The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning)

The Emerald Atlas has that whole time travel, things disappear, future changes. I didn't have that, "ohmygosh,thatwassooogood" feeling when I got to the end. Still, suspensful & some likable characters. If you liked The Golden Compass, you will probably love this. Hope this was helpful & happy reading.

I really enjoyed this book at the beginning and it was well written, but the story was a bit dark and scary for kids. I wasn't scared but it was still just dark and depressing. I wish it would have been better and a little less dark because it was a good book besides that. I wouldn't recommend it for younger kids(12-) because of that. :(

I got pulled in by marketing description on this one: a new Narnia, rival to His Dark Materials. But this book is much darker than either. Picture abandoning your three kids when the oldest is 4. Imagine telling them you will come back when you know from the day you let them go that isn't going to happen. Imagine your kids clinging to that thought as they go from one bad orphanage to another, each worse than the last but they won't let themselves get adopted because... YOU told them you were coming back. Now imagine a book where the bad guys really are really evil. Not like distant and never described Sauron in the Lord of the Rings. Not like the caricatured White Witch in Narnia - no, a real psychopath/sociopath, a beautiful witch that dangles children over the edge of a cliff and threatens to drop if the parents don't find the thing she wants. And does worse.

I am not a person who thinks books she doesn't like are 'not for everyone' but I DO think I would think twice about giving this book, first in a series, to a child. Really. I remember John Lennon once commenting that the things we put into the hands of kids influences the future we create together. "Do we really want our great, great grandkids fighting battles between the stars one day?" he asked.

"Do we really want to expose kids to the reality of psychopaths/sociopaths, parental abandonment at an early age?" I ask. There is no relieving lightness or humor in this book. I just am not sure creating this kind of "evil" and calling it a "good read" is a great idea.

Three siblings - Kate, Emma, and Michael - are tossed from orphanage to orphanage for ten years while knowing that their parents are still alive out there somewhere. They eventually end up in the 'orphanage' of Dr. Pym where they are mysteriously the only three children there. They soon come across a book that sends them back in time to an age where magic and monsters exist.

The main characters are the siblings and I love how the author portrayed them. Kate, the oldest, looks after the younger two and plays the role of mother. Michael, the brother, is extremely curious and knowledgeable and has an intelligent answer or suggestion for everything. Emma, the younger sister, is the toughest, having not known her parents, and is prone to sarcasm and rolling her eyes at anything her brother says. The way these children act towards each other is perfect. One moment they might be arguing over who is right and who is wrong, and the next they are defending and protecting one another. As someone who had many siblings of my own, I think the author pulled them off splendidly.

Reader thoughts:
Fun. The characters were a tad annoying at times (oh, you really expect the bad guy to tell the truth? Do you have to pick a fight right NOW?), but each different and interesting. I think my favorite was Abraham.

The magic was not well-defined, though it had limits. A few things felt forced (the future you told me this happened, so I made it happen) and that sort. The wizard seemed too powerful, and yet conveniently out-of-the-picture whenever one of the children had to accomplish something without him (he spent time imprisoned, unconscious, bound, and just plain absent).

The children weren't very sympathetic (except that they've lived in horrible orphanages), but I hope that'll change in the future. (EDIT: it didn't. I didn't care about them in the next book.)

Writer thoughts:
I liked it well enough to try the next book 3 years later, but I had pretty much forgotten everything from book 1 (time travel, three orphans, some magic, and a lake). Some books I read 10 years ago and can remember specific details from. Some books I read a week ago and can't even tell you any of the characters' names.

What makes a book memorable? Sympathetic characters helps, and a unique plot helps, too. Clever thinking and dialogue and descriptions with all senses helps, too.

Mostly, though, you have to get the reader to feel. The reader will remember the events better if they have strong emotions. This book didn't play on my emotions, not sympathy, not respect for cleverness, not excitement of danger, not satisfaction in resonance between stories.

Time travel is something I have always been very picky about. Sometimes it’s done right, others times the concept of how it works is missed. This book totally got it. I thought The Emerald Atlas was just the right level of complexity to logically work and yet still feel magical. I was impressed at the way the author narrated how characters and objects existed in different spaces and times. The plot twists and turns and weaves into a marvelously surprising story. I found this book to be suspenseful and well written. Plot movement is high octane. And since I love books, I love the concept of ancient books containing powerful wisdom from the beginning of time. Right from the first pages, there is an ominous and mysterious feel as the siblings are whisked away from their parents in the dark of night. This sets the tone for the rest of the book.

There is nothing predictable in this storyline! I couldn’t wait to get to the next page to find out where the author was taking me next. Stephens manages to keep that delicate balance between seriousness and silliness. Some frightening things happen, but the way the kids overcome these obstacles is by trust and working together. That’s a lesson they need to learn (sometimes the hard way) throughout the storyline. The characters make mistakes, which at times negatively affects the outcomes they are hoping for. But they learn.

The setting is a “land out of time” of sorts named Cambridge Falls. It’s where people live outside of the normal world, and where magic still exists. There are witches, dwarves, “orc-like” monsters (aka, Screechers), and people-eating wolves. There are also disappearing doors, underground cities, mountain mazes, secret vaults, and wizards. The book has heartbreak, triumphs, and exciting battles.

Some critics compare this book to Harry Potter because of the magic. I felt this book was more closely related to the feel and the fun of Lemony Snicket’s “unfortunate” series, however, a bit darker and more violent. The siblings were funny, unique, and well fleshed out. They continue to carry grief of being taken from their parents and have always believed that their parents would return for them. This belief colors all their decisions, which at times created unexpected revelations. All three struggle with their personal weaknesses and fears. This leads to lots character building and development, which was fantastic. I look forward to seeing these characters grow more in the following books. This journey reminds the reader to keep hoping, even when things are their darkest, and illustrates the lengths people will go in order to reunite their family. It’s a heart-pounding journey where you feel like a part of the action. You’ll love each character the moment you meet them (except for the witch, of course, and that’s okay), dwarves especially!

Despite the fact that there will be two more books, there wasn't an evil cliffhanger at the end. This allowed me to enjoy this book while eagerly anticipating the next installment. A very satisfying read leaving you with excitement at what’s to come. I highly recommend!

