Tricked into stealing a valuable artifact, Alfred has no idea what he has gotten himself into.  You see, what Alfred has stolen is Excalibur, King Arthur's sword!  It is the most powerful weapon in the world!  As easy as it seemed to be to steal it, Alfred finds it is much harder to hold onto it.  And he must keep it or else it could be the end of the world.

Booktalk #2

Alfred Kropp is not who you might think of at first as a hero-in-the-making. But unusual circumstances often bring out the best in us. Alfred has always thought of himself as a loser, one who attracts bad luck. His uncle gets him involved in a shady scheme involving breaking into his bosses’ office. Alfred does not want to do this, but Uncle Farrell threatens to send Alfred to a foster home if he doesn’t help. I can’t give you all of the details about what happens next, but will tell you that it involves Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur; fast cars and a thrilling chase from the U.S., to Canada and then to Europe. If you are fascinated by the tales of the Knights of the Round Table, or you are a fan of the Alex Rider series, this book is for you.  (Melissa Bowman, Melissa.Bowman@pisd.edu, Armstrong Middle School,  Lone Star Book Award nominee, 2006-2007)