helped me want to read that series). I am reading book 2 of The Demonata , just because I couldn't get the first one at the public library. Oh yeah, it is called " Demon Thief ." link It is pretty intense so far. The main character came back from "beyond" -- and I don't know where that was. This protagonist isn't any help because he doesn't REMEMBER anything about where he was. But, I think he brought someone back with him!!!! Shan's website says " The Demonata" is a ten-book series which will take readers into new realms and universes, all of them populated or threatened by demons. Fast-paced and bloody, horrific and fantasti

This is the second in a series--it is a super hero book! Here is the synopsis from the card catalog: "After an unknown adversary leaks their true identities to the world, Titan and his partner Diamond flee to the United States with their friend, Danny Cooper, and together the trio learn how to master their powers and use them for good. " Some series really need to be read in order and this is one of them. There are a bunch of characters in the stories and that is part of my confusion. Plus, I read the first one Quantum Prophecy a LONG LONG time ago...ok a couple of years ago. It seems that Carroll is finally getting going on this series...I found this link... http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/qp/main.htm

I finished reading Vampire Mountain in the Darren Shan Saga. An interesting thing about this book is that readers learn about the rites and code of vampires in this series--of course Shan creates his OWN world and does not necessarily follow all the ideas about vampires that have been written before him. It keeps things interesting! Next I am ready for Trials of Death and I am very lucky because someone just returned it to the library TODAY! Here's a synopsis of Vampire Mountain from the card catalog: Mr. Crepsley leads Darren Shan on a dangerous trek to Vampire Mountain, the very heart of the vampire world, to be presented to the Council, but an encounter with the Vampanese along the way means trouble. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Shan

Ms. Olson was telling me about this book, which is also YA (that classified for Young Adult readers 15-19 years old). It sounds very interesting--based on talents like swimming, mind reading, and everything in between and beyond! Although we won't have it in the middle school library, you may want to take a look at the public library. Ms. Olson has moved on to the Fire, which is described as "a loosely-related companion to Graceling." Here is a link! http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/hmhbooks/graceling/

A STOTAN is half Stoic and half Spartan in the Greek tradition. The plot of STOTAN is centered around 4 senior swimmers. Each has his own problems--and they are typical of what Crutcher writes about (child abuse, apathetic parents, no parents, love issues, bullies, sports...). It is the last year for a swim team at the jock school, Robert Frost High . The swimmers want to do as well as they can, but of course they cannot forsee the many challenges they will face duing the year. I checked this one out from the public library. I think I mentioned before that Crutcher writes YA, and much of it is not appropriate for middle schoool. As a matter of fact, he has been at the top of the list of challenged authors for the last 10 years! This book is really pretty tame compared to many of his books!

Yes, I am continuing to read Jenny Nimmo's books! The latest is Charlie Bone and the Shadow --it is my turn to read it at last! This book takes its name from the shadowy figure which is behind the Red King in his portrait. This figure, Count Harken--a magician, won't let Charlie into the painting. He is causing Charlie other problems, too. Here is the synopsis from the card catalog..." Magically-gifted Charlie Bone, accompanied by his best friend's dog, Runner Bean, comes to the rescue when the enchanter Count Harken takes revenge on the Red King's heirs by kidnapping and imprisoning Charlie's ancestors in the dark, forbidding land of Badlock. "

By Jenny Nimmo. Dinah is a very smart girl. She and her mother move from place to place--mostly because they don't have much money. Dinah's mother has found love--and Gomer, her mother's boyfriend, has put them in a house that is crumbling and falling apart. Dianh finds it an extraordinary place. She starts at a new school, makes a few friends and finds a couple of mysteries to solve--like where did the lion and the bear living in her garden come from?

Please share what you are reading! Just keep in mind who your audience is: kids at school. Please follow these guidelines: Use appropriate language. Don't use fighting words or provoke anyone. Avoid the use of chat language. Try to spell everything correctly. Only give constructive criticism. Use only your first name. You may make comments anonymously—without making an account. It is nice if you put on your first name or initials. Know that I keep an eye on this…but let me know if you find something that shouldn't be there. Also, please don’t do spoilers—tell too much about a story so it ruins things for others. Comment by clicking comments--which is underlined below...I'd love to hear from you...

