The Dragon's Pearl [Hardcover]

Devin Jordan (Author), Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)

Book Description

When Niccolo Polo vanishes on an expedition to Asia and his family writes him off as dead, sixteen-year-old Marco knows that it’s up to him to rescue his father. He sets out on a dangerous journey—but it is not the adventure he bargained for. Marco comes face to face with the magical Eastern world we know from mythology and legend, complete with dragons, flying carpets, and genies. And it is here that Marco finds himself caught in a dangerous plot in the court of Kublai Khan while trying to discover the mystical secret of the fabled dragon’s pearl.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–9—Sixteen-year-old Marco Polo lives with his grandfather in their family home in Venice, waiting eagerly for his father's return from his voyage east and getting himself and his friend Amelio into trouble. In a devastating turn, Marco's uncle arrives without his father, explaining that Niccolo was captured by ferocious humanlike creatures that attacked their group. Determined to do anything he can to save him, Marco vows to join the rescue effort and bring his father home. Using an inscription from The Travels of Marco Polo as its inspiration, Jordan's novel plunges readers into a world of sorcery, unknown territory, and magical beings. Though replete with adventure and suspense, it suffers under the weight of anachronistic and chatty dialogue. While purporting to be a historical fantasy, contemporary phrases, sentiment, and colloquialisms prevent readers from getting lost in the world that Jordan creates. With so many other fantasy adventures available, it's easy to pass on this one.—Bethany Isaacson, Wheaton Regional Library, Silver Spring, MD END

About the Author

Devin Jordan grew up in Staten Island, New York, and studied English Literature at Wesleyan University and Oxford University. He is twenty-five years old and lives in Manhattan.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; 1 edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141696410X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416964100
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,954,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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