Time-travel, magic, orphans, witches, and more, characterize John Stephens’ Emerald Atlas, first in his Book of Beginnings series. Three maybe-orphans struggle to solve the shifting mystery of their past, aided by characters whose loyalties prove hard to guess, and hindered by evil mistresses of dark orphanages, and even more evil witches. A wounded world carries echoes of Narnia’s winter; mysterious clues might remind you of the Mysterious Benedict Society; there are hints of Lemony Snicket in the orphans’ repeated misfortunes; and exciting battles might bring Lord of the Rings to mind. But the whole is put together with a nicely new, intriguing plot. The characters are fun. Big sister’s seriousness is nicely balanced by her studious brother and brave youngest sibling. The recent past is a mystery slowly revealing its secrets. And the more distant past is an alluringly charming place with zany dwarves, mysterious wizard, and tortuous tricks of time.

The Emerald Atlas is a fast, exciting read, with nicely balanced shades of dark and light. Scary scenes are lightened by zany humor. Evil characters meet humorous counterparts. And the blend of magic and time-travel is given a pleasing logic all its own that truly holds together, making this a series I’m eager to follow further. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: My husband continues to have impeccable taste when it comes to choosing books for me to read on planes!

Kate, Michael and Emma are driven from their home on Christmas Eve. Kate's only four and she promised her Mother that she would look after the other kids, and she does her best. Over the next ten years the kids bounce from one foster home to another. While they don't know it, they are being protected by a horrible evil force. The kids end up in a mysteriously creepy mansion in the mountains, once there they stumble on a door that magically appears and on the other side of the door they find an enchanted emerald colored leather atlas. Now, they are out to fulfill and ancient prophesy and if they can, they will save not only their own lives, but also change the world.

I liked The Emerald Atlas, I thought the plot was well developed and the main characters, as well as the supporting cast, especially The Countess and Gabriel, were well defined and totally interesting to discover and get to "know." Author John Stephens did an amazing job in creating an alternate existence for the kids to live in. His plotting was tight and the book easily kept this adult's interest. However, the book is called The Emerald ATLAS and I was sadly disappointed that there was no map or atlas in the book for the reader to reference. This is a young-adult-reader level book, and I know kids want to "see" that fantasy world. Shoot, I wanted to see a map, I think a map or an atlas would have been a great addition to the story. Especially when you consider that this is the first in a series of three books, The Books of the Beginning.

I did get a small nagging feeling that I'd read something similar before in Tolkien, Rowling and Lewis. Don't get me wrong that's not a bad thing, I liked them all, but had a bit of a "been there, done that" feeling. That bit aside, I do look forward to reading the next book in the series and I do recommend The Emerald Atlas.

Kate, Michael, and Emma have a very odd surname - P. That's not all that is odd with them. They are sure that their parents are alive yet they have spent most of their lives in a number of orphanages all over the country. Kate, who was four years old when their parents left them, vaguely remembers their parents. The ginger hair of her father and her mother's insistence that she takes care of her siblings are the only things that she remembers from that night when they were handed over to the first orphanage. Michael was two and Emma was one. Kate's memories and Michael's Book about dwarves is all they have. When the warden of their latest orphanage sends them off to an elusive place called Cambridge Falls, they expect to find yet another scrummy orphanage. Little do they know that what await them there are Dr.Pym and great adventures that will test them is the most dangerous ways.

Kate, Michael and Emma are really young but each of their personalities is well defined. I guess having to grow up in a number of orphanages has forced them to grow up early, but they haven't lost the innocence completely. I love the way the way they hold out on the hope of being re-united with their parents even though circumstances may reflect differently. Kate being the oldest feels responsible for her siblings and as such her nature is that of a responsible caregiver first. Michael, who has very little memory of his parents, is enamored by the lives of dwarves because his only connection to his father is the book about dwarves. Emma has no memory of her parents and only knows her siblings. So the love of Kate and Michael and their opinions matter the most to her. Like all siblings, they fight and irritate each other to death, but when it matters the most, they stick up for each other.

The adventure that follows has loads of ups and downs and surprises for the siblings. But they persevere through it all. Interesting part of it all is the fact that the author has managed to keep his protagonists true to their age. Not one situation in the book made me think - `how could a kid manage this?' Of course they had help when they needed the most and the side characters all fit in perfectly in the story.

The thing is that I am still suffering from Harry Potter hangover and couldn't help but compare this book to the series. Dr.Pym reminded me of Dumbledore - a powerful wizard who liked his secrets. Gabriel, reminded me of the caring giant Hagrid - of course anybody would probably seem like a giant beside the young Emma. But I know it isn't fair to this book which actually has the capacity to hold its own torch. A brand new fantasy world where there are `normal human', witches and wizards and dwarves dwelling. There is an antagonist - the Dire Magnus, who can hold his own.

the store boldly asserts this is "The first thrilling book in the most exciting children's fantasy series since Harry Potter."

Well it is not that. Harry Potter was largely spurned until kids voted with their feet and made the publishing world sit up and take notice. Books that claim to be the new Potter, Tolkien or whatever invariably fall short, because those words are written by someone who cares more about sales than stories.

Ten years after being taken from their families and made "orphans", Kate, Harry ..err I mean Michael and Emma have lived a life of misery. They are brought to Cambridge Falls where one of them spies Hogwarts Castle... er I mean ahouse no one else can see

Some exploration leads to a magical mishap and they hurl hadlong (or is that footlong) back into the past and a terrifying and amazing adventure battling dementors - or something that seem like dementors at least and fighting (in vain) to uncover the mystery behind their being the chosen ones.

Take a little bit of CS Lewis, a dash of J K Rowling and a good mixture of every other fantasy book you can bring to mind, mix it all together and then slow the story down a bit and you have this story. It has some promise, but I did not feel it delivered and it took me a long time to finish it.

That being said, the fact I was bored by this book (for being less than original and rather slow) might indicate my 10 year old daughter would like it. If you have not read all the other fantasy fiction around, the unoriginality of the story won't hurt you.

But then again, my daughter will not want to read this because she dislikes books with bad language in them, and so the unnecessary scene with the swearing in it will prevent me suggesting she reads this until she is old enough not to mind about that - by which point she will be too old to enjoy it I suspect.

For younger readers who do not mind reading bad language, this book may well be just right. For everyone else, there are much better fantasy stories around.

