CHERUB

CHERUB is a series of young adult books, written by the author Robert Muchamore. They are sometimes compared to the Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz [ [http://cherubvsalex.co.cc/ CHERUB VS. Alex Rider - Powered by CO.CC ] ] , the "Jimmy Coates" books by Joe Craig or the "Six of Hearts" series by Jack Heath. The books feature a division of the British Security Services employing orphaned children. The majority of missions are contracted by MI5, and agents are used based on the assumption that criminals are unlikely to suspect children to be intelligence spies spying on them to gain information. All the children live in CHERUB's campus which is located in the countryside and marked as a military firing area off limits to civilans. According to the website since the release of the first book, "", over a million CHERUB books have been sold worldwide. [ [http://www.muchamore.com/biography2.htm Robert Muchamore - The official site ] ] After the massive success enjoyed by the series in the United Kingdom, the books have been released in the United States of America, New Zealand and Australia, and translated into several languages including French, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese. Following the success of the series in Britain, a film adaptation was commissioned; however, there has been little progress made public to date. Man vs Beast is the last book that will be published in the U.S.

eries

Novels

#"" UK:(15 April, 2004) [cite news | title = The Recruit Bk. 1 | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340881538&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=The+Recruit&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=183 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (October 14, 2004) (titled "The Dealer" in the United States) [cite news | title = Class A Bk. 2 | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340881545&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Class+A&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=4&dc=300053 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (14 April, 2005) [cite news | title = Maximum Security Bk. 3 | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340884355&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Maximum+Security&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=53 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (13 October, 2005) [cite news | title = The Killing | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340894330&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=The+Killing&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=2&dc=1224 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (6 April, 2006) [cite news | title = Divine Madness | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340894347&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Divine+Madness&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=13 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (19 October, 2006) [cite news | title = Man Vs Beast | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340911693&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Man+Vs.+Beast&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=1 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (15 March, 2007) [cite news | title = The Fall | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340911709&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=The+Fall&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=10&dc=3000 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (1 October, 2007) [cite news | title = Mad Dogs | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340911716&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=Mad+Dogs&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=27 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#"" (7 February, 2008) [cite news | title = The Sleepwalker | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340931837&sf_01=kword_index&st_01=The+Sleepwalker&sort=eh_nbd_rank%2Fd&m=1&dc=37 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
#""
#"" (September, 2008)
#"" (October 2009)
#""

hort stories

#"" (6 March, 2008) [cite news | title = Dark Sun | url = http://www.foyles.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780340960073&aub=Robert%20w/2%20Muchamore&sort=sort_alpha&ds=Robert%20Muchamore%20(author)&m=5&dc=14 | publisher = Foyles | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08] released for.World Book Day)

Henderson's Boys

Infobox Writer


imagesize = 200px
caption = Henderson's Boys Logo

The Henderson's Boys is a planned spin-off series about the early days of CHERUB when Charles Henderson founded the organisation.Fact|date=October 2007 The first book, "The Escape", is due out February 2009 according to the new Henderson's Boys page on Muchamore's website, the second, "Eagle Day" (TBC), is due in June 2009 and the third, "Secret Army" sometime in 2010. The following books' release dates are yet to be confirmed. Although eight books are planned, only three are definite.

Film

Production company Jigsaw Films have bought the rights to a film version of the CHERUB books.

Characters

CHERUB Campus

CHERUB Campus is located in the English countryside, with barbed wire and large boundaries separating it from farmland. The locals know it as a military firing ground. It is well equipped, with facilities including 4 swimming pools, 2 obstacle courses (1 for all cherubs and 1 for basic training), 6 tennis courts, an athletics track, 2 all weather football fields and a dojo. It also has a lake, a chapel, 4 Helicopter Landing Pads and a nuclear bunker. As well as the Main building, Juinor Block, Mission briefing block & the newly refurbished Library.

Each cherub has their own room, separated into two blocks with different facilities. Red Shirts, who have not yet passed basic training, often share rooms. They are also allowed to keep pets in their rooms. Light blue shirts, who are undergoing basic training, live in the Basic Training Compound, and are not allowed contact with cherubs outside of the compound. Grey, Navy and Black Shirts have their own rooms in the main building, with an en-suite bathroom, a microwave, a television, a bed, a mini-fridge and a computer.

There is an RAF airstrip behind CHERUB Campus that cover the campus for a no-fly zone. The no-fly zone rule is - you must be over 35,000 feet for 15 miles. There is also a town nearby, where cherubs are allowed to spend free time.

T-shirts

The rank of a cherub is displayed by the colour of the t-shirt worn by the child.