Charlie Bone is a series that is every bit a good as Harry Potter! If you haven't read it, you are in for some great reading! Nimmo doesn't use quite the extensive vocabulary that Rowling does, but the story is so wonderful. I just finished Charlie Bone and the Beast. From the card catalog: "When Asa Pike, a Bloor's Academy student, goes missing, twelve-year-old Charlie Bone suspects a new classmate, the magically gifted Dagbert Endless, of foul play." I am waiting my turn at home to read Charlie Bone and the Shadow. I understand that CB and the Wilderness Wolf will be out soon! Someone put some good and reliable information on Wikipedia about this series--I have used their description and referenced it below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bone#Children_of_the_Red_King : The protagonist of the series is Charlie, a 12-year-old boy endowed with supernatural talents to converse and "visit" people contained within photographs or paintings. As a

Two more Jenny Nimmo books I read are Ultramarine (1990) and Rainbow and Mr. Zed (1992)--it is the sequel to Ultramarine . The brother, Ned, and sister, Nell, in this book are sort of orphans--but we don't understand that at first, because they have been adopted. There is a mystery involved there, of course! And since it is Jenny Nimmo --some skill or talent that is supernatural. The kids live by the sea and Nell sticks close to her older brother, not just because he takes care of her, but because she has discovered she can hear the footsteps of the sea when she is close to him! Both stories have a strong current of environmentalism in them and definitely show an appreciation for nature. Both books were enjoyable!

I recently read several of Jenny Nimmo's books. http://www.jennynimmo.me.uk/index.html She's a kids' author I always enjoy!! One is from her Snow Spider series-- The Chestnut Soldier . It is the third book in the series. The first is The Snow Spider (1988), the second, Emlyn's Moon (1990) the last of the series of The Chestnut Soldier (1991). This series was written before her Red King/Charlie Bone Series. The snow spider series is set in Wales. A boy discovers he is the ancestor of a powerful magician--not an illusionist--but a magic magician! The spider helps him with the magic...and of course the magic causes him trouble. Here is a short synopsis from Wikipedia --which is usually a good place to look up stuff about book series: The books, set in 20 th century Wales, revolve around a boy named Gwyn. His grandmother gives him five odd gifts for his ninth birthday. They take him on a quest to discover whether he is a magician like his Celtic ancestors, and help hi

I talked about this book during library to many classes this week while we were reviewing the William Allen White books. I had only read the first chapter...but now I finished the book. It is the story of a misunderstood 6 th grader who has to enroll at a Catholic school because she has been expelled from the public school. What did she do to get expelled? You will want to find out for yourself, but it involved a knife, lots of blood, and the Principal's son! She feels that no one EVER listens to her...she has to make new friends, try to get over being angry, learn to forgive, find out if she is as good an actor on stage as she is in real life, AND get her parents back for not listening to her--she's thinking of joining the Catholic church, because she can't think of ANYTHING that will make them crazier!

Thanks for the comments last week. Wow! I love the Percy Jackson series, too. I blogged a little about that series during the summer. I picked up A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama off the shelf here in the library last week. I am hooked! It is an exciting and intriguing book. I thought it might be "scary" (kids are always asking for scary books). But, it isn't really a ghost story...but it is full of suspense and mystery. There IS a dead girl who is EXPECTED to come back as a ghost, but...well...that is part of the fun and suspense. Here is the annotation from the card catalog : "At the Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans, eleven-year-old Maud is adopted by three spinster sisters moonlighting as mediums who take her home and reveal to her the role she will play in their seances." What isn't said is that we think the spinsters are SUCH ladies...but they turn out to be con artists! You can have it when I am finished!

Wow. I finished this amazing and long book. I have skipped around in this series, so luckily I have a few more to read in the sci fi series of Dune. One thing I decided is that Mr. Daniels, tech guru here at HMS, is our very own KWISATZ HADERACH --from the series that means "Shortening of the Way" and describes a man of a certain tribe whose organic mental powers bridge space and time. The Kwisatz Haderach is also known as "the one who can be many places at once" in the texts. Mr. Daniels fixed my computer today just by standing next to it! Here's a link: http://www.dunenovels.com/

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life . Jeremy's best friend is a girl--he gets some trouble from that. Together they are looking for four keys which open a mysterious box. The box was left for Jeremy in his father's will to be given to him on 13 th birthday. By the way, the box cannot be cut or smashed open or the contents will be ruined--and Jeremy really wants to see what his deceased father left for him. I am still enjoying this book! Will probably finish this week. There are several copies in the library...come and get yours!

