Scorpia Rising (Alex Rider #9)

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz is the final book in the Alex Rider series. Alex (now 15) is a reluctant spy for MI6.

After not hearing from MI6 for months, Alex and his guardian Jack Starbright are hopeful that his time working for them is at an end. Alex is happy to be just an ordinary boy - going to school and playing soccer.

But one day in class, his instincts have him looking across the school yard to the roof of a construction site, where he sees a man with what can only be a sniper rifle. And once again, Alex is pulled into the world of espionage.

The evil organization Scorpia, that Alex has defeated twice already, has a plan in mind to rebuild their reputation and get rid of Alex at the same time. They are going to use him to blackmail the English government.

This last novel is a fight to the finish. Horowitz packs so much action into so few pages that readers' heads will spin. Don't start this book (or the series) on a school night - you will be staying up late to finish it.

Horowitz, Anthony. (2010). Scorpia Rising. New York: Philomel Books.

Crocodile Tears (Alex Rider #8)

Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz is the latest book featuring Alex Rider - a fourteen year old James Bond who works for MI6.

It has been months since Alex has seen anyone from MI6. And he does not miss them. He would love to never work for them again. But when a reporter comes to him and threatens to expose him, Alex is trading favors with MI6 once again.

His assignment seems simple, at first. Smithers, the Q of the series, has some great gadgets that will help Alex break in to the office of the head of a bioreseach lab. His school is going on a tour of the facility and he should be able to sneak away for a few minutes and download the information MI6 needs.

Of course if everything went according to plan it would not be a very long book - or an Alex Rider adventure. By the end of the book Alex is in the thick of thing and is the only person who can save thousands of lives.

Horowitz has created a fast-paced, exciting series that readers will devour. Any James Bond fans should read this series. The action is so intensely written you will not move until you are done reading.

Horowitz, Anthony. (2009). Crocodile Tears. New York: Philomel Books.

Snakehead (Alex Rider #7)

Snakehead is Anthony Horowitz's latest Alex Rider book.

Alex is just back from his previous mission and has once again vowed never to take on another. He finds himself in Australia and the intelligence agency there, ASIS, convinces him to take on another. They do this by assigning Alex's godfather to the mission. A godfather he did not know existed, but who knew his parents.

All Alex has to do is provide cover. They will be travelling as father and son - refugees paying their way illegally into Australia.

It should be an easy assignment. But, of course, it is not that simple. And once again Alex will come in contact with members of the notorious group Scorpia - the same group that killed his parents.

Horowitz, Anthony. (2007). Snakehead. New York: Philomel Books.

Alex Rider Series

The Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz are the James Bond of YA. Alex has been recruited by MI6, England's version of the CIA. The difference between the sky kids books of the CHERUBS, other than the single agents, are the cool Bond-like gadgets that Alex gets to use.

In Stormbreaker Alex is introduced to the world of British espionage. He is recruited to follow in the footsteps of his father and his uncle. His job is to find the hidden virus in a new computer game - software that would make anyone who played it ill.

In Point Blanc Alex infiltrates a private school in the Alps.

In Skeleton Key Alex battles the Chinese Triads.

In Eagle Strike it is a pop singer gone bad.

In Scorpia he goes up against the group that killed his parents.

And in Ark Angel he has to stop the sabotage of the first outer space hotel.

The latest Alex Rider book is Snakehead where he once again battles Scorpia.