*The orange t-shirts are for guests on campus. Cherubs are only allowed to talk to someone in an orange t-shirt if the Chairman/woman gives them permission. Failure to comply with this rule results in the cherub in question being permanently expelled. The first mention of the orange t-shirt is when James is drugged and taken to CHERUB campus to perform his tests for admission.
*The red t-shirts are worn by cherubs who are not qualified to enter basic training. This is usually because they are too young to do so (the minimum age of entry is 10 years), or they failed to complete basic training. CHERUB accepts children from age 6 upwards, though sometimes a younger child is admitted if they have an older brother or sister.
*The blue t-shirt is the trainee shirt and is worn for the duration of the 100 day basic training program, and occasionally for a short time beforehand as James had to do when he entered CHERUB.
*The grey t-shirt is what cherubs acquire if they pass training and qualify as an agent.
*The navy t-shirt is awarded for outstanding performance on a single mission or a very high performance in two or three missions.
*The black t-shirt is awarded for outstanding performance over a number of missions. They are given entirely at the discretion of the Chairman/woman. One third of cherubs can expect to receive one before they retire. In "CHERUB: Divine Madness", Lauren Adams becomes the third youngest person in CHERUB history to have received her black t-shirt. In "The Fall" Dana and James receive black shirts for saving Ewart. Bruce receives a Black shirt in "Mad Dogs".
*The white t-shirt is worn by CHERUB staff and by retired cherubs when they return to the CHERUB campus to visit friends or attend a reunion.

Awards

""
*Red House Children's Book Award 2005 Winner - Older readers category [cite news | title = Baby book wins children's award | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4083884.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 2005-05-11 | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
*Bolton Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner [cite news | title = Robert Muchamore wins Bolton Children's Book Award | url = http://www.sla.org.uk/blg-robert-muchamore-wins-bolton-childrens.php | publisher = SLA | date = 2005-07-04 | accessdate = 2008-03-07]
*Medway Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner
*Bishop Luffa Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner
*Salford Children's Book Award 2005 – Winner [cite news | title = The 2005 Award | url = http://www.salford.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/library-sls/childrensbookaward/bookaward2005.htm | publisher = Salford.gov.uk| date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
*Doncaster Children's Book Award 2005 – Runner Up
*Sakura Medal - Winner 2007 [cite news | title = Sakura Medal 2007 Winners | url = http://www.asij.ac.jp/hslibrary/mol_library_news/sakura_medal/sakura_2007/sakura_medal_2007_winners!.htm | publisher = ASIJ | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
*Richard and Judy Best Kids' Books 2007 - Fluent 12+ category - Winner. [cite news | title = The eight best books every child should read, by Richard and Judy | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=489774&in_page_id=1773 | publisher = Daily Mail| date = 2007-09-25 | accessdate = 2008-03-08]
*Kingston Young Readers Award 2007 - Winner

""

*Portsmouth Children's Book Award - Winner 2006 and other
*Grampian Children's Book Award - Runner up 2006
*Doncaster Children's Book Award - Runner up 2006

"'

*Lancashire Children's Book of the Year - Winner 2007 [cite news | title = News : 'Divine Madness' named Lancashire's Children's Book of the Year | url = http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/news/press_releases/y/m/release.asp?id=200706&r=PR07/0321 | publisher = Lancashire.gov.uk| date = 2007-07-29 | accessdate = 2008-03-07]

Other countries

Below is a list of years when the CHERUB books were/will be released around the world. So far CHERUB has been released in twenty-two countries with twelve of those in 2007. [cite news | title = Brush up on languages for 2007! | url = http://cherubarchives.piczo.com/?g=32359691&cr=6 | publisher = cherubarchives | date = | accessdate = 2008-03-08]

2004 releases

* United Kingdom
* New Zealand
* Hong Kong
* Australia
* Canada
* New York

2005 releases

* Russia
* United States
* Germany

2007 releases

* France
* Portugal
* Belgium
* Holland
* Czech Republic
* Estonia
* Poland
* China
* Taiwan
* Denmark
* Switzerland
* Hungary [ [http://webpac.mokka.hu:8080/WebPac/CorvinaWeb?pagesize=10&view=long&sort=0&basketset=5022387%2C4949097%2C4811994&page=0&perpage=0&action=resultviewsettings&actualsearchset=LOOK+B5022387+8&actualsort=-1&language=&currentpage=result&resultview=long&recnum=&marcposition=&text0=&index0=&ccltext=&resultsize=3 MOKKA] ]

2008 releases

* Japan
* India
* China (according to the [http://cherubcampus.com/newscurrent.htm CHERUB newsletter] )
* Spain

The acronym "CHERUB"

The acronym 'CHERUB' has an unknown meaning. However, it has been promised that the acronym will be revealed in the final book. The story James is told in the first book is thus, though it is widely believed to be untrue. The founder of CHERUB, Charles Henderson, was murdered by his wife before he could reveal why he named the organization such. However, since he had already had several items monogrammed, the name was kept. It has been revealed that the first two letters stand for the initials of the founder, Charles Henderson. There is a long discussion thread on the forums speculating what the remaining letters stand for, though the author, Robert Muchamore, has not yet confirmed any suggestions. The name will be revealed in the last CHERUB book according to an interview with Robert Muchamore, although he has later said that he may "never" reveal the true meaning of CHERUB or it "may" be revealed in one of the books from the up-coming "Henderson's Boys" series.Fact|date=September 2008Though when Robert Muchamore visited New Zealand in August, 2008 he revealed that the 'C.H' in C.H.E.R.U.B stands for Charles Henderson the founder of C.H.E.R.U.B. However there is specualtion that it stands for Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit for Boys.

References

External links

* [http://www.cherubcampus.com Official site]
* [http://chiki.info CHERUB Official Wiki]
* [http://www.hendersonboys.com Official Henderson Boys Site]
* [http://muchamore.com/ Official Author Website]