Islands in the Sky (Voyage of the Basset, No. 1) [Paperback]

Tanith Lee (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

London, 1877. Twelve-year-old Hope Glover climbs a tree to rescue a kite but instead finds the kite pulling her into the sky, over the ocean, and into a storm! She is rescued by a small, beautiful ship--the Basset--and drawn into a magical world where a war rages between centaurs and winged horses. It's up to Hope to find a solution which turns out to include an out-of-practice genie, a new pair of wings, and the legendary Pandora's box itself! Middle-grade boys and girls will be swept up in this first exciting adventure in the fantastic world of the Basset!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-In a fantasy reminiscent of C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew, a girl and boy are transported from Victorian England to a magical realm with talking beasts, dwarves, fairies, and Sinbad's roc and genie from The Arabian Nights. Hope, named for the Greek myth, "Pandora's Box," is charged by Pegasus with the task of saving the talking horses from slavery under the centaurs. The boy, Apollo, starts out misguided but is improved by his adventure, in which he is captured by the centaurs and participates unwittingly in their scheme to enlist the help of the legendary bird against the horses by stealing her egg. The plot's focus alternates between the two children and is dependent on the myth of "Pandora's Box," which is retold twice. While the avuncular and gently humorous narrative voice together with unusually lovely imagery make this a pleasant read, the theme of the value of imagination is somewhat forced. The ship, The Basset, displays a banner marked "By believing, one sees" and Hope receives a card that reads "Believe and see-stories equal truth" (B-a-s-s-e-t), although the title's tie-in with Charles Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle may go unperceived by many young readers. This appears to be the first of a proposed series with multiple authors based on the original story (Artisan, 1996) by James C. Christensen.
Valerie Diamond, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

London, 1877. Twelve-year-old Hope Glover climbs a tree to rescue a kite but instead finds the kite pulling her into the sky, over the ocean, and into a storm! She is rescued by a small, beautiful ship--the Basset--and drawn into a magical world where a war rages between centaurs and winged horses. It's up to Hope to find a solution which turns out to include an out-of-practice genie, a new pair of wings, and the legendary Pandora's box itself! Middle-grade boys and girls will be swept up in this first exciting adventure in the fantastic world of the Basset!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (October 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679891277
• ISBN-13: 978-0679891277
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,042,214 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 "By believing, one sees...", February 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Islands in the Sky (Voyage of the Basset, No. 1) (Paperback)

This is the central theme of Islands in the Sky; appropriately fantastical and thought-provoking. I'm quite fond of Tanith Lee's children's books, so despite misgivings about Islands in the Sky (I have not read the original Basset book), I decided to get it.

Islands in the Sky is a very entertaining, whimsical, and often wryly witty fantasy. Tanith Lee is never less than competent, and she delivers an exciting twist of the old 'snatched from the mundane world to a fantasy land' theme. For one, Tanith Lee manages to neatly skew many familiar Greek myths. She incorporates the events of the original Basset book without interrupting the flow of the story, creates lively, likable protagonists, and in general, does a fantastic job.

Islands in the Sky is recommended to all those who like fantasies from Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, to Lloyd Alexander's The Arkadians. I'm really looking forward to reading the next ones in the series (The Raven Queen by Terry Windling, and Journey to Otherwhere by Sherwood Smith).

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Long Live the Bassett, May 5, 2000

By 

Carrie Craggs - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islands in the Sky (Voyage of the Basset, No. 1) (Paperback)

First, I must admit that I am 34 years old and was thrilled to find this newest and/or continued story to James Christensen's original Voyage of the Bassett. The story goes...Darwin when out on the Voyage of the Beagle and found all earthly creatures.... The second voyage, The Voyage of the Bassett was to find all of the mythical and fantasy creatures (ie: fairies, trolls, mermaids, winged horses, etc.) I found this book at a children's book sale and was a bit skeptical since I liked the original so much. But...I was hooked after reading the first chapter. The adventures were wonderful and the imagery was beautiful. I highly recommend this book to kids and adults. Might even be good for a Parent/Child book club. Credendo Vides (By Believing, one sees)!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Voyage of the Basset Series, August 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Islands in the Sky (Voyage of the Basset, No. 1) (Paperback)

Based on the adventures of "Voyage of the Basset" by James C. Christensen, "Islands in the Sky" by Tanith Lee is the first book in this children's fantasy series created by Mr. Christensen. Other notable fantasy writers have also collaborated, including Terri Windling and Ellen Steiber (#2: "The Raven Queen"), Sherwood Smith (#3: "Journey to Otherwhere"), Will Shetterly (#4: "Thor's Hammer"), and Mary Frances Zambreno (#5: "Fire Bird"). All of these books are worth reading if you enjoy children's fantasy fiction.

In "Islands of the Sky", 10-year-old orphaned Hope Glover has grown up a scullery maid in 19th century London, until she's magically taken away by a kite caught in a tree. Unknowingly, her master's spoiled son, Apollo Rivers, also tags along. Hope soon enters the world of the Basset, a flying ship occupied by dwarves and gremlins, and befriends the kind first mate, Sebastian, as well was an inept genie she finds in the sea. In this magical world full of mythical Greek creatures, she aides in the war against the cruel centaurs who intend to enslave all the wingless horses, animals the centaurs believe are far inferior to them since they only have one quality while the centaurs have two (being part human and horse). And while Hope assists Pegasus and his fellow winged and wingless horses, Apollo soon falls to the side of the enemies and is consequently imprisoned by Klatter in Centaur City.

"Islands in the Sky" is a wonderful story. Older Tanith Lee fans will love it, as will young fantasy/adventure readers. Recommended for children age 9 - 12, but suitable for adults as well.