Colfer, Eoin. 2001. Artemis Fowl. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Artemis Fowl is twelve years old. He is also the heir to a multi-million dollar empire, made by his father through nefarious means. The Fowl family fortune is rapidly dwindling due to the disappearance of Artemis’ father and the questionable sanity of his mother since the disappearance. Determined to add to the family’s dwindling fortune through fair means or fowl, Artemis discovers proof of the existence of the People—fairies, leprechauns, and trolls, along with other unbelievable creatures. Artemis uses his extreme intelligence, to trick a drunken fairy into showing him “the Book” which details all the laws, strengths, and weaknesses of the People. After decoding the symbols and language in “the Book”, Artemis uses his new knowledge to kidnap Captain Holly Short, an undercover agent for the LEPrecon division of the Lower Elements Police. Holly’s kidnapping sets in motion a series of events that will delight readers of all ages. Readers will admire Fowl’s ability to stay one-step-ahead of the fairies throughout their rescue attempts, and will cheer when Fowl is finally discomfited by incidents, including a dwarf who unhinges his jaw in order to eat earth (and expel it rather forcefully from the other end), and fairies who are unafraid to use whatever means are at their disposal in order to gain their freedom. Although Artemis Fowl is not a sympathetic character, readers will find themselves identifying with his worry over his absent father and his attempts to understand and support his ailing mother. Artemis Fowl provides readers with fantastical creatures, scientific gadgets, and most of all, active imaginations that will encourage them to continue, along with Artemis Fowl through all of his adventures.