Scholastic Press
Featuring: Ben Warner; Dr. Madeline Hughes; Peter
272 pages ISBN: 0545502268 EAN: 9780545502269 Kindle: B00EW2PY0S Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
Ben Warner is leery about the invitation to a science camp
about quantum mechanics at the college near his new school.
He expects it to be a waste of time but attends to please
his mother. What he doesn't expect to find is a type of
magic, called "actuation" and a group of superheroes ranging
in age from the very young to late adulthood. Unfortunately,
the professor for the science camp, Dr. Hughes, has also
discovered another technology that could make actuation
easier and therefore more dangerous... and now the bad guys
have her. Can Ben help recover the missing technology? What
will joining The Quantum League cost him?
SPELL ROBBERS is sheer fun! Middle grade readers,
particularly boys, will love the combination of sci fi
technology with lots of action. Part of the fun is that
Matthew J. Kirby takes the type of kid who is normally
bullied or called a geek and makes him into an action hero,
albeit a reluctant one. I love the concept!
Ben is a fantastic main character and Matthew J. Kirby does
a great job at showing both his strengths and his
insecurities. The scenes involving his mother are
particularly heartbreaking and I'm hoping future books will
address some of the issues that emerge as SPELL ROBBERS
progresses. There are quite a few other characters, as we
have The Quantum League, the Dread Cloaks, and Ronin's crew,
each with their own agenda. It will be interesting to see
how these characters weave in and out of Ben's life and
whether they will remain- or become -- allies as the series
progresses.
SPELL ROBBERS is the first in what looks to be an exciting
new series for middle grade readers. The story does leave
some loose ends but thankfully not the sort of cliffhanger
that will have readers banging their heads in frustration
until the next book releases. SPELL ROBBERS offers a new
take on "magic", offering a science based approach and the
resulting tale is pure entertainment.
A magical crime saga filled with marvelous thrills, high
action, and extraordinary adventure, from critically
acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby.
After Ben Warner is recruited to join a "science camp" led
by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he
quickly realizes it's no regular science camp. Along with
his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful
art of Actuation -- the ability to change reality by simply
imagining it differently.
When a mysterious group of men invade Dr. Hughes's
laboratory, abducting her and stealing her precious
equipment, Ben and Peter are suddenly caught up in a turf
war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes's
innovative technology. And as Ben and Peter are pulled into
a perilous, hidden world full of impossibilities now made
possible, will their combined powers be enough to save Dr.
Hughes and vanquish their enemies before it's too late?
From Edgar Award-winning author Matthew J. Kirby comes a
fast-paced, boldly imagined tale of friendship, deadly
adventure, and the infinite power of imagination.