My name is Pavel, and Cam is the Leonardo DaVinci of slackers. The guy is an artist and created a fake club at school to give himself more video game time. Of course, he wouldn't need the P.A.G. if he hadn't almost burned down his house. Word of the club is slowly spreading around school, and kids think it's real. Over half the students have joined the club, and that's creating a new problem for Cam. Everyone wants to know about the next big project, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with it. It's cutting into his Rule the World practice. The P.A.G. is doing great things around our town, but there are some complications we can't solve. Someone is trying to ruin the club by undermining its efforts, and the freeway exit ramp is going to be demolished. Destroying the ramp will destroy the whole town.
I actually read the second book in the series before reading this one, and I wish I'd read them in order. The essence of this book boils down to Cam's obsession with playing video games. He will go to any lengths to protect his time on the couch. He's self-centered and lazy and has little tolerance for people and events that upset his routines. However, the plot slowly demonstrates Cam's evolution as a person. Having already read this book's sequel, I know the changes are still a work-in-progress, but it's still nice to feel some positive vibes about his character. Much of the book's humor, an expectation in Korman's novels, comes from misunderstandings. Cam doesn't want to get involved and is reluctant to say anything to other students and the teachers. This behavior opens the door for other characters to make assumptions, often far from the truth. Cam's strategies for avoiding attention add to the humor. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend you give it a shot. If you like this one, you'll love its sequel.
My name is Magpie, and I can't let the Montgolfier family discover who I really am. They don't know I'm the one who broke into their home and stole the secrets for a flying prototype. Through a twist of fate, I'm now living under their roof with my rooster Coco, but I know an English spy is watching my every move. I won't break the Montgolfiers' trust, but the spy is threatening to reveal the truth about me. It feels good to do honest chores around the estate, and I'm very interested in helping with the flying project. I'm good at noticing things, and I've made a couple of helpful suggestions. The race with England is heating up, and France's King Louis is pressuring the Montgolfier brothers to finish first. I know it's dangerous to stay, but I feel like I need to see this project to the end.
The book was historical fiction, as it chronicled the history of the first balloon flight. I read a short summary about the event and discovered this book included many of the actual facts. The locations, discovery of hot air, and the animals used were true. Fictional liberties included Magpie's contributions and her role on the day of the flight. It was interesting to see the inventors' struggles to find the right designs and materials to create something capable of remaining off the ground. As 21st century readers, it might be hard to appreciate concepts the characters had not yet discovered, like hot air rising being an important factor. Some ideas seemed silly, like putting fire under paper, but Magpie's observations of her surroundings were ingenious. The author created a plot by using Magpie's past as a thief to maintain a constant threat to her character. The woman threatening Magpie created a bit of a mystery, since her motives were unknown. If she was a spy, why didn't she seem more interested in the stolen plans? I don't often read historical fiction, but I enjoyed this book. If you're into that genre, give it a shot.
