Dinotopia: Windchaser [Paperback]

Scott Ciencin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Dinotopia(R)

A storm at sea washes a young pickpocket, Hugh, and a surgeon's son, Raymond, overboard.  Landing on the strange island world of Dinotopia, Raymond and Hugh learn the meaning of real courage and true friendship, with the help of a reclusive Skybax named Windchaser.  

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7?Set in the 1860s, this novel is an unsuccessful sequel to James Gurney's Dinotopia (Turner, 1992). Raymond, 13, and Hugh, a young street thief, are shipwrecked on Dinotopia Island, where humans and dinosaurs live in idyllic harmony. Raymond adjusts quickly, but Hugh's hard life has not prepared him for this peaceful communal existence. His feelings of inadequacy are echoed in Windchaser, a reclusive dinosaur, and he resolves to communicate with the outcast creature. The story is episodic and choppy. Characters are introduced and disappear, sometimes within a single page, distracting attention from the main story line. Dialogue is equally inconsistent. Hugh's London street dialect comes and goes at random and Raymond often slips into unnaturally formal speech. The cliche-filled writing and intrusive philosophizing also contribute to the lack of continuity. Dinotopia lacks the logical foundation necessary for a fully realized imagined world. Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel) provides readers with more believable, better defined animal fantasy.?Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

A storm at sea washes a young pickpocket, Hugh, and a surgeon's son, Raymond, overboard.  Landing on the strange island world of Dinotopia, Raymond and Hugh learn the meaning of real courage and true friendship, with the help of a reclusive Skybax named Windchaser.  

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (May 2, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679869816
• ISBN-13: 978-0679880738
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #945,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, March 17, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dinotopia: Windchaser (Paperback)

I read this book at school and love it. It explains Dinotopia so you don't have to have read "Dinotopia a Land Apart From Time" to understand the story. If you want to read the children's series I recomend that you read this book first. I particualy like how it is about Skybaxes ( a tipe of flying dinosaur that can be rode on by humans). I have read two other books in the series and this is by far the best one. This is a must have for both people who have read other Dinotopia books or have never read a Dinotopia book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, August 3, 2001

By 

Jess (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinotopia: Windchaser (Paperback)

I'm not even into dinos, but I loved this book. It has a great plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat with the book glued in your hands. Raymond and Hugh land on Dinotopia, meet some neat characters, and then proceed to learn many valuable lessons. Hugh needs to learn to fit in, and Raymond wants desperately to help an injured dino named Windchaser. How will they accomplish these feats? Read the first Dinotopia book to find out!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to the Dinotopia line!, August 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinotopia: Windchaser (Paperback)

Like all good spinoffs, this book adds yet another layer to the Dinotopia story. I found "Windchaser" somewhat more mature in tone than several of the other series books, in that it touches on the serious subjects of death and bereavement, unfortunately found in Dinotopia as elsewhere. This added dimension made for a much richer and emotionally involving story than those books with simpler "teen has a problem and eventually solves it" plots. Of all the Dinotopia series writers I've read to date, Scott Ciencin exhibits the best combination of character and story development with uniquely creative situations. Any Dinotopia fan will of course enjoy this book, and I'd also recommend it as a 'plain good read' to anyone not yet familiar with this fascinating series.