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CHERUB

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CHERUB
File:Cherublogothing.jpg
The CHERUB Organisation Logo
AuthorRobert Muchamore
Original titleCHERUB Series extra cantinamane
LanguageEnglish
SeriesCHERUB
GenreChildren's, Thriller, Spy novel
PublisherHodder and Stoughton
Publication date
30 April 2004
Publication placeUnited Kingdom

CHERUB is a series of children's books written by the author Robert Muchamore about a group of children who are trained to be agents working for the British Government in the top secret organisation known as CHERUB. It is similar to the British security service MI5, and is based on the assumption that criminals are not likely to suspect a child of spying on them. Since the books have come out they have been a huge success selling over 750,000 copies worldwide.[1] After the huge success in the United Kingdom they have been sold in the United States of America, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Portugal, France and many other countries.[1]

Series (in UK release order)

CHERUB: The Recruit

  • ISBN 0340 88153 4

James Robert Choke is recruited by CHERUB after his mother dies. After extensive physical testing and training, he is soon sent on a mission to sabotage a plot led by a group of eco-terrorists called 'Help Earth'.

CHERUB: Class A

  • ISBN 0340 88154 2

CHERUB Class A has been republished under two different names - CHERUB: The Dealer and CHERUB: The Mission

James is sent on a mission to spy on a drug dealer. To succeed he becomes friends with the drug dealers son and deals in drugs himself. When James comes close to using drugs his CHERUB career is put in jeopardy. Nicole Edison, a fellow CHERUB, got expelled on this mission because of taking cocaine.

CHERUB: Maximum Security

  • ISBN 0340 884355

James becomes an inmate of a high security prison in an attempt to bust out Curtis Oxford, but finds that his mission becomes more complicated than he thought it would be when his accomplice Dave is injured in a fight and can't carry on with the mission. He then goes on a high-speed getaway chase.

CHERUB: The Killing

  • ISBN 0340 894334

Somehow, a small time crook manages to get his hands on a fortune; MI5 needs to know how. As James goes undercover with Dave again to investigate a simple mission begins to turn more complicated. But will MI5 believe him over the police.

CHERUB: Divine Madness

  • ISBN 0340 894342

When CHERUB discovers a link between terrorist group Help Earth and a wealthy religious cult called the Survivors, the authorities need to know why. James, Dana and Lauren go undercover inside the Ark, as the three children of an ASIS (Australian Secret Intelligence Service) agent to help discover the truth behind the Survivors.

CHERUB: Man Vs. Beast

  • ISBN 0340 91169 7

James, Lauren and Kyle go undercover as animal rights protesters in order to bust a series of terrorist groups; the AFA (Animal Freedom Army) and the AFM (Animal Freedom Militia). The life of a man now rests in James, Kyle and Lauren's hands.

CHERUB: The Fall

  • ISBN 0340 91170 0

When an MI5 operation goes wrong, James needs all of his skills to get out of Russia alive. Meanwhile, his sister Lauren is on her first solo mission, trying to uncover a brutal human trafficking operation. When James returns to campus, he finds his problems are only beginning as CHERUB and MI5 are questioning his story about what happened in Russia.

CHERUB: Mad Dogs

  • ISBN 0340911719

The British underworld is controlled by gangs, and when two of them start a turf war violence explodes on to the streets. The police need information fast, and James has the contacts to infiltrate the most dangerous gang of all. This book is set in the same area of CHERUB: Class. A, and James must use his contacts in the area to stop the gang war.

CHERUB: The Sleepwalker

  • ISBN 0340 931837, [2]

The plot of the book centers around an airliner crash investigation. It's also the first book where Lauren and her friends get the leading role. James has a subplot where he's on work experience. Things go badly wrong... A plane explodes over the Atlantic and leaves 345 people dead. It is thought that it is terrorism. Then an 12 year old calls a police hotline and tells them that it is his dad's fault the plane exploded. The boy has a history of emotional problems and violence, and Lauren Adams and Jake Parker are sent in undercover to investigate. The passengers on the plane that crashed all died and the former chairman Dr Mcafferty had 3 relatives on board who died. He acts as mission controller on the ensuing CHERUB investigation.

CHERUB: Dark Sun

  • ISBN TBC, to be published World Book Day, March 2008. According to Muchamore, this is to be the most thrilling and enjoyable book of the CHERUB series so far [3]

The plot of the book centers around CHERUB agents trying to stop a criminal organisation.

CHERUB: The General

  • ISBN TBC, to be published October 2008.[4]

When a base in Nevada is stuffed with the best weapons and a motherload of terrorists, God knows what will happen. Ten CHERUB agents enter to stop the carnage. James is the leading man, with Lauren as the supporter. Is James able to resist the temptation to use his mathematical skills to his advantage in the nearby casinos of Las Vegas?