The Emerald Atlas has been sitting on my shelf for years and years. I got it as a gift... I think? But never got around to picking it up.

Now I know why.

This story was nothing but a poorly written snozefest. There was a good idea behind it but the execution was shoddy. The descriptions were just really lacking. I cannot honestly not tell you want two of our protagonists, Kate or Emma, looks like. Michael has glasses. That's all I picked up on him. I needed more information about them.

And the plot was dull, repetitive and kind of random - nothing seemed to be develop consistently. New things would pop up out of the blue that just didn't match with the rest of the book. I also found the time travel stuff a little confusing. Not a great read overall.

The more I think about it, it was literally just a blend of House of Secrets and Endymion Spring - both of which I'd easily recommend over this.

Three siblings - Kate, Emma, and Michael - are tossed from orphanage to orphanage for ten years while knowing that their parents are still alive out there somewhere. They eventually end up in the 'orphanage' of Dr. Pym where they are mysteriously the only three children there. They soon come across a book that sends them back in time to an age where magic and monsters exist.

The main characters are the siblings and I love how the author portrayed them. Kate, the oldest, looks after the younger two and plays the role of mother. Michael, the brother, is extremely curious and knowledgeable and has an intelligent answer or suggestion for everything. Emma, the younger sister, is the toughest, having not known her parents, and is prone to sarcasm and rolling her eyes at anything her brother says. The way these children act towards each other is perfect. One moment they might be arguing over who is right and who is wrong, and the next they are defending and protecting one another. As someone who had many siblings of my own, I think the author pulled them off splendidly.

Take everything that you loved about Harry Potter, Narnia and Middle Earth, mix it all together, and The Emerald Atlas will satisfy the dreams of your inner wide-eyed 10-year-old. A wise wizard? Yes. (Okay he does come across a little bumbling at times, and wears tweed, but he's a wizard nonetheless.) An evil countess who's really a witch? Yes. Dwarves? Lots of 'em, and all sporting the prerequisite beards and Scottish accents. Oh, don't forget the hero. And a monster.

Then add a magic book, enough time-travelling to make your head spin, and three orphans who are trying to free a village while keeping a priceless artefact out of the clutches of evil, and you've got quite the epic fantasy.

Though it's been a while since I've read children's fiction, I very soon locked my inner adult in a cupboard and delved into The Emerald Atlas, book one of The Books of Beginning trilogy.

As far as storytelling goes, this is a fairly standard elaboration on the "chosen one" trope, but John Stephens handles it in such a way that it didn't result in any eye-rolling. Granted, the novel gets off to a bit of a slow start, but what sold it to me was the large cast of support characters.

I'd have liked to have seen some of these get more prominence (or get their story arcs tied up neatly), as with Dena or Granny Peet; the former, unless she gets a reprise, didn't serve that much purpose.

The setting is difficult to place. At first I thought the novel takes place in Victorian or Edwardian times, but the appearance of a Polaroid camera quickly nixed that idea. For some this might be an issue, but I chose to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the story for what it is: three children out to save the world from a powerful megalomaniac and her creepy minions (and the Secretary is horrible). What I appreciated is that Katherine, Emma and Michael aren't sugary little kids. They bicker among each other and make mistakes. Yet somehow they make things work, and they have the adventure of a lifetime. Even better, it's not done yet.

How do I describe this first in a planned quartet? Hmmm...take Harry Potter, A Series of Unfortunate Events, the Tolkien collection, and yes, Narnia...put them all in a blender, strain out the boring bits, and you will have the Emerald Atlas! This is a wonderful, exciting, exhilarating read for tweens and teens.

Kate's only real recollection of her mother is that she gave her a necklace and told her to take care of her siblings, Michael and Emma. Kate was only four at the time. After that, her parents simply disappeared and the siblings ended up in a string of orphanages, each one worse than the last. Now, after ten years, the children find themselves living in a strange home with an absentee and slightly dotty professor and a housekeeper who insists on referring to them as French royalty. When the children find a mysterious book, they are propelled back in time and being piecing together the mystery of their parents' disappearance. Along the way, they meet a cruel and vicious Countess capable of the darkest magic, encounter a town where families have been ripped apart and children kept separate from the adults who love them, heroes of inspiring courage, and creatures that will keep you awake in the night! Magic, mayhem, adventure, and a wee bit of humor along with strong male and female characters will appeal to a wide audience and keep them hanging on the edge of their seats until the next installment.

The Emerald Atlas is the story of three sibblings: responsible older sister Kate (14), bookworm middle brother Michael (12), and impetuous baby sister Emma (11). They are orphans and have been in the system for about ten years. The latest institution they are sent to seems strange becuase they are the only kids there. There the children discover a secret laboratory and a magical book that allows them to travel in time, granting them access to a world of magic they never knew they were a part of.

The book flows beautifully. The author has experience writing for television and it shows. He knows how to capture and audience and keep them entertained. HE also knows his audience very well. The book is meant for older children and younger teens, and it does an excellent job catering to that audience. As an adult who has read JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling, CS Lewis, and many others in this genre, I feel that there is a lot borrowed. The characters felt stereotypical and their interactions were predictable. That being said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Children will love the book, and that is who this book is aimed at. Most of them will not see the similarities, or feel the characters are stereotypical nor predictable. So while this may not be the next classic children's novel, it is an entertaining read that will make its audience happy.

This book has a well-deserved reputation as an instant children's classic, and it's easy to see why. The three children, shuffled from orphanage to orphanage finally come under the care of the mysterious Mr. Pym. There are quite a number of comparisons one could make: Harry Potter,A Series of Unfortunate Events,Chronicles of Narnia,The Lord of the Rings. So many of the same elements are here, but recombined in a really fresh and wonderful way.

Kate, Michael and Emma's adventure begins when their parents take off, so that they are effectively orphans. This is true in nearly any middle-grade novel. With the adults out of the picture, Kate takes the lead with their small family. Michael is the typical quiet, dreamy middle-child. He has a fascination with dwarves, which plays out in an incredibly satisfying fashion. I loved the dwarves. They were so perfectly Tolkienish - slightly grumpy, fond of breakfast at all hours, proud of their glorious beards.

