Randi Morse 2010-08-27

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We now live in a highly digital world, and because of this many children are losing the love of simple things, like reading. I remember when Harry Potter first came out, the owner of my favorite bookstore remarked that she hated that Rowling had made up language, but that she absolutely loved that the books were encouraging young children to read. Now, of course, they don't have to read the books but can simply pop in the DVD to learn about Harry.

Patrick Carman has done something that no one has ever done before him - meshed books and the internet together to create something that's not only highly enjoyable to read, but that is also very appealing to younger readers. Trackers follows computer genius Adam and his three friends, Lewis, Emily, and Finn, on a technological adventure the likes of which none of us has ever seen before.

This is how it works: you start reading the book, which is, interestingly enough, written in an interview format. When you get to the end of each section of interview, the book directs you to the website, [...] where you can see exactly what Adam is showing the person who is interviewing him. This helps kids to not only see what the characters look like, but to actually hear their voice as well, making it much easier to play their own "movie" in their head when they're reading the story.

Carman really went all out, as not only did he have [...] created, but he also had some of the same puzzles that use Glyphs recreated on the website as well, and let me tell you, I'm an adult woman and the puzzles definitely messed me up!

Apparently Carman did the same thing in his novel series of Skeleton Creek, and I'm definitely interested in snagging that series, as this is, in my mind, the perfect way to get children interested in reading once again. And it's also really fun for adults - I'm not sure if I'm willing to give this book up to my 9 year old or not!

Congratulations Carman for making reading fun for those who are technologically savvy!

N. Manning 2010-08-26

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Reason for Reading: I became a huge fan of Carman's after reading the Atherton series and was excited to read another book by him.

A book entirely written as an interview, an interrogation. 15 year-old Adam is being questioned by someone to go back to the beginning and tell them what happened. We have no idea who is doing the interviewing, though the assumption is that is that it is high ranking officials, either military or government. Though whether that assumption is true I have not ascertained and part of me highly doubts. Right from the beginning we are teased with foreshadowing, told that something awful has happened and this foreshadowing continues throughout the book. Adam's three cohorts are used as bargaining chips to keep him talking as he does not know what has happened to them, if they are well and if these "officials" also have them, as they claim.

Through this Q&A format Adam tells the story of how he, a computer high-tech savvy expert with multitudes of invented gadgets and access to any computer in the world meets up with three other teens of various abilities who join together to help the world by tracking down online hackers and fixing weak security systems while leaving behind anonymous notes. They call themselves "Trackers" and they also physically go out on test runs with the gadgets Adam has invented while he stays back at the control room running the operation. They get pulled into a dangerous game when Adam is contacted by an attractive female teen who challenges him to a cyber game he can't refuse. Next thing he knows his system has been hacked, all his inventions and files stolen and now he is at the mercy of this young woman and a menacing man named Laslo who force him and his team to participate in criminal activities but Adam thinks he can outsmart them in the end. Obviously, due to the current interrogation, something drastically went wrong.

I loved this story. It was a page turner. Each of the four teens were exceptional individuals, from different backgrounds and each was extremely likable in their own unique way. I am very eager to get on with the story in book 2.

Trackers is very unique itself in that it combines video with text. Throughout the book, as the interview was progressing a file would be introduced and Adam would pull up a video that proved what he was saying was true. At this point the reader who has already been directed to a website inserts the password and has the opportunity to watch an actual video of the characters in action. There may also be other things for the reader to do such as examine items in evidence, schematics, etc. I must say this is extraordinarily cool. Unfortunately, I only have internet access on a PC shared with family members. I did watch the first couple of videos this way, but if I had had to read a bit then wait a turn on the computer before continuing to read on it would have taken me weeks to finish the book! Fortunately, for those not able to enjoy the instant gratification of the videos each is included as a written transcript as an appendix at the back of the book and this is the way I eventually ended up reading the book. It did not deter my enjoyment at all. A very exciting, unique, intriguing story!

MariReads 2010-07-10

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Trackers is the new book by Patrick Carman that combines web videos with the book for a multi-media experience that kids will love. Carman's Skeleton Creekseries was the first at blending the two mediums and proved to be very entertaining. This is another great addition to the genre.

Trackers is basically a techno-thriller for kids, told through transcripts of an interrogation of Adam, the creator of this group of teenage trackers, mixed with links to websites and videos. Looking to help others, and to have fun doing it, the group don't realize how much danger they are in for when they get involved in something they shouldn't.

The book did seem to end very abruptly right in the middle of the action. Hoping the next book in the series isn't released to long after this one.

