Under the Radar (Tom Swift, Young Inventor, Book 6)
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there's little content of concern here -- just some very mild violence and a couple of injuries in vehicle crashes.
Families can talk about the inventions in the book. Are they realistic? Could they be possible? What do you think all the technobabble really means? Also, what do you think of Tom teaming up with his enemy?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Nearly a century before Artemis Fowl, Alex Rider, and Danger Boy, there was Tom Swift. Through four previous book series (this is the sixth book in the fifth series), the teen scientist/inventor/adventurer -- created and packaged by a syndicate under the pseudonym Victor Appleton -- has thrilled readers (mostly boys) with his brilliance and derring-do.
In stories that have a reading and literary level comparable to other classic series like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, Tom has always been the geek's hero, combining the demeanor of a Boy Scout, the exploits of a reckless adventurer, and the soul of a scientist. In this latest incarnation, the stories are told (for the first time) in first person, and they've been updated for modern times (cell phones figure prominently, and Tom addresses the reader as "dude"). But perhaps the most significant change is that the biggest enemy is TRB, a terrorist group opposed to technology. Otherwise, the successful formula is kept more or less intact: Tom, his family, and loyal retainers fight evil with brains, guts, and high-tech gadgets just a bit beyond the cutting edge.
Though no one's definition of great literature, this book, like the others in the series, is fun, exciting, reasonably well-written, and the stuff of boyhood fantasies. The stories highlight positive values like the benefits of brains, learning, and hard work. And many famous people, including the inventor of the Apple Computer, were inspired by them. Children who are obsessed with Tom Swift for awhile gain in reading ability and often graduate into more complex science fiction. While adults may be contemptuous of the books' formulaic simplicity, they can be the launching pad for a lifelong love of reading -- and science.
From The Book
A big black Jeep Liberty suddenly roared around the trail's curve, kicking up a cloud of dust and gravel. Casmir barely had time to spin around when the Jeep veered into him, clipping him with its front fender and knocking him a good ten feet through the air. I didn't see Casmir land because the Jeep swerved into a crazy power-slide between us. While still moving, its doors burst open.
Four guys in ski masks leaped out.
Plot Summary:
While Tom and his dad are hiking in a state park, Mr. Swift is kidnapped. Tom is eager to use the resources of Swift Enterprises to go after him, but the FBI agent in charge of the investigation warns him to stay out of it, and the company's head of security is arrested. Of course, none of that can stop Tom -- it just makes things a bit harder.
Using an invisibility suit he invented, his advanced computer (Q.U.I.P.), and his father's new drilling machine, Tom hunts for clues. He's joined by his sister, Sandy, and his arch-rival, Andy Foger, whose father is accused of the kidnapping. But the clues seem to be leading in an unexpected direction -- to the FBI itself.
Related Books:
Other Books in This Series
Into the Abyss
The Robot Olympics
The Space hotel
Rocket Racers
On Top of the World
Books About Inventors
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
The Wrecker by David Skinner
Deep Doo-Doo by Michael Delaney
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy & Stephen Hawking
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ViolenceTom's father is kidnapped; two people are injured in vehicle crashes. |
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