Zoobreak by Gordon Korman is the second book in the Swindle series, immediately following the wildly popular inaugural book Swindle. In Swindle, the main character Griffin Bing and his best friend, Ben Slovak, stumble upon a 1920 Babe Ruth baseball card while sleeping in an abandoned old house that’s about to be knocked down the next morning. Griffin’s family is having financial problems, and he doesn’t know much about baseball cards, but an original 1920 Babe Ruth in mint condition has to be a lot of money. So they take it a collector to see if it’s worth anything and the guy (S. Wendell Palomino; nicknamed Swindle) lies that it’s just a cheap knockoff and buys it for a pittance. It turns out the card is worth $974,000. What the guy did is unethical, it’s sleazy, but there’s no way to prove he lied. Swindle is going to get away with it.

But Griffin is the Man with the Plan, and he and his team of friends come up with a plan to steal the card back. It’s a very exciting and action-packed book, and one of the best fiction books I’ve read.

So what did Gordon did to follow up that success? He wrote Zoobreak, a book that, while good, is no match for the original Swindle. In Swindle, there was a million dollar baseball card. In Zoobreak, there’s a stolen pet monkey. When Griffin and the team steal the monkey back from a crooked zoo, they can’t help but take all the other maltreated animals with them. They intend to donate them to the local zoo, but their contact is delayed is Africa, and won’t be back in two weeks, while they’ve got over forty extra animals on their hands! It is helpful to note that these books can be read in any order. While I would advise beginning with the first book, it is possible to pick up the series anywhere.

This is a trailer video made by Scholastic for Zoobreak.

Summary

Savannah Drysdale, animal expert and member of the team, can’t believe it when her pet monkey Cleopatra disappears. Her dog Luthor can’t believe it either, who Cleopatra was best friends with. She knows “Cleo” couldn’t have run away; she loved it with Savannah and Luthor!

When Griffin and Ben go looking with Luthor to find Cleopatra and come back with a banana, Savannah is sure Cleopatra has been kidnapped. This evidence is of course not accepted by the police, however, and Cleo continues to be nowhere to be seen.

To make matters worse, Ben Slovak has narcolepsy, a disease which makes him susceptible to falling asleep at any time of the day. And his condition is getting worse. His parents can’t pass it up when they have the opportunity to send him to a boarding school in New Jersey (the adventures in the Swindle series take place in Cedarville, Long Island), where he’ll be separated from not only his family, but also his best friend! Even though Griffin’s dad tries to convince him this is the best thing for Ben, Griffin knows the only reason Ben is going is because he’s a kid, and his parents want him to go.

Some more time passes, and Cleopatra is still gone. It looks like Savannah will have to continue without her monkey. But when they go on a school trip to a floating zoo, they’ve finally found their animal. And Savannah was right; she’s been kidnapped! Cleo is right there, under the name of Eleanor. Savannah is sure of it. Even Darren Vader, Griffin’s arch nemesis, respects Savannah’s knowledge of animals. But to prove that it really is Cleopatra would take money, DNA testing, and probably over a year. Even though Cleo is depressed and sad, Savannah has to leave her there.

Actually, all the animals are depressed. There are poorly fed and malnourished. The owner of a zoo goes by the name of Mr. Nastase, who is quickly nicknamed “Mr. Nasty.” Even the teacher who takes them on the trip isn’t impressed. But there’s nothing they can do about it.

At least not if you’re the Man with the Plan. That zoo stole Savannah’s monkey, and just like they took back the million dollar baseball card in Swindle, this time they’re taking back something even more valuable.

But when they get to the zoo and see all the poor animals somehow they end up taking not one monkey, but forty animals. Savannah is sure they can just give them to a animal expert at a zoo she has contact with, but it turns out she is out of town-and she won’t be back for two weeks! Two weeks with forty animals!

And not only that, but Mr. Nasty is on the case-and he’s tracked them to Cedarville! How are they going to hide forty animals from not only him, but also their parents! Surely they can’t hide for two weeks. And what happens when people discover who has the animals? Will the Man with the Plan come up with a genius plan at the last minute? And will an animal shockingly save Ben from boarding school?

Although we have come to expect interesting moral dilemmas in Gordon’s books, this may be the most interesting push of moral barriers he has written yet, while still being quite morally strong.

Review

This book is easy to speed through at 230 pages with large font, written for kids around the age of 9-14. The writing is very good, although not quite as much as good as in other books by the author. This book could almost be said to be aimed for a lesser age audience than the rest of the book for its more simplistic writing, and could be read by anyone 7 years old and up. The plot was also less complex, with somewhat less twists than in the rest of the series and some of the plot being unrealistic.

