Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Title: Artemis Fowl

Author: Eoin Colfer

ISBN: 0786817070

Publisher: Talk Miramax Books

Copyright Date: 2001

Genre: Fantasy

About the Author:

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father (an elementary school teacher, historian and artist of note) and mother (a drama teacher). He first developed an interest in writing in primary (elementary) school with gripping Viking stories inspired by history he was learning in school at the time!

After leaving school he got his degree from Dublin university and qualified as a primary school teacher, returning to work in Wexford. He married in 1991 and he and his wife spent about 4 years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been translated into many languages. A sequel followed in 1999, followed by some other books (see below). Then in 2001 the first Artemis Fowl book was published and he was able to resign from teaching and concentrate fully on writing.

About Eoin. http://www.eoincolfer.com/about-eoin.

Curriculum Ties:

•  Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Plot Summary:

 Artemis Fowl is a genius millionaire twelve year old. With his body guard, the intimidating Butler, he is looking to enlarge his fortune by kidnapping a fairy, which he believes to exist. This is where Holly comes in. She is an elf, and a member of LEPrecon, a high tech police force that guards the fairy peoples underground, where they live to avoid humans. When she is on an aboveground mission tracking a troll, she is captured by Artemis and Butler, and then held captive in his home in Ireland. This sets off a retaliation by LEPrecon, led by commander Root and Foaly, a centaur with a tech genius. They surround Artemis’ house, but the fairy rules don’t allow them to enter without Artemis’ permission, which he won’t give while he is alive. Thus starts a story of the fairies trying to save Holly, using trolls, dwarves, and negotiation. Unfortunately, it looks like the only way to defeat Artemis is to kill him, but he has other plans.

Critical Evaluation:

Artemis Fowl has a very interesting premise. It is set in the present day, except that fairies live miles under the earth, where they moved when humans started spreading across the earth. They have technology more advanced than humans, and they also possess some magical powers like invisibility and the ability to control people through the Mesmer. However, they are also restricted by specific rules if they want to keep their magic, the biggest two examples being that they get sick if they enter a house without the owner’s permission, and they must undergo a ceremony to renew their magic. The characters are all distinct, whether it is the. angry but caring Commander Root, or the confident, brilliant Artemis. Holly is a strong female character, who manages not only to free herself, but defeat a troll twice. Artemis and Butler are the villains in the piece, but they are still portrayed in very human terms. This is helpful and allow them to become protagonists in the later books, though this one is an effective stand alone.

Readers Annotation:

 Holly, a fairy recon officer, is having a very bad day. She has had to fight a troll, got in trouble with her boss, and has now been kidnapped by a human hoping to get gold. Now it is up to her to free herself and show that human that no one messes with her. 

Book Talking Ideas:

•  Talk about the books premise of fairies living underground. Have readers think about what they would do if they found out about fairies being around.
• Discuss Artemis' plan to get the money. Have readers look for motivations that he has. 

Reading Level/Interest Age: 10-14

Challenge Issues:

• Some violence, including a battle with a troll that leaves two characters heavily injured.
• Some drinking and smoking, with one instance of underage drinking

Defense Collection:

•  Gr 5-8 –Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl  decides to reinvigorate his family fortunes by kidnapping a fairy and demanding its gold. Having obtained and decoded the Book , a tome containing all of the fairies' secrets, Artemis captures an elf named Holly Short and holds her captive at his family mansion in Ireland. However, he hasn't reckoned on the resources and cunning of the LEPrecon Unit, an elite branch of the fairy police force, whose members will stop at nothing to rescue Captain Short. It seems that the wicked ways of the Mud People (humans) have driven most of the magical creatures underground, where a gritty, urban fairy civilization is flourishing. The fairy characters are mouthy and eccentric, but Artemis is too stiff and enigmatic to be interesting; the story bogs down when the focus is on him. The combination of choppy sentences and ornate language will appeal to some readers, although not necessarily to Harry Potter fans; the emphasis here is more on action (some of it gory), technology, and deadpan humor than on magic, and only one character (Artemis) is a child. –Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library --Eva Mitnick (Reviewed May 1, 2001) (School Library Journal, vol 47, issue 5, p148)
• A 12-year-old Irish crime lord takes on the realm of Faerie to recoup his family fortune in this madcap leap aboard the Pottermania bandwagon. Having done his homework, thanks to a fairy manual extorted from an alcoholic sprite in Ho Chi Minh City, young Fowl and his omnicompetent butler, Butler, not only seize the equally aptly named Holly Short, feisty member of LEPrecon (an elite unit of the Lower Elements Police) for ransom, but are well prepared when her pointy-eared compatriots rush to the rescue with a combination of old magic and futuristic high technology. In the ensuing battle, fought as much with wits as weapons, Fowl proves himself a brilliant strategist, if not quite as dastardly or self-confident as he'd like to be, and thanks to what amounts to a magical technicality, he comes out of the dustup alive, with a half-ton of fairy gold, and even a wish (which he puts to good use). Though the violence occasionally turns brutal, Fowl and Short make splendid, well-matched rivals, supported by an inspired cast that includes huge rogue trolls, malicious goblins, an irreverent techie satyr, and kleptomaniac dwarf Mulch Diggins—all of whom are likely to reappear in sequels that are even now underway. Readers familiar with Sherlock Holmes, as well as an array of modern fantasists from Roald Dahl on, will find plenty of homage paid in this savagely funny page-turner. (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2001)
• Awards:
• Blue Hen Book  Award (Delaware): Middle Readers
• British Book  Awards (the Nibbies): Children's Book  of the Year
• Garden State Teen Book  Awards (New Jersey): Fiction (Grades 6-8)
• Massachusetts Children's Book  Award
• Surrey Schools' Book  of the Year Award (British Columbia)
• Young Reader's Choice Award (Pacific Northwest): Intermediate
• Freedom to Read Statement
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• Springville Public Library Collection Development Policy


• The Library Director and designated staff actively evaluate and select materials. The Springville Public Library Board, acting under the authority given to it by Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Springville Municipal Code and Title 09 of the Utah State Code, has the ultimate responsibility for the determination of the policies for selection and acquisition of materials.
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• To assess the item based on the above criteria, staff utilize:
• Nationally recognized and relevant pre-publication reviews
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Purpose in Collection:

This is an excellent book for the younger teens, with a twelve year old protagonist, a longer series if readers enjoy it, and a variety of interesting characters. This would be a good introduction to the teen section for younger readers as well as an enjoyable lighter read for older teens.