Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes (Peter Nimble Adventure)

Five things about this book:
1. Charming story about a boy thief, a furry knight, and their adventures overcoming sea, desert, and unwitting adults.
2. Reminds us that disabilities like blindness don't define the person.
3. There are hints of things borrowed from other magical stories. But it's a vague feeling and doesn't diminish the imaginative storytelling of Peter Nimble.
4. There are many teachable moments in this book.
5. Would recommend. Plan to read the sequel, The Night Gardener.

I knew this book would be fantastic after the first paragraph. It is literary genius. My husband enjoyed it so much, he read passages out loud to me--which he never does. Our 9 year old has read it three times.

Absolutely "Fantastic".....for my three children (ages 7 to 11), for us as parents and for my 76 year old dad. This was a wonderful quality way to spend time together as a family. It is so entertaining and the narrator is FABULOUS!

I have been reading Peter Nimble to my grandchildren (twins age 11 and another age 7). I usually read at least a portion of a chapter in the evening; everytime I stop for the night, they in unison say "no!!". When we sit down to begin the next evening...they know exactly where we left off and summarize what we covered yesterday. Besides our grandchildren being spellbound by the story, grandma always wants to know when we are reading so she can hear the story too. We are both enjoying it as much as the children.
A great story that you won't want to put down.
Grandpa

This book is the most incredible most outstanding book I have ever read and there was never a dull moment in this book and for anyone looking at this review I recommend that you or your child should read this book.

This is a very imaginative middle grade book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, except for one really important aspect of the ending which I did not care for at all (and which I will not spoil here because it is otherwise a very fun book to read).

Point: Sometimes justice demands more than what we are able to give.

Path: This exciting tale traces the life of the blind orphan, Peter Nimble, from his first memories at sea, his training as the world’s greatest thief, his commissioning to a heroic adventure, and the challenges of a daring rescue.

Sources: A great imagination and a moral framework.

Agreement: This was a fun story, one I would like to listen to again. There was adventure, suspense, betrayal, joy, and giant sea turtles. All good part of a story.

Personal App: Self preservation is not the driving factor for a hero.

Favorite Quote: “I would rather be a dead hero than a milksop.”

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it.

Although I really enjoyed this book, a magical fantasy novel that is somewhat reminiscent of Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and a few other adult-appealing-children's-tales, I still couldn't help but feel that some of the style and vocabulary could discourage or lose the interest of younger readers of our current era. It's almost as though an adult was able to think like a kid as far as coming up with a fantastic and appealing idea for a story, but couldn't quite keep his grip on that juvenile mindset for the entirety of the writing.

That said, though, as an adult with broad tastes that include juvenile fiction, I found the book wonderful, exciting, and genuinely fun to read. Any adult who enjoyed the Harry Potter series would probably really enjoy this, as well.

This book was inspiring and exciting,unlike some books I read. It made me excited to read more. Peter nimble and his fantastic eyes is incredible. I am sad that it's over. : ( This book amazed me! I think you should write more books! :) :) :)

This book made me very emotional. I loved it! Not one thing I disliked. I recommend this book to anyone how has a hint of adventure and great taste in books! ( and everyone else too) if the author of Peter nimble is reading this, I think you should make a 2nd book in the series! I loved the first!

This book was fantastic. It is very intriguing as well as well written. It has a great story line and can control you with every word. I just zoned out and didnt care what was happening in the real world. I loved it.

This book far exceeded my expectations. It's the kind of book that has lasting appeal, and I look forward to reading it to my daughter when she gets a little older. There are definitely elements reminiscent of Chronicles of Narnia, and even Harry Potter, yet this book has a unique charm and depth all its own. You know it's a good book when you really don't want it to end!

The author's smart, quirky writing and unhinged imagination make this a fun, lively, engaging, and absorbing read. Peter Nimble's story is no sappy feel-good tale, but you won't want to miss a moment.

(Possible Spoilers. I did try to not give away too much of the plot.)

