The False Prince

Bibliographic Information
Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Type of Media: Audio CD
Narrator: Charlie McWade
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Copyright Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 9780545391771
Genre: SciFi
Reading Level: Lexile 710
Interest Age: 10-18




Plot Summary
Sage, an orphan boy is suddenly picked up from the streets and recruited to a plan concocted by a nobleman to unify the kingdom. Connor's plan is to choose four orphan boys with some resemblance to the lost prince Jaron, train them and test them to eventually choose one to place on the throne. As the boys begin to understand what is happening a rivalry begins to unfold. Sage is left with a huge dilemma, does he play this part Connor has laid before him or is it possible he has something else up his sleeve?

Critical Evaluation
Nielsen has masterfully put together a story of decent and lies with many layers. The plotline is well planned and executed with well thought through and laid back stories which then allows for a huge plot to be built on top without it crumbling. Although the story seems to get off to a slow start the narrator makes the audio book more entertaining while you wait for the plot to pick up it's pace, which it definitely does, and once that happens you won't want to stop the recording.

Reader's Annotation
When the first boy is shot I immediately knew that this book was going to be epic.

Author Biography
Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a perpetually muddy dog. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. At one time or another she has been a high school debate coach, theater director, daycare worker, and worked at an assembly of odd jobs so insignificant they didn't even deserve job titles.

Jennifer Neilsen. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Nielsen/e/B003VJQBT6/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Book Talk Ideas

• Scheming
• World building

Possible Challenges

•  Violence

Defense File

Have the library's selection policy and the Library Bill of Rights ready to hand out

Access to honest reviews from trusted sources

Know the awards, if any, the book has earned

Understand the material so you can explain the use of the book as a good talking point for serious and sensitive issues

A lot of times people just want their concerns heard, so make sure you listen

If they are still persistent be able to offer them a reconsideration form

 
Reason for Inclusion
The series is one of the most well thought through that I have been exposed to in the last couple of years and where would a trilogy be without the first book?