 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Hunchback Assignments
- By Arthur Slade
- Genre: Science Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Horror mystery is too dark for most kids' tastes.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are some mature elements in this dark story: young men murder their fathers; experiments are performed on children and adults. The poor treatment of children may be historically accurate but disturbing to younger readers today. There is no background information that explains why some of the villains are German, and female villains abound. There is some discomfort reading about children fighting evil adults without the magic powers that Harry Potter has available. This falls into the steampunk genre, which has dark story elements and is often, as here, set in the industrial age. This alternative history will be more appealing to older readers with some idea of the real history of the period and the elements being changed.
What's the story?
A deformed baby is purchased from a freak show by a mysterious man who raises him with an ulterior motive. Set at the beginning of the 20th century, the orphan boy called Modo has a magical ability to change his features at will. This suits him well as a young spy in a British agency out to stop an evil anarchist society set on domination. Mad scientists and cruel Germans are kidnapping children and drugging wealthy young men to do their evil deeds. Modo befriends a young girl spy, and they rescue each other in the nick of time -- but the battle for control of London is not over.
Is it any good?
Older readers into science fiction and steampunk may enjoy this book and the series to follow; but younger readers will wish there was some humor and may miss the nuances of this alternative history. There is a young hero and heroine, but much violence against
children, especially poor children who are kidnapped and turned
surgically into machines and robots. This is a dark book with elements
of horror and much manipulation of children by adults.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the history of freak shows and curiousities. Do they exist today? What about at fairs or carnivals?
Why did the superstitions arise about anyone different, for example, someone with physical deformities? Out of fear?
Genetic engineering is going on now -- have scientists always hoped to
alter humans? For good or evil? Who will police these efforts?Is Dr. Hyde’s name familiar? What story was the original Dr. Hyde from? How was his mission similar?
Should children be used to fight adult battles such as this one against the Clockwork Guild?
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this book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think that the hunchback assignments is a very good book where there is adventure and suspense on every turn of the book. I recomend that this book is good and not bad enough to where your kid will have nightmares, so pick this book off the story book shelf and get reading.
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| Author: | Arthur Slade |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Publisher: | Wendy Lamb |
| Publication date: | September 22, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 288 |
| Hardcover price: | $15.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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