Neptune's Children [Hardcover]

Bonnie Dobkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

A day at the fabled amusement park Isles of Wonder turns deadly when a world-wide biological attack kills every adult, leaving behind only the kids to fend for themselves. Isolated from the world, unsure of what lies ahead, the young survivors assemble under the statue of King Neptune, the mythical ruler of the Isles, to form a new society.  Led by the children of the park workers, they choose to remain closed off from the outside world living relatively comfortably inside the self-contained park. But when violence from the infested outside world appears to infiltrate their safe zone, one small group discovers a secret society and a hidden system of underground tunnels, and the stage is set for a war that will determine the future of everyone on the Isles.

As alliances are formed and broken, readers will find themselves taking sides in this suspenseful adventure story that addresses the duality of human nature.  

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—Terrorists design a virus to take over the world, but something goes wrong. On a vacation at the Isles of Wonder, a theme park similar to Disney World, Josh and his little sister watch as all of the adults die around them, leaving them and thousands of others under age 13 to fend for themselves. With no other choice, the youngsters start working to create their own society, barricading themselves from the outside world and its dangers. Led by the charismatic Milo, a group of the older children become the central government, the Core. Eventually, barricades will not be enough to keep danger out of their utopian world and the community will be threatened in unexpected ways. This thriller has gripping writing that makes it hard to put down. The characterizations of the older children are well done, especially the main protagonists. The details of the society that the children create are nicely crafted, as is the setting of the theme park. As the book's pacing picks up toward the end, the darkness, uncertainty, and violence are well handled. The themes of safety and danger speak to our larger society as well. Even with the large number of survival stories on the market, this is one worth adding to your collection.—Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library, WI
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About the Author

Bonnie Dobkin is the author of Dreamspinner a 2006 Book Sense Pick.  She is an language arts textbook editor and lives outside Chicago with her husband and three sons.  

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens; First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802797342
• ISBN-13: 978-0802797346
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bonnie Dobkin grew up in and around Chicago, and now lives in Arlington Heights. She was a frighteningly ordinary and hideously well-behaved child. To compensate, she often tried to escape normalcy through music, acting, and of course, writing. By day, she is editorial director for a well-known educational publisher, the mother of three semi-grown and very handsome sons, wife to a dentist who wishes he were Doc Holliday, and love object of a ninety-pound mutt of dubious heritage. Dream Spinner is her first novel. You can visit Bonnie on the web at bonniedobkin.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, April 29, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neptune's Children (Hardcover)

Nothing is more perfect than a family trip to an amusement park. Josh and his family find themselves at Isles of Wonder. They are celebrating the remission of his younger sister Maddie's cancer. When asked how she wants to celebrate, she answers how most kids would respond: "I want to go to Isles of Wonder!" Off they go.

Unbeknownst to Josh's family and the rest of the world, a plague has been created by an unknown group. The virus was released from thousands of locations simultaneously around the globe. Though the creators had inoculated themselves from the virus, the virus spontaneously mutates and annihilates all the adults in the world. The virus seems to have spared anyone under about the age of fourteen.

As the adults around the world start dropping, the children at Isles of Wonder are alone and unprepared. The single voice of King Neptune bellows through the PA system in the park. "Everyone on the islands. If you can hear me, come to the palace." Slowly, all the children band together at the center of the amusement park. Milo, the voice behind King Neptune, appears, and starts creating a new society based on survival. Many of the children in the park had parents that worked for Isles of Wonder. All the knowledge that each has is shared and a community is formed with jobs and responsibilities.

In time, some members of the community are unsatisfied. Lights have been spotted outside in the distance and it is time to venture beyond their safe haven. But Milo has other plans, and those with doubts are soon considered rebels and forced to hide.

Eventually a confrontation must occur, with one side being victorious. Unexpected alliances develop and strategies are formed. Who will be supreme in the end?

Ms. Dobkin's NEPTUNE'S CHILDREN brings to mind the classic ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell. A new society forms with all the best intentions of things being perfect. But, as we all know, there is no perfect society and humanity will take over. NEPTUNE'S CHILDREN is a fascinating look at how the best intentions soon turn bad, and those fighting for good must prevail.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Middle School Book, January 8, 2012

By 

A. Dorman (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Neptune's Children (Hardcover)

I teach middle school and needed a book to complement one of our units. This is a great replacement for "Lord of the Flies" which my students struggle with. The ones who read this book enjoyed it very much.

4.0 out of 5 stars Shadows of Animal Farm, March 26, 2010

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V. Canfield (San Antonio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Neptune's Children (Hardcover)

The actual writing of Neptune's Children is fairly well done and the story would be riveting enough if I had not already read it in the form of Animal Farm. I've taught Orwell's classic enough times in my high school English class to know a knock-off when I see it. I'm not sure if the author even realized what she was doing, but there are just too many elements that parallel Animal Farm so perfectly that it is hard to ignore. The characters are interesting enough, the storyline flows well and it has a satisfying ending. If the reader takes it for what it is, a shadow of a fabulous classic, it is well worth the read.