Kidnapped

May 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-When Meg Falconer is kidnapped, she uses a trick from her father's detective novels to alert her family of her whereabouts. Older brother Aiden quickly links a news story about a string of clogged toilets at rural gas stations to Meg's disappearance. However, his fugitive parents, and the FBI agent assigned to protect them, dismiss Aiden's appeals to follow the trail. Frustrated, the boy borrows his best friend's identity and sets out to find his sister. Meanwhile, Meg constantly attempts to escape from her captors. Meg and Aiden are presented as bright, resourceful teens who take their destinies into their own hands in Gordon Korman's novel (Scholastic, 2006). Each sibling tells his or her side of the story. Christie Moreau reads Meg's part with a determined voice, emphasizing verbs such as "blasted" to underscore the action-driven nature of the story. Andrew Rannells effectively expresses Aiden's frustration and resolve with a firm, brisk tone. Both readers modulate their tone and pitch to introduce different characters into the narrative. None of the narration is over-dramatized, permitting the book's powerful narrative to speak for itself. A strong choice for public libraries where Korman's works are popular."Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

happypug12 - This book series is definitely better than the first one, although On The Run was amazingly written and I suggest that you read On The Run preferably BEFORE you read the Kidnapped series, because you won't understand Kidnapped if you haven't read On The Run. This book is better because there is less drama than On the Run. On the Run really pulls you into the story and makes you understand the urgency of the situation, and I am happy to say that Gordon Korman has not lost his touch for writing these kind of stories. I really enjoyed this book, and I am about to read the 3rd one at this very moment.