The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme (Hardback)) [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Haydon (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme (Hardback)

Long ago, in the Second Age of history, a young Nain explorer by the name of Ven Polypheme traveled much of the known and unknown world, recording his adventures. Recently discovered by archaeologists, a few fragments of his original journals are reproduced in this book. Great care has been taken to reconstruct the parts of the journal that did not survive, so that a whole story can be told...

Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme--known as Ven--is the youngest son of a long line of famous shipwrights. He dreams not of building ships, but of sailing them to far-off lands where magic thrives. Ven gets his chance when he is chosen to direct the Inspection of his family's latest ship--and sets sail on the journey of a lifetime.

Attacked by fire pirates, lost at sea and near death, Ven is rescued by a passing ship on its way to the Island of Serendair. Thankful to be alive, little does Ven know that the pirate attack--and his subsequent rescue--may not have been an accident. Shadowy figures are hunting for the famed Floating Island, the only source of the mystical Water of Life. They think Ven can lead them to this treasure, and will stop at nothing to get it--even murder.

In a narrative that alternates entries from his journals and drawings from his sketchbooks, Ven begins the famous chronicles of his exciting and exotic adventures--adventures that would later earn him renown as the author of The Book of All Human Knowledge and All the World's Magic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9–Ven Polypheme, a young Nain explorer, traveled much of the known and unknown world. Recently discovered fragments of his journal are the inspiration for this exciting and imaginative tale. Ven, a short, hobbitlike fellow, is celebrating his 50th birthday (he's approximately 13 in human years). He's the youngest of 13 children, has yet to sprout a single whisker, and can't seem to find his place in the family boatbuilding business. On its inspection cruise, their newest vessel is ambushed by pirates. In trying to set the attackers' ship on fire, Ven destroys both vessels. Saved by a mermaid, he ends up onboard the Serelinda, where he is befriended by Captain Oliver and Char, the galley assistant. Several adventures later, Ven and Char find themselves at the Crossroads Inn, which is filled with orphans, any number of fairies and ghosts, Murphy the talking cat, and Captain Oliver's wife, Mrs. Snodgrass. Mysteries abound. Mr. Whiting, the snooty owner of a nearby inn, has the youngster thrown in prison for stealing, but then shows up to rescue him. The crossroads near the inn are haunted by evil spirits, and the Living Water and Floating Island have magical powers. Haydon's fantastical universe, originally created for her adult novels, is filled with fun details, interesting characters, fast-paced adventure, snappy dialogue, and plenty of humor and heart.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Ven, the thirteenth Polypheme child, has grown up in his family's ship-building business and tried his hand in every department. On his fiftieth birthday (the equivalent of a human's twelfth), he draws the short straw and is sent out to inspect his family's new ship. When the ship is attacked by Fire Pirates, who are known for leaving no survivors, and the youth is ordered to scuttle the ship, he figures out a way to do in the pirates as well. After surviving, he is helped by a mermaid and by a kindly captain, who sends him to an inn run by his wife. It turns out that the captain's wife has peculiar rules intended to keep people safe from evil, and the inn is filled with interesting boarders--among them, a talking cat and a ghost. In her first book for young people, Haydon, a popular author of numerous fantasies for older readers, uses journal entries interspersed throughout a fast-paced narrative to help bring Ven to life. Her world building is as successful as her characters, with Helquist's occasional loose sketches providing some visual distraction and additional atmosphere. A delightful epic fantasy that will attract a readership both older and younger than the target audience. Diana Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Starscape; First Edition edition (August 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765308673
• ISBN-13: 978-0765308672
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST in a long, long while, September 13, 2006

By 

Jonathan Privvens "DiscerningReader" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

I bought two books two weeks ago--this one and another I shall not name here that came out on the same day. The latter, while highly promoted and hyped. was a piece of trash. This book was absolutely fantastic. The author is a wordsmith of the highest order, and while I have not read her other books, I will now. The dialog flows beautifully, the characters are perfectly drawn, but most importantly, the story is AMAZING. Ven Polypheme, the young Nain hero and 'author' of the lost journals, may be the best first-person hero ever in fantasy. Ven has all the best characteristics of an adventurer, endless curiosity, modesty and honesty, without any ridiculous powers or bravery beyond that of any other human being, blah blah. The world he travels through is full of magic and danger, beautifully drawn by Haydon as if she were an artist painting a masterpiece on canvas. Whether or not you like fantasy, I highly recommend this book and yes, I have actually read it. The humor in it is perfect and will appeal to kids from 1 to 92.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A soarkling, magical CLASSIC for young and old alike, March 26, 2006

By 

Joe Williams (Plano, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

I got an advance copy of this book at a recent library meeting, along with several others, and read it cover to cover on my way home on the plane. And in the cab. And once I got home, to the annoyance of my wife and kids, until it was done. This book is amazing. Finally there is a new Young Adult classic in the making that really captures the magic of storytelling. I haven't been this excited by a book since the first Harry Potter, and readers who enjoy that series will love this one.

Young Ven Polypheme is a boy itching for adventure, even though he is from a race of people that hate to travel and like to keep to themselves. He gets his wish in an unfortunate way, following a spectacular pirate attack, and finds himself in the midst of a magic-filled and threatening world of gigantic sharks, floating islands, gypsy-like Rovers with secret boxes, spice folk, mountains that act as guardians, ghost wolves and an endless amount of danger and intrigue. Haydon's world, an earlier era of the masterful creation in which her adult series THE SYMPHONY OF AGES is set, is so real that one can almost believe that archaeologists really DID find these ancient journals from a more magical time in history, as she claims.

I am especially impressed with the characters in the book. Ven is a terrific hero, plucky and curious but with many of the doubts and issues of a real-life teenager. He and the other young characters in the story are complete people, with flaws and strengths and the ability to screw up, as well as to come through heroically. The girls in this tale are especially wonderful; for all that I love Harry Potter, it suffers from a lack of interesting female characters other than Hermoine. Haydon treats us to a host of them, from a mermaid-like creature called a merrow who has a sea-dweller's odd perspective on the world, to a snotty thief, a boisterous den-leader type and a tiny, shy creature who speaks by making flowers grow. The boys are awesome as well; I'm very fond of the cook's mate, Char, who has a miserable life and really resents anyone feeling sorry for him because of it. The messages in this book are some of the healthiest I've seen in a long time, but they don't compromise the sheer fun of the story.

This is an utterly wonderful book, and I cannot wait to read the next one. With any luck, it will fill the void that the upcoming ending of the Harry Potter series will leave with a story every bit as compelling.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic in the Making, September 5, 2006

By 

Jeannie Mancini "vernefan" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Floating Island (Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme (Hardback)) (Hardcover)

This book will grab you from the very first page, and will not let you go until the last past page has been turned. It will be a classic, a legend of one of the very best Young Adult adventure stories to exist. It is profoundly good, extremely well written, and immerses you into a world of lovable characters, creative worlds, and blends action, adventure, magic and horror in a unique and creative way. With an elusive and strange Albatross, a wise-cracking mermaid with an attitude, a Jules-Verne-like mysterious island, one heck of a big ship-eating shark, fire throwing pirates, a sweet and friendly ghost, and whole host of good guys and bad, this is one exciting book! I am so eager to read the next installment of Ven's adventures and hope that this series will be at least a trilogy if not more of an ongoing saga. Two thumbs up, five stars, just wonderful!