Module #8 Mystery

Title: Stormbreaker

Citation:

Horowitz, A. (2000). Stormbreaker. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Summary:

When fourteen year old Alex Rider’s Uncle and guardian is killed Alex questions what he is told about the death. He begins digging deeper and finds himself in the middle of a mystery bigger than he could imagine. He is back mailed into working for the British Secret Service to help them solve the riddle of his uncle’s death and save the children of England.

Review:

Readers will cheer for Alex Rider, the 14-year-old hero of British author Horowitz's spy thriller (the first in a projected series). When his guardian and uncle, Ian, is mysteriously killed, Alex discovers that his uncle was not the bank vice-president he purported to be, but rather a spy for the British government. Now the government wants Alex to take over his uncle's mission: investigating Sayle Enterprises, the makers of a revolutionary computer called Stormbreaker. The company's head plans to donate one to every secondary school in England, but his dealings with unfriendly countries and Ian Rider's murder have brought him under suspicion. Posing as a teenage computer whiz who's won a Stormbreaker promotional contest, Alex enters the factory and immediately finds clues from his uncle. Satirical names abound (e.g., Mr. Grin, Mr. Sayle's brutish butler, is so named for the scars he received from a circus knife-throwing act gone wrong) and the hard-boiled language is equally outrageous ("It was a soft gray night with a half-moon forming a perfect D in the sky. D for what, Alex wondered. Danger? Discovery? Or disaster?"). These exaggerations only add to the fun, as do the creative gadgets that Alex uses, including a metal-munching cream described as "Zit-Clean. For Healthier Skin." The ultimate mystery may be a bit of a letdown, but that won't stop readers from racing through Alex's adventures, from a high-speed bike chase to a death-defying dance with a Portuguese man-of-war. The audience will stay tuned for his next assignment, Point Blanc, due out spring 2002. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Review Source:

Roback, D. (May 2001). Stormbreaker (Book Review). Publishers Weekly, 248(21), 109.

Impressions:

This was a fun, quick ready chock full of adventure from the very first page. Although high unlikely that a 14 year old would be a British spy it is still a good read if you simply roll with the story. A very James Bondish story!

Suggested Use(s):

Use this book for pure pleasure reading with struggling &/or reluctant readers that need a high-interest, low-readability story. When finished students could go on line and take a fun triva quiz or visit the Alex Rider website.

Additional Information:

Interest Level: 5 & up

Reading Level: 5.5

Lexile Measure: 670