CHERUB: Book 11

Plot unconfirmed

CHERUB: Book 12

  • ISBN TBC To be published in 2010. [5] James' Last Mission (Plot unconfirmed) is thought to possibly involve the eco terrorist group Help Earth.


PLEASE NOTE: CHERUB is a fictional I.S.

Henderson Boys

The Henderson Boys is an eight book planned series about the early days of CHERUB when Charles Henderson was around.[citation needed] The first book is expected to be out in 2009.

Book Sales

The CHERUB series have sold more than 800,001 copies worldwide according to CHERUB Campus website now.

Film

Production company Jigsaw Films have bought the rights to a film version of the CHERUB books. The script is being written by Chris Smith, director of horror films Creep and Severance. The release date is thought to be released in late 2008 or early-mid 2009 according to an interview. [2].

Characters

The following are characters from CHERUB, including cherubs and staff at CHERUB Campus.

  • James Robert Anthony Adams, born James Robert Choke in 1991, Tufnell Park, London, England: The main character in the books, which so far are focused on his experiences. He suffers from anger management problems which get him into trouble regularly. He excels at mathematics and is good in other subjects, although at the start of the series he is not motivated to do the set work. At the beginning of The Recruit he is expelled from school, his mother (a shoplifter) dies and he is put in a foster home, where he is recruited to CHERUB by Kyle Blueman. During the books leading up to The Fall, James had an on/off relationship with Kerry Chang. But, in The Fall, James dumps Kerry for Dana Smith, who is still currently his girlfriend, he lost his virginity in Mad Dogs and in Sleepwalker he and Kerry kiss.
  • Lauren Zoe Adams, born Lauren Zoe Onions in 1994, Tufnell Park, London, England: James's half sister, who is forced to live with her father, Ron Onions, a violent layabout known to smuggle cigarettes, for the start of the first book. She is recruited to CHERUB later. She accompanies James on his missions in Maximum Security, Divine Madness and Man Vs. Beast. She begins going out with "Rat" in "The Fall",after he is recruited to CHERUB in Divine Madness but in Mad Dogs , they have decided to be "just friends". Lauren gets the role of main character in 'CHERUB: The Sleepwalker'. She turns vegetarian at the end of Man vs Beast after being vegan throughout the book.
  • Kyle Blueman, born 1989, United Kingdom: A key character in The Recruit as he helps to get James settled in at the care home. He's always out to make some money, but the only scheme that actually works is his pirate DVD business. In Class A, he admits to James that he is a Gay, and gets his first boyfriend in Man Vs. Beast. Kyle accompanies James on missions in Class A and Man Vs Beast. He retires from CHERUB during the book, Mad Dogs.
  • Kerry Chang, born Ling Chang in 1992: James meets Kerry shortly after joining CHERUB, shares a basic training program with her and she becomes a very good friend, sharing an on/off romance with him. They first go out in Class A before breaking up in "The Killing" after an argument. They get back together later in the novel but they break up again in" The Fall" after James cheats on her with Dana. In Class A, Kerry accompanies James, Kyle and Nicole on their mission, posing as their adoptive sister, after breaking up with James, she goes out with Bruce however she still prefers James over Bruce as shwn in CHERUB: The Sleepwalker.
  • Amy Collins, born Josephine Amy Pegg in 1987, Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England: Amy was James's swimming instructor in The Recruit , and acted as his elder sister on his first mission in The Recruit. She retired from CHERUB after taking her A-Levels and moved to Australia to live with her brother.
  • Shakeel "Shak" Dajani, born Ahamd Shakeel in 1992, Egypt: Shakeel was on basic training with James and Kerry. His father was an asylum seeker from Egypt who died as a result of a heart attack. Shak excels at team sports especially rugby. Shak is not very clever for CHERUB standards but he tries very hard to keep up.
  • Nicole Eddison, born Nikki Vandome in 1992, Tottenham, London, England: Nicole was on basic training with James and Kerry, but dropped out on her first day, after being told she was too fat. She eventually completed basic training, but was permanently excluded from CHERUB after snorting cocaine in Class A.
  • Michael Hendry, born Jordan Lindsay in 1991, Ipswich, England. He has a very close relationship with Gabrielle O'Brien in the book, Mad Dogs.
  • Andy Lagan, born Christopher Holmes in 1995, Salford, England: A boy that James beats up for laughing at him. He is later Rat's best friend.
  • David "Dave" Moss, born David Rogers in 1986, Eastry, Kent, England: Dave is James's partner in Maximum Security and in The Killing. He is known as one of the coolest guys on the CHERUB campus, having won all martial art competitions he had entered at CHERUB, as well as having an exceptional success rate on missions. In the past he impregnated another member of CHERUB. He retired from CHERUB after The Killing, he returns in The Sleepwalker.
  • Bruce Norris, born Aled Thomas in 1992, Prestatyn, Wales: James met Bruce when he had his martial arts test, and has since been on missions with him. Though he acts tough, he has a teddy bear.
