You’re probably familiar with author James Patterson, after all, it’s estimated that there are 150 million copies of his books in print worldwide. With his series of books starring Alex Cross and now his series featuring the Women’s Murder Club, Patterson has defined the genre of detective fiction.

But James Patterson is also a father, and he has a son, and he wanted to get his son excited about reading, and not just comic books, either, but reading fiction. So, he wrote a new book. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X could be categorized as young adult fiction, but take it from me, as someone who has found books within the YA section of the library that are better written than a lot of fiction for adults, The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is NOT just a “kid’s book.”

Excerpt (source: USA Today)

“IF THIS WERE A MOVIE instead of real life, this would be the part where in a strange, ominous voice I’d say, “Take me to your leader!” But since you are far more important in making a difference in this world than the earth’s leaders, and last time I checked on the Internet those leaders seem to have more than enough on their plates, and for the most part I’m not a total dork, I’ll just go with a simple “Hi.”

My name is Daniel, and this is the first volume of my life story, which, hopefully, will be a very long and distinguished one.

Why should you read it? Very good question.

Maybe because this is your planet, and you have a right to know what’s actually happening on it. And more important, off it. Trust me, there are legions of strange and disturbing creatures out there you probably don’t want to know about.”

Daniel is not an ordinary 15 year old boy. First of all, his parents were killed when he was three, by an alien. Yes, an alien. His parents were Alien Hunters, sworn to rid Earth of the aliens trying to destroy it, and they were killed protecting The List, which contains the names of the Most Wanted Aliens. Now Daniel has the list, and he is taking up where his parents left off.

There’s just one more thing about Daniel that’s important to know (and isn’t a spoiler)-he has power. He has the greatest power. Daniel has the power…to create. From the molecules of the air, he can create, well, anything. Mostly he creates his parents and his four best friends. Think about it- how else could a 15 year old rent an apartment? Not only can Daniel create people who look like they are real, the people he creates ARE real. At least for a while. His parents take care of grown-up stuff like registering him at school, and his friends provide companionship and occasionally help him out of a tight spot.

I won’t give away any more of the plot except to say that not only should your sons read it (depending on reading level, I’d say 5th grade and up), but your daughters should read it, and YOU should read it. Like his series Maximum Ride which I reviewed on this blog previously (and there’s a fourth booking coming out soon, yay!), Patterson has a unique “ear” for writing teenage dialogue, and for putting in references that kids can relate to. You’ll find references to Wi-Fi, iPods, and Playstation 3 neatly worked into the story, and it’s just one more way to capture the attention of today’s technology-savvy kids. Not that kids shouldn’t read classic literature either, but let’s face it, if you are struggling to get your sons to read anything other than Manga (ahem, my son Ryan, who only wants to read the Naruto series), you want to find them something that they are going to be able to relate to.

For more information about James Patterson’s The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, check out the book’s website. YouTube has a CGI “trailer” that gives just a tiny hint at the plot. And, there’s a wonderful interview with author James Patterson on the Borders website. I really recommend this book for all ages, boys, girls, grownups. It will get everyone reading fiction!