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| Photo Credit: T kindly provided his alien. |
Foiled
By Carey Fessler
Published April 9, 2015
Why I chose this book:
It's a children's adventure that involves a strong female lead and Roswell artifacts - that's why. The author provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Mom's Review
Two friends evade a CIA agent who is trying to regain an alien artifact.
Foiled was out of this world! The intended audience is middle-grade readers, and as a retired 5th/6th grade ELA teacher, I have read hundreds of middle-grade novels. Some are good, some are bad, and some I don't want to put down. This was one that I didn't want to put down. A few days ago, I kept postponing dinner preparation because I was so absorbed by Foiled (and it didn't hurt that T and his dad were also absorbed in their own activities). We did eat, by the way, and I finished the book after T went to bed.
The key words when describing Foiled are authenticity and believability. Fessler has crafted an exciting, entertaining, and completely believable adventure novel about two children who acquire a piece of alien technology after the cleanup of a mysterious crash in Roswell. Billy and Kate live on an Army base near Roswell, and Billy's father brought home a souvenir from his job sanitizing the "weather balloon" crash site. The CIA finds out, comes banging on his door and threatening violence, and Billy and his neighbor Kate run away with the souvenir. What ensues is a cross-state chase; the children are trying to reach Kate's grandfather, where they hope they will be safe from Special Agent Falco's reach.
Kate and Billy speak and act as middle-grade students really do; they are intelligent, resourceful, but also uncertain at times. They are kids, not helpless puppies. Would two kids hitchhike to an off-grid grandparent's home? Today? No way. In the 40's? Why not? The social attitudes of the Cold War era, the realities of living on base, and the lack of parental supervision combine to authentically depict the 40's. And Falco is a stellar villain - readers will love hating him.
If I were still teaching, I'd add it to my list of books I recommend to students. It's excellent, engrossing, and well-written.
Two friends evade a CIA agent who is trying to regain an alien artifact.
Foiled was out of this world! The intended audience is middle-grade readers, and as a retired 5th/6th grade ELA teacher, I have read hundreds of middle-grade novels. Some are good, some are bad, and some I don't want to put down. This was one that I didn't want to put down. A few days ago, I kept postponing dinner preparation because I was so absorbed by Foiled (and it didn't hurt that T and his dad were also absorbed in their own activities). We did eat, by the way, and I finished the book after T went to bed.
The key words when describing Foiled are authenticity and believability. Fessler has crafted an exciting, entertaining, and completely believable adventure novel about two children who acquire a piece of alien technology after the cleanup of a mysterious crash in Roswell. Billy and Kate live on an Army base near Roswell, and Billy's father brought home a souvenir from his job sanitizing the "weather balloon" crash site. The CIA finds out, comes banging on his door and threatening violence, and Billy and his neighbor Kate run away with the souvenir. What ensues is a cross-state chase; the children are trying to reach Kate's grandfather, where they hope they will be safe from Special Agent Falco's reach.
Kate and Billy speak and act as middle-grade students really do; they are intelligent, resourceful, but also uncertain at times. They are kids, not helpless puppies. Would two kids hitchhike to an off-grid grandparent's home? Today? No way. In the 40's? Why not? The social attitudes of the Cold War era, the realities of living on base, and the lack of parental supervision combine to authentically depict the 40's. And Falco is a stellar villain - readers will love hating him.
If I were still teaching, I'd add it to my list of books I recommend to students. It's excellent, engrossing, and well-written.
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