Category: Children’s Fiction
The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman
(Cover picture courtesy of Better World Books.)
Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison. But in order to do that, they have to live undercover. Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they’ve been chased by the FBI..and by a strange killer they’ve nicknamed Hairless Joe. Now their story has hit the airwaves, and suddenly everyone is looking for them. They think they can hide with an old family friend…but when Meg is thrown in jail, the danger and adventure only increase.
Unexpected betrayal, action, danger and the struggle to prove their parents’ innocence in a country that hates them…Meg and Aiden Falconer have it pretty tough. However, situations like this make for great fiction and as this is targeted at younger tweens and kids, they’ll love it. It’s not really cliché if you’ve never encountered it before and most kids haven’t encountered Gordon Korman’s not-so-unique premise by the time they read his On The Run series.
Whereas Chasing the Falconers (the first book) focused mainly on Meg and Aiden running from the authorities after escaping the farm, The Fugitive Factor focuses on their search for Uncle Frank. Uncle Frank is the only one who may be able to prove their parents’ innocence, but the problem is that he’s missing. No one’s seen him in years and they don’t have any leads other than the name of one of his numerous girlfriends.
Both Meg and Aiden develop as characters and even if they didn’t, readers would still be able to relate to them. As for the scenarios they escape, it’s obvious Gordon Korman has done his research. In theory, many of these escapes could work, so if you’re ever on the run, you should probably read this books. (I’m kidding…sort of.)
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
(Cover picture courtesy of What’s new @ CDPL?)
Charlie Bucket’s wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka’s precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him!
This is no doubt a classic children’s novel and both of the movie adaptations (the first one starring Gene Wilder and the awful modern one starring Johnny Depp) hardly do it justice. They don’t capture how creative the songs of the Oompa-Loompas were, the story of the chocolate factory and Willy Wonka or the hilarious caricature personalities of the children and adults.
What sets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory apart from many children’s novels is that Roald Dahl didn’t talk down to his readers. There are a lot of things children will catch onto, but there are also a lot of elements adults reading the novel will enjoy as well. How do I know? Because I read it aloud to my little sister as part of my plan to get her to love reading. She didn’t catch all of the subtleties of Roald Dahl’s writing, but we both had a good time, which is the mark of an excellent children’s book.
Charlie Bucket is an excellent character for children. He’s sympathetic and is truly good at heart, in stark contrast to the other children who win the golden tickets. The adventures he and his grandfather go on are fantastic and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory is a very vivid world, brought to life by Quentin Blake’s wonderful illustrations (at least, in my edition) and Roald Dahl’s incomparable writing.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a popular children’s novel for a reason and I believe it will stand the test of time to go down as one of the greatest children’s novels of all time.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman
(Cover picture courtesy of J & J Books and Coffee.)
Aiden and Meg Falconer are their parents’ only hope. The Falconers are facing life in prison—unless Aiden and Meg can follow a trail of clues to prove their innocence. The problem? They’re trapped in a juvenile detention center. Until they escape one night—and find themselves on the run, both from the authorities and from a sinister attacker who has his own reason to stop them. The Falconers must use their wits to make it across the country—with plenty of tests along the way.
I admit it: this book is way too young for me. I wasn’t in the target age group when I read it and I’m certainly not now, but it’s still a book I like to re-read about once a year. Why? Because it’s a well-written book with a cliché yet interesting premise.
It’s kind of predictable, but I’ve read a lo of books and watched a lot of movies with a similar premise. However, for the target age group, this would be their first exposure to a premise like this (proving the innocence of someone who’s been framed) and as such, is a great introduction to crime fiction. Gordon Korman is an excellent writer and has obviously done his research when it comes to all of the exciting scenarios in his first book in the On the Run series.
Meg and Aiden are great characters; they’re sympathetic and Chasing the Falconers appealing for both boys and girls. They also don’t like resorting to stealing to survive while they hunt for evidence and feel a lot of guilt when they do, but it shows that they at least refuse to sink to a really low level. Gordon Korman makes the siblings sympathetic (especially when we learn more about their backstory) while at the same time keeping the plot moving at a fast pace.
I would highly recommend it to people ages 10-12.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.