Will Steal Your Attention!

When we last left Kat Bishop in Heist Society, by Ally Carter, she had reluctantly returned to the family business to save her father: high-end thieving. They steal what can't be stolen- priceless paintings, one-of-a-kind jewels, and items that have been horded by the rich, famous, and nasty for generations. She and her motley crew of teen masterminds managed to break into the most secure museum in the world and recover stolen paintings. But now Kat has fallen off the wagon. Once she started stealing again, she couldn't stop. The only thing that changed? Her motives for stealing. In Uncommon Criminals, Kat is a new kind of thief.

Kat finds priceless family heirlooms and returns them to their rightful owners. She specializes in art that was stolen during the Holocaust and returning it to the survivors or their families from the war criminals who absconded with them during the war. When a woman approaches her to help return an emerald her family uncovered in Egypt and were scammed out of, Kat can't say no. Even when she finds out the emerald is the famous and cursed Cleopatra Emerald, the jewel that has brought pain, suffering, imprisonment, and death to all those who come near it. Many thieves, including Kat's uncles, have tried stealing the Emerald and failed. But not even the curse can keep Kat and her friends from taking a chance at returning the Emerald to its rightful owner.

Somehow they manage to get the Emerald (no one ever suspects kids!), but after she returns it to the woman, Kat is in for the shock of her life. On the news, Kat sees the picture of the woman whose parents found the Cleopatra Emerald and had it stolen from them- and it isn't the woman Kat gave it to! Now Kat and her friends, who have already achieved the impossible, must find a way to steal the Cleopatra Emerald- again. To make matters worse, it seems the woman who conned Kat into stealing the Emerald is a con artist herself- on of the best! Now Kat and the crew have to con a con artist and find a way to get the Emerald back in one of the biggest jobs the thieves of the world have ever witnessed!

This was a fun sequel in this series that reminds me of a teen version of "Ocean's Eleven". The characters are fun and colorful, and the stealing is for a good reason (usually). I love Kat's crew. They are goofy and add some spice and laughter to the story. When Kat's cousin seems to have been cursed by the Emerald, her usual elegant demeanor is quickly sunken beneath trips, slips, falls, and tumbles. Even the two boys Kat cares about, Hale and Nick, are there to keep the excitement up and moving.

This is a wonderful story for middle school students because it is fun and exciting, but completely clean in language and content. It would also be great for a low-skilled older student, because the story is far from juvenile. I love the versatility of this series; it reaches such a wide range of children, making it a must for libraries and classrooms. My only silly complaint? I wish Carter would stop making her covers so cheesy and "girlie"! This book would appeal to both male and female students, but I doubt I could get an older boy to read it! Maybe I will just toss the dustcover and insist they read it anyway!

Prepare to be Locked Down with this one from Cover to Cover!

Intense is most certainly not the word for Lockdown: Escape from the Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith. This book is dark, twisted, and terrifying! Smith's breakout YA novel is one that will keep kids (and adults) intrigued and possibly even a little queasy.

It starts with Alex Sawyer, a teenager who has slipped into some bad habits from bullying to burglarizing houses at night. Alex is not an angel. He started off small by ripping off his classmates and preying upon the weaker students in particular. When he and his friend graduate to robbing houses, they really like the money it brings in. But one night, in a routine burglary, the boys find they are not alone in the house. A group of giant thugs led by a terrifying man in a gas mask catch the boys, kill Alex's friend, and tell Alex he'd better run! Alex quickly realizes it was all just a set-up as he is quickly apprehended by the police, convicted, and thrown into the new prison- the Furnace.

Furnace is a warehouse for young criminals built into a crater in the earth. With nothing but rock miles deep surrounding them, the kids have no choice but to accept life's cruel twist of fate- especially since so many are innocent. Alex quickly breaks all the rules- he can't stop worrying about the kids he came in with, makes friends with his bunk mate, and even stands up to the biggest gang in the prison to help another "new fish". Alex can't stop bringing attention to himself, and both the guards, the warden, and the other prisoners are ready to put him in his place.

Lockdown is not only a scary prison book- it has subtle (or not so subtle) hints of the supernatural as well. These elements aren't the primary focus of the story, but they certainly do the trick of giving you goosebumps. Prison guard dogs with no skin, just bulging muscle and vicious blood-thirsty fangs, patrol the Furnace after a lockdown hoping for a kid to rip apart. Creepy beings swoop in at night and mark 2-3 cells. One boy from each cell is taken and never returns (or do they?!). Even the guards seem to be something inexplicable. All seems hopeless in the Furnace... or is it?

When Alex and his friends find a possible way out, they go to great lengths to orchestrate the escape. But no one escapes from the furnace- at least no one who lives to tell the tale. You will just have to read the book to find out what Alex does next, and get ready for the sequel!

I would recommend this book for a teen boy who needs an action-packed novel to keep their interest. There is never a dull moment in the Furnace, and this book will keep them interested! However, it is very, very dark and disturbing. I wouldn't recommend this book for a younger, less-mature student, as it can be quite harsh at times. The vocabulary is also a little high, but that can be a great thing if the student is reading the book with you- a perfect teaching situation! I would certainly recommend reading this particular book before giving it to a student to be sure they can handle the situations. It may be a YA novel, but this book is written with adult situations and language. However, if given to the right student, it could get even the toughest student reading furiously!