I also really enjoyed the deliciously timey-wimey elements of the story. The legendary Emerald Atlas that falls into the children's possession allows them to time-travel. They travel forward and back, planting key pieces of information in the past for their future companions to give to them at crucial moments creating multiple mind-bending paradoxes. I gave up on trying to track who they were meeting when, and how exactly that played into the timeline (and alternate timelines). Just enjoy the ride, and then check out the sequel, The Fire Chronicle.

Kate, Michael and Emma have been alone for 10 years. Kate's last memory of her mother is as the 3 of them were being taken away; her mother told her to take care of her siblings and that has been the center of Kate's existence since then. And she has done the best she could as the three of them have been shuffled from orphanage to orphanage never really finding home and always wondering why their parents abandoned them. But their newest orphanage is different- there are no other kids, it is run by a mysterious man named Dr. Pym, odd things are happening and it's in a town that seems more dead than alive. And the odd becomes odder when they discover a book, place a picture in it, and travel back 15 years in the past to a time where conflict is at the center of the town.

First, I am biased because I listened to the audio book and I love Jim Dale. Anything Jim Dale reads automatically is good. As a friend of mine said on Twitter, I could listen to him read the phone booth. So, back to the book... this book is EPIC! I can't think of much to compare it to, but the adventure is at the same level as Harry Potter, Lightning Thief, Peter & The Starcatchers, Kingdom Keepers, etc. Although a similar adventure-type book, it is a very much unique and stand alone novel.

The character building and development in this novel was phenomenal. I really enjoyed the three siblings, they were all very unique, but complete and likable as well. Kate is the responsible one who follows the rules, tries to keep the peace and overall does what she promised her mother. Michael is the scholar and dreamer. He loves dwarves and constantly is writing in his journal. Emma is our rebel, always picking fights and saying exactly what is on her mind. There were also some supporting characters who really made the book come alive such as Gabriel, a man from a nearby village who Emma befriends, and Robbie the dwarf king, who Michael is in awe of. The only character I never felt connected to was the villain, so that may not be a bad thing.

The plot development was also pretty flawless and in a book that has time travel, magic, changing pasts and three protagonists, it would have been very easy to become lost, but John Stephens mapped out his plot perfectly and it all comes together (including the end which was just enough conclusion to have closure, but just enough cliff hanger that you must read the sequel).

Another plus of this series, is that I believe that it will be loved as a middle grade and a young adult novel. It could easily be classified as both because it is just a pure fantasy adventure that will grip any reader.

The writing has a lovely rhythm, and is beautiful in its word choices, especially with the verbs. Setting descriptions were detailed enough but not too detailed. The pacing, though not thrilling, was engaging. I loved the characters too! Especially Dr Pym.

The reason I gave it four stars instead of five, however, was not because of any technical flaw. I simply didn't feel a huge emotional connection with it, though I do love Kate, Emma, Michael, Dr Pym, and many others. Another thing is, sometimes the prose was so pleasing that it distracted me from the story itself and made the pacing feel slower; but this may just be how I felt.

On many levels this book works quite well - interesting enough premise, wonderfully descriptive prose, nicely realized villain, some very well drawn individual scenes, some reasonably compelling secondary characters.

But, the book shifts manically from almost slapstick humor to deeply serious fantasy. Good guys and bad guys get butchered while our heroes either stand by aghast, or shrug off the proceedings while, literally, saying "...whatever". If the three kids in jeopardy don't take their adventure seriously, well it's hard for the reader to do so. Sometimes it seems like satire, but it's not really pointed enough. Sometimes it's more like parody, but it seems too fond of the form. Mostly, it reads like a goof on the genre, except when it switches to playing it straight.

And, Emma has to be toned down. Almost every scene involves some argument or snotty exchange between her and one of the other siblings. I get it that that can be an amusing aspect of a children's fantasy book. But most authors tone that down after a while. Here, the snotty exchanges are just unrelenting and serve as mood killers that ruin any particular excitement or tension that's building up.

So, the book doesn't quite know what it wants to be, (it certainly isn't going to be a "classic"), but it has its moments. My willingness to give it the benefit of the doubt waned as I pressed on, but it's worth a look if you're searching for a Narnia-type volume, or just in the mood for a well written goof.

I really enjoyed the book "The Emerald Atlas" because; first of all it is fiction which is personally my favorite style of reading. Secondly it draws the reader in with a lot of suspense and surprises. There are three main characters and their names are Katherine, Emma, and Michael. Katherine, Emma, and Michael all visit Cambridge Falls in the past with the help of a magic book they find in the orphanage (Did I mention that their parents abandoned them?). They place a picture of old Cambridge Falls in to this book and it takes them back in time to that time period, and this is when they encounter the Evil Countess of Cambridge Falls who threatens to throw a child off of the dam so she will gain complete power. The Countess notices that Katherine, Emma, and Michael are trying to escape so she sends her minions called Screechers after them (she is also a witch). As they try to escape there is a lot of commotion so everyone is confused, and as Katherine and Emma put a picture of the present into the book Michael is not with them and he does not escape. All in all I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good read with lots of suspense.

Review originally posted at Heise Reads & Recommends

Things I loved about THE EMERALD ATLAS:

1. The classic fantasy structure to the story and a plot that sets up the beginning of the series nicely. The story is centered around kids who have never known or felt wanted, and can't remember what happened to their parents, but still hold out hope that they will find them again someday. It starts with a shadowy night time extraction of these children to protect them from a terrible power, and then leads into time-traveling secrets, an entertaining villain, a savior, and a hidden treasure (the lost book of time) that needs to be found, all leading to an ancient prophesy that will determine the fate of the world and these children. Along the way they discover more of their history and the history of the magical world.

2. The characters! I loved meeting orphans Kate, Michael, and Emma and discovering more about their sibling relationships. They were so true-to-life as siblings who loved and hated each other based on what was happening at the moment, but when it came down to it would do anything they could to find and help each other out of any jam and save each other. Each had their own distinct personalities and quirks, but they fit together so nicely and ended up really supporting each other through their ordeal. I also loved their (for lack of a better word) sidekick who at first seemed scary, but ultimately was able to help them through his people's ancient ways and beliefs. And who could forget the dwarfs?! I think they may have been my favorite aspect of the book.