I have stated in other places that this was the worst book in the series, although it was still quite interesting. Without being the least bit preachy, it respects the rights of animals, which also leads to respecting the rights of humans. There are many unexpected events and dangerous escapes, as well as being very exciting.

Overall, I give it a 2.75/5.0 because of the interesting story and exciting plot. I would give it a 3.75, but I take off half a point for the lesser writing and another half a point for the less complexity of the plot, twists and slightly unrealistic story.

This is the worst in the series, but is still a pretty good and interesting book that fans of the series should definitely pick up, especially for younger readers. Click here to buy the book Zoobreak by Gordon Korman.

Framed is the third edition in the popular Swindle series written by best-selling author Gordon Korman, one of my personal favorite authors. This series features Griffin Bing (the main character) and their gang of friends. In Swindle, the inaugural book, Griffin and his best friend Ben Slovak discover a 1920 Babe Ruth baseball card while sleeping in abandoned old house that’s about to be knocked down. They take it to a collector to see if maybe it will solve Griffin’s financial problems, but the appraiser (S. Wendell Palomino; Swindle) tells that it’s just a cheap knockoff and buys it for $120. But actually, it’s worth $974,000. The only way to get the card is to steal it back.

After Zoobreak (which I believe to be the weakest of the four books so far), Framed is a very strong book that keeps the series rolling. In this book, Griffin and his friends go to a middle school with a principal (Dr. Egan; nicknamed Dr. Evil) who hates them because of their past. Griffin wants to get back at him, but after being threatened by the police at the end of Zoobreak, none of the team is eager to try another “plan.”

Note: These books can be read in any order. While I always recommend starting at the beginning, it is by no means necessary, as the plots are not very at all based on the proceeding adventures.

Below is a video trailer for the book made by Scholastic.

Summary

Until a 1968 Jets super bowl ring mysteriously disappears from the school. And Griffin’s retainer (which he had previously lost), was right where the ring used to be! Griffin didn’t do it, but neither Dr. Egan nor the police believe him. The judge who is assigned his case (Judge Koretsky) also does not buy his story and banishes him to the John F. Kennedy Alternative Education Center (JFK), infamously known as “Jail for Kids.”

Griffin and his friends pick several suspects: Darren Vader (a money grubber and a member of the Swindle and Zoobreak team), Cecilia White (a newspaper columnist who is trying to call attention to Griffin’s plots), Dr. Egan, and a kid by the name of Tony Bartholomew who is related to Art Blankenship (the owner of the ring) and wants to grab it for himself. But his sting operation doesn’t go as planned, and Judge Koretsky confines him to house arrest.

Now Griffin is convinced it’s Dr. Egan who stole the ring and framed him (he had a key to the safe where the ring was kept, after all). Griffin’s parents are distraught as they knew he lost his retainer beforehand and wasn’t guilty, but begin to lose their patience when Griffin’s sting operation on Egan lands him with an ankle-bracelet.

Things aren’t going well at JFK either. Griffin has accidentally “befriended” a bully named Shank who directs special attention towards Griffin as his “best friend.” But Shank isn’t as stupid as he seems. Could he have a special skill that proves to be an integral part of proving Griffin’s innocence?

Griffin has all but given up. All suspects lead to dead ends. There are many guesses, but no evidence that can land him out of juvie.

Until Savannah Drysdale (animal expert and member of team) comes across an idea that might lead to Griffin’s freedom. It sounds crazy, but can it be true? What if none of the original culprits are guilty? Could a rodent be the break Griffin has been waiting for?

Review

This book is easy to read at 234 pages with large font, meant for kids in the age group of 9-14. The writing is still superb and will expand the vocabulary of many a reader.

Korman’s books always bring readers to question the way society is run and does not fall into the preachiness that kids have come to be accustomed to reading, while being very morally strong overall (largely about dedication to the truth and friendship as is common in books by this author). This is a very exciting book and has frequently been said to appeal to even “reluctant readers.” It is very fast-paced and exciting (definitely in the action/adventure genre), while somewhat far-fetched. Even the characters cannot believe the turn of events that occur!

Overall, I give it a 3.5/5.0 because of the superb writing and exciting action. I would give it a 4.0, but take off of a half a point because of some of the implausibility of the story.

This is the best in the series other than Swindle, which is an absolute classic and has thus far proved to be untopable. This book comes close and captures the excitement of the original book, and is highly recommended. Click here to buy the book Framed by Gordon Korman!