Mel Odom 2010-06-13

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I have to give Patrick Carman props for being innovative with his books for the YA (9-12) crowd. He's delivering the stuff they live for (ghost stories and cybernetic thrillers, as well as his recent superhero riff Thirteen Days to Midnight). Carman's doing a good job of backing up the Skeleton Creek and Trackers properties with on-line content. The internet is alive with video clips, sites, and high-end graphics that relate to his stories.

That said, however, I was less than overwhelmed by both Skeleton Creek and now Trackers. The Tracker's book is positioned as the first of a series of cybernetic thrillers about extremely bright, danger seeking kids. Think the Scooby gang gone steroids with emerging technology. Minus the dog, which could have been fun now that I think about it.

The characters are an ensemble cast. There's Adam -- boy genius, Finn -- daredevil skateboarder, Lewis -- the careful one of the group, and Emily -- the girl geek. They're stereotypes to a degree, but Carman plays them fairly and I had a good time with them, but I look forward to getting to know more about them because they don't quite gel in this first book.

Part of that is because of the storytelling angle used in the novel. Evidently Adam is giving his statement to someone, but the reader doesn't quite know who that is. It sounds like he's talking to the police, but maybe it's one of the clandestine alphabet spy agencies within the United States. Of course, knowing Carman, I have to wonder is this is some kind of elaborate set-up to fool the reader and the person taking notes is ultimately some kind of bad guy.

This story is incredibly thin as well. In reality, not much happens. I enjoyed the slices of Adam's life that were on stage, his relationship with his dad and his friends, and the way he had his "batcave" set up for business, creativity, and friendship. I see a lot of promise here, and a ton of coolness regarding tech.

But the book is thin. Less than 150 pages with lots of white space. Some of the story is filled out with videos readers can access through codewords and the website mentioned in the book, but by the time the novel gets up and running, fueled on suspense, it's almost over. In another couple changes, it is over and I was disappointed at how little was resolved. More than that, I was really disappointed how much of the story is dependent on the video clips.

The idea of backing the story with video clips is neat in theory, but in practice it kept yanking me out of the book and underscoring the fact that I was reading a story. The casual immersion of story and character got shredded for me. My 12 year old hasn't read it yet, and I'm curious if his take on the experience is going to be like mine.

For those of you leery about getting on the computer to look at the website, or those of you that don't have 24-hour access to the internet, don't worry. The scripts for the video clips are included in the novel, so you can just flip to the appropriate appendix and read the story.

I'm going to read the second book in the series, see where everything's headed, but I'm not as involved as I wanted to be. The idea is cool, but there's nothing as immersive as a story that sucks you in and holds you captive till the last page.

Kidsreads.com 2010-06-11

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Adam Henderson and his three best friends --- Lewis, Emily and Finn --- are a unique group. They don't quite fit in with the athletes, thespians, student council, artists, or any other clique around, so they all feel very lucky to have found each other. They somehow survived middle school together and are about to embark on the greatest adventure imaginable.

They call themselves Trackers, and they use their varied and incredible skills to find people who don't want to be found. One might ask how a group of kids could do such a thing. As Adam so precisely puts it, "Because here's the thing about the digital age: Everyone leaves a trail." Adam is the leader, and he happens to be a technological genius. He fixes computer problems that even his dad, who owns a computer repair shop, can't figure out. Adam's room at the back of the store is filled with every digital component available to the public, along with his very own inventions. But he can't do it alone; he needs Lewis, Emily and Finn for their talents and skills as well.

It all started out as a game, as their first case involved someone stealing skateboards at the local skate park. But as they practice and perfect, they stumble into something larger than any of them could have thought possible. During a practice mission, an equipment testing session, they discover a secret message slipped into the recorded video. With his curiosity peaked, Adam decodes the clues and messages. It turns out that someone dangerous has hacked into his system and stolen valuable information about his inventions, which is now being held hostage as the Trackers are blackmailed. Before they realize it, they have dug themselves into something so deep and dangerous that top government officials take them into custody for a highly classified interrogation.

Patrick Carman has created a new multimedia series that is unique and thrilling. As Adam is being grilled by a federal agent, he must reveal all that happened leading up to the big situation into which he and his friends have fallen. The interview is fast-paced and determined, leaving no room for unimportant details or boring descriptions, and it infuses many clues to hint at all of the adventure and excitement to come. Interspaced throughout the story are sections caught on video, and you can log on to [...] to take a look at the footage. If you don't have a computer available at the time, printed transcripts of the videos are listed in appendices at the back of the book. As for the characters, most readers will be able to identify with one or more of the four friends. All of them are realistic and have their own sense of humor and quirks to enjoy.

The bestselling author of such series as The Land of Elyon and Atherton has delivered yet another clever, intense and technological adventure that is quite different from the average reading experience and follows up on the success of his interactive Skeleton Creek novels. Fans will be waiting impatiently for Book Two. And who can blame them?