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Original Essays | February 8, 2012

Kent Hartman: IMG A Raider by Any Other Name

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This title in other editions

Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space

by Philip Reeve and David Wyatt

Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space Cover

ISBN13: 9781599900209
ISBN10: 1599900203
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: None
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $6.50!

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space. When a visitor called Mr. Webster arrives for a visit, it is far from an innocent social call. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the furthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other — and the universe. A fantastically original Victorian tale set in an outer space world that might have come from the imaginations of Jules Verne or L. Frank Baum, but has a unique gravitational pull all its own.

Review:

"Reeve (the Hungry City Chronicles) evidently has a fascination with giant, mobile structures, but here he turns his considerable talent to a whimsical story of Victorian houses floating in space, a Jules Verne — like concoction filtered through the sensibilities of Douglas Adams. Art and Myrtle live with their scientist father in a 'shapeless, ramshackle, drafty, lonely sort of house' called Larklight. After fleeing an attack from space spiders, the siblings, adrift on a lifeboat, find themselves on the moon, then aboard the ship of legendary pirate Jack Havock. Readers travel a lot of very strange ground, from the Changeling Trees of Venus and their poisonous pollen, to the offices of the Royal Xenological Institute. Art and Jack discover that the spiders were in fact man's precursors in this universe, and the mad Dr. Ptarmigan is working to help the arachnids reclaim it. Larklight itself is a key piece of the puzzle, as is Art's mother, who was presumed dead and who turns out to be alive and much, much older than anyone suspected ('I was a Dinosaur for a while — so invigorating!'). Reeve's humor is oh-so-British and utterly entertaining (the moon is 'actually a bit of a dump'; Uranus has been renamed Georgium Sidum because 'it provides less opportunity for cheap jokes'), and Wyatt's full-page pen-and-inks and spot illustrations enhance the sense of delight. The climax is an absolute hoot, and leaves the door wide open for any number of sequels. Ages 10-up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Jolly good fun, all around." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"The characters grow up a lot, and the plot twists and turns tightly, with a few subtly foreshadowed surprises and plenty of adventure. This fun read will appeal mostly to fans of the steampunk genre." VOYA

Review:

"Whimsical, detailed black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Readers will eagerly suspend disbelief; they will be riveted by the exciting plot's twists and turns as our heroes face death-defying adventures and narrow escapes, all at a frenetic pace." School Library Journal

Synopsis:

Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister, Myrtle, live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space. Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister, Myrtle, live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space.
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About the Author

Philip Reeve worked in a bookshop and produced and directed several theater projects before embarking on a career as an illustrator and a writer. His first novel, Mortal Engines, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book Award and won the GOLD Nestle Smarties book prize. He lives in Devon, England, with his wife and their son.

David Wyatt has illustrated books and covers for authors including Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne-Jones, Alan Garner, and J. R. R. Tolkien. He lives in Devon, England.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Darlene Sackett, September 20, 2011 (view all comments by Darlene Sackett)
This is a great story! Written for a younger crowd, I thought my husband was crazy when he told me I should read it. Eventually I picked it up out of desperation for something new to read in our collection and was pleasantly surprised. It was a quick read which is always great when you get so caught up in the story you can't put it down.
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crowyhead, May 24, 2007 (view all comments by crowyhead)
This marvelously steampunk-ish YA novel is set during an alternate Victorian era in which many of the Victorian conceptions of outer space are correct: Venus is a jungle planet, Mars is populated with an ancient and fallen civilization, etc. People travel by means of aether-ships, which run on alchemical engines, and steam-powered automata act as household servants.

The endpapers of the book on their own are well worth checking out -- they're filled with advertisements for "Pure Icthyomorph Liver Oil: Most Invigorating," "Aether-Vestas: Bringing Light to the Darkest Reaches of the Galaxy," and "Rossetti's Goblin Fair 'Come Buy, Comr Buy!' 42 Stalls: Fruit, Berries, Treen, Owl Wheedling, Country Crafts, Exotic Conserves, Bog Pettling, Scalding and Rummaging."

The story itself is a ripcracking adventure yarn with its tongue firmly in cheek. I think kids will like this book, but adults will probably find it even more amusing, because of all the sly references to other works of literature and to history and Victorian culture.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781599900209
Author:
Philip Reeve and David Wyatt
Publisher:
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Manufactured:
Bloomsbury Publishing
Illustrator:
Wyatt, David
Author:
Reeve, Philip
Author:
Wyatt, David
Author:
Yancey, Rick
Subject:
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General
Subject:
Humorous Stories
Subject:
Science fiction
Subject:
Family - Siblings
Subject:
Action & Adventure - General
Subject:
Fantasy & Magic
Subject:
Brothers and sisters
Subject:
General
Subject:
Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy
Copyright:
2006
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Publication Date:
20061031
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 5
Language:
English
Illustrations:
bandw illustrations throughout
Pages:
250
Dimensions:
7.13 x 5.50 in
Age Level:
10-13
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Related Aisles

Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$6.50 In Stock
Product details 250 pages Bloomsbury Publishing PLC - English 9781599900209 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Reeve (the Hungry City Chronicles) evidently has a fascination with giant, mobile structures, but here he turns his considerable talent to a whimsical story of Victorian houses floating in space, a Jules Verne — like concoction filtered through the sensibilities of Douglas Adams. Art and Myrtle live with their scientist father in a 'shapeless, ramshackle, drafty, lonely sort of house' called Larklight. After fleeing an attack from space spiders, the siblings, adrift on a lifeboat, find themselves on the moon, then aboard the ship of legendary pirate Jack Havock. Readers travel a lot of very strange ground, from the Changeling Trees of Venus and their poisonous pollen, to the offices of the Royal Xenological Institute. Art and Jack discover that the spiders were in fact man's precursors in this universe, and the mad Dr. Ptarmigan is working to help the arachnids reclaim it. Larklight itself is a key piece of the puzzle, as is Art's mother, who was presumed dead and who turns out to be alive and much, much older than anyone suspected ('I was a Dinosaur for a while — so invigorating!'). Reeve's humor is oh-so-British and utterly entertaining (the moon is 'actually a bit of a dump'; Uranus has been renamed Georgium Sidum because 'it provides less opportunity for cheap jokes'), and Wyatt's full-page pen-and-inks and spot illustrations enhance the sense of delight. The climax is an absolute hoot, and leaves the door wide open for any number of sequels. Ages 10-up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Jolly good fun, all around."
"Review" by , "The characters grow up a lot, and the plot twists and turns tightly, with a few subtly foreshadowed surprises and plenty of adventure. This fun read will appeal mostly to fans of the steampunk genre."
"Review" by , "Whimsical, detailed black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Readers will eagerly suspend disbelief; they will be riveted by the exciting plot's twists and turns as our heroes face death-defying adventures and narrow escapes, all at a frenetic pace."
"Synopsis" by , Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister, Myrtle, live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space. Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister, Myrtle, live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space.
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