Daniel X Demons and Druids

     I am a huge fan of Daniel X, but Demons and Druids Daniel X was a big disappointment.  James Patterson seemed to forget what we loved about Daniel X - the humor, the quirky characters, and the original storylines.
     Nick and I hardly laughed at all in this sequel and that was one of the things we loved best about Daniel in the earlier books. 
     Daniel wasn't his usual quirky self.  He was extremely boring.    
     The storyline had us travel back in time to battle an alien in King Arthur's time with Arthur and Merlin.  When the alien comes forward in time, Daniel defeats him with Stonehenge.  I bet you didn't see that coming, right? 
      The other stories were fun and original and made us fall in love with Daniel.  If you already love Daniel, don't read this book.  If you don't already love Daniel, there isn't really a point to read this book at all. 

Daniel X Watch the Skies

      Daniel X Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust is the second book in the Daniel X series.  My son Nick and I read it together because we both loved Daniel X so much in the first book.
      This time Daniel X is fighting a new alien from The List, Number 5.  This alien is filming a reality tv show on Earth to entertain his home planet.  His minions are torturing humans by making them do silly stunts and then killing them for the tv show.  The aliens in the audience love the tv show, and Alien 5 is sure they will get incredible ratings back home.  The aliens are spreading the love by impregnating the women of the town who ate the free sardine samples they found in their mailboxes.  Daniel X has to figure out how to help the pregnant women in his town and stop Alien #5 before he becomes the headline act of the new reality show.   
      I liked this book almost as much as the first one, but Nick was disappointed in the new alien.  He felt that Alien Number 5 wasn't as developed as Seth was in the first book.  He also felt that Daniel wasn't as funny as he had been in the original novel.  Although he didn't like it as much as the original book, he still liked it a lot. 
     This book has short chapters which added to the excitement of the book.  You feel like you are rushing headlong into every experience Daniel experiences.  Daniel has a sarcastic sense of humor that had both of us giggling nearly every night we read.  It is a quick read and one that you don't want to stop reading.  I recommend this book for reluctant readers, especially boys.
    

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

     There has been a lot of talk lately about how boys have different tastes in books than girls.  If you are looking for a great book for an eleven-year-old boy, you should definitely try The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.  It is one of the best books my son and I have read together in a long time.
     James Patterson is a well-known author for writing great action and suspense.  There is plenty of action and suspense in Daniel X, but it isn't too scary for kids.  Daniel is an alien who looks like a regular boy.  He is an alien hunter looking to rid the Earth of every alien on The List of Alien Outlaws. 
     This book has lots of laugh-out-loud humor for adults and kids.  My favorite part was when Seth, the villain alien, came out of his space ship with his coffee, newspaper, and bathrobe to fight Daniel.  You could tell Seth didn't think Daniel was much of a threat.  Daniel has a funny sense of humor and says little things as asides to the reader. 
     The chapters are very short; most of them were two - three pages in length.  They are just the right amount for a reluctant reader to enjoy and feel a sense of accomplishment. 
     Daniel also has a very cool superpower.  Unlike other heroes, Daniel has the power to create.  He overcomes all of the obstacles in the book by using his brain to create unique ways to escape.  We loved trying to predict what Daniel would do next.
     Nick and I both loved this book.  We finished it yesterday and went to the bookstore to buy the second one today.  Nick's comment was, "He (James Patterson) better start writing faster 'cause we are catching up with him."   We hope you like it as much as we did.