  • Gabrielle O'Brien, born Gabrielle Ruthven in 1991, Jamaica: Gabrielle is Kerry Chang's best friend and was on basic training with Kerry and James. She has a very close relationship with Michael Hendry in the book, Mad Dogs.
  • Bethany Parker, born Elissa Bethany Paloma in Newcastle Under Lyme, England: Bethany is Lauren's best friend. James generally can't stand her, often to the annoyance of Lauren. Her brother is Jake Parker.
  • Jake Parker, born Jacob Paloma in 1996, Newcastle Under Lyme, England: Jake is Bethany's younger brothe, he accompanies Lauren on a mission in The Sleepwalker.
  • Greg "Rat" Rathbone, born Rathbone Regan in 1994, Northern Territory, Australia: Rat was brought up under harsh physical conditions in the Australian Outback. Rat is highly intelligent, although tests undertaken on CHERUB campus have failed to replicate the IQ of 197 that he claimed to possess while living in the Survivor's Ark. He secretly begins going out with Lauren and later on they tell everyone that they are going out in "The Fall", but in "Mad Dogs" they decide to be "just friends"
  • Connor Reilly, born Connor Farnworth in 1993, Croydon, Surrey, England: Connor is Callum Reilly's identical twin, and was on basic training with James and Kerry. He completed the training the first time, whereas Callum dropped out.
  • Callum Reilly, born Callum Farnworth in 1993, Croydon, Surrey, England: Callum is Connor Reilly's identical twin, and was on basic training with James and Kerry. He had to drop out when he broke his arm, but completed training on his second attempt.
  • Dana Smith, born Danielle McQueen in 1991, Queensland, Australia: Dana was on combat training with James. She accompanied James and Lauren on their mission in Divine Madness, posing as their sister. In The Fall, she becomes James' girlfriend, after helping him through some tricky business. Dana is still James' girlfriend throughout Mad Dogs and The Sleepwalker.
  • Kevin Sumner, born Kevin Peterson in 1997, Farnborough, England. Has a fear of heights, but he is rather rambunctious at times. His fear of heights and his anger, along with James and Bruce, help him through the pressure in The Fall.
  • Megan Sumner, born Megan Peterson in 2000: Kevin's younger sister. No one knows where she lives now, but people suspect that when she turns 10 in 2010, she will join CHERUB.
  • Dr Terence McAfferty (Mac), born Terence Henderson in 1941, Ayrshire, Scotland. Son of Charles Henderson, founder of CHERUB. Chairman of CHERUB until the end of Man vs Beast when the job is taken over by Zara Asker. Joined CHERUB in 1950 to 1959. Retired after 19 missions. He returns in The Sleepwalker after his wife, daughter-in-law and grandchildren are killed when thier plane crashes, he then accompanies Lauren Adams and Jake Parker in thier mission.
  • Meryl Spencer, born in 1968, Kenya. Athletics coach at CHERUB and James' Handler. Won a Gold Medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Was never a CHERUB agent.
  • Ewart Asker, born Ewart St Clair-Fitzsimmons in 1976, Freetown, Rhodesia. Mission Controller at CHERUB. Married to Zara Asker in 2001 and has two children, Joshua and Tiffany. CHERUB agent from 1986 (aged 10) to 1993. Earnt black shirt after 22 successful missions.His life is saved by James and Dana in the Fall.
  • Zara Asker, born Jacqueline Oxford in 1970, Telford, Shropshire. Chairman at CHERUB after the resignation of Dr. McAfferty. Married to Ewart Asker in 2001 with two children, Joshua and Tiffany. CHERUB agent from 1978 (aged 8) to 1988. Earned black shirt in 1984, becoming one of the youngest agents to do so.
  • John Jones, born 1950, Bexley, London. Has worked in police force, MI5 and accepted a job in 2004 from CHERUB as a Mission Controller. Was never a CHERUB agent.
  • Chloe Blake, born Chloe Hoffman in 1981, Dover, Kent. Joined CHERUB in 1993 after the death of her Grandmother. Earned a black shirt after 16 reasonably successful missions. Joined CHERUB as an Assistant Mission Controller in 2004 to work alongside John Jones. Promoted to Mission Controller in 2006.
  • Norman Large, born Eric Norman in 1963, Luton, Bedfordshire. Joined CHERUB in 1970 (aged 7) after both parents died in a house fire. His brother and two sisters joined CHERUB too. Retired in 1976 (aged 13) after only 8 missions due to him already being 6ft 2in and unable to pose unnoticed as a child. Finished schooling at Eton College and London School of Economics. Worked in army as Officer Cadet of the Parachute Regiment. Won bravery medal after the Gulf War. Has also worked as an S.A.S Training Officer. In 1996 he rejoined CHERUB as Physical Education Instructor. In 2000 he was promoted to head of basic training. In 2006 he was demoted to regular training officer following disciplinary action concerning his drinking whilst looking after CHERUB trainees. Large lives with his partner Gareth Brooks, an accountant. They recently adopted Hayley, in 2002.
  • George Pike, born Angus Carr in 1976 in Glasgow. Joined CHERUB in 1980 (aged 4). Passed basic training in 1986. Retired in 1993 and went on to study Military History at the University of Perth in Western Australia. In 1996 he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and served as a cargo pilot. Returned to Britain in 2002 and rejoined CHERUB as a training instructor. Has a partner and two daughters, Megan born in 1999 and Matilda born in 2003.


