#99. Kensuke's Kingdom

Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo


Pages: 164
Finished: Oct. 20, 2007
Reason for Reading: I've wanted to try one of Morpurgo's books for a while.
First Published: 1999
Genre: children, fiction
Awards: Red House Children's Book Award
Rating: 5/5


First Sentence:

I disappeared on the night before my twelfth birthday.


Comments: Michael's parents have decided to travel around the world by boat. Everything was going wonderfully until one fateful night when Michael is swept overboard. He ends up on a deserted island in the south pacific only to find that among the monkeys and orangutans there is another inhabitant, a Japanese man shipwrecked during WWII.

This is a wonderful book. The voice is that of a fictional memoir and the writing is vivid. Morpurgo has a way of drawing you in to experience the sights, the sounds, the smells. A beautiful, touching story with an unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

I will certainly be reading another by this author and if it is anywhere near as good as this one, I will have found another favourite author.

Comments

  1. What an interesting idea...
    I'm always looking for good books for my sons and my students to read. I'll see if the school library has this one.
    Just discovered your blog. I think the ideaof beginning reviews with the first sentence is a great idea. Do you mind if I follow suit?

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  2. Sure, frogdancer. Feel free, I'm sure I probably saw it done somewhere first too. I love looking back over the first sentences, it always brings the story back to my mind.

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  3. I love Kensuke's Kingdom and it's the best book I have ever read!

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