Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space - Hardcover

Philip Reeve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1599900203 ISBN 13: 9781599900209

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2006

Synopsis

Click here to download and listen to an excerpt from Larklight
Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister, Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space.

When a visitor called Mr. Webster arrives unexpectedly, it is far from an innocent social call. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the farthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other-and the universe. A fantastically original Victorian tale set in an outer space world that might have come from the imaginations of Jules Verne or L. Frank Baum, but has a unique gravitational pull all its own...

An adventure as big as the universe!
Reviews
"Reeve's humor is oh-so-British and utterly entertaining...and Wyatt's full-page pen-and-inks and spot illustrations enhance the sense of delight. The climax is an absolute hoot, and leaves the door wide open for any number of sequels."-Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The glory of Empire meets Star Trek in this space fantasy-picaresque that Edgar Rice Burroughs would have loved. ...Art, the quintessential boy, narrates this rip-roaring adventure, allowing his very ladylike sister's diary to fill in the holes when they are separated, and the interplay between the two is priceless in itself. Jolly good fun, all around."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This wildly imaginative sci-fi pirate adventure has tongue-in-cheek humor and social commentary on accepting those who are different, among other things. ...Reeve's cinematic prose describes his fantastic universe while also conveying a Victorian sensibility. Whimsical, detailed black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Readers will eagerly suspend disbelief; they will be riveted by the exciting plot's twists and turns as our heroes face death-defying adventures and narrow escapes, all at a frenetic pace. As Art would declare, 'Huz

About this title

About the Authors

PHILIP REEVE worked in a bookshop and produced and directed several theatre projects before embarking on a career as an illustrator and a writer. His first novel, Mortal Engines, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children’s Book Award and won the GOLD Nestle Smarties book prize. He lives in Devon, with his wife and their son.

DAVID WYATT has illustrated books and covers for authors including Terry Pratchette, Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne-Jones, Alan Garner, and JRR Tolkien. He lives in Devon.

Reviews

Starred Review. Grade 6-10–This wildly imaginative sci-fi pirate adventure has tongue-in-cheek humor and social commentary on accepting those who are different, among other things. Art Mumby and his sister, Myrtle, proud citizens of the British Empire, which in 1851 includes extraterrestrial territories, live with their father in Larklight, a rambling house that just happens to be traveling through outer space. The arrival of elephant-sized white spiders sets in motion an adventure that takes the quibbling siblings across the universe to battle the forces of evil. The spiders, the First Ones, want the key to Larklight in order to destroy the Empire and rule again. Art and Myrtle, thinking their father dead in the spiders' webs, escape their home, only to be rescued by the notorious space pirate Jack Havock. His ship sails the lunar sea with its crew, including Ssilissa, a human-sized blue lizard, and a gigantic land crab named Nipper. Art is the narrator, but when he and his sister are separated, readers are treated to Myrtle's prim and proper diary entries. With the help of Jack and his merry band, good triumphs, the family is reunited, and Myrtle and Jack begin a romance. Reeve's cinematic prose describes his fantastic universe while also conveying a Victorian sensibility. Whimsical, detailed black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Readers will eagerly suspend disbelief; they will be riveted by the exciting plot's twists and turns as our heroes face death-defying adventures and narrow escapes, all at a frenetic pace. As Art would declare, Huzzah!–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arthur (Art) and Myrtle Mumby's space-fantasy adventure begins at Larklight, an ancient structure that orbits Earth. Attacked one day in 1851 by spiderlike creatures, they escape, only to be marooned on the moon, where they are captured by a moth and encased in jars containing voracious larvae. Freed by a band of extraterrestrial pirates led by young human Jack Havock, they fall into many wild adventures and encounter a mad scientist helping the spider creatures destroy life in the solar system. Robots, aliens, famous explorers, and hoverhogs also play a role in this rollicking heroic romp, which resonates with Victorian England's mores. Reflecting Victorian custom, chapter subheads are long and descriptive, with Wyatt's amazingly detailed illustrations furthering the effect. Both the story line and the language demonstrate Reeve's respect for his readership. Kids can look forward to more adventures, though narrator Arthur is off to "have a nice buttered muffin and a cup of tea" first. Diana Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1599900203
• ISBN 13: 9781599900209
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416