  • Millie Ketner, was born in 1971. she served as a CHERUB agent from 1981-1988 retiring with a black shirt and eleven missions. Her roles in the 1985 miner's strike has been described as 'one of the most oustanding performances by a CHERUB agent, ever.'

Awards

The CHERUB books have won various awards.[citation needed]

CHERUB: The Recruit

Other Awards:

  • Bolton Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner
  • Medway Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner
  • Bishop Luffa Children's Book Award 2005 - Winner
  • Salford Children's Book Award 2006 – Winner
  • Doncaster Children's Book Award 2005 – Runner Up
  • Sakura Medal - Winner 2007

CHERUB: Maximum Security

  • Portsmouth Children's Book Award - Winner 2006
  • Grampian Children's Book Award - Runner up 2006
  • Doncaster Children's Book Award - Runner up 2006

CHERUB: Divine Madness

CHERUB Campus

CHERUB Campus is located in the English countryside, with barbed wire and large boundaries separating it from farmland. 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, 2 all weather football fields and a dojo.

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 allowed no 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, and a bed and a computer.

There is an RAF airstrip behind CHERUB Campus. There is also a town nearby, where cherubs are allowed to spend free time.

Provided cherubs aren't away on missions, they spend 5 weeks of every summer in a hostel on the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Other Countries

Below is a list of years when the CHERUB books were/will be released around the world. These dates were officially given by Robert Muchamore on one of his monthly newsletters.

2004:

2005:

2007:

2008:

T-shirts

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

  • The orange t-shirt is for guests on campus. Cherubs are only allowed to talk to someone in an orange t-shirt if the Chairperson gives them permission.
  • The red t-shirts are worn by cherubs who are not qualified to enter basic training. This is usually because they are under 10 years of age, though another reason is because they were unable to complete basic training for some other reason, such as recruitment after their 10th birthday. 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.
  • The grey t-shirt is what you earn if you make it through training and qualify as an agent.
  • The navy t-shirt is awarded for outstanding performance on a single mission.
  • The black t-shirt is awarded for outstanding performance over a number of missions. They are given entirely at the discretion of the Chairperson. Most cherubs can expect to receive one before they retire. In CHERUB: Divine Madness, Lauren Adams becomes the youngest known character to have received her black t-shirt. When she was awarded it, she was told she was the third youngest cherub ever to wear one. 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 for retired cherubs when they come back to visit friends or attend a reunion. Many CHERUB staff also wear the white shirt.

The acronym "CHERUB"

The acronym 'CHERUB' has an unknown meaning. However, it has been promised[citation needed] that the acronym will be revealed in the final book. The story James is told in the first book is thus, though it's 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, hasn't yet confirmed any suggestions. There is a rumour going round that it stands for Charles Henderson's Elite Reconnaissance Unit for Boys.

References

  1. ^ a b CHERUB Campus [1]
  2. ^ www.cherubcampus.com official CHERUB web page URL accessed January 12, 2008
  3. ^ www.cherubcampus.com official CHERUB web page URL accessed October 23, 2007
  4. ^ www.cherubcampus.com official CHERUB web page URL accessed October 23, 2007
  5. ^ www.cherubcampus.com official CHERUB web page URL accessed October 23, 2007
  6. ^ BBC News, 2005, Baby book wins children's award.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CHERUB&oldid=190350253"