Recently, Scholastic released the newest book in the explosive The 39 Clues action series, The Dead of Night by
Peter Lerangis. This has long been one of my all-time favorite series, and I usually finish the book the very day it comes out. For those who don’t know, The 39 Clues is a series about two kids, Amy and Dan Cahill, who realize they’re part of the most powerful family in the world, the Cahill clan, at their Grandmother Grace’s funeral. The source of the family’s power, the 39 clues (making a master serum developed by family founder Gideon Cahill), has long been hidden and the Cahill’s have been fighting for five centuries in an attempt to rediscover it.

There are four major branches: Tomas, Ekaterina, Janus, and Lucian. Grace knew that if any one of the branches got the ultimate serum it would mean the destruction of the world. There is also competition from another group named the Vespers (who I’ll get to in a second), that prompts her to send her grandchildren Amy (14) and Dan (11) into the hunt after she dies. Well, actually, she gave them.a choice; two million dollars (a fortune for peniless orphans) or a hint to the first clue, but she knows they’ll take the clue

They travel all over the world in an attempt to find the family secret, learning devasting secrets about their parents (who died in a mysterious “accidental” fire), and the truth about their own family branch. They almost get killed over a dozen times. It turns out they are members of the Madrigal’s, a secretive group no one knows anything about but all the others branches hate. The Madrigal’s are bad news. But Amy and Dan learn that the Madrigal’s are actually the good guys, knowing that if any branch got too much power, it would destroy the world. It’s also unique for being not only multi-author, but also having an interactive online game including missions and card packs.

After finding the serum and reuniting the family which fits ok the first ten books), there was a bridge book (Vespers Rising) that gave the secret of a ruthless named the Vesoers founded by a man named Damien Vesper, who was Gideon Cahill’s best friend until he doublecrossed him in an attempt to get the serum. The Vespers and Madrigal’s are now arch enemies, with the Vespers kidnapping members of the Cahill family in order to get the remaining free Cahills to do their biding. The Dead of Night is the third in the Cahills vs. Vespers, written by the author of the third book in the previous series The Sword Thief, as well as the seventh (The Vipers Nest).

Note: this is a series to start at the beginning. If you haven’t read all the books up to now, I’d recommend doing that, for this is a very intricate and complicated series, and you don’t want to miss a thing.

I wasn’t actually expecting this book to be too good, but it exceeded my expectations. I thought The Sword Thief was the weakest and worst written of all the books in the series, and I didn’t like The Vipers Nest much either. This book exceeded my expectations, however.

At the end of the last book, Dan had gotten a text from his father (Arthur Trent), who was long presumed to be dead in the fire tha destroyed their old home. Atticus Rosenbloom (Dan’s best friend) was also kidnapped by the Vespers). Not only is he a super genius, but his mother (now deceased) was a Guardian, a group that has worked with the Madrigal’s to guard secrets for years, although Atticus (11) doesn’t know what it is he’s guarding.

The Vesprs are ruled by a Council of Six, headed by Vesper One (identity currently a secret). In each book he sends them on a task, and threatens to kill one of the hostages of they’re late. Because they withheld information from Vesper One, that is why Atticus was kidnapped at this time.

They want information from him, but he doesn’t have it. He only just found out he’s a Guardian in the last few days, but if he doesn’t do something, they’re going to kill him. Vesper Six (Cheyenne Wyoming) and her brother Casper are the ones to kidnap Atticus. Will they disappoint Vesper One, as usual? Will Atticus’s cunning allow Amy and Dan to save him?

This time they travel to Samarkand, Uzbekistan (the oldest city in Central Asia) in search of “stale orbs” on the prodding of Vesper One, bringing Atticus and Jake along to ensure nothing happens to him again. As usual, the author paints a good historical picture, sprinkling in all sorts of historical details. In the last series it was only Amy doing this (the book nerd), but now Atticus (the genius) is also providing tons of commentary. Samarkand was in the middle of the Silk Road, and was a hotbed of activity. Amy and Dan are in search of the planetary work of Ulugh Beg meaning “Great Ruler” (his real name was Mīrzā Mohammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrokh), a revolutionary mathematician and astronomer, who had a huge observatory and plotted the course’s of stars and planets extremely precisely.

Amy and Dan learn that McIntyre (their Grandmother’s
lawyer and top Madrigal agent) died, and more texts from the man identifying himself as Arthur Trent come in. What is the connection between Amy and Dam’s father and McIntyre perishing? And what is the real identity of the mysterious texter?