I am continuing to read the Dune series. I have missed a few of these Science Fiction books here and there, but I hope to read the entire series--because I really enjoy it! I am finishing Sandworms of Dune. In this book, the thinking machines (computers) have come back from being almost obliterated by the humans. Some characters from the first and succeeding books have resurrected as clones--somehow they are able to "get back" memories from their previous lives. Sounds like a soap opera, huh? http://www.dunenovels.com/

This is the last in the Percy Jackson series--at least I think so. There is a hint that Riordan may go on with a spin--off! The book ends with a twist--those prophesies really are hard to interpret! I will make sure we have some of these on hand in the library ASAP! It wasn't out til June or July--after school was out.

I enjoyed this book. Stephanie Meyer ( The Host ) really likes to write about love--its depth and destiny. Sigh--romance--with a twist! This one is not about vampires! Look at the novels Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë . I think these classic novels must have influenced Meyer!

Ok --so I like Stephanie Meyer and her supernatural genre. While I am waiting my turn to finish The Last of the Olympians , I am reading The Host . This book is an alien assimilation book--you know--The Animorphs is an alien assimilation book. http://www.scholastic.com/animorphs/index.htm It is fascinating! The Host is classified as an adult book--not young adult like the Twilight Series. So far I haven't seen anything that makes it more adult than Breaking Dawn. I will keep you posted as I finish this. http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/thehost.html

I am reading Rick Riordan's latest in the Percy Jackson saga-- The Last Olympians. It is exciting, as I have come to expect from this series. I think one of my kids said it is the last in the series, but there seems to be SOMETHING that could be followed up in a new series. We can only wait--and HOPE!!! Here is a link in case you haven't taken a look at these books... http://www.rickriordan.com/

I finished the last of the Twilight books-- Breaking Dawn . I liked it the best of the four. Edward and Bella remain very compelling characters--which is really the appeal of the series. I did have to skip the whole middle section of the story--Jacob whining--and go back a read it after I finished--it was just too much until I knew more. I haven't been able to check out more of the Darren Shan Saga yet--but the rest of the books are on my reading list!

I finished Tunnels of Blood in the Darren Shan Saga, aka Cirque du Freak series. It was awesome! READY for the fourth one. It wasn't on the shelf at the public library, I will look again this week. Thought Darren would have a love interest and I was convinced that his mentor was a killer! Lots of suspense. I am still reading Dune: Dune Hunters. It is complicated Sci Fi, but I enjoy reading this series.

Here is a list. Will add some descriptions later! 2009-2010 Battle of the Books List Title Author Airborn Kenneth Oppel Bronx Masquerade Nikki Grimes Bud, Not Buddy Christopher Paul Curtis Castaways of the Flying Dutchman Brian Jacques Chasing Vermeer Blue Balliett Chicken Boy Frances O’ Roark Dowell Code Talker Joseph Bruchac Dicey's Song Cynthia Voigt Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie Jordan Sonnenblick Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan Flush Carl Hiaasen Freak the Mighty Rodman Philbrick The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman Invitation to the Game Monica Hughes Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life Wendy Mass Just Ella Margaret Peterson Haddix The Kite Rider Geraldine McCaughrean The Lottery Rose Irene Hunt Peak Roland Smith Peter and the Starcatchers Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Phineas Gage John Fleischman Storm Warriors Elisa Carbone Stormbreaker Anthony Horowitz Summer of My German Soldier Bette Greene The

I finished reading the first two books in the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan . I was curious about this Vampire Series because so many Hadley students have been reading it. I really liked them! The protagonist is an eleven year old boy. So far, the second in the series, The Vampire's Assistant , was BETTER than the first one! It is nice to have the vampire excitement without the romance. Ha! I will be reading the rest of the series throughout the summer--I think there are about 13 in all. We have them all in our library, and I have ordered some that were missing from our collection. They should be on our shelves by October! Here is a link to his site: http://www.darrenshan.com/index.html I just finished Chris Crutcher's Ironman . Crutcher's books are often on banned lists because of the content. And, frankly, most of them are not really appropriate for a middle school library. But, I do like every one of his I have read! We have a couple in our library. Often the

What are you reading this summer. So far I have read Jack and Jill by James Patterson, Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney. Currently I am reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. I have heard it is better than The DaVinci Code , but I haven't decided yet. Angels and Demons is pretty good, but isn't quite as compelling as DVC.

