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Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book Review
User Submitted Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book ReviewsAugust 18, 2008 Escape into this Mini-Adventure! Have you ever wondered what was going on with the Mollusks and The Lost Boys while Peter was away having adventures in Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves and Peter and the Secrets of Rundoon? Well, this easy chapter book series (billed A Neverland Book) neatly fills that gap quite nicely. This story takes place in between Starcatchers and Shadow Thieves and features Little Scallop (along with others) on a madcap mini-adventure involving mermaids, pirates, a traveling carnival seeking new attractions, the infamous Black Stache (and his gang), dolphins, and of course the irascible Mr. Grin. We begin the story with Little Scallop wishing her father had more time for her as she goes off to spend some with her mermaid friends, Surf and Agua. All three are tired of being told what they can and cannot do because of their age, and as young children often do, they break all the rules to swim out to Shark Cave, forbidden to the two young mermaids AND Little Scallop (it's certainly not in the shallows where her father has told her to stay). So off they go...and no sooner than they are on their way than a raging squall comes upon them and they become lost AND what's worse, there is a ship (deathly dangerous for mermaids). Surf is captured and now it's up to Agua and Little Scallop to get help for their captured friend and in the process of doing so, they encounter a lot more adventure and danger than they bargained for...will they rescue their friend? You'll have to read to find out! Overall, this is a cute addition to the Neverland stories, though I would wager this is most appropriate for a slightly younger age range than the longer Pan novels Barry and Ridley have written. Escape from the Carnivale comes in at 134 pages and is a nice early chapter book with large spacing and type with an entertaining and easy to follow storyline that younger fans of Peter Pan and get into easily on their own (best for ages 4-8) and it would certainly make a great read aloud story for younger readers! I give it four stars, both of my kids loved it and we all hope that there will be many more of these to come...we absolutely loved reading more about the Mollusks, the Lost Boys and The Mermaids!!! NOTE: My appologies for the double posting, I accidently ticked the no button on the over 13 question...oops! August 18, 2008 Escape into this Mini-Adventure Have you ever wondered what was going on with the Mollusks and The Lost Boys while Peter was away having adventures in Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves and Peter and the Secrets of Rundoon? Well, this easy chapter book series (billed A Neverland Book) neatly fills that gap quite nicely. This story takes place in between Starcatchers and Shadow Thieves and features Little Scallop (along with others) on a madcap mini-adventure involving mermaids, pirates, a traveling carnival seeking new attractions, the infamous Black Stache (and his gang), dolphins, and of course the irascible Mr. Grin. We begin the story with Little Scallop wishing her father had more time for her as she goes off to spend some with her mermaid friends, Surf and Agua. All three are tired of being told what they can and cannot do because of their age, and as young children often do, they break all the rules to swim out to Shark Cave, forbidden to the two young mermaids AND Little Scallop (it's certainly not in the shallows where her father has told her to stay). So off they go...and no sooner than they are on their way than a raging squall comes upon them and they become lost AND what's worse, there is a ship (deathly dangerous for mermaids). Surf is captured and now it's up to Agua and Little Scallop to get help for their captured friend and in the process of doing so, they encounter a lot more adventure and danger than they bargained for...will they rescue their friend? You'll have to read to find out! Overall, this is a cute addition to the Neverland stories, though I would wager this is most appropriate for a slightly younger age range than the longer Pan novels Barry and Ridley have written. Escape from the Carnivale comes in at 134 pages and is a nice early chapter book with large spacing and type with an entertaining and easy to follow storyline that younger fans of Peter Pan and get into easily on their own (best for ages 4-8) and it would certainly make a great read aloud story for younger readers! I give it four stars, both of my kids loved it and we all hope that there will be many more of these to come...we absolutely loved reading more about the Mollusks, the Lost Boys and The Mermaids!!! May 19, 2008 Good Short Story Involving the Minor Characters of the Original Barry/Pearson Prequel Masterpieces! Although this short story does not contain either of the two great main characters Peter and Molly from the masterpieces Peter and the Starcatchers or the sequel to that prequel Peter and the Shadow Thieves and its length is only a fifth at most of either of those two books, it's still a great read. Escape from the Carnivale allows a couple of the minor characters from the other adventures to have a bit of limelight and ultimately save the day. Teacher and the other mermaids, Fighting Prawn and the mollusk tribe, the Lost Boys and Black Moustache (now known as Hook) and other island residents do make appearances but this novel's pages belong mainly to youngest daughter of the Mollusk tribe, Little Scallop and James from the Lost Boys. The adventure begins with