Vesper Five is also revealed, woven into Interpol trying to catch them. Ian goes off the map, in search if a connection between the Vespers and the Lucian’s. It looks like Isabel is about to be revealed as a member of the Vesprs.

Meanwhile, the hostages try to escape. It was all Phoenix Wizard’s idea, but it backfires heavily. Amy and Dan request a picture, and reptile crawls in while it’s being taken. Nellie gets a crazy idea that gives the Cahills an idea to where th hostages are being held. And it points straight to where they have tracked Ian.

In addition, just as Lerangis played up the romance between Amy and Ian in Book Three (many avid readers are still on “Team Amian”), he hints at Amy liking Jake-already spurring “Team Jamy.” To compound things, Amy already has a boyfriend, Evan Tolliver, who is working with the Cahills because of his technological knowledge.

What Peter Lerantis was able to do in this book that he didn’t do in the previous books was that the last books he wrote too relaxed and no at adventure. Many readers of the seris seemed to like it as a welcome beak, but, in fact, it was not enjoyed as a whole, and dos not fit into what this series is. Prior to The Sword Thief, books one and two debuted at #1 on the bestseller list. Prior to The Vipers Nest, all the books (including book three), eventually appeared at #1. The other books were also somewhat convoluted and much more difficult to follow. Therefore, it is somewhat ironic that many have charged this book with being too simple, something I believe to be accurate.

It’s 190 pages with small pages and average text, so it’s not a long read, meant for ages 8-14. In this book, the action scenes were pulled off spectacularly, and by no means was the writing too relaxed. He also managed to retain funny moments, as well. This is definitely more reminiscent of the previous series, and might be the best book in the Cahills vs. Vespers so far

Overall, I give it a 3.75/5.0 because of the action-packed plot, fast-paced book, and good writing style. I would give it a 4.25/5.0, but take a half a point off for the somewhat less complexity compared to the rest of the series books.

It’s hard to top the previous, bestselling series, but Peter Lerangis makes a good try here, in a very nice addition to the seris. Click here to buy the book, The Dead of Night (39 Clues) by Peter Lerangis!

Most of Ernest Hemingway’s works are very well known and read by many people across the world. But today I am reviewing one of his lesser known stories, Nobody Ever Dies. In fact, Nobody Ever Dies is one of of only of few the famous author’s stories that is frequently left out of short story collections. It is one of an unconnected series of stories he wrote about the Spanish Civil War, this being the last one (written after the war ended), perhaps explaining the lack of attention.

The story is about a young man named Enrique who is a member of the revolutionary force, which is now on the defensive. Most of his comrades have been killed, and he is the next target. He is hiding in a house trying to protect goods, but he was spotted quickly, and suspects a black man outside may be spying on him.

Even though most of his fellows died, he has what seems to be a girlfriend in a girl named Maria. She is let in by a code, and they have not seen each other in a long time as he just got back from the war. As she asks about the other who she knew, he informs her that they are all dead. She is upset to discover that her brother is among the causalities, but Enrique does not think it is a big deal.

Maria is disgusted at Enrique’s hard-hardheartedness, especially after he reveals his belief that it was worth it for them to do. She is distressed to realize that his heart is only like a book. Enrique admits that he should be happier, but that it is lacking from him, though it is something Maria’s brother possessed.

Enrique’s girlfriend tells him she hates him, but softens when she realizes how bad the injury that he has is. His back is in bad shape, and although it doesn’t hurt when not touched, the pain when even slightly brushed by is indeed intense. Even though he is unable to engage in more active adventures with his girlfriend, they kiss. And it is over at that moment. They are detected.

Enrique is hunted. He dies. Maria is hunted, and she also falls into trouble. But Hemingway reveals that the black man had only been successful because of his voodoo, but the recognition that Maria makes indeed renders him powerless, for her magic is an older one.

This story does not waste time (as is characteristic of Hemingway), at only 13 pages and 5,291 words and goes somewhat cryptically, but should be able to be followed by most readers. The story is really one about love and friendship, although might be interpreted by some as ancestor worship, but I think it is clear that is not what Hemingway is talking about.

Indeed, this story is biased politically towards the revolutionaries, although that is not the central theme. Nobody Ever Dies was written after the revolution failed, so it might have been meant as encouragement to the losers of the war, which may account for it’s relative unpopularity in the United States (in that it wasn’t attended for this audience). Still, it is relevant even in this time and place. It is, in addition, an encouragement to people who have close friends or family who have died.