Spring semester at the Lab School in Hyde Park finds Petra and Calder drawn into another mystery when unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and it's up to the two junior sleuths to piece together the clues. Stir in the return of Calder's friend Tommy (which creates a tense triangle), H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man, 3D pentominoes, and the hunt for a coded message left behind by Wright, and the kids become tangled in a dangerous web in which life and art intermingle with death, deception, and surprise.

Jim Hawkins, who narrates Stevenson's classic tale, is rewarded for his assistance to an old pirate, Billy Bones, with a map showing the way to buried treasure. He and his associates set sail for the island on a ship manned by a band of pirates--a fact they discover en route. The pirate king is the notorious one-legged cook Long John Silver, one of Stevenson's most delightfully conceived villains. The pirates are vanquished, the treasure is retrieved, and Stevenson's novel is widely loved, and admired as one of the great adventure novels of all time.

Though legally blind, Paul Fisher can see what others cannot. He can see that his parents' constant praise of his brother, Erik, the football star, is to cover up something that is terribly wrong. But no one listens to Paul - until his family moves to Tangerine. In this Florida town, weird is normal: Lightning strikes at the same time every day, a sinkhole swallows a local school, and Paul the geek finds himself adopted into the toughest group around: the soccer team at his middle school. Maybe this new start in Tangerine will help Paul finally see the truth about his past - and will give him the courage to face up to his terrifying older brother.

When 12-year-old Kenny Huldorf and his family move into their new house, Kenny discovers that his room is haunted by the ghost of a slave named Caleb who was murdered in the early 19th century. Caleb summons Kenny back in time where he must solve Caleb's murder before he is able to return to the present. The author himself makes an appearance as a character in this historical mystery.

Tree-ear, an orphan, has become fascinated with the potters' craft; he wants nothing more than to watch master potter Min at work, and he dreams of making a pot of his own someday. When Min takes on Tree-ear as his helper, Tree-ear is elated--until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min's irascible temper, and his own ignorance. However, Tree-ear is determined to prove himself.

When Romiette Cappelle and her best friend, Destiny, decide to order The Scientific Soul Mate System from the back of "Heavy Hunks" magazine, they're not sure what they're getting into. But Destiny, a self-proclaimed psychic, assures Romi that for $44.99 plus shipping and handling, it's the only way they're ever going to find out who their soul mates really are. If nothing else, maybe Romi will get some insight into that recurring dream she's been having about fire and water. But they never expect that the scented candle and tube of dream ointment will live up to their promises and merge Romiette's destiny with that of Julio Montague, a boy she's just met in the "cosmos" of an Internet chat room. It turns out they go to the same high school, not to mention having almost the same names as Shakespeare's famous lovers Sweet-scented dreams of Julio have almost overtaken Romi's nightmares... ...when suddenly they return, but this time

After their mother is murdered as a reprisal for the work of their outspoken journalist father, 12-year-old Sade and her younger brother are sent from their home in Nigeria to live with their uncle in London. However, when they arrive at their uncle's house, Sade and her brother discover that he is missing. Forced to live in a series of foster homes, the siblings are happy when they learn their father has escaped from Nigeria and is looking for them in England. Still, their father is in danger of being sent back to the perils of Nigeria unless Sade can find a way to save him.

Fleeing from a neighbor's assailants, who believe he has identified them to the police, LeRoy leaves his Chicago housing project to live with his grandfather, a shrimp fisherman, in Mississippi.

Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter he tells the story, of one special dog, among them Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and Josh, one of the remarkable border collies working on Paulsen's ranch today. Pen-and-ink illustrations by Ruth Wright Paulsen.

The first novel of a new series that mixes classic Greek mythology with modern adventure. After learning he is a demigod, Percy Jackson is sent to a summer camp on Long Island, where he meets the father he never knew--Poseidon, god of the sea.

Set between 1919 and 1920, LETTERS FROM RIFKA tells the story of a 12-year-old Jewish girl who, along with her parents and her brother, attempts to escape persecution in her homeland of Russia. The family manages to flee to Poland, and from there, they plan to immigrate to the United States, already home to Rifka's three older brothers. Although the rest of her family is cleared to travel to America, Rifka, who has developed ringworm, is left behind in the care of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a group that eventually relocates her to Belgium, where she grows from a frightened child to a responsible young woman. Rifka still dreams of being reunited with her family, but before she can do so, she must face a dangerous sea journey and an extended stay at Ellis Island. Based on the author's own family history, LETTERS FROM RIFKA presents a historically accurate depiction of an immigrant's experience in the early 1900s, and is told via Rifka's letters to her cousin in Rus

Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem glittering and shining. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering in the future.

