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Storm: The Infinity Code by E.L. Young, Dial, 2008

Storm: The Infinity Code follows in the footsteps of Alex Rider, Young Bond and Jimmy Coates as an action-caper storyline.

We meet Will Knight, age 14, testing his latest invention, a wall "ascender," at his school in the early hours of the morning. His pre-dawn activities were observed by a classmate named Gaia. She introduces Will to another teenager, who is a sort of adolscent Bill Gates, named Andrew. Andrew earned a fortune in the software business as a computer programming savant when he was ten years old and he has an idealistic dream that somehow fourteen year olds, with money and brilliance, can do things to improve the world situation that adults cannot.

Will is dealing with the death of his father and his mother has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He agrees to join Andrew's team, STORM (Science and Technology to Over-Rule Misery,) when a solar flare threatens Earth. Now these young brainiacs cannot stop solar flares but they do safeguard the the landing of a passenger plane when communications are disrupted.

When a teen astrophysicist, Caspian Baraban, becomes involved in the design of a super weapon the trio are off to St. Petersburg, Russia on a quest to save the world.

Author, E.L. Young is a science writer and the Australian editor for New Scientist magazine. The book is full of science theories and jargon. The gadgets are cool and I loved that they were invented by the teen heroes themselves, not handed to them by an adult "Q" character. Young also includes some background on actual research behind the book's inventions and scientific ideas.

The storyline is over the top espionage fantasy like any James Bond, Bourne Identity or Ocean's (insert Roman numeral here.) Seriously, don't we all have access to a electromagnetic pulse generator that can put out the lights in Las Vegas?

I have an enormous fondness for espionage fantasy capers though, so I'm in.

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Chicano families come in all colors, sizes, shapes and tendencies. My own is scattered across Texas and the West, with my one daughter finishing school in Syracuse, NY. My wife's siblings and their families are usually who I spend holidays with. In some ways they're typical of the heights and breadth of where some Chicanos have "arrived" in this society, with successful careers and the accompanying foibles of American families.

Coming from a poorer background, I'm still amazed each year by the seeming opulence in their Xmas gift giving. NFL, Nike, Nikon, Macey's, and Bratz owe much of their bottom line to what appears under this family tree; there's no evidence of economic crises or recession to be found.

I wonder how many of them have multiple credit cards and how many of those are maxed out, how many have ARMs about to reset to usury levels, how many are too few paychecks close to bankruptcy. Worse, I wonder how many would take failures of the U.S. economy personally, and blame themselves for a layoff, cutback or an employer going under. At least like in many Chicano families, they have a tradition of harboring potentially homeless family members.

And as in many families, each year a prayer is uttered at the Thanksgiving meal, inevitably thanking God, Jesus and religion for their bounty. It always bothers me--not just as an unbeliever--that they relinquish their accomplishments to an institution that's historically profited from Chicano-Mexican faith, while they likewise endure the burdensome repercussions of that faith in the form of denying girls, even women, the right of choice.

Anyway, this year I penned the piece below, to read at the family dinner. I wasn't able to include something about the Iraq War, the volunteer soldiers whose lives, minds and bodies are being ruined at the same time millions of Iraqis pay the price of the U.S. invasion. Nor did I say anything about the millions, if not billions, of people who justifiably hate us for what we've allowed loose on the world.

I don't say these words were overwhelmingly well received, although several thanked me for them. I share them here as an after-Thanksgiving thought, in the hopes it'll inspire others to come up with their own, more appropriate, messages for holiday "prayers" in these times.

When you're surrounded by delicious foods made by family and friends, it's tempting to think Thanksgiving is about stuffing your belly till it's ready to burst.

When you've got a good-paying job, it's easy to think Thanksgiving is about getting ready to spend way too much money on material things to overflow the space under the Xmas tree.

When you're sitting in a house that's warm and inviting, it's comfortable to think Thanksgiving is about being grateful for a fancy TV or new video game.

When you've got the cash to eat in restaurants and drink in bars whenever you want, it's simple to think Thanksgiving is about how special you are to deserve all of this.

And when you have a good car that gets you to work every day, it's exciting to think Thanksgiving is about wondering how soon you can get an even fancier new one.

I don't know if Thanksgiving is about being grateful we're not one of the hungry, unemployed, homeless, unlucky children or adults who have to walk the icy streets to school or work. It's probably not just about remembering those poor souls for one minute and feeling a little sorry for them.

Maybe Thanksgiving is about thanking our parents, wives, husbands and kids for giving us the sense to take care of our bodies, to keep ourselves from getting into debt and going into bankruptcy, to keep us from loving special things more than special people, to keep us from becoming addicts or drunks, and to keep ourselves safe on the road and in our daily lives. That way, we're here next year--safe, healthy, comfortable, and at peace--to give even more thanks for whatever Thanksgiving is about.

Rudy Ch. Garcia

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Author: Alison McGhee Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds Published: 2007 Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1416928111 Chapters.ca Amazon.com Breezy illustrations and stirring text whisk mother and daughter through memories of the precious past and into dreams of a richly textured future in this hopeful celebration of life and love. Other books mentioned: Ish So Few of Me Hush, Mama Loves You Tags:Alison McGhee, blessing, childrens book, Peter H. Reynolds, Podcast, prayer, review, Someday, wishAlison McGhee, blessing, childrens book, Peter H. Reynolds, Podcast, prayer, review, Someday, wish

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