There is only one place I have found to get it on the internet, which is definitely not in copyright violation because of the antiquity of the story (1939). A lot happens very quickly in the story, which some may not enjoy. It may be helpful to read the others together with this if you like longer adventures, though I have not undertaken that endeavor.

Overall, I give it a 2.5/5.0. I would give it a 3.5/5.0 because of the interesting plot and good message, but I take off a point for the terseness of the writing and the shortness of the story. Recommended for those with a tie to the Spanish Revolution or those with a recent death.

I have also recorded and uploaded an audio version of the story here. You can listen to it or download it below. Note that it will take several seconds to load.

Herman Melville is most famous for the authorship of the absolute classic Moby-Dick. While I may review that later on this blog, today I am reviewing one of his short stories. Bartleby, the Scrivener, that I recently had the pleasure of reading.

The novella is about an office worker named Bartleby, who works as a copyist for a lawyer on Wall Street. Copyists work long hours and do gruesome work, but Bartleby does even more than is expected, the narrator never even seeing him leave the building. Bartleby was hired for his cool-headedness, a characteristic that, despite the happening events, remains with him for the duration of the story.

Bartleby continually gets more and more disobedient of his employer as time goes on. As a copyist, the work must be examined so they can verify the accuracy of it. But Bartleby refuses, in a calm, tranquil way that makes it hard for his employer to stand up for him. “I would prefer not to,” becomes the catchphrase of the story, and well could have been its title.

At first, Bartleby’s boss tries to reason with him, using his other co-workers (who are very angry at him for acting so ridiculously and for making them do some of his work) to try to get him to budge. However, Bartleby will not budge. Even when asked to do simple tasks (like go fetch something), his response is characteristic, “I would prefer not to.”

At many places of employment, Bartleby would’ve been fired, but his employer is especially generous (particularly because he is such a good copyist), and finds it impossible to react angrily to the calm refusals. Progressively, more about Bartleby is discovered (such as that he only eats nuts), and on one Sunday when the source of Bartleby’s money decides to go to his office, he finds Bartleby still there, in a state of undress! Bartleby tells him to come back in a few minutes.

Of course, when he does, the scrivener is gone. Bartleby’s desk is examined, and it is discovered that he keeps all his money there. Bartleby obviously lives there, and has no family. The head of Bartleby’s office cannot believe how lonely Bartleby must be. He resolves to settle it at once and force Bartleby to tell him about his past. Even under dire threats, Bartleby still says his catchphrase.

Bartleby proceeds to stop doing any copying. His boss is at first accepting (thinking it is due to eye trouble), but even after his eyes seem to have healed, Bartleby still does not resume copying.

Bartleby’s master has no choice but to fire him, but Bartleby simply refuses to leave. It is a very difficult situation, indeed, what to do with Bartleby, and the story ends sadly, with Bartleby continuing his resistance even in the face of severe trouble.

The story spends much time detailing things that have nothing to do with the actual storyline, and which are not taken further (Bartleby is not really even introduced until the 5th page out of 27), and it is somewhat wordy, but goes very in depth, at the same time. While some have reported difficulty reading it, on the contrary I thought it was quite a quick and easy story to polish off. Some difficult terms are used, but a glance at the dictionary obviously renders that problem void. As already alluded to, not much actually happens in the story, which adds to ease of read. It is also easy to get it online for free just by searching for the title.

However, it is very difficult to tell what the point of the story is. Numerous people have advanced different interpretations. Some say that Bartleby is an allegory for the socialist revolution, although I believe that is a stretch. If you just search terms such as  “Bartleby the Scrivener Summary”  or “Bartleby the Scrivener Meaning,” you can find many different interpretations. There is no clear interpretation, and I will not offer any attempts here. Perhaps Melville himself did not know what the story was meant to communicate.

Overall, I give it a 2.0/5.0. I would give it a 3.5/5.0 because of the interesting story, abundance of details, and intriguing characters, but I take a point away for the writing style and unclear purpose, and a half a point for the lack of action.  However, it may be interesting to read and see for yourself what the famous Herman Melville meant in this ambiguous story, especially for fans of his other works.

I have also recorded and uploaded an audio version of the story here. You can listen to it or download it below. Note that it will take several seconds to load.

Series Background

Regular readers of this blog will know that Gordon Korman is one of my absolute favorite kids authors. The first book I read by him was Swindle, a book about Griffin Bing and his gang of friends to steal back a valuable 1920 Babe Ruth baseball card that is rightfully theirs; the owner of a local baseball shop, S. Wendell Palomino (otherwise known as Swindle) buys the card from Griffin after he finds it in an old abandoned house for only $120. I highly recommend this book and it was recently featured in my Six Books for Tweens that are Breathtakingly Awesome list. Other people massively enjoy it, too, selling literally millions of copies.

