The Black Sphere

September 1, 2009
Gr 5-9-Summer in London has begun to seem routine following the stimulating events of Christmas in St. Petersburg in "The Infinity Code" and Easter in Venice in "The Ghost Machine" (both Dial, 2008). STORM's three genius 14-year-olds are occupying themselves with their "normal" day-to-day activities such as working with the British Government to create a mind-altering spray, creating exploding ink, or hacking into printers across the UK to prove that secret documents can be stolen from a safe distance. When Will sneaks into an international conference to test some of his new inventions, he, Gaia, and Andrew are kidnapped. Their abductor, Abigail Pope, reveals that her uncle was one of six scientists working on a top-secret project. He is now the only surviving scientist from the group, but seems to be missing. Abigail hires STORM to locate and bring her uncle to safety. Young intersperses the teens' ensuing adventure in Interlaken, Switzerland, with new and interesting inventions like "Hard Wear" (body armor), an Invisible Glove, and cockroaches with built-in listening devices. These 14-year-olds climb mountains, blow up restaurants, make deals with ex-mercenaries, maneuver hydrospeed boards through dangerous caves, and discover more about their own abilities and relationships along the way. YAs will once again be sucked right into the secret-agent world of STORM. Well written and containing real explanations for the inspirations for all of the science and technology, this installment in the series is an excellent addition."Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 When an explosion in Switzerland kills a small group of scientists working toward a phenomenal breakthrough in energy, British intelligence agents seem unable to act effectively. Luckily, three 14-year-olds are on the scene. Andrew, Will, and Gaia once again put their knowledge, courage, and high-tech gadgetry to the test in the third STORM series adventure. Clearly delineated and surprisingly convincing, the three main characters are brave, smart, and vulnerable. As it should in a thriller, the slowly developing love interest takes a back seat to the action. An illustrated guide to the gadgets is appended. Great fun for STORM fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)