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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
As soon as I looked over The Doldrums (by Nicholas Gannon), I knew this was a book I had to read with my (Grade Five) son, Owen. Adventure, tongue-in-cheek humour, beautiful, expressive writing and gorgeous illustrations-this book seemed to have it all.
This is the story of Archer B. Helmsley, a lonely boy, living in a grand house filled with many artifacts from his explorer grandparent’s various expeditions, including many stuffed animals, his only friends. Archer is determined to have great adventures in life, despite the fact that Archer’s mother confines him to home and school, afraid he has his grandparent’s ‘tendencies’. When two new children move into the neighbourhood, the three become fast friends. Oliver Glub, a shy, nervous boy, who most definitely does not want adventures (he only wants ‘far-death experiences’), and Adelaide L Belmont, a former ballerina from Paris, who lost her leg in a freak bread delivery truck accident.
When Archer discovers his grandparents went missing while on expedition in Antarctica (on an iceberg no less), he decides that he will go find them, and conscripts his new best friends to help. Oscar agrees out of loyalty, while Adelaide seems to share the same wanderlust as Archer. Plans are made, lists are drawn up, practice (and secrete) camp-outs occur, bags are packed, all while avoiding detection by Archer’s overbearing mother, and one particularly suspicious and nosy teacher.
Over the next few weeks, Owen and I read a couple chapters a night, though he usually wanted more, and to be honest, so did I. The Doldrums is a funny, clever, quirky, well-paced, action-packed book. Gannon doesn’t shy away from difficult topics either, such as bullying, indifferent parents, abandonment. All three children learn that one can have adventure anytime with friends. Together, the children learn to overcome heartache, loneliness and personal setbacks.
The Doldrums has the feel of the books of Roald Dhal and Trenton Lee Stewarts’s The Mysterious Benedict Society series; books filled with brave, intelligent children, overcoming difficulties to experience grand adventures. As an added bonus, the book has a fantastic website, filled with stunning illustrations, character bios, plot discussion and videos. http://www.nicholasgannon.com/
I asked my son how he would review this book. His response: ‘Read it! I am speechless, it was so good!’
This is the story of Archer B. Helmsley, a lonely boy, living in a grand house filled with many artifacts from his explorer grandparent’s various expeditions, including many stuffed animals, his only friends. Archer is determined to have great adventures in life, despite the fact that Archer’s mother confines him to home and school, afraid he has his grandparent’s ‘tendencies’. When two new children move into the neighbourhood, the three become fast friends. Oliver Glub, a shy, nervous boy, who most definitely does not want adventures (he only wants ‘far-death experiences’), and Adelaide L Belmont, a former ballerina from Paris, who lost her leg in a freak bread delivery truck accident.
When Archer discovers his grandparents went missing while on expedition in Antarctica (on an iceberg no less), he decides that he will go find them, and conscripts his new best friends to help. Oscar agrees out of loyalty, while Adelaide seems to share the same wanderlust as Archer. Plans are made, lists are drawn up, practice (and secrete) camp-outs occur, bags are packed, all while avoiding detection by Archer’s overbearing mother, and one particularly suspicious and nosy teacher.
Over the next few weeks, Owen and I read a couple chapters a night, though he usually wanted more, and to be honest, so did I. The Doldrums is a funny, clever, quirky, well-paced, action-packed book. Gannon doesn’t shy away from difficult topics either, such as bullying, indifferent parents, abandonment. All three children learn that one can have adventure anytime with friends. Together, the children learn to overcome heartache, loneliness and personal setbacks.
The Doldrums has the feel of the books of Roald Dhal and Trenton Lee Stewarts’s The Mysterious Benedict Society series; books filled with brave, intelligent children, overcoming difficulties to experience grand adventures. As an added bonus, the book has a fantastic website, filled with stunning illustrations, character bios, plot discussion and videos. http://www.nicholasgannon.com/
I asked my son how he would review this book. His response: ‘Read it! I am speechless, it was so good!’
Archer Helmsley wants adventure, but instead he is stuck in his house talking to all the stuffed animals brought back by his grandparents's adventures. He grandparents Ralph and Rachel Helmsley are explorers who disappeared two years ago on an iceberg. Archer is sure they are still alive and he enlists the help of his friends and neighbors Oliver Glub and Adélaïde Belmont to find them. Oliver claims to be "just a Glub" but his father runs the local newspaper The Doldrums Press and he is a good contrast to Archer. Adelaide has only one leg. The other may have been eaten by the crocodile who ate her mother or not. Together the three friends plan an expedition to Antarctica to find Archer's grandparents. Of course things do not go as planned.
