My name is Mrs. Levey and I am currently teaching 6th grade Language Arts at Wakefield Middle School in Raleigh, NC.


At home, I am the wife to a man always on the go and two growing girls who keep me very busy. When we are not running to orchestra or dance class, we are off to a picnic a the park or some other adventure, including our favorite vacation spot - Disney World.


This blog follows my thoughts on my reading, mostly the ones for Middle Readers, and the adventures of finding that right job...

Monday, June 11, 2012

TN #5: Heist Society

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf0p_Jggro8

Imagine if what you thought was  normal family life was anything but normal.  For Katarina Bishop, this is the reality.  Her family is in the business of stealing some of the most priceless items in the world, but for Kat, she wants to steal something a little different.  A new life.  And she almost succeeds - almost.

Families are a funny thing.  They are willing to let you go, but will find any reason to bring you back.  In Kat's case, her father is in trouble.  Some very valuable painting, belonging to a very (shall we say) evil man have gone missing and he is the chief suspect.  And the only one who can help is a very reluctant Kat.

Here is a book that dives into the same world as Ocean's Eleven and the Italian Job, which may peak the interest of some guys out there, also has an underlying romantic tension that will keep the girls interested.

Do you know what I found interesting?  I know a book has me sucked in when I start hearing the voices of the characters in my head while I am reading it, and with this book that started happening about half way into it.  I could hear Russian, German, Austrian, Italian, French, and English accents all while I was reading and even tried to read a little out loud in those accents.  I wasn't very good, but it does make it a little more interesting.

Above, you saw a video from Ally Carter, the author of Heist Society, the sequel - Uncommon Criminals, as well as the Gallagher Girls Books.    In 2013, she will have a third Heist Society Book coming out through her publisher Disney-Hyperion Books.  You can learn more about these books and Ally Carter at www.allycarter.com. Ally, like most writers keeps a blog on her website about what she is working on.  It seemed like there were a lot of questions about what an option on a book was, so in her blog she gives a nice little detailed breakdown.  You can read that at:  http://allycarter.com/2012/04/retro-throw-back-post-how-movies-happen/

Heist Society has already been optioned.  Drew Barrymore (ET, Never Been Kissed) is scheduled to produce and maybe even direct the movie which is due out around 2014 from Warner Brothers Studios (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heist_Society and http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/drew-barrymore-produce-direct-young-207349).  Interesting rumor is that they will age the characters so that they are in their twenties.  Now for me, I'm torn.   I can see it as a story about twenty-somethings, but I think what works about this story is that it is essentially about a group of teenagers trying to accomplish what their parents deem impossible.  What do you think?  

Carter, Ally. Heist Society. New York: Disney/Hyperion, 2010. Print.
N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.allycarter.com/>.
"Drew Barrymore to Produce and Direct Young-Adult Thriller 'Heist Society' (Exclusive)." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/drew-barrymore-produce-direct-young-207349>.
"Heist Society." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 May 2012. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heist_Society>.
"Heist Society, by Ally Carter." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf0p_Jggro8>.



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