3. The heart-warming story. The basis for the story in this first book is about saving a town that has been ruined by a magic sorceress who was using the townspeople to dig for the book she is determined to find. In the process, the children of the town were drowned. As our main characters go back in time to before this happened, they not only try to find the book, but also are trying to save the children of this town.

4. The humor integrated into the interactions between the siblings, the others, the fantasy characters, and even the villian. There were definitely chuckle to yourself parts and lines in this story.

5. The audience appropriateness and appeal! I'm thrilled that this is a middle grades book as I think that it is easily accessible for those readers who are not quite at the level of reading the Lord of the Rings series or have loved The Chronicles of Narnia, and still want to enjoy a great fantasy read. It also will strongly appeal to boys and will be perfect for my eighth graders (and I think all ages)!

6. And finally, the background of the author, John Stephens. He was a producer and writer for some of my favorite TV shows (The O.C. and Gilmore Girls) and was an executive producer for Gossip Girl as well. This is his first book.

The only thing that bothered me was that the beginning of the story felt a little slow, but once they really got into it and things started moving, I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this great fantasy read (and have now had an eighth grade boy back me up on this). I will definitely be reading the rest of the series though!

This book is an old fashioned fantasy. A journey much like Lord of the Rings and a little magical mystery like Harry Potter. I am very super excited about this book, something I can't truly say about any others lately. It starts with a family of 3, two sisters and a brother, much like Unfortunate Events. They are left alone, told to stick together and end up in orphanage after orphanage. When are story really gets going, they are in their final orphanage, in a town that no one knows, picked up by a mysterious man in a boat and brought to the their new home in a place that magic has kept hidden. The town is run down, the house run down. The caretaker Dr. Pym is a man who is mysterious and a little muddled at time, depending on the time you've seen him in; think Back to the Future. While the orphans are alone, they stumble upon a book that, I bet you can guess, takes them into the past, where a woman, the countess controls everything. Of course, the real story is why are they there, where does magic play into 3 small orphans lives, what happened to their parents and what is their last name, all they know is it is the initial P, which got them into many fights at the orphanages.

Kate is a wonderful caregiver, kept her siblings together through all the hard times. She remembers her parents faces. Only thing that bugs me is I'm not quite sure how old she is. Michael is your typical book worm of a brother, wears glasses, knows everything about everything, fascinated about Dwarfs. And Emma is spunky, a mere baby when her parents left, doesn't remember them at all. Always getting into scuffles at the orphanage, back talks and is deep down desperately looking for a father figure.

I love Dr. Pym's character, he doesn't tell you everything and remember we are talking about various timelines so try and keep what he says straight. I can tell you the quest is for a book, does it have something to do with saving the world? That you will have to read for yourself. You won't want to put it down.

A superb book that readers of all ages will enjoy. There's adventure, time travel, magic, wizards, dwarves and plenty of monsters that will keep fans of fantasy and adventure glued to the pages.

I love it when I sit down to read a book and I find myself immersed into it's world. That's what it was like reading The Emerald Atlas. This book has the perfect mix of everything middle grade readers will love, from it's memorable characters, to the heart pounding adventure, the battles, the laugh out loud moments, and the moving moments that the three main characters, siblings Kate, Michael and Emma share. I adored their characters. Like many siblings the three of them of have their moments. They learn to really rely on each other, forgive on another and will do anything to protect one another. There's just one problem, Kate isn't telling them everything she knows about the parents they've not seen for years. All three hold on to the hope that they'll see them again. I don't blame them. I would have done the same thing if my mother had told me what Kate's told her. It's that hope that allows these three orphans who soon find themselves traveling back into time and in the middle of a magical, dangerous world, the inner strength to carry on.

I loved that through Kate, they can all travel back in time through a photograph. Each time they go back into time, more clues are unraveled surrounding them, the Atlas, the power it has, their parent's disappearance, the world they're apart of and the wizard, Dr Pym. I can't forget the evil Countess who will do anything to get her hands on that Atlas, and Kate. John did a great job at tying the characters together through out the course of history, and delivered a fantasy that fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter will enjoy.

Wonderful plot twists, engaging characters and an unforgettable adventure make this a story one I highly recommend picking up. This is a fantastic middle grade read that should be included on all Summer Reading Lists. Don't let the high page count make you doubt that early middle grade readers won't be able to tackle it, I think they will love every minute they spend reading it. I am looking forward to reading the next adventure in this series.

Just another book proving how awesome middle grade is.

It doesn't take very long for the story to throw you right into the thick of things and from there, there's barely ever a moment of down time which is precisely how I like it. The only thing that threw me off was the time travel. I wasn't really expecting it from the synopsis and I kind of felt like I was waiting around for the story to start up. That's my fault, though, since they were my expectations. Now you know there's time travel, so you won't have that problem :P

I really enjoyed all the characters, though I occasionally wanted to tell Emma to stop being such a child. Since she's only ten, I think it's perfectly acceptable to act like a child, though. The siblings were all so different and unique. I loved that none of them felt dispensable and were all integral to the story. The side characters were great too. They were all really well developed and made the story complete.

I really enjoyed all the intricacies to the story. I was kept guessing until the answer was right in front of my face, but there was still plenty of unanswered questions to leave room for the sequel.

The Nutshell: The Emerald Atlas is a fast-paced, action-packed story full of risky situations and plucky young siblings. If you're up for a crazy journey that'll have you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing, you should definitely get your hands on this one.

Review Overview:

Charming characters, thrilling storyline
Does have very similar themes compared to other fantasy novels, but ATLAS is also unique on its own accord
Already anticipating the next book

Despite a slow beginning with a lot of development, John Stephens has created a spectacular fantasy world in THE EMERALD ATLAS that I never want to leave. Kate, Michael, and Emma are just a charming bunch that will capture your heart.

There is already buzz surrounding this book, and I do have a natural hesitancy with books that are hyped up. I'm always afraid that the actual book will not surpass my expectations, so I tried to limit what I expected out of the book. The first few chapters of THE EMERALD ATLAS, is slow, but understandably so; it is part of a trilogy so a considerable amount of the book should be devoted to painting the picture. However, THE EMERALD ATLAS is definitely not one of those books with never-ending development. It develops into this action-packed story that I couldn't put down.

