The Drone Pursuit

July 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-This new series centers young Tom and fellow classmates at the Swift Academy of Science and Technology. When their teacher is absent and the substitute shows a documentary about the FBI's most wanted hackers from the 80s, Tom and his friends become convinced that the school's custodian is one of them. As they dive into the process of investigating him online, the school server shuts down all the computers. Then Tom gets an anonymous text message telling him to back off. Who is sabotaging the school computers, who is the school custodian really, and who is warning Tom and friends to stop trying to solve the mystery? Could the custodian and his accomplice be stealing Swift Enterprise secrets, including computer code? There are lots of red herrings here for readers to muddle through before the truth becomes clear. Drones, virtual reality headsets, genius students with photographic memories and perfect internal clocks, monthly invention conventions, technology and kids that know how to use it abound in this clever, fast-paced science fiction mystery. VERDICT An entertaining fantasy debut that will appeal to sci-fi fans and reluctant readers alike.-Deanna McDaniel, Genoa Middle School, OH

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