Module #5 Fantasy/Science Fiction

Title: Artemis Fowl

Citation:

Colfer, E. (2001). Artemis Fowl. New York, NY: Miramax Books.

Summary:

When his father disappears and his mother looses her grip on reality twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl plots a plan to capture a fairy in order to ransom her for gold he needs to maintain the family estate.

Reviews: 

Gr 5-8 –Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl decides to reinvigorate his family fortunes by kidnapping a fairy and demanding its gold. Having obtained and decoded the Book, a tome containing all of the fairies' secrets, Artemis captures an elf named Holly Short and holds her captive at his family mansion in Ireland. However, he hasn't reckoned on the resources and cunning of the LEPrecon Unit, an elite branch of the fairy police force, whose members will stop at nothing to rescue Captain Short. It seems that the wicked ways of the Mud People (humans) have driven most of the magical creatures underground, where a gritty, urban fairy civilization is flourishing. The fairy characters are mouthy and eccentric, but Artemis is too stiff and enigmatic to be interesting; the story bogs down when the focus is on him. The combination of choppy sentences and ornate language will appeal to some readers, although not necessarily to Harry Potter fans; the emphasis here is more on action (some of it gory), technology, and deadpan humor than on magic, and only one character (Artemis) is a child. –Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library --Eva Mitnick 

Review Source:

Mitnick, E. (may 2001). Artemis Fowl (Book Review).  School Library Journal, 47(5), 148.

 

Impressions:

This book was a challenge to get through after reading the The Lightning Thief.  To me there is nothing funny about a greedy little rich boy who is willing to hurt others to get what he wants. I didn’t care for the way Colfer added details to explain the actions of the characters. It would have been more interesting and easier to read if he had developed the characters up front.  Kids will find the bodily functions of the troll amusing, but I found it tiresome after repeated references.

Suggested Use(s):

Artemis Fowl FanGathering. Retrieved from http://artemisfowl.fangathering.com/books/book-report-ideas/

These can be used for any Artemis Fowl book or Artemis Fowl in general.

1. Choose your favorite chapter from the book and outline it, focusing on major events within that chapter.
2. Write down 15-20 questions that you’d like to use to interview Artemis and try to answer them as if you were Artemis.
3. Take one of your favorite characters and write a little adventure with them being the main character.
4. Book in a bag – Using props that are significant to the story, give a general overview of the story.
5. Create a book jacket – Redesign a cover for the book. Provide a summary of the book inside and write a bit about the author.
6. Examine and write an essay on how Artemis Fowl’s personality has changed within a book or throughout the series.
7. Write a different ending to the story.
8. Take five of your favorite characters, draw a picture, and write a description of them.
9. Much of Artemis Fowl takes place in Ireland. Draw a map of the country and label any significant places.
10. Try and sell your book to the class by giving a summary and using persuasive techniques.
11. Pretend you are making a movie of your book and are casting it. Choose the actors and actresses from people in the classroom and say why you chose them.
12. Do some research on a topic brought up in your book and write a one page report on it.
13. Prepare a travel brochure using pictures you have found or drawn to advertise a specific place in the story.
14. State 5 things you leaned while reading the book
15. Make a flow chart of all the events in the book.

Artemis Fowl

1. Draw a picture of the Fowl Manor how you believe it looks like, using clues and ideas from the book. On the back of the picture, give a tour of the house and explain the different parts of the picture.
2. Create a model of the Fowl Manor how you believe it looks like. Explain your model.
3. The sleeping pills play an important role during the story. Write an essay describing their significance.
4. Recall the scene where Artemis abducts the fairy in Chapter 4. Rewrite this scene from the fairy’s point of view.
5. Hold a class discussion about the effects of materialism in this world and then explain how it relates to Artemis Fowl.

Additional Information:

Awards: Young Readers Choice Award 2004

Reading Level: 5

Lexile Measure: 600