The Hunchback Assignments
by Arthur Slade

    THE HUNCHBACK ASSIGNMENTS by Arthur Slade
    Category:  Fantasy
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  9/22/09
    Publisher:  Wendy Lamb
    Reviewed by:  Theresa L. Stowell
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Mysterious Mr. Socrates found a one-year-old child in the back of a gypsy cart with the label “L’Enfant du
    Monstre.”   Thinking the child was just physically deformed, Mr. Socrates turned to go; however, the toddler
    called out to him, and when he looked again, a reformation was taking place.  This infant was able to change his
    facial features, so the deformity disappeared for a few moments.  Mr. Socrates immediately recognized the value
    in this ability.

    Four short years later, Modo shows advanced intellectual ability.  He is able to read, complete complex
    mathematical equations, and study languages.   Mrs. Finchley, a governess, has been hired by Mr. Socrates to
    care for him and Tharpa, an Indian man, has been retained to teach him combat skills. The only stipulations on
    Modo’s life are that he cannot leave the three rooms that Mr. Socrates has declared as his and that he must
    concentrate only on studies that will increase his intelligence.  

    Though he can feel and even see a protrusion on his back, he is not allowed to see himself until at five, when he is
    given a mirror by Mr. Socrates.  Modo is devastated by what he sees.  His face, in fact his whole head, is
    deformed.

    When Modo turns fourteen, Mr. Socrates finally allows him out of his rooms.  Unfortunately, the journey that Mr.
    Socrates takes him on is not the gift he had hoped it would be.  On the train to London, Mr. Socrates informs him
    that he will be aiding in the protection of England.  His first task is to survive on the London streets without
    warning or help.

    As the story progresses, Modo succeeds in that first task, so Mr. Socrates and a secret society called the
    Permanent Association send him on more difficult and dangerous assignments.  Together with another agent,
    fifteen-year-old Octavia Milkweed, he undertakes a series of adventures in an effort to save the grandson of the
    queen.

    Slade’s gripping tale touches the heart, and readers will root for Modo and Octavia as they show the adults
    around them that loving others and offering mercy are among the strongest traits people should desire.  The most
    important theme in the book is that physical appearances do not always reflect a person’s heart.