Killmaidens Compendium of Uncommon Occurrences
Contents:
Alex, his sister Charlotte, and their governess Victoria are characters you will love. Even Oliver, a bookish boy who accidentally ends up on a plane the Drake children and their governess steal from the Compendium, is a character you love and respect. And more importantly, they are very real characters. Despite being set in a world apart from ours, but very similar to modern-day Earth, their journey is a classic adventure. The four companions trek across half the globe in their mission to find Explorer Drake.
This is an adventure book and it definitely reads like one. There were some moments when I was frustrated with grammar and punctuation. A lot of questions in the dialogue were ended with a period instead of a question mark. There were a lot of extra commas that could have been removed with careful editing. The four children travel to places that are very familiar to adults. They visit a town in Anglia called Kingston, or more commonly known as London in our world.
They travel up the only river that flows north—the Nile—and come into contact with jujubeasts wildebeests , and so on and so forth. Most middle level students might not get these references, but as an adult it was very nice to see these nods to our world and our history on this planet. While the antagonist in this story is never truly revealed he goes by the menacing name the Satrap , halfway through I was pretty certain of his real identity.
The ending leaves an opening for other installments and I, for one, hope Mr. Shapiro for sending me this book. See the original post over here at NerdSpan. Alex, his sister Charlotte, and their governess Victoria are characters you will love. Even Oliver, a bookish boy who accidentally ends up on a plane the Drake children and their governess steal from the Compendium, is a characte See the original post over here at NerdSpan.
Even Oliver, a bookish boy who accidentally ends up on a plane the Drake children and their governess steal from the Compendium, is a character you love and respect. And more importantly, they are very real characters. Despite being set in a world apart from ours, but very similar to modern-day Earth, their journey is a classic adventure. The four companions trek across half the globe in their mission to find Explorer Drake.
This is an adventure book and it definitely reads like one. There were some moments when I was frustrated with grammar and punctuation. A lot of questions in the dialogue were ended with a period instead of a question mark. There were a lot of extra commas that could have been removed with careful editing. The four children travel to places that are very familiar to adults.
They visit a town in Anglia called Kingston, or more commonly known as London in our world.
Account Options
They travel up the only river that flows north—the Nile—and come into contact with jujubeasts wildebeests , and so on and so forth. Most middle level students might not get these references, but as an adult it was very nice to see these nods to our world and our history on this planet. While the antagonist in this story is never truly revealed he goes by the menacing name the Satrap , halfway through I was pretty certain of his real identity. The ending leaves an opening for other installments and I, for one, hope Mr.
If you like classic adventure stories, like the Chronicles of Narnia by C. Lewis or the Hobbit by J. Give this as a gift to your young teenage niece or nephew, or give it to a local teacher to read to the class. This book is an uncommon YA adventure. It takes us on the most important mission any contributors to Killmaiden's Compendium have ever experienced. The very future of the whole Wide World is at stake! This world resembles the one we live in but the map in the front of the book shows different countries occupying the familiar continents.
Referring back to the map as the book is read and enjoying the discovery of the unique flora and fauna of this world add to the fun! Can a YA adventure without magic, superheroes or futuristic weapons keep the reader riveted? This book answers the question with a resounding YES. By the way, 4 out of 5 of the book's protagonists are children. There is no upper age limit to this YA adventure. I am obligated to state that I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I very much enjoyed James Shapiro's book. It really grows on you. Initially, I confess, I was skeptical.
But these gothic-type situations, as we find out soon enough, are not uncommon in this territory. It's really a big part of the Charm of this book, individual's dis I very much enjoyed James Shapiro's book. It's really a big part of the Charm of this book, individual's discoveries of self. Shapiro presents is one in which Lord Killmaiden heads a year-old organization dedicated to finding Truths and recording them in the Compendium.
There's a Prime Directive here.
Bookworms: Killmaiden's Compendium of Uncommon Occurrences () by James Shapiro - NerdSpan
The Compendium is "neutral" but as we find out as the story progresses, there are confrontational realities at odds with this neutrality. I'll sum up very generally the rest of the Plot, which details as one "rides" it, are the meat of the enjoyment of this book. So I really do not want to spoil it.
Shapiro does a fantastic job of creating scenes quickly that transport you -- geographically, culturally -- and get you into crisis mode quickly; he comes up with highly credible, high-stake advancements and allies that make you want to get back to the last page where you left off as quickly as possible. What initiates the grand journey is that the main character, Alex 12 years old , a member-in-training of the Ancient Order of Explorers, and his father Explorer Ben Drake, go to see the infamous Lord Killmaiden in Alternate-Reality England, viz-a-viz Anglia.
