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Puddlejumpers (2008)

by Mark Jean(Favorite Author)

3.66 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1423107594 (ISBN13: 9781423107590)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Disney-Hyperion

review 1: Before reviewing, I must admit, fantasy books aren’t exactly my genre of choice. I would much rather prefer a realistic fiction, or something that I can relate to. However, Puddlejumpers was a fantasy book that actually kept me wanting to read more. The length of the book and size of the text was well suited for the target age range (10-14). The main character in the story, Ernie Banks, or rather, Shawn, is kidnapped as a child by puddlejumpers and then escapes and is put into an orphanage. The story details his journey back to his father and conquest of the enemies of the puddlejumpers. At first, I thought the story could be easily told without making it fantasy. The story is interesting enough to stand on it’s own. This book may be better suited to an older c... morehild because of the details and intricate plotlines in contains. The story is wrapped up well at the end, but the reader is confused along the way. These extra details definitely add to the story though and are necessary for the reader to create a mental image of the puddlejumpers world. My favorite part of the book was the character development, especially in Ernie. While he wasn’t a definitional “role model” character, he still had the reader rooting for him and taught lessons along the way. By knowing his background and reasons for his actions, the reader is able to relate to Ernie. So while Puddlejumpers didn’t magically convert me into a fantasy fanatic, I did respect the style of the book and the story behind it.
review 2: The Puddlejumpers knew they must have a hero and it would be the baby stolen from his crib, small Shawn whose mother died shortly after his birth. Their plan to raise the child and teach him what he must know to overcome their enemies, the Troggs, goes awry during a wild escape when the three-year-old is found by a trucker and taken to the Lakeside Home for Boys. The boy, now named Ernie Banks because of a basecard card found with him, is placed in foster homes but he is always returned to Lakeside because of various problems. Now thirteen-years-old, Ernie has become a juvenile delinquent and a "lifer," a child who is unable to be placed elsewhere. Then fate steps in and he is sent to a farm for several weeks to work there with the owner, his own father, Russ. When Ernie learns that Russ's son, nicknamed "the quilt baby," was stolen from his crib, he believes he can solve the mystery during his three-week stay at the farm. With newfound friend Joey, he begins to look for clues which lead him eventually to recognize his own identity. There is a great deal more to the story, however. A drought has overtaken the area and landowners are being bullied to sell their lands to Harvey Holsapple, a wealthy gent who ravages the land drilling for oil. Can one thirteen-year-old boy hold the key to the solution of so many problems? I liked this imaginative story of diminutive Puddlejumpers who live underground protecting Mother Earth. If the story is written as a reminder that water is the source of life and that the scourge of depleting the earth of its resources will lead to our downfall, it is probably too well hidden for the target readers. They will find it a rather unique fantasy of a child with a destiny and this reader found it a page-turner. less

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