I also mentioned in that list that there were three sequels, although I didn’t mention anything about them. Well, Showoff by Gordon Korman is the latest book in the Swindle Series. Griffin and his friends are back in a caper that will take Savannah Drysdale’s (animal expert) dog Luthor from the pound to the Global Kennel Society Dog Competition.

Note: Scholastic made the above video briefly detailing the story.

Lest you worry you need to read them in order – while I’d recommend it, these books can stand well by themselves, without needing to have read the proceeding events in the series (i.e. the plots aren’t tied together).

Plot

Okay, now to the actual plot and book. Griffin and his friend Ben Slovak are on a six-week sleepover during the summer while Griffin’s dad, an inventor, tours Europe in order to try to sell his stock. Griffin and Ben are best friends, with Griffin being the “Man with the Plan” and Ben being his sidekick.

As school lets out, they meet up with Savannah to attend a dog show which showcases the number one dog in the world at the time, Electra. Savannah brought her dog Luthor along with her to see the show. However, it comes to pass that a tragedy happens. For some reason, Luthor goes and attacks Electra. Luthor is a big doberman who used to be a guard dog, but Electra is just a tiny dog, and is injured badly. Electra was going for an unprecedented third straight victory at the Global Kennel Society Dog Competition, a victory that would’ve netted her owners millions and millions of dollars. Now, they will be collecting their money the legal way: In a suit against Savannah and her family.

The lawsuit is over $7,000,000, and even though Luthor has never done anything like this before (as aforementioned, he used to be a guard dog, but with Savannah he’s fun-loving and absolutely fine), the Drysdale’s deduce that they have to take Luthor to the pound, as if they don’t, it might look like they aren’t doing as much as possible to stop it from occurring again in the future.

Luthor was Savannah’s most beloved pet, and it throws the entire household into a frenzy. Another of Savannah’s pets, Cleopatra (a monkey), was best friends with Luthor, and even tries to break into Griffin’s house in the hope that Luthor might be there. But Savannah is even more distraught. She is so upset that her parents take her on a vacation for the summer to get her mind off her beloved (and likely to be soon dead) dog.

Griffin and Ben are at first not too upset about it. They didn’t like Luthor anyways. But when Griffin hears Luthor’s mournful wails, he knows they have to do something. And they can’t let Savannah’s family go bankrupt! But what can they do? It’s no problem for the Man with the Plan.

There’s no way Griffin’s dad will let them adopt the huge (and menacing canine), but maybe they can somehow get Luthor to win the Global Kennel Club. If they can, then not only can Luthor get back to Savannah, but the money from that can pay off the lawsuit. But can Griffin and Ben train a dog that wrecks an entire garage in less than a day? And without Savannah, Luthor is in an especially bad mood. Will the truth about why Luthor attacked Savannah coax an old dog-lover back into the show to save the day?

Review

The book is a pretty easy read at around 240 pages with large font. It’s meant for kids around 9-14, and still manages to have great writing and using good terms while also making it very comprehensible. While an action/adventure book, the danger contained is not quite as much as the other books in the series, with the danger the death of a dog and financial ruin. Although someone is trying to harm them in order to prevent Luthor from winning, it is underplayed, and is never too serious a problem. The dangers contained are more realistic (in the other books Griffin and his friends are constantly threatened with jail, etc.), while still being fast-paced and exciting (although somewhat more relaxed than in previous books in the series).

Overall, I give it a 3/5 stars. I would give it four stars because of the good writing style, interesting story, good storyline/premise, but I take off a point for the somewhat less suspense and the somewhat predictability of the book (there were some unexpected things that happened, but nothing too earth-shattering as in the original book Swindle).

Nothing can really compare to the original Swindle, of course, which was perhaps the best action/adventure book the author has ever written. But this is a good addition to the series and will still be well-received among kid readers of the genre. Click here to buy the book, Showoff by Gordon Korman!

You want your tween to read, but you don’t want to give them a clunker? Here are some awesome books that both you and your kids can enjoy.

1. The 39 Clues

This is still my favorite fiction book! None of these are actually just one book, but instead a series. This is still ongoing, and they’re currently on the second series of it, called Cahills vs. Vespers.

