Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The first book in the series, Artemis Fowl, is about a 12 yr old boy genius who uses his unique talents to hatch a scheme to steal some fairy gold to add to his family's wealth. At his side is his trusty man-servant, Butler, a giant man adept at all forms of combat. The opposing side, the supernatural creatures, include fairies, dwarves, centaurs, and trolls. In particular, Holly, the only female member of the LEP squad (the equivalent to human military personnel), is trying to earn her stripes and respect of Captain Root. While performing a magic ritual, Holly is captured by Artemis and held for ransom. A battle of wits ensues between the magical creatures and the mud people (humans) for the release of Holly and ownership of the fairy gold. This modern take of fairy folklore is entertaining and fun. A must read!