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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I read a review of this book that said it wasn't worth reading because nothing really happens. Au contraire! Within the pages of The Doldrums, a boy discovers his quest for adventure, a girl finds acceptance of bum luck, and a timid "just a Glub" finds a courageous and colorful glimmer inside him that he didn't realize he had. And throughout it all, there's a testament to friendship.
Archer has been kept mostly confined to his house, to be kept safe from adventuring temptations, following the disappearance of his grandparents on an iceberg in Antarctica. This hasn't kept him from wondering about their fate and wanting to seek them out. He starts a friendship with his next door neighbors Oliver and Adelaide, and recruits them to help him rescue his grandparents.
I found this be a fun read-aloud to my boys, often humorous and with a breezy tone that was easy to keep animated and energetic despite most of the plot taking place at home. They were 12, 10, and 8 when I read this to them and each enjoyed it and wanted the sequel to follow immediately.
Archer has been kept mostly confined to his house, to be kept safe from adventuring temptations, following the disappearance of his grandparents on an iceberg in Antarctica. This hasn't kept him from wondering about their fate and wanting to seek them out. He starts a friendship with his next door neighbors Oliver and Adelaide, and recruits them to help him rescue his grandparents.
I found this be a fun read-aloud to my boys, often humorous and with a breezy tone that was easy to keep animated and energetic despite most of the plot taking place at home. They were 12, 10, and 8 when I read this to them and each enjoyed it and wanted the sequel to follow immediately.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Thank you, Greenwillow Books and HarperCollins, for providing this book at BEA for review!
Loved this! Full review to come!
Loved this! Full review to come!
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this book. Poor Archer's mom is determined that he will be a practical person and not a dreamer exploring strange places like his father's parents. Archer doesn't remember his grandparents and his mother is determined that he won't. His father is a lawyer who didn't want to be an explorer but he does sympathize with Archer. Fortunately Archer finds a friend in his next door neighbor. Their houses are so close together they can climb up the balconies from their rooms to the roof and jump across to visit each other since Archer's mom won't let him leave the house except for school. But Archer is also determined he will be an explorer and find his grandparents who are lost on an iceberg. Things really get going when Adelaide moves into the house behind Archer's.
Um so this book is magical and fun and totally reminds me of being a kid (which I guess is a good thing cause it's middle grade lol).
I loved pretty much everything about this book (if you can't see from my rating lol). The characters were fun (though I would like to say that there didn't need to be so many mean adults), the world was whimsical, and this book was so full of adventure.
To be fair, not a whole lot actually happened plot-wise (aka it was a little slow), but it kept me engaged throughout. Except for those action-packed chapters like the polar bear incident and other amusing happenings.
It was just so fun. I don't think I've had this much fun reading a book in a while.
I loved pretty much everything about this book (if you can't see from my rating lol). The characters were fun (though I would like to say that there didn't need to be so many mean adults), the world was whimsical, and this book was so full of adventure.
To be fair, not a whole lot actually happened plot-wise (aka it was a little slow), but it kept me engaged throughout. Except for those action-packed chapters like the polar bear incident and other amusing happenings.
It was just so fun. I don't think I've had this much fun reading a book in a while.
This book was pretty charming, if a little slow-paced. The illustrations are gorgeous and add to the ambiance of the characters and settings. It's obviously meant to be the first in a series, as most of the book is spent establishing the characters and their relationships, all building up to an adventurous fiasco at the end and leaving room for much, much more. I'm curious to find out more about Archer's mysterious grandparents and hope this trio of friends gets to go on greater adventures in further installments.
It was a bold move naming a book this dull The Doldrums.
I feel a little bad saying that this is just not a very good book because I’m not exactly the target audience, but bad books transcend age brackets. There is much better children’s literature out there.
I feel a little bad saying that this is just not a very good book because I’m not exactly the target audience, but bad books transcend age brackets. There is much better children’s literature out there.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
so cute!! the golden trio-fication of these three <333
lighthearted