The Angel Experiment (Book)

Patterson, J. (2005). Maximum ride: The angel experiment. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN: 978-0-316-06795-9

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 16
Genre: Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Action/Adventure, Genetic Experimentation, Teens living on their own,

Plot: Meet Max.  A 14 year old human-avian genetic experiment.  Max doesn't go to school or have any parents.  She lives in a house in the mountains with five other human-avian hybrid kids.  The group escaped four years ago from the lab that created them.  The lab, nicknamed the School, would subject the children to all sorts of physical and mental tests to see how far they could go.  The School didn't care if the sometimes the tests went to far and the kids were harmed or even killed. One day, Max and the group are ambushed by Erasers, wolf-human hybrid experiments that work for the School.  They kidnap Angel, the youngest member of the flock.  Max and two other members of the flock go to the School to rescue Angel before its too late.  At the School they learn more about how they were created, about who their parents are, and about why the School created them in the first place -- to save the world.

Personal Thoughts: James Patterson, a well established adult mystery writer, has now tried his hand at a young adult novel.  And the result is wonderful.  The story is filled with action.  If the children aren't seeking out a fight then one comes looking for them.  Max's inner dialog as well as the rest of the flock's dialog is the same you would hear from a real teenager, wings or not.  Each of the kids, ages ranging from 6 to 14, has their own unique personality and powers.  There is more then one or two plot lines going on which will have readers guessing about what will happen next.  A Must Read!

Series Info: Book One of the The Fugitive series

Sequel: Maximum Ride: School's Out -- Forever (2006)
Book Talk: Check out my 2 minute book talk for The Angel Experiment

Awards/Recognition:
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2006)

Book's Website: Maximum Ride Website

Coraline (Book)

Gaiman, Neil. (2003). Coraline. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 16
Genre: Fiction, Horror
Subjects/Themes: Family, Neighbors, Parallel Universes, Monsters, Talking Animals, Kidnapping

Plot: Coraline has just moved into a new apartment with her very busy parents.  They share the building with two old eccentric ladies who used to be actresses and an old man who used to be part of the circus.  In an attempt to escape her family and boredom, Coraline crawls down a tunnel into a parallel world where she has another mother and another father.  This "other" world is so much more interesting with singing mice, talking cats, and all her favorite things.  Her "other" family tells her she can stay forever, if only she sews buttons over her eyes.  Now her "other" mother, a monster in disguise, has kidnapped Coraline's family in order to force her to stay.  It’s up to Coraline to get them back.

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books (2003)
School Library Journal Best Books (2002)
Wisconsin Library Association Children's Book Awards: Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award (2003)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults List (2003) New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age (WINNER)
IRA/CBC Children's Choice (WINNER)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Masterlist (Vermont) (WINNER)
Publishers Weekly Best Book (WINNER)
Child Magazine Best Book of the Year (WINNER)
Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers (2002)
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2003)

Personal Thoughts: I loved this book, but then I love a lot of Neil Gaiman's books.  Coraline has just the right amount of horror and fantasy that I enjoy.  The story is suspenseful and easy to read.  Even if children have already seen the movie and know the ending, they'll still enjoy reading the book.  If fact knowing there's a happy ending might make this scary book a little less so.  They made this book into a movie in 2009, check out the Coraline movie website for more information.

Other Books by the Author: The Graveyard Book (2008); Interworld (2007); Odd and the Frost Giants (2009);

Author's Website: Neil Gaiman's Journal