Stephens paints a world that is just so believable. I was transported to Cambridge Falls with his vivid descriptions. It takes a lot for me to laugh out loud when reading, and I have to admit that at certain times, I actually chuckled and giggled.

There are elements of other fantasy novels in ATLAS from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings - but for me at least, that was to be expected. There are similar themes, but the novel itself is unique because of Kate, Michael, and Emma. You may label them as the siblings, but these three could not be any more different than the other. They have their faults, but they have a lot more characteristics that I couldn't help but love.

I would classify this one more for high middle grade than young adult, and especially those who love Narnia, Potter, and/or Lord of the Rings. Reluctant readers may be wary to pick this up because of its intimidating length. While the end of THE EMERALD ATLAS left me with a fuzzy, satisfied feeling in my heart, I am already anticipating my next adventure with Kate, Michael, and Emma.

Inevitably, this book will be compared to Harry Potter just because every children's fantasy with any appeal gets that treatment. But in this case, I couldn't help but notice the similarities: Witches and wizards, kids without parents, a dark, looming arch villain who inhabits bodies with many sub-villains who are his subordinates, A friendly giant, a Dumbledore-like figure, three kids as the main focus. Instead of Hogwarts, you have an immense orphanage. Instead of Harry, you have Kate who is responsible and always tries to save people. If a weird-shaped scar were thrown in the mix, I would would swear all these similarities were done on purpose.

That said, I did enjoy the book. The story revolves around three siblings with very distinct personalities; Kate is the oldest and the leader, Micheal is the geeky awkward middle child who is well informed on many subjects, Emma is the feisty youngest. There's plenty to keep your interest and the plot is intricate. Still, I can't rave about it because I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. The story was told, I felt, superficially. You switched point of views between the kids so you didn't feel vested in a single person. There were no moments where I wanted to cry, none where I busted a gut laughing. Nothing. So while it's an entertaining read, it's still falls short of excellence. A solid 3.5, but since the store won't let me give half stars, I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and bump it to four.

This first book in a trilogy was solidly put together; there were no plot holes, the story arc was interesting & well-paced, and most of the cast of characters were well defined.

I say "most" because I actually found the main 3 characters to be the most dull, especially Kate. There is no defining characteristic about her other than her mom-ish loyalty to her two younger siblings. She rarely had any dialogue and when she did it was rarely, if ever, interesting. It feels as if Stephens was trying to make Kate so relate-able that he sacrificed giving her a more defined personality. I will say that Michael and Emma's characters were much more interesting, if a bit stereotypical. A lot of the book felt a bit stereotypical in fact, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing for younger readers... I think older readers tend to forget that what seems redundant to THEM may still be new and exciting to younger readers.

Overall the book was still enjoyable and I believe younger readers will love it. I can certainly see ways in which it emulates terrific & original series such as C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia," Pullman's "His Dark Materials Trilogy," and J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter Series" I don't personally believe it is in the same league. That being said, the second book may improve upon this. I am interested in reading the sequel.

Premise: three children are abandoned by their parents for unknown reasons and left to grow up in various orphanages. But when shuffled off to one last mysterious orphanage, they discover a book. The Emerald Atlas, to be precise. What follows is a vastly entertaining (albeit not entirely, completely original) adventure involving time travel, witches, dwarfs, benevolent wizards and evil "screechers" that ultimately may or may not reveal the mystery of their parents and why, exactly, these three children are so crucial to so many people.

As I said, not all the creatures and concepts are entirely original...I saw shades of Middle Earth and Narnia all over the place. But the manner in which the author puts it all together is original and the children are of in-depth characterization....enough to make the reader care about what happens to them. The plot moves very, very fast (I had to re-read a couple of pages to make sure I was keeping up to speed) but I blew through the 400+ pages in 48 hours and enjoyed the ride.

The best part? Wonderful secondary characters....the author doesn't skimp with them. Funny and endearing, clearly a lot of thought went into this novel. I, for one, will be reading the sequel.

The Emerald Atlas is about three orphaned siblings who are transported to another time and place. It starts off promising. Kate - the responsible older sister, Michael - the bookworm middle child, and Emma - the stubborn and moody youngest sibling are all believable and entertaining characters. So I had high hopes for this book after the first few chapters. In the end, though, it just had too much of a "been there, done that" feel to it. Basically, it felt like I was reading a less silly version of Series Of Unfortunate Events with time travel thrown in. As other reviewers have pointed out, there seemed to be a lot of recycled ideas from other YA fantasy series sprinkled throughout this book, which just added to my feeling that there was nothing new here.

Having said that, I did find the book to be a mildly enjoyable read with a variety of colorful and entertaining characters. Dr. Pym and Hamish the dwarf-king were especially amusing. Non-picky 10-12 year old readers will probably be perfectly satisfied with this. More discerning readers may notice the many YA fantasy tropes and be less impressed.

Three siblings who keep getting kicked out from orphanages find a secret magic book that transports them to another world.

Orphans, a magic book, a secret world--I have to confess I didn't have high hopes for originality in this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The world of The Emerald Atlas is fully imagined with a plot, creatures, and magical rules that I haven't seen anywhere else.

Then there's the pace! The book begins with a magical abduction and after a short slow bit at an orphanage, it takes off and doesn't look back. The author, John Stephens, used to write for TV, and it shows. There's a host of characters in The Emerald Atlas, but they are managed beautifully, and the non-stop action makes it almost impossible to put down.

The Emerald Atlas is definitely a younger book. This is no steamy teen romance but neither does it have a dumbed-down plot. There's wonderful, perilous adventure in this book, which makes it great fun to read at any age.

I brought The Emerald Atlas on the plane with me, and it turned out to be the perfect plane book. At just over 400 pages, it was hefty enough to occupy three hours of my flight, and the adventures of Kate, Michael, and Emma were briskly paced and interesting enough to keep me entertained the whole time. If I'd had the sequel, I would have happily read that for the rest of the flight.

Two weeks later, I'm having trouble dredging up details about the characters or the plot. To be fair, I had exactly the same experience with the first Harry Potter book. With both, my initial enjoyment quickly faded to a nagging sensation that I'd read more or less the same story before.