Shapiro has created a amped-up, dramatic world of Countries with different names but the same general geography as our current World. Ben Drake receives a secret mission. He and his son return home to say goodbye and prepare for his trip even as the house is spied on. Even though Explorer Ben Drake's mission is secret, he leaves his Son a chest of clues with an unpickable lock that will not "open" until two months later.
If Explorer Ben Drake is not home by that time, he should be ready to look into that box. What follows is an exciting extended chase all over the World. I won't tell you precise details of how the Chase happens but the talented family has to find their father and stop a mysterious enemy always one step ahead.
There's understated lessons of courageousness and tolerance as the family finds each member's unique talent and cares enough to protect those same marvelous uniquenesses of people all over the Wide World. The Compendium in this regard is a hugely inspirational symbol, and, as the ragtag team with their developing collaborative skills follow clues around the World, we see that so many cultures respond to the honor of the Compendium's mission.
Join Kobo & start eReading today
The Compendium's reality became more and more believable to me as I saw documented each Country's respect and allegiance to its purposes. Absolutely everyone is inspired by it. Well, maybe not some The enemy nipping at your heels. Shapiro is onto something. The World needs acknowledgment of the beauty and understanding of each of its uniquenesses. And this is done by glorious description and documentation. Whatever the outcome, we all need to try.
Shapiro does a fantastic job of creating scenes quickly that transport you -- geographically, culturally -- and get you into crisis mode quickly; he comes up with highly credible, high-stake advancements and allies that make you want to get back to the last page where you left off as quickly as possible. Truly a great read.. This is an adventure book and it definitely reads like one. He and his son return home to say goodbye and prepare for his trip even as the house is spied on. Many books claim "suitable for all age," but few ever hit the mark. There is no upper age limit to this YA adventure.
And there'll always be far more to be done. He is adventurous, brave and well respected among the scouts. He has a younger sister and wants to become an explorer like his father. She is Alex's little sister and wants to achieve great things like him. She is very mature for an 8 year old and is always kind and caring. She has blonde hair from the country Anglia.
- Tess of the DUrbervilles (Vintage Hardy)?
- Terra Firma Angelicus:Earth Angels.
- Shopping Cart;
- Recharge!: The Power of Praying in the Spirit?
- Mános Encounter with the Gods Amourán.
She is very serious and always wears her hair in a bun. She is also very responsible and always cares about Alex and Charlotte. In the beginning of the story, Alex's father is selected to go on a dangerous mission. This mission is confidential and only Lord Killmaiden himself knows what it entails.
Drake leaves Alex with a locked box with a set timer for two months. He has instructed Alex to open the box if he does not return. Sure enough, two months pass and the box opens. Drake had only wanted Alex to come because he is trained like an explorer and the mission is a dangerous one. Despite his wishes, Charlotte will not let Alex leave without her. Also, Victoria cannot let the children go alone, so she tags along too. Their mission takes them across the globe, and while trying to find their father, they discover multiple uncommon occurances to add to the Compendium.
They find out that their father is being held captive by a dark force called the Satrap and they need to rescue him. The Satrap sends spies after the children and wants them stopped dead or alive. While there, in exchange for leaving the temple out of the compendium, the monks tell them how t rescue their father. They make the dangerous journey to the Rising Force hideout and ensure the safety of the Compendium. The main conflict of the story is that Mr. Drake gets taken hostage by the Satrap and there is no one to rescue him or any chance he might escape.
The conflict is resolved when his son, daughter and governess cross the globe to try and rescue him. I liked this book because it was action packed and very unique. The character's personalities were well thought out and the plot was very interesting. Also, the hook was very detailed and fun to read.
On the other hand, the title is a mouthful and is too long. Alex Drake is a scout, hoping to become an explorer someday and follow the great tradition of explorers. He must follow his father on his mission, not knowing where he is going or what he is searching for, trusting his fate to his wits and the help o Alex Drake is a scout, hoping to become an explorer someday and follow the great tradition of explorers.
He must follow his father on his mission, not knowing where he is going or what he is searching for, trusting his fate to his wits and the help of those he finds along the way. I loved this book. I sincerely hope that a second book follows. I would recommend this book to tweens and teens, especially those who have enjoyed adventure books like the Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, or Fablehaven series. I was blown away by how engaging and provocative this book is.
- Rückenschmerz und Lendenwirbelsäule: Interdisziplinäres Praxisbuch - entsprechend den Nationalen Versorgungsleitlinien (German Edition)
- Immanuel Kant: Kritik der reinen Vernunft. Eine Zusammenfassung von den Vorreden bis zum Ende der Transzendentalen Ästhetik (German Edition)
- My Wildfire Dream
- Shoot em ta Hell (THE GUNS OF INFINITY Book 1)
- The Seven Last Words of Christ