Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits (A Patria Story) [Kindle Edition]

Daniel McInerny (Author), Theodore Schluenderfritz (Illustrator)

Book Description

When Oliver Stoop, age 11, moves with his family to a remote piece of land in northern Indiana, he soon discovers that someone is already living there - an entire kingdom of someones, in fact. These are the good citizens of Patria, a secret land founded by refugees from the Trojan War who sailed across the Atlantic in a reconfigured Trojan Horse - 3,000 years ago!

For Oliver, Patria is a land of wonders - and for the first time in his life, friendship. There's young Prince Farnsworth Vesuvius, inventor of the Magna-Pneumatic Whizzing Biscuit Blaster, and his formidable sister, Princess Rose, whose inedible, stone-hard biscuits provide the blaster's ammunition. But there's also the rest of the eccentric and lovable Patrian Royal Family, the boy warriors in the Potawatomi Indian Camp, not to mention the Viking kids from the Geat Village, newcomers to the area who only arrived 1,000 years ago.

Yet when the noble Knights of the Blue Sock threaten to drive off the Stoops by force of arms, Oliver has to decide where his loyalties lie, and whether he has the courage to undertake the quest that is both Patria's, and his family's, last, best hope of peace.

Join Oliver now as he discovers a new world of fun and excitement right in his backyard!

Product Details

• File Size: 239 KB
• Print Length: 126 pages
• Publisher: Trojan Tub Entertainment; 1 edition (March 8, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0060O7RQU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,829 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sucks you in from the moment the first biscuit is thrown! October 29, 2011

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

Meet 11 year old Oliver Stoop, who moves into a mobile home and tent 'house' waiting for his father's dream castle to be built on a vast piece of secluded green land with his parents, Mr and Mrs Stoop and Aunt Hazel in tow.

Soon after arriving, Oliver encounters a rag tag bunch of children, led by a Princess, who state that he is encroaching on the Land of Patria and must leave, or face all out war!

With his eccentric, stubborn father leading the defense, Oliver soon finds himself embroiled in a land of Trojan Horses, Knights, and shields bearing a blue sock emblem! These little touches really show the effort and thought put into this story, a theme that is consistent throughout the tale.

This story is spellbinding. I fully intend to purchase this book for the little boys and girls in my life, and I wish it had been around when I was a child, for I would have only loved it more!

One classic funny line from the book: '"Report away, by all means," said Mr Stoop. "And while you're at it, be sure to tell your king I think he's a raving lunatic, too. Nighty - night, you nutcases!"

This will delight children and adults alike. It's fresh, highly amusing, and with Oliver Stoop being such an identifiable, lovable character (and a bookworm himself to boot!) I can see this book quickly becoming a modern classic that will stay with children long after the last page. Does that make me a child? I wonder.........

This book is hot off the presses so I am aware of not dropping too many spoilers. Buy it now and lose yourself in the story.

"Review......5 stars" Rachel Dove, Kindle Book Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Read January 17, 2012

By Marilou George "Confessions Of A Reader"

Format:Kindle Edition

Oliver Stoop is 11 years old and is living in a small mobile home on a piece of property that his Dad has bought to build his dream castle. His bedroom is a small tent assembled in the living room. Oliver and his Mom, Dad and Aunt Hazel are all living together. The property they live on is extremely secluded with no neighbor's in sight.

While Oliver is test driving and mowing with his dad's new Lawn Beast X-Pro Groundskeeper 6000 mower he encounters a band of children warriors and their leader Princess Rose. They inform him that he is trespassing in the Cow Park of the Kingdom of Patria and must vacate the property. Oliver informs them that his dad bought the land and they won't be leaving. Because Oliver's dad is the president of the stapler company he works for they call it The Republic of Staples.

This encounter is the beginning of an adventure in which Oliver and his family and friends become entangled. The search begins to find the Treaty between the United States and the Kingdom of Patria to determine the rightful owner of the Cow Park.

This story is filled with unconventional characters and circumstances that reflect the imagination of the Author Daniel McInerny. The story is entertaining and mesmerizing as Oliver is introduced to the Kingdom of Patria and its citizens and tries to solve the mystery he is embroiled in.

This book is an enchanting read for middle grade children and for adults as well. The description of the Kingdom and all the characters will come alive as you go from page to page. The story will hook you immediately and take you on an amazing adventure. I recommend this book to all readers, young and old, who will let their imagination take over and enjoy the ride.

Long live the Kingdom of Patria!

Marilou George - The Kindle Book Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Imaginative Read, that kids will love. =] December 4, 2011

By The Bookshelf Review

Format:Kindle Edition

This was such an imaginative amazing book. Daniel McInerny is such an amazing middle grade writer. His style takes on a life of its own. From the very first chapter his writing hooked me into the story. I immediately had to know what was going to happen. The world of Patria was very intriguing and I think kids everywhere would love this book. It would be a great Christmas present for them especially with it only being $2.99. I can not wait to read more books from McInerny.

Patria is a magical peter pan like place that really made me want to be able to visit the land itself. Patria has a castle with royalty, Indians from a tribe, and even vikings. Every little kid dreams that there is a magical land right beyond the barriers of their own backyard. Oliver actually got to experience that. This is what really made this book so special. Oliver is such an adventurous relatable unique little boy who wasn't afraid to believe and solve the mystery. I wasn't able to solve the mystery in this book like Oliver did and I even really tried my hardest to and I couldn't get it.

There was one thing that could have been better. There could have been more back story and explanations of the other minor characters to give the story some depth but other than that I loved the story. I totally recommend this book to any kid. They will just devour this awesome read. This book also isn't just for kids. It can be read by any adult and should be enjoyed. It was such a fantastic, imaginative read. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it.

More About the Author

Daniel McInerny is author of the comic thriller, HIGH CONCEPTS: A HOLLYWOOD NIGHTMARE, as well as the founder and CEO of Trojan Tub Entertainment, a children's entertainment company featuring his humorous Kingdom of Patria stories for middle grade readers. A native of South Bend, Indiana (just downriver from Patria), he holds a PhD in philosophy and taught for many years at various universities in the United States. He now lives in Virginia with his wife Amy and three children, Lucy, Rita and Francis.