Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane
Grade 1-5–The creators of The Edge Chronicles (Random) are back with an auspicious beginning for a new series. When a mysterious flying box, complete with wings, arrives at Fergus Crane's window with a message from his long-lost Uncle Theo, the boy learns that he is in danger and that his uncle is sending help. Help is what he needs when the clipper shipBetty-Jeannethat serves as his school disappears with all of the students but Fergus still aboard. The headmaster and his staff are more than just vaguely reminiscent of pirates, and Fergus will need Uncle Theo's technology, and his own bravery, to rescue them. What make this book especially appealing are Riddell's pen-and-ink drawings that appear on almost every page; they capture the tone of the story as well as the personalities of the characters. They also add a great deal of variety to the design of the book, ranging from traditional full-page illustrations to portraits of the main characters to smaller drawings spread over the pages. The combination of witty art and compelling text make this a perfect choice for early chapter-book readers.–Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.