That's not necessarily a terrible thing. Author John Stephens spins a good fantasy filled with non-stop action, a twisty time-travel plot, dwarves, creepy villains, dry humor, and the occasional quirky detail. The basic plot involves three siblings who stumble upon a strange book that takes them back to the past and offers them the chance to fix something that went very, very wrong in their town. But they're not the only people who know about the book, and pretty soon, not only their own lives, but also their town and their whole world, are at stake.

Readable? Oh, definitely. The quirks and paradoxes of time travel are handled adroitly and the different settings -- from spooky orphanage to dwarfish caverns -- are fun. However, the characters, including our three protagonists, never become much more than stereotypes, the dialogue is sometimes stiff, and there are about twice as many exclamation points as there need to be. The overall feel is more comic book than classic-in-the-making.

The Emerald Atlas doesn't have the complexity of The Golden Compass or the sly paranoia of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Nonetheless, it's a likable children's fantasy book that holds a complete story while setting up the larger story arc of the series. Ask me again in a year and I probably won't remember reading it, though.

Magical books, a wicked Countess, three lonely orphans, funny characters, a strange wizard, and a hidden land.

What's not to like?
Well, those things can be wonderful. But whether or not they're interesting...now that depends on how the story is put together.

For me, this one didn't quite cut it. It was fascinating for a good 100 pages, funny and intense and sweet. Then it started fluctuating between interesting and boring, until around 220 pages I had had enough. I didn't care enough about the characters; one had just been seriously injured and I didn't even really care very much. The Countess turned out to be very different from her original creepiness, which actually took away the creepy in her character and, to me, made her like every other evil witch in stories. There were actually dwarves (!) which shouldn't surprise me but for some reason it did and I didn't like it. And then there was a strange time-warp that I didn't feel was properly explained.

Now, this this an entirely bad book? Most definitely not. A lot of what I read was great, and even the un-awesome parts were written well. I just lost patience with it, having read only 220 pages in a whole week... (I can normally finish a book the size of The Emerald Atlas, about 400 pages, in less than four days...) Sorry, time to move on.

Should you read this book? That most certainly depends on you, as the reader.
Do I recommend it? Not necessarily, but I won't say I don't, either. There are just others I would rather see someone reading. (Such as: 100 Cupboards, Leepike Ridge, The Roar, The Clockwork Three, The Legend of Holly Claus, or Museum of Thieves.)

As others have noted, this book is about three children, Kate, Michael and Emma. Ten years prior they were spirited away from their parents and had lived in various orphanages since that time. The book takes place once they end up in a barren mountainous castle. There the children find the atlas which allows them to time travel. They hope to use the atlas to find the answers to what happened to their parents and why the castle area is so barren and unhappy. Some compared this book to Harry Potter and the Pullman books, others to Lemony Snickett. IMHO, this book is less suited to adult readers than those books. While I enjoyed this book, I would read the rest of the series only if required to do so, BUT I do believe the target audience would like the book. It's imaginative and colorful. I was taken aback though about a mean character or two which appears in the book. The four stars is for the target audience.

Real life TV Scribe, John Stephens takes a stab at creating a YA Fantasy series from scratch mostly by grabbing chunks of well liked genre tropes from sources ranging from Narnia, Harry Potter and the Golden Compass - throws them into a blender, hits 'blend' and out come the 'Emerald Atlas.' Mind you this not necessarily a bad thing because Stephens actually has the chops to frame a decent narrative and construction of characters to give this a clear edge over the likes of lesser scribes feeble attempts at channeling C.S. Lewis. For the most part this is an easy, breezy read with a decent flow to it - especially once you venture into the story beyond the opening setup.

I can understand that an author, frustrated with trying to sell something truly original to an increasingly cautious and tight-fisted publishing industry, might choose instead to take plot devices, settings, scenes and characters from a load of already-successful books, shake them up in a bag, and see what comes out.

While children and the other not-so-well-read will no doubt enjoy this typical, spirited fantasy adventure, it caused me constant flashbacks to Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many, MANY other books. At least Gabriel did not shout "You Shall Not Pass!" before falling down with the monster while holding the bridge.

It all starts as a mysterious old wizard and his female companion tenderly leave orphaned Harry--er, Kate, Michael and Emma-- where they will be looked after and hidden from the evil being trying to capture them due to a mysterious prophecy they know nothing about. They grow up as abused orphans, until they are shipped off to a big old house in the country with a mysterious old man in charge of it, warned not to go out at night or risk being eaten by the wolves of Willoughby Chase, and while trying to avoid an unpleasant housekeeper, discover a secret door to...not Narnia. Where, naturally, the dwarf-obsessed boy gets to meet real, Tolkien-style, axe-weilding Dwarves. (What a shock THAT was. Never saw it coming.)

By the time the not-so-strange feelings of déja-vu began to fade, my enjoyment was hampered by my curiosity over whether the author was finally creating original material, or just (ahem) referencing books I hadn't read yet. It probably didn't help that the audiobook I listened to was narrated by Jim Dale, whose narration of Harry Potter, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and many other popular kids' fantasy books of the same stripe only served to accentuate the similarities.

Terribly predictable in almost every way, the only reason I rated it three stars is that, for those who have not already read the originals, this book will not be such a disappointment. If you are only going to read one kids' fantasy adventure in your life, you may as well make it this one....because it will give you lovely shades of ALL the other worthwhile books. And it at least shows the author's own love and admiration of modern and past classics.

The series was a recommendation from my library and I guess they know me well because I love these books. This one was recommended but the library didn't have the second or third book, so I recommended they buy them and put me on hold. That actually is surprising, as soon as I was done reading The Emerald Atlas I wanted more! Maybe more of my fellow library goers just don't know how to ask their library to purchase more books. Anyways, keep reading and keep your library on its toes!

On Christmas Eve, Kate, who is four years old, is woken from sleep by her mother, who asks her to keep her brother and sister, Michael and Emma, safe. A tall man takes the children away from their parents, and they spend the next 10 years at 12 different orphanages, the last being the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans, each worse than the last.

By this time, Kate has come to anticipate the worst, and always looks like she's anticipating blows. Michael is obsessed with stories of magical creatures, and Emma, the youngest, has a fearful temper.

Their last stop is with Dr. Stanislaus Pym, the new orphanage director at Cambridge Falls, a childless town where most of the homes are dark and the people walk with their heads down. Interestingly, they are the only children at the orphanage, and when they are exploring the basement, a door mysteriously appears that leads to a lab or a study that seems to shift now and then when they are inside.

