Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The Artemis Fowl books are definitely a great read for ages 8 and up. Artemis is a child genius at age 12, and a criminal mastermind. His father is missing, his mother is losing her mind, and his only friend is Butler, his bodyguard. Artemis schemes to steal gold from the fairies (that's right...fairies) and what ensues is a tongue-in-cheek fantasy that's lots of fun. Artemis can be slightly evil, but in the end, he always makes the right choice (though usually because he feels it will somehow benefit him in the future).

The Artemis Fowl series is definitely a great read and I'd recommend them all. Later books get a little more serious, and may not be quite as suitable for younger readers, but it is fun to see the growth in Artemis's character.

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