This was an entertaining book to listen to. I liked Archer, Oliver and Adelaide and thought there relationship/friendship really worked for me. This book has a lot in common with books like A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and that type: outrageous circumstances and characters that aren't really explained. Several things didn't make sense, but I am not sure kids will care. There is basically a throw away chapter at the end that explains why Archer's mom kicked the grandparents out and why she kept him in the house, but it doesn't really make sense. The teacher Mrs. Murkely seems to just be there to throw conflict into everyone's plans. But who cares? It is a fun story with some crazy circumstances that make it a pretty entertaining read.
This was an entertaining book to listen to. I liked Archer, Oliver and Adelaide and thought there relationship/friendship really worked for me. This book has a lot in common with books like A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and that type: outrageous circumstances and characters that aren't really explained. Several things didn't make sense, but I am not sure kids will care. There is basically a throw away chapter at the end that explains why Archer's mom kicked the grandparents out and why she kept him in the house, but it doesn't really make sense. The teacher Mrs. Murkely seems to just be there to throw conflict into everyone's plans. But who cares? It is a fun story with some crazy circumstances that make it a pretty entertaining read.
This is a case of I think false advertising. I want to talk to the marketing people and say just sell the book you have-because if you sell a different book, people will be expecting that book and they won't love the charms of this one. This book is sold more as an adventure, but the title is more accurate. Its about a small boy named Archer who wants so very much to go on an adventure but he feels trapped in his (extremely interesting) home filled with relics of his grandparents' adventures. Its about that longing and building friendships and its really just about ordinary life in so many ways, and its full of just the most lovely illustrations done by the author. I read this aloud to my husband whenever we went on car trips over the last two months, and it is so wonderful to read aloud-so there's that. And I did really enjoy this lovely book and will be looking forward to the next one. Just expect a quieter book with some lovely laugh-out-loud moments and some well placed grade A shenanigans.
I found this book delightful. It's a gentle adventure with odd characters, big dreams and very little actually happening. I love the illustrations and I love the kids and the pace of the story. I'll be reading the next in the series.
Right. So. The aesthetic of this book is A+ visually. I mean, the drawings are beautiful and the whole newspaper endpapering is delightful. Some of the concepts are really exciting. Explorer grandparents?! Yes! Crazy house with adventure gear in it? Sign me up!
The main character is a charming kid and I liked his friends alright, too.
HOWEVER
what the heck kind of mother did this author have?
I mean, I try not to read into people's personal stuff when reading fiction - but this one...man alive! The main character's mom is just flat and awful in every way and pretty much everyone else's mother is too. The women in authority are universally terrible in this book. And the fathers are universally likeable but ineffectual. This is some overtly Freudian children's book writing over here. I tried to ignore it, I really did but it just kept happening.
And is there a site called Yo, Is this Ableist? (I've gone to Yo, Is This Racist? many times when I'm just not sure.) Anyway - it feels pretty ableist to me. This ballerina with a wooden leg who has somehow never learned to use it the way she wants to? I don't know. Once I didn't trust this guy with the older women, I didn't trust him with the girl either. Gutsy though she may have been.
I don't know. Buy this for a kid with a terrible mother? I guess?
The main character is a charming kid and I liked his friends alright, too.
HOWEVER
what the heck kind of mother did this author have?
I mean, I try not to read into people's personal stuff when reading fiction - but this one...man alive! The main character's mom is just flat and awful in every way and pretty much everyone else's mother is too. The women in authority are universally terrible in this book. And the fathers are universally likeable but ineffectual. This is some overtly Freudian children's book writing over here. I tried to ignore it, I really did but it just kept happening.
And is there a site called Yo, Is this Ableist? (I've gone to Yo, Is This Racist? many times when I'm just not sure.) Anyway - it feels pretty ableist to me. This ballerina with a wooden leg who has somehow never learned to use it the way she wants to? I don't know. Once I didn't trust this guy with the older women, I didn't trust him with the girl either. Gutsy though she may have been.
I don't know. Buy this for a kid with a terrible mother? I guess?
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was an amazing story. The writing was amazing, the characters were amazing, EVERYTHING was amazing.
This book will keep you captivated! It is full of adventure.
This is by far one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading!