Alex Rider: The Gadgets

Horowitz, Anthony. Alex Rider: The Gadgets. Philomel Books, 2005. ISBN 0-399-24486-7

Description

This book is written as a top secret communication between Derek Smithers, a covert weapons specialist, and Alan Blunt, CE MI6 Special Operations officer. Mr. Smithers is the scientist responsible for creating the special equipment used by the 14-year-old spy named Alex Rider. Items a teen-age boy would typically carry, such as a CD player, yo-yo, or key ring, are disguises for covert weapons that Alex uses in his first five missions. Each of the items is presented with a schematic, a list of features and functions, and a description of the mission in which Alex used it. For example, the Stun-dart book conceals a canister of compressed carbon dioxide which propels a stun dart when the author’s name is pressed. The Cannondale Bad Boy Bike [1] has a built in smokescreen, oil dispenser, and two heat-seeking missiles designed to deter pursuers. The seat is an emergency ejection system. In total 21 weapons are detailed. Several lab reports from Smithers as well as a glossary of scientific and technical terms make the book even more intriguing.

Critical Evaluation

This book promises to reveal the “blueprints and complete technical data” for the spy gadgets Alex Rider uses in his first five adventures. The book lives up to this promise quite well. The blueprints are fun to look at. The description of each weapon is thorough. The commentary from Derek Smithers is funny and subtly sarcastic. This makes the book and the weapons interesting for Alex Rider fans.

Annotations

Derek Smithers, covert weapons specialist for MI6, details the weapons used by teen spy Alex Rider in his first five missions.

Author

Anthony Horowitz writes about murder, revenge, and the people who set things right. The Alex Rider series of books is very popular with young readers. Horowitz also writes for television. His work includes the Foyle’s War television series.

Genre

Fiction -- adventure

Curriculum Ties

Language Arts

Booktalk Ideas

This book would be a great way to introduce readers to the Alex Rider series through the weapons he uses.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 to 8 (age 9 to 14).

Challenge Issues and Defense

Some of the imagined weapons are deadly. They are imaginary, though.

Why is it here?

My son and his fifth grade friends read Alex Rider books. They think the weapons are very cool.