Chasing the Falconers (On the Run, Book 1) [Paperback]

Gordon Korman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Two kids break out of a juvenile detention center and become fugitives in order to clear their convicted parents' names in this heartstopping series from kid-read master Gordon Korman.

Aidan and Meg Falconer are their parents' only hope. The Falconers are facing life in prison -- unless Aidan and Meg can follow a trail of clues to prove their innocence. The problem? Right now they're trapped in a juvenile detention center. Until they escape one night -- and find themselves on the run, both from the authorities and from a sinister attacker t who has his own reason to stop them. The Falconers must use their wits to make it across the country ... with plenty of tests along the way.
Gordon Korman takes readers into FUGITIVE territory -- with thrilling results.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–In what CNN called the trial of the new millennium, Aiden and Meg Falconer's parents were convicted of treason and sentenced to life in jail. Respected criminologists with PhDs, they were asked by CIA Agent Frank Lindenauer to develop profiles that would help U.S. operatives identify terrorist cells throughout the world. He disappeared, and the FBI charged the Falconers with passing classified information to enemies. Their children were placed in a juvenile detention facility in Nebraska for their own safety. When the novel opens, they have been at Sunnydale Farm for four months. Aiden accidentally lights the place on fire and they escape. He remembers that nine years earlier he hid a picture of Lindenauer, known to him as Uncle Frank, in their summer house on Lake Champlain. If they can find him, perhaps they can prove their parents' innocence. With no plan and no money, they set off for Vermont. The police are in hot pursuit, but Aiden and Meg, along with another escapee, Miguel, elude them in one close call after another. At the book's abrupt and unresolved ending, the kids make it to their destination, where Miguel, mistaken for Aiden, is shot by a mysterious intruder. Short on character development and at times melodramatic and straining credulity in the children's ability to elude authorities, this is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure that kids will read in one sitting. Appropriate for reluctant readers and those addicted to television action shows, it is the first in a projected six-title series.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. After their parents' conviction for treason in a high-profile case, Aiden and Meg Falconer were given a different last name and placed at Sunnydale Farm, a juvenile corrections facility in Nebraska. Still, they remain convinced of their parents' innocence. At the first opportunity, they escape and make their way across the country toward the family's summer cottage in Vermont. With little chance of evading detection, the children do whatever it takes (lying, breaking and entering, hopping a freight train) to remain free and gather evidence that might overturn their parents' conviction. The sympathetic though quickly sketched characters lead readers on an exciting chase that becomes more intense as they near the cottage. There, the young fugitives learn that they now have two pursuers: the police and a mysterious man who wants to kill them. When this fast-paced adventure ends, rather abruptly, some readers will theorize about the man's identity, while others will simply wait expectantly for the second book in the projected six-volume On the Run series. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; Reissue edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439651360
• ISBN-13: 978-0439651363
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( K ) > Korman, Gordon

More About the Author

Gordon Korman has written more than fifty middle-grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times #1 bestseller The 39 Clues: One False Note, The Juvie Three, Son of the Mob, Born to Rock, and Schooled. Though he didn't play football in high school, Gordon's been a lifelong fan and season ticket holder. He says, "I've always been fascinated by the 'culture of collision' in football and wanted to explore it-not just from the highlight films but from its darker side as well." Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting first book in a new Gordon Korman adventure series., July 20, 2005

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chasing the Falconers (On the Run, Book 1) (Paperback)

This is the first book in the On the Run series by Gordon Korman, about two young runaway siblings who are determined to find the evidence necessary to free their parents, who have been sentenced to life in prison for the crime of treason.

Fifteen-year-old Aiden Falconer and his little sister, eleven-year-old Meg, had perfectly ordinary lives. Then the unbelievable happened. Their parents, boring college professors, were accused of aiding terrorists, and were convicted of treason against the United States government. Aiden and Meg know the parents couldn't have done such a terrible thing, but the one man that could prove their innocence has disappeared. And Aiden and Meg are trapped at Sunnydale Farm, a juvenile detention center, unable to do anything. But when a fire at the farm gives Aiden and Meg the chance to escape, they take it. They decide they will not stop until the find the man who could free their parents. But there are many dangers for them, both from natural elements and the police who are searching for them.

I really enjoyed Gordon Korman's previous adventure trilogies, and this new series is off to a great start. Aiden and Meg are sympathetic characters that will keep kids reading to find out if their quest is successful. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed previous adventure stories by Gordon Korman, as well as new readers who enjoy these types of books. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars on the run, May 22, 2005

By 

Ian S "Ian" (Springfield, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing the Falconers (On the Run, Book 1) (Paperback)

Have you ever been on the run from the cops, well Meg and Aiden Falconer have and it will be that way for a while. Meg and Aiden were put into a correctional facility called Sunnydale farm and they dont know why, then they see their parents on the news and the are in jail for treason. When they escape the race is on to find a measly picture to prove their parents inocence. This book is filled with action and promblems the two have to solve. This is a great book, and every one should should read Casing The Falconers.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspense and Mystery, October 21, 2004

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chasing the Falconers (On the Run, Book 1) (Paperback)

The book, Chasing the Falconers, is about a boy, Aiden, and his sister, Meg, whose parents were framed for a terrible crime and are stuck in a juvenile center because no one would take them in. Their only contact with their parents is weekly phone calls. One day, Aiden accidentally spills a kerosene lamp in the barn, and since the juvie center is in the middle of Nebraska and it's the middle of the summer, the whole place goes up like a match. Aiden and Meg, along with a whole bunch of other convicts escape while the supervisors are busy with the fire. All of the other convicts, except for them and another kid, are caught eventually. But in order to survive as fugitives, the Falconer kids team up with Miguel, the only other kid who hasn't been caught. They make their way to New Jersey, where there is a house that had pictures of the only person who could save their parents. Will they make it all the way to New Jersey without being caught? Read the book to find out.
Opinion: I really liked this book, Chasing the Falconers. It was a bit short, but there should be two more in the series. It's full of suspense and mystery, along with a bit of action and drama. It's cool to see how the Falconer children change from innocent children shoved into a place with fugitives, to becoming fugitives themselves. I wish that the book was longer, so there could be more story in it, but otherwise it's a great book.
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