H.I.V.E: Higher Institute of Villainous Education

H.I.V.E: Higher Institute of Villainous Education
Mark Walden
Simon & Schuster, 2007 309 pages
Grades 5-8
Adventure
H.I.V.E. series #1

Thirteen-year-old Otto wakes up confused in a plane next to an equally dazed boy named Wing. They are dropped inside a volcano on a seemingly deserted island which is revealed to house a super-secret boarding school designed to train super-villains. Otto and Wing become roommates and are sent to the Alpha track to learn to be the brains behind a covert and diabolical scheme. Otto makes other new friends, as well as some enemies, all of whom exhibit some sort of special skill or talent. The new gang of friends resents being kidnapped and sent to the school against their wills and decide to escape. The problem is: the Hive Mind, an all-knowing super computer designed to control everything on the island. How will the team escape the island without being caught? The reader eventually gets to know some of Otto's backstory in an orphanage, yet who is the mysterious benefactor that is sponsoring his attendance at the school for evil and what is his parentage?

This is a super awesome book that I have been recommending to young readers for the past ten years. Needing a "slam-dunk" for my boy-heavy 5/6th grade book club, I chose this title and gave it another read. It completely holds up and is still the same hit it was ten years ago. This is a great choice for book discussion, raising questions about ethics and point of view, and can be used on many levels. Kids love superheroes and are intrigued by villains, and enjoy seeing the sympathetic side of these new recruits. The premise is original and interesting, the plot never wavers, and surprises abound, making for a rollicking read. Many books are set in boarding schools for the simple reason that is allows for children to have adventure without parents getting in the way. This is the evil-spy version of Hogwarts and it is sure to attract the same readership, as well as other kids who may not be into magic or a complicated plot. Reluctant readers will find much to enjoy as they follow Otto and his friends through their escape plans. My only question is: why hasn't this book been made into a movie?