a bored Little Scallop, envious of her older siblings who get to go on adventures spying on Hook and the other pirates disappointed her father spends his time worried about them and not giving her attention. When mermaid friends her age decide to break the rules and swim out in the open ocean to a cave so they can get some pearls to make necklaces, Little Scallop decides to go along. It is not long before their lost and one of the mermaids (Surf) trapped in a net is hauled onboard a ship called The Carnivale and thrown in a tank with a number of other "freak" prisoner marine animals. The captain of the ship Crookshank is determined to capture more mermaids and other exotic creatures to perform in his show and sees the island as a great place to acquire new slaves. With all the Mollusk tribe up in the mountains at a Sun ceremony it is up to Little Scallop and James to come up with a plan to rescue their friend with the help of some dolphins and the other mermaids. Hook however wants the ship for himself. Escape for the Carnivale is aimed at a younger market than the Starcatcher Peter Pan prequel books but that doesn't mean it's not as good. February 9, 2008 Second of two Peter Pan sidebooks Mostly more of the same from the writers of the Peter Pan Prequel books. More fun reading but mainly for kids. August 19, 2007 Exciting Story of Neverland My daughter says Escape from the Carnivale is very exciting. She didn't want to put it down! She recommends highly! She loved getting to know the mermaids and Little Scallop. The Lost Boys are funny! She has moved on to Cave of the Dark Wind. It sounds exciting too! August 11, 2007 Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Adventure My grandchildren and I are enjoying listening to this series together. Jim Dale is the best reader. He brings all the characters to life for even a grandmother! Yolanda Edmond, Ok Please Help Fight Breast Cancer: http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm Yesterday is the past Tomorrow is the future Today is a "Gift" That is why it is called the "Present" July 18, 2007 Peter Pan: now you know the rest of the story Have you ever wondered about Peter Pan? Where he came from? Why he's ageless? Just where did he learn to fly? Well Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry have filled in the blanks. A "children's book" that this adult enjoyed! March 29, 2007 *** Buyer Beware **** If you're expecting the same caliber of book as 'Peter and the StarCatchers' or 'Peter and the Shadow Thieves' both by Dave Barry, this book is only a 2-3 hour read and not the continuation of those two books. From the cover you get the impression that it's another FULL NOVEL, but it's not. It's just a short read. The story is nice, but nothing like the EXCELLENT two books listed above. February 16, 2007 "Peter and the Starcatchers" for the younger set As a librarian I am always happy to see shorter and/or easier fantasy chapter books. So many children want to read fantasy but struggle with the enormous tomes, which can be daunting. So, this latest entry by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - at only 134 pages - was a welcome edition before I had even read page 1. And the story did not disappoint, especially not when listening to an audiobook with the acclaimed Jim Dale performing. The story involves an extended family of mollusks, headed by Giant Prawn; the youngest member of the family, Little Scallop wants to participate more in family adventures, but is restricted to the tidal pools of home. Of course, Little Scallop disobeys and swims off with two mermaids, Surf and Aqua, right into tremendous trouble with pirates and all sorts of other bad guys. Peter and the Lost Boys make an appearance to save the day and all's well. This title will appeal to boys and girls alike; in fact it's a particularly good choice for girly-girls who will enjoy the mermaid aspect. The audio book is excellent - not unexpected with Jim Dale performing; and the print book would also make a good read-aloud for 1st - 3rd graders January 27, 2007 Amazing tale for all ages! Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have done it again! With an extension of their Peter Pan series this book tells of an extraordinary adventure about a Mollusk Indian princess who goes on a curious journey with her two mermaid friends. As with the two other books in the series, Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, this book flowed well and kept the problems at the forefront of the story. In the story Little Scallop and her friends, despite the warnings of their elders, decide to travel out of the lagoon in search of pearls. When a storm approaches, trouble strikes and it's up to our heroin to save the day! The characters have to face their wrong doings and figure out how to solve their problem. Barry and Pearson also include subplots of dangerous pirates and a mysterious ship which keeps the book moving quickly and helps the reader stay interested. I enjoyed discovering new characters in Neverland and being able to get to know them. Little Scallop adds a female heroin to the series making this an excellent tale for young female readers. When informed she couldn't go on an escapade because she was a young girl, it did not stop her motivation to have an adventure of her own. The authors' use of clever imagery will transport the reader into the story and take them on a grand journey with lots of action. This is a book that I will definitely include in my classroom library and would make an excellent read aloud for intermediate grades! For more Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book reviews click here.
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