Far-Flung Adventures: Corby Flood [Hardcover]

Paul Stewart (Author), Chris Riddell (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 22, 2006 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Far-Flung Adventures

The second magical, funny, and fabulously illustrated story in the Far Flung Adventures from the authors of Fergus Crane and the Edge Chronicles.
Corby Flood and her family are about to set sail on the rather ramshackle cruise ship, the S.S. Euphonia. Her boisterous brothers might not have noticed that anything is wrong, but Corby is highly observant and has a lot of time for note-taking and eavesdropping. Onboard, among the odd passengers and eccentric crew, there is a strange group of men in bowler-hats who call themselves The Brotherhood of Clowns. There's also a melancholy wailing sound coming from the hold. It's strictly out of bounds but Corby can't help investigating. What could be inside the crate she discovers down in the hold? As the ship arrives at its destination, Corby must enlist the help of some very well mustachioed locals to uncover the contents of the crate and the dark secrets of the menacing Clowns...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The members of the large Flood family find themselves aboard a shabby cruise ship, with five of the children on their way to a new school. Eight-year-old Corby is the youngest and most resourceful of the lot, and as the S. S. Euphonia sails past the magical Dalcretian coast, she reads longingly about its wonders in Hoffendincks Guide, a Baedeker-style travel guide. Curious Corby follows the other passengers around the ship, trying to find out everything she can about them, especially the Brotherhood of Clowns, five odd men in green bowler hats who appear to be plotting something sinister. When they catch her overhearing their scheme, they chase her on motorized deck chairs, and she barely escapes. While hiding from them in a crate of canned goods, Corby is unknowingly delivered to the Greek-like fishing town of Doralakia, which she had dreamed of seeing–but not while her family sails away without her. Stewart and Riddell follow up Fergus Crane (Random, 2006) with this second tongue-in-cheek mock-historical volume in the series. Like their Edge Chronicles (Random), Corby Flood is filled with Riddells striking line drawings of peculiar characters, weird mechanical devices, and odd creatures. Fantasy fans will smile through to the end of this silly melodrama.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
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Review

"The second sparky tale in the series, again embellished by the drawings of Chris Riddell . . . an eagerly awaited sequel." --The Independent (UK)
"Extremely funny and, of course, brilliantly illustrated by Chris Riddell." --Children's Bookseller Supplement (UK)
"Corby Flood is Stewart and Riddell's best book yet. Completely satisfying as an adventure, the new book is full of amusing characterisation and is endlessly playful and inventive." --Times Educational Supplement (UK)
"Receives 5/5 star rating. Fab stuff!" - Kraze Club (UK)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: David Fickling Books (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385750900
• ISBN-13: 978-0385750905
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.9 x 7.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The second Far-Flung Adventure is like a pleasure cruise September 23, 2006

By Amanda Richards HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

If you're buying a book for a young reader in the seven to nine age group, you may want to consider this new series. Brought to you by the same people who did "The Edge Chronicles" (another excellent series, but for slightly older kids), this one has large, easy to read print, simple language and wonderful illustrations to help keep the story bubbling along. To add to the fun, the dust jacket opens up into a fold-out map based on the geographical setting of the story.

Corby Flood is the second book in the "Far-Flung Adventures" series, the first being Fergus Crane, also available from Amazon. The third one "Hugo Pepper" will be available in February 2007.

Corby Flood is an eight year old girl. She and her large family are aboard a shabby cruise ship heading along the Coast of Dalcretia on their way to a new school. Armed with her trusty travel advisory "Hoffendinck's Guide", Corby learns about all the exotic ports along the coast while keeping an eye on the other passengers. There are the sinister Brotherhood of the Clowns, the unintelligible Hattenswillers, the mysterious man from Cabin 2 and the smarmy, slimy Lieutenant Letchworth Smith, and then there's the creature in the crate.

Imaginative and action-packed, this one is highly recommended.

Amanda Richards, September 23, 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic illustrations and great invention September 5, 2011

By Ian R. Bruce

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Best for the 8+ age range that can master the sometimes complex plot and appreciate the sly humor. Wonderful illustrations from Chris Riddell.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book particularly enticing for reluctant readers June 21, 2010

By D. Williams

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Far Flung Adventures are a wonderful mix of adventure and contraptions! The subtle links between the 3 books in the series are thrilling for the kids to find. My son and I began reading these books when he was 5 and still pick one up for some great entertainment. The detailed drawings throughout the book (did I mention a great pull out map?) entice the reluctant reader to continue-and they are rewarded with wonderfully imaginative tales! We only wish the authors would continue adding books to this series as they are exciting but less "dark" than many popular series today.