Maia, orphaned at 13 in England, is very unhappy to be staying with distant relatives hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She becomes friends with a mysterious English boy who lives with the local Indians. But when they are forced to flee upriver, they are pursued by some very eccentric characters.

Set in Boston on the brink of the American Revolution, this historical novel tells of observant 14-year-old silversmith apprentice Johnny Tremain, who, due to a bad burn on his hand, must give up silversmithing. Noticing the unrest in the city, Johnny becomes a dispatch rider for the Committee of Public Safety and is soon caught up in the thrilling undercurrents and rumblings which led to the Boston Tea Party and ultimately to the Battle of Lexington and the start of the Revolutionary War. Winner of the 1944 Newbery Medal.

Matteo Alacran was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrin, lord of a country called Opium -- a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. Then he was placed in the womb of a cow, where he continued the miraculous journey from embryo to fetus to baby. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster -- except for El Patrin. El Patrin loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself. As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister cast of characters, including El Patrin's power-hungry family, and he is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards. Escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But escape from the The Estate is no guarantee of freedom, because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect.

When gruff Tom Oakley first sees Willie Beech, the evacuee he agrees to care for, he cannot believe how thin and undernourished he is. The boy is terrified of everything, and when Tom sees the welts and bruises, he realizes that the eight-year-old boy has been abused by his single mother. Gradually, Tom gets Willie to trust him, and this trust soon blossoms into love. When Willie is summoned back to his mother in London, Tom is determined not to lose the boy he has come to love as a son.

Inspired by an illuminated poem from 13th-century Germany, this witty, historically accurate collection--the winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal--forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England.

A priceless ruby has been stolen and an innocent family framed for the crime. Can Seikei prove himself a worthy samurai by uncovering the real thief? Honors include a nomination for the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Young-Adult Mystery and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Living in a North Carolina holler with her parents and eight siblings, 12-year-old Livy Two is an aspiring songwriter and self-appointed guardian to her little sister Gentle, who is going blind. But when tragedy strikes, can Livy Two continue to stay strong for her family?

In this work of historical fiction, 14-year-old Matilda Cook is caught in the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. When Matilda recovers from the illness, she attempts to find her missing mother and is taken in by a family friend--a freed slave named Eliza.

Eleven-year-old Elijah lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves near the American border. He's the first child in town to be born free, and he ought to be famous just for that. Unfortunately, all that most people see is a "fra-gile" boy who's scared of snakes and talks too much. But everything changes when a former slave steals money from Elijah's friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the South. Now it's up to Elijah to track down the thief--and his dangerous journey just might make a hero out of him, if only he can find the courage to get back home.

My name is Dovey Coe and I reckon it don't matter if you like me or not. I'm here to lay the record straight, to let you know them folks saying I done a terrible thing are liars. I aim to prove it, too. I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn't kill him. Twelve-year-old Dovey Coe never did like Parnell Caraway. She didn't like his slick way of wooing her older sister. She didn't like the way he maligned her beloved deaf brother. But while she didn't like him, she certainly didn't murder him. All the evidence, however, points to Dovey. Now the girl who's used to protecting everyone around her has to rely on a "city" lawyer who doesn't know goldentod from goldenroot to protect her. Dovey's not one to sit back when troubles are brewing, but just this once she might have to...or will she?

The 2001 winner of the Delacorte Press Prize for a First Young Adult Novel tells the story of a girl who while preparing for her 15th year celebration--her "quince"--probes into her Cuban roots and unwittingly unleashes a hotbed of conflicted feelings about Cuba within her family.

In this historically accurate novel, 13-year-old Sundara flees Cambodia with her family to escape the Khmer Rouge. One of many boat people, Sundara and her aunt and uncle get separated from the rest of their family. Together they escape to a small town in Oregon where Sundara struggles to fit into a new culture as well as remain true to her old one.

Berlin 1942 When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy ...

Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the mother of all sieges brewing! If you had to describe this book in one sentence, then it would have to be: Artemis Fowl - Die Hard with fairies.

Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.