This is a series about two kids, Dan and Amy Cahill (11 and 14 respectively; although their age changes throughout the series), who find out when their grandmother Grace dies that they’re part of the greatest family the world has ever known. Politicians, businessmen, inventors, scientists, mathematicians, spies; you name it. The source of their power is thirty-nine clues, which over the years have been scattered all over the globe. Whoever finds all 39 clues will be the most powerful person in human history.

So they get a choice at the funeral, two million dollars or a hint to the first clue. For two penniless orphans, two million dollars is a fortune, but, of course, they take the clue.

It turns out there are four branches to the family, and thousands of Cahill’s, each willing to do anything possible to get the clues first; even kill. They travel all over the world in a search for the clues. Shocking secrets, amazing escapes, and even deaths accompany the hunt. There is also a ton of historical information, so you can learn a lot, too.

Another cool thing about it is that it’s a multi-author series, featuring famous authors such as Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Patrick Carman, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and more.

What really sets it apart is that it’s not just the books, but there are also cards included that you can enter into their website, and also plenty of games in your own search for the clues.

Although you can start anywhere, I’d advise starting at the beginning of the series. Highly recommended.

Buy the first book in The 39 Clues series, The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan.

2. Swindle

This is also an on-going series, written by the author of three of the books in the above series, Gordon Korman. There are currently four books out. They are all action-packed adventures about a kid named Griffin Bing (The Man with the Plan) and his friends. Griffin is always trying to get into things and right wrongs. In Swindle, Griffin and his best friend Ben Slovak found a 1920 Babe Ruth baseball card. They take it to a collector to see if it’s worth anything and the swindles him. He gives him a hundred dollars, but, really, it’s worth more than a million dollars.

So they try to right this wrong and steal the card back. The heist involves several other kids, and even the police get involved eventually. Very, very, exciting fast paced and exciting books. Kids just love this series!

Buy Swindle by Gordon Korman.

3. On the Run

This is another series (one six-book series and a follow-up trilogy) about two kids named Aiden and Meg Falconer whose parents get convicted as terrorists for life in “the trial of the century.” Everyone knows about this trial; and everyone hates the Falconers.

This is very bad for Aiden and Meg, obviously. They try foster care, but everyone hates their parents so much that there is constant tension. So eventually they get sent to a low-security prison in order to take them out of the spotlight for a few years.

But it’s horrible. They have to work on a farm and do school most of the day, living among thieves and murderers. Meg wants to get out of there to prove their parents innocent, but Aiden realizes there’s no way to do it. Except for one day, a fire breaks out. Aiden decides to let it go and burn the place down, so they can escape. Others jump, too, but one by one, the others get caught.

Aiden and Meg need to track down an FBI agent who worked with their parents for the government. One problem: He’s no where to be found. Not only is the government after them, but also a cold-blooded killer named Hairless Joe, too.

This is one of my all-time favorites, an action-packed adventure that will keep you guessing.

Buy the first book in the series, Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman.

4. The Kid who Ran for President

This is a more relaxed and comedy book than the others, also by a different author named Dan Gutman, another one of my favorites. These two books are my favorites of his (the other being The Kid who Became President).

They are about a kid named Judson Moon who decides to run for President as a goof and ends up making it a close election, thanks to his genius friend Lane Brainard, who serves as his campaign manager. While a little young and basic for older tweens, it can be a very fun and interesting read for some. Gutman could be a professional comedian, these books are hilarious! This is the type of things kids dream of, too. There are many times when reading this that you’ll find yourself literally laughing out loud.

Buy, The Kid who Ran for President by Dan Gutman.

5. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

This is the famous John Grisham’s first venture into books for kids. While I haven’t read his adult books, I can definitely say that these are amazing!

The first book is about a 13 year-old only child whose kids are both lawyers. He is very interested in the court system, of course, and constantly sneaks away from school to go down and watch the proceedings.

The story of the book is one of the biggest trials in the town in a long time; a murder trial. The prosecutor alleges that a man by the name of Pete Duffy murdered his wife after she dies mysteriously. But other than suspicion, there’s no evidence to actually sustain such a claim. He’s going to walk.

But Theo learns of a previously unknown witness who can nail Duffy. The problem: Will he come forth? And will he be believed?

The trial actually isn’t wrapped up in this book, but is delayed until the third book in the series. It’s a very interesting book about the law system and a good case. Some have expressed boredom with the book, and I agree it might be for intellectually-minded kids. This is not nearly as face-paced as the first three, nor does it include the humor of the above. Still, it’s an intriguing story that many older teens will enjoy.

Buy Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham.