I chose to read Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathon Auxier and then review it. I wanted to choose a book that was very much removed from what I normally read. My typical book usually involves romantic comedy and is at least based on reality or what can happen in the real world. I do not think that I could have chosen a more perfect book to read.
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is a book about a blind, ten-year-old orphan who steals in order to survive. It is amazing that he has lived as long as he has because he was found in a basket in the middle of the bay, he was nursed by a cat, he lived on the streets and then a man took advantage of him and his gift for stealing. His gift for stealing ends up leading him on a grand adventure involving a talking cat, an army of ravens and a mysterious kingdom with a cruel and vicious king.
Peter Nimble himself is a round and dynamic character who is constantly learning and changing throughout the story. He begins his life as a petty thief trying to survive and he evolves into someone who becomes the hero of the story. Not only does his life change internally but he also has external changes as he goes from having no one to care for him and no one for him to trust to having friends and a family that he can depend on and trust. Another dynamic character is Sir Tode. He was a shepherd who accidentally became a knight and was cursed. Sir Tode had to face his fears and be brave in order to help Peter. One of the flat characters is King Incarnadine, who remains the antagonist and tyrant throughout most of the book.
There are a few settings in the story, including a port town where Peter spent his first decade of life. There is also Just Deserts where thieves are sent as punishment and the Island where Professor Cake explains to Peter his destiny. However, the majority of the story takes place in the Kingdom of HazelPort. This kingdom is ruled by Incarnadine and he has enslaved the children and made the adults forget that they have children. The story appears to take place in a past time like the 1800s.
The story is fast paced and a quick read. There are portions in the beginning where the author lingers on minor details but the story quickly picks up and continues that pace. The theme of the story is to not always discount someone who appears unable to do a job.
I really enjoyed the story and the mystery of Peter's true identity was my favorite part of the story. I believe that the one thing that I would have liked to know about the story was how violent parts of it were. I do have to say that the violence was told in a fictionalized and non-realistic way. I do believe that this story is appropriate for upper elementary and lower middle grade students.

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes cannot merely be called a story.

It is in fact, an EPIC ADVENTURE! From start to finish the book grabs you by the, well, "eyes" and won't let go. All at once it reminded me of some of the best adventure epics - Peter Pan, Percy Jackson, and The Princess Bride. And while those may seem lofty comparisons, the truth is that Peter, oh so nimbly, rests right alongside them. This is book practically begs to be read aloud - orphans, master thieves, sword fights, and shipwrecks. Really , what more could you ask for? Magical eyes? Messages in a bottle? Mysterious haberdasher? Yep, it has those too, all wrapped up in a charming story filled with fun and a little wordplay thrown in for good measure. It will absolutely be one of my first classroom read alouds this fall. The Newberry Committee had better be paying some serious attention to this one!

Jonathan Auxier made a visit to the school where my children attend. He talked to the kids about his own childhood and his inspirations for Peter Nimble. So, I bought the book, had him autograph it, but we didn't read it right away. In the next few weeks at school, I saw a great many kids walking around with the book, sneaking a few pages in whenever they could. The reviews from the kids were 100% positive, you could often hear; "It's the best book I EVER read." So, I finally started reading. It truly is the best book I have ever read! Then I read the book with my own kids and it was just as fantastic the second time around.

I loved Harry Potter, but in comparison, this book was even better. My reasons are this: One, I thought the premise was really creative. The concept of that distant land was very imaginative. Two, the characters were great. Peter had cool abilities, and Sir Tode was hilarious. "En garde!" Three, the book was suspenseful. At the end of each chapter there was a sentence that makes you want to read more to find out what happens next.

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes was such a great book that I could read it a billion times. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but I hope you like it as much as I did!

(reviewed by a nine-year-old boy)

My librarian recommended this book and my 8 year old pounced on it. His fingers were wrapped tight on the binding for four days while he stayed up as late as he could to read it. Then, my 11 year old grabbed it and read it in two days - loved it. So, I had to read it and LOVED it. It is not for all young readers since people and animals are regularly "dispatched" throughout the book, but wow, what a fun story and fantastic writing. Thank you for the fun!