Artemis Fowl

review by

Tony Nappa

Eleven-year-old Tony Nappa gives you the 411 on a mainstream fantasy book and a Christian sci-fi thriller for kids!

ARTEMIS FOWL by Eion Colfer (Talk Miramax Books)

Artemis Fowl, by Eion (pronounced "Owen") Colfer was a fun and entertaining book! 

In this story, Artemis Fowl is a child prodigy who has discovered the world of fairies, sprites, and leprechauns (make that “LEPrecon”—which stands for “Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance.”)

The only trouble is, Artemis Fowl is an evil genius! He decides to try to outsmart the fairy police by capturing a LEPrecon agent—Holly Short—and holding her for a ransom of one ton of gold (in small unmarked bars). The rest of the story reads like a mixture between Spy Kids and Grimm’s Fairy Tales, with all kinds of creative surprises like time-stop fields, bio-bombs, dirt-eating dwarves, and more.

There were many things I liked about this book! First was that me and my mom read it aloud together, which was fun for our whole family. I also thought it was exciting when Artemis’ bodyguard and Holly Short faced off against a huge, mean troll. And I thought Holly clever in the way she tried to escape from Artemis’ prison.

Kids who enjoy fantasy, suspense, and humor will really like this book. (Their parents might like it too.)

If your child is age nine or older, I’d recommend that you and your kids get this book and enjoy it together. A few warnings, though. People who don’t like fantasy books (like Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings) should probably avoid this one. Also, there is some mild “bodily function” humor that some parents may not like (but your kids will laugh at). Otherwise, ARTEMIS FOWL is much fun and a book I would recommend highly.

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Tony Nappa is a sixth-grader who has authored three books: Lunch Box Laughs; Lunch Box Trivia; and Lunch Box Promises