6. Last Shot

This is the first book in a sports series by John Feinstein. The main characters are fourteen year-olds Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol. They are the two winners of a writing contest so they get to travel out to write about the Final Four basketball tournament.

While there, they realize there is a plot to blackmail one of the star players, Chip Graber to throw a game on purpose. Stevie and Susan Carol work together with Chip to find out what is going on and to catch the guys who are orchestrating this. There are copies of these books for baseball (Change Up), football (Cover Up and The Rivlary; the former being the Super Bowl and the latter being about Army vs. Navy), and tennis (Vanishing Act), all with different plots and mysteries. There is virtually no regard for previous plot-lines, so it might be good to jump your tween in whatever his favorite sport is.

There are many twists of plot in here that make the story exciting front to cover.

Buy Last Shot, Vanishing Act, Cover Up, Change Up, or The Rivalry by John Feinstein.

So there you have it. Six breathtakingly awesome series that combine for a total of 35 great books. Most of these you really can’t go wrong with, and I’m sure your tween will agree.

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I mentioned I would be mostly reviewing action/adventure fiction books on this blog (and I will be); but today I am doing something slightly different and reviewing a poem by Mark Twain, the famous author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Note: I will have a review up of the latter shortly).

How I Found It

It is a very unknown poem and I am guessing the vast majority of you have never heard about it. Everyone I’ve mentioned it to also didn’t know of its existence.

Perhaps ironically, that is why I found it. I had read where someone mentioned that a lot of people don’t learn the full truth. They read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but not “The War Prayer,” so I decided to see what “The War Prayer” is about.

Note: If you have any suggestions of your own for books/poems/short stories/etc. for me to review; please let me know in the comments below. I’d really appreciate it.

Description

So what is The War Prayer about? The War Prayer espouses Twain’s anti-war and anti-imperialist views by depicting religious demagogues enthusiastically encouraging people into war. Mothers and sisters of soliders cheer them, and those that did not have a male member of the family that could go to war were saddened.

The community was gathered together at church and were praying for victory in the war. But, in the middle of all this, a man steps in and points out that they shouldn’t just go into a war based on blind faith and pride. No, they should realize that it will be a very costly and bloody war, and they should carefully consider the facts and consequences in order so that they don’t go to war in error.

Not surprisingly, the people, in their ferver, discard him as a lunatic. The poem has clear anti-war undertones. It was not published before Twain’s death. As to why, he said, “No, I have told the whole truth in that, and only dead men can tell the truth in this world. It can be published after I am dead.” It is reported he was worried that it would ruin his career and cause him to be thought of as crazy. His family, his publisher, and many of his friends all urged him not to put it into publication

The Message

As to whether I agree with the political view of the poem I don’t want to get into here-this is not a political blog. However, it is very reminiscent of our society today. For example, with the recent war in Libya; people were saying it was going to help the Libyans greatly and we’d be home in days. They said we were helping people get out from a brutal dictatorship. Of course, not mentioning the Al Qaeda presence among the rebels, the tens of thousands of civilizan deaths, and the great expense of the war. And we’re still there!

I’m not saying you need to be against the war. But at least consider the possibilities, and don’t make a decision based on fabrications and lies! That is what Twain was saying.

The Negatives

The problem with the story is that Twain’s writing is not at its best here. As I mentioned previously, it was never published, so it never went through the final stages of editing, where it would have been further polished. It is not impossible to understand by any means, but the meaning of the story is not expressed in a totally clear fashion, and it was not immediately apparent to me what Twain was communicating. It was dictated by Mark Twain instead of written, which may have contributed to the relatively poor writing (I have had a similar problem with dictating myself, as well).

It is also only 1298 words, so it is fairly short. It should not take too much time to move through, even with the ambiguous way in which it was written. You can find it in several places online for free by merely searching, “Mark Twain War Prayer,” in Google. I won’t include the actual poem here because of possible copyright infringement.

The Verdict

So do I recommend it? It is definitely a very interesting piece, and shows more clearly Mark Twain’s political views (which he only hints at in his most popular novels). While it is not exactly like the current society and wars today (at least in the Untied States), which are not much motivated by religious reasons as much as political, it casts an interesting light on ideas like, “The United States must be the Policemen of the World,” American exceptionalism (the idea that America is so great it can boss the other countries around), and other similar notions; which begin to look more irrational and silly than carefully thought out, sound views. Again, even if you do believe in those concepts, it is a good challenge for the open minded.

It’s free and takes little time, so there’s not much reason not to read it. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5. I would give it a 4.5/5, but had to dock a point because of the relatively poor and unclear writing.

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