Trackers (Book One) by Patrick Carman
(Rated: C)
Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0-545165006
Published: May 2010
Hardcover, 224 pages

This is one of the coolest books I’ve read. It is the latest book in a new genre that is taking the reading experience to a different level. What am I referring to? The “Vook” genre; in other words, multi-media storytelling—a melding of traditional storytelling with online components. If you’ve got a kid at home (girl or boy) who would much rather be sitting in front of the computer screen than reading a book, this one’s for them.

The Trackers is a group of four friends who, although different in character, make a great team whose skills complement each other as they play spy games with highly sophisticated cutting-edge inventions. Their game suddenly becomes dangerous when they take up the challenge to track a dangerous criminal. Suspenseful, fun, and innovative, this book caught my attention.

The story unfolds as Adam, the team leader, sits in a classified location and is interrogated by a secret agent about his activities as a Tracker. He tells the story about how he met the other three friends who make up the Trackers, leading up to their hunt for the criminal hacker and culminating in an exciting and satisfying conclusion that opens up more questions and leaves us in expectation of Book Two.

I felt like an excited kid as I read the book and then went online to watch the videos accessed by typing in the passwords provided at intervals throughout the book. The novel delves into the world of high technology and how easily one can become embroiled in the world of Internet safety. It was a fascinating and fast-paced read. I have no doubt that middle-graders will devour this one quickly.
And now take a few minutes to see what this ground-breaking author says about this popular genre:


Disclosure: Thank you to Nikole from Scholastic Canada for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.