Artemis Fowl, Book 1

Parents need to know that Artemis Fowl is the start of a best-selling series named after a 12-year-old millionaire criminal mastermind who takes on the race of fairies to get their gold. Because of the sophisticated and witty writing style and the complex characters, this is a great choice for adult fantasy fans to read along with kids. Readers on the younger side will dig in for the action. There's plenty of it near the end. A fight with a troll is quite gory: It's a mace and lots of bullets against a hungry behemoth with horns and claws. Earlier in the story there's a kidnapping, some fistfights, explosions, and tranquilizers used. Artemis' bodyguard, Butler, tries not to kill his fairy adversaries. There's some talk about why Artemis is left to his own devices: His father was lost in a boat explosion and feared dead, and afterward his mother stays in her room with a mental illness. Expect a fair amount of cigar smoking by the fairy commander and some drinking. While you're reading along with kids, this book is a great opportunity to talk about antiheroes such as Artemis. He's driven by power and money, and he's devious and sometimes cruel, but there's definitely good there -- just enough that readers may find themselves rooting for him and the fairies at the same time.