Jul 22, 2009.

I’ve really enjoyed reading the Maximum Ride series and also Daniel X by James Patterson, but I haven’t read them with my kids yet. I don’t think they are old enough yet. These books are more for teenagers. I think that teens will love them. The series follows six human/avian fugitives. Bred in a science lab called “The School”, the Flock endured scientific experiments that rendered them 98% human and 2% avian. The Angel Experiment picks up the story as the Flock reengages with their struggle against scientists and evil hybrids after having been freed from the School. The Flock is a group of children genetically altered with bird DNA. It consists of Max, Fang, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy, Angel, and, from the end of The Angel Experiment on, Angel’s dog Total. My favorite character in the series is Total: Total is the talking dog in the flock. Found in the Institute Of the Higher Living by Angel in New York City, Total adds a whimsical element to this thrilling story.

In January 2007, it was announced that a film would be created based on the Maximum Ride series. Not much has been said about when this movie will happen.

Using Maximum Ride as a Fun Discussion Starter: The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson offers a dynamic and engaging narrative that can spark lively discussions among teens. The blend of adventure, science fiction, and elements of fantasy makes it an ideal series for young readers who enjoy thrilling stories. Parents and educators can use this series to discuss themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the ethics of genetic experimentation. Max and her flock’s journey can inspire conversations about teamwork, resilience, and the importance of standing up for what is right. The series also touches on the challenges of growing up, making it relatable for teenage readers. By delving into the world of Maximum Ride, teens can explore complex characters and exciting plotlines that keep them engaged while encouraging critical thinking and empathy.

There are five books in the series:

MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT    WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE.
Do not put this book down. I’m dead serious – your life could depend on it. I’m risking everything by telling you – but you need to know.  STRAP YOURSELF IN for the thrill ride you’ll want to take again and again! From Death Valley, California, to the bowels of the New York City subway system, you’re about to take off on a heart-stopping adventure that will blow you away…  YOUR FAITHFUL COMPANIONS: Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel. Six kids who are pretty normal in most ways – except that they’re 98 percent human, 2 percent bird. They grew up in a lab, living like rats in cages, but now they’re free. Aside, of course, from the fact that they’re prime prey for Erasers – wicked wolflike creatures with a taste for flying humans.  THE MISSIONS: Rescue Angel from malicious mutants. Infiltrate a secret facility to track down the flock’s missing parents. Scavenge for sustenance. Get revenge on an evil traitor. And save the world. If there’s time.

MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL’S OUT — FOREVER  If you’ve already devoured James Patterson’s #1 bestselling blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, stop right here– just turn the page, and hold on tight!  As for the rest of you-well, where have you been? Meet Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel, six absolutely unforgettable kids. With some major problems. THEY’RE BEING HUNTED BY KILLERS. BUT WHO?  It’s even worse than that. Max is sure that a microchip has been inserted under her skin-leading freakish forces of evil to ambush them at any moment…AND WORSE!  She and the others are supposed to save the world. BUT FROM WHAT? WHEN? AND HOW?  Max will stop at nothing to find answers. One thing she does know: it’s got something to do with an astonishing ability they have that no others can claim. THEY CAN FLY.  Max’s heart-stopping quest to protect her “family” and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of her ultimate destiny continues in the scariest, strangest, and funniest James Patterson thriller yet.  THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT WAS JUST A TEST DRIVE. NOW, BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE MAXIMUM RIDE!

MAXIMUM RIDE #3: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS  There’s one last chance to save the world in MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the closing chapter of James Patterson’s thrilling trilogy. The time has arrived for Max and her winged ‘Flock’ to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of ‘Re-evolution’, a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race…and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them-but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

MAXIMUM RIDE #4: THE FINAL WARNING  In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her–and maybe save the planet while she’s at it. Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment. Max and the other members of the Flock–six kids who share her remarkable ability–have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. Their ability to fly could help the scientists conquer this epic problem. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism–and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk. But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world…. Maximum Ride is James Patterson’s greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once. THE FINAL WARNING is an unrelenting new adventure from the writer Time magazine has called “The Man Who Can’t Miss.”

MAXIMUM RIDE #5: MAX  When Earth faced destruction, The Flock helped save it. But now, nowhere is safe. Millions of fish are dying off Hawaii’s coast and someone–or something–is destroying hundreds of ships. The Flock has no choice but to go deep into the murky seas to uncover the truth. And to make matters worse, a deadly assassin is watching their every move. Can The Flock defend themselves from an approaching army and save the world from calamity? The battle for survival rages on.