Ripper

Ripper by Stefan Petrucha is the perfect selection for upper middle school students looking for a meaty thriller that has a huge twist in the story. It is another selection from the Texas Lone Star Reading List 2013-14. Carver Young knows he was meant to be a detective his entire life. Shortly before being told that he has to find a new home because the orphanage who had raised him could no longer care for the three eldest children at the facility, Carver finds a note with clues about his father. Thankfully, he is taken in by Mr. Hawking an infamous lead detective in New York City who is part of the well-known Pinkerton Agency. It seems that Jack the Ripper has traveled from London to New York City to continue his killing spree. Mr. Hawking makes sure that Carver solves all his own clues to move forward in his investigations. Could the treacherous Jack the Ripper actually be Carver’s father? Read Ripper to find out. I had to go back and reread parts that seemed too shocking to believe – 8th graders will love it!