Gregor the Overlander
By: Suzanne Collins
For boys who prefer movies to books, try this one by the author of the Hunger Games
Kelly: ☻☻☻☻☻
Boy Reader: ☻☻☻☻☻
Boy Reader: ☻☻☻☻☻
All I had to say to get Boy Reader going on this one was that it was by the author of the Hunger Games. Sold!
We both got a wee bit lost at the very beginning (I thought the book was set in the Ice Age for a minute), and I'm still not entirely sure if it is present or future, but I gave up caring when Gregor hurtled after his two-year-old sister down the laundry room grate and into a world deep below the Earth's surface.
There are humans down there. Plus giant talking cockroaches, rats, spiders and bats. Gregor is THE ONE -- destined to save the underworld humans. That's a little cliché, but the book shines in its portrayal of Gregor's relationship with his toddler sister (sweet, realistic, hilarious) and his ingenuity (torch, flashlight, rootbeer) in saving the day without picking up an actual weapon.
Warning: There is quite a bit of violence in this book. Much of it is directed at animals, but the animals are personified.
Boy Reader recommends it for the wild cliffhangers throughout, especially the one at the end of the book. So fortunate that he finished this on a Tuesday, and library day at school is Wednesday. There are 4 more books in the series, and they're all in his backpack.
We both got a wee bit lost at the very beginning (I thought the book was set in the Ice Age for a minute), and I'm still not entirely sure if it is present or future, but I gave up caring when Gregor hurtled after his two-year-old sister down the laundry room grate and into a world deep below the Earth's surface.
There are humans down there. Plus giant talking cockroaches, rats, spiders and bats. Gregor is THE ONE -- destined to save the underworld humans. That's a little cliché, but the book shines in its portrayal of Gregor's relationship with his toddler sister (sweet, realistic, hilarious) and his ingenuity (torch, flashlight, rootbeer) in saving the day without picking up an actual weapon.
Warning: There is quite a bit of violence in this book. Much of it is directed at animals, but the animals are personified.
Boy Reader recommends it for the wild cliffhangers throughout, especially the one at the end of the book. So fortunate that he finished this on a Tuesday, and library day at school is Wednesday. There are 4 more books in the series, and they're all in his backpack.