They discover an old green book with blank pages, and when Michael places an old photograph of Cambridge Falls on a page, they are transported back 15 years ago to a Cambridge Falls that still has children in it, but also has Screechers, dead creatures possessed solely by hatred for every living thing. The Screechers work for a witch called The Countess, and she has captured all of the children as hostages to force their fathers to search for "something" in the surrounding caves.

This is a wickedly entertaining story, with witches, warlocks, dwarves, and the magic of one of the three Books of Beginning - the Emerald Atlas. As the children embark on their misadventures, the situations they find themselves in and the characters and dangers they encounter will keep you turning pages. The characters are irresistible, and the humor coupled with fantasy and adventure makes this a must-read for MG fans. If you liked Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, you will love this book as well.

I, for one, can't wait for the next books in the trilogy. Harry Potter fandom, anyone?

QUOTES (from an ARC; may be different in final copy):

"I've told the head of your new orphanage - Dr. Pym, I think his name was, yes, Dr. Stanislaus Pym - that you would all probably grow up to be criminals and murderers, and he said that was exactly the type he was looking for."

"He's a bit too proud of his whiskers, but he's a handsome beast for all that. We'll have an affair shortly, though it won't end well." She frowned theatrically. "Alexei will insist on bragging about it at his club, and I'll have no choice but to slaughter him and his entire family."

"Fair enough; it's your necks. Just don't like seeing children chopped into bits and pieces when it can be avoided. Old-fashioned, I guess."

She would free Michael from his cage (she wasn't sure how yet), the two of them would get Kate away from the Secretary (she wasn't sure how she'd accomplish that either, but it would probably involve her being incredibly brave while Michael scribbled some nonsense in his notebook) . . .

I'm not feeling very inspired to write this review. I don't know if it's because I'm just not in the mood, or because the book failed to inspire me. Here's the thing though. I don't have a lot of criticisms, but it just didn't do a whole lot for me. One of the things I look for most in books that I am reading is something, anything in the writing that evokes an emotion in me. That didn't really happen here. I read for pure enjoyment; I read to get completely lost in the story.

The Emerald Atlas was well written however. I did really enjoy the story and the creativity behind the writing. I really enjoyed the scenes with the dwarves. It's a children's book so I don't expect the characterizations to get very deep, but I actually felt fairly connected to the characters here. Emma was my favorite by far and I enjoyed her relationship and attachment to Gabriel.

I don't usually "do" time-travel books. I had no idea this was a time-travel book before I started it. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have read it, but I still enjoyed it. I just thought that certain parts of the book were unnecessarily confusing. And if it was confusing for me as an adult, imagine how it would be for a child. Not to mention, I have a hard time suspending disbelief for time-travel plots. But that's not the author's fault. It's just a personal preference for me.

The action was great and a lot happened. I thought the book was well-paced, but the one thing I didn't care for was the voice. And I've been noticing this in a lot of middle-grade books lately. Why do the authors feel the need to talk down to their readers? Just like a lot of others this one was written with an air of "I'm much more intelligent than you, so listen to what I have to say." I really find that to be annoying. I'm sure most children wouldn't even notice it, but I do. A lot. I never felt that way with Harry Potter. Not with Fablehaven either. Just because one is a child, they do not need to be talked down to. I really dislike that and it makes a book less enjoyable for me.

I did like the action though, the setting was kind of cool, and I like where the series is going. So I will probably read the next book. It was better than most middle-grade books I have read lately. I guess I am just looking for more. It didn't wow me enough. Hopefully that will happen with the next book.

In The Emerald Atlas, the first book in his Books of Beginning trilogy, John Stephens introduces us to three young children, Kate, Michael and Emma. They were mysteriously separated from their parents at a young age -- so young that only Kate has strong memories of what their parents were like.

The characters and atmosphere of The Emerald Atlas reminded me of older British children's novels, by E. Nesbit and C.S. Lewis's Narnia series. Shunted from orphanage to orphanage until they find themselves taken in by Dr. Pym in a large house in a rural Cambridge Falls. As they explore the home, fed all sorts of delicious food by a grumpy housekeeper, the children settle in quite well. They discover a book gifted with magic of some sort. As they decipher the book's powers and the strange mysteries of Cambridge Falls, they realize that they're in a world where magic exists and thrives.

The children find that in this place, Cambridge Falls, witches, dwarves, and all sorts of magical creatures exist. And that through this magic book, they have the power to travel through time. As the children discover the dark side of their magical world, each of them struggle to fight cruelty and evil and to help restore balance in their world.

The youngest child, Emma, is strong, brave, and spirited. Her older brother Michael is bookish and protective in his own way, although he often seems like the weakest link. For the eldest child, Kate, the promise she made to her mother years ago is always strong in her mind and she is willing to accept great personal sacrifice to keep her family together.

The Emerald Atlas is a captivating and magical novel, certain to appeal to children and adults of all ages.

ISBN-10: 0375868704 - Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 5, 2011), 342 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

After having no more Harry Potter books to look forward to I stumbled up on a review for The Emerald Atlas. I downloaded it to my Kindle and could not put it down! The storyline is simple and yet complex. The time travel elements are very intricate, which I love. It reminds me of the last few Harry Potter books, when you really had to pay attention to details. I enjoyed learning the plot along with the main characters and sharing their confusion and anguish. They didn't know what was coming and neither did I! I will be waiting with eager anticipation for the next two books in the trilogy.

A side note this was the first book I was able to download through our local library. I love that the store has opened some titles up to libraries. Now I can read more books on my Kindle!

A major Harry Potter addict ever since reading the series in 2007, I was delighted to find this middle grade book that deals with the adventures younger characters and their magical abilities. I found it to have a fun, quirky feel similar to The Chronicles of Narnia or Inkheart or A Series of Unfortunate Events with elements of high fantasy mixed in. There is enough character development combined with fast paced action to make it an enjoyable read for all.

The characters of Kate, Michael, and Emma are compelling. Having been raised as orphans, they never accept that status because their mother told Kate that she and their father would come back for their children. They've had a rough time, but they have a strength that comes from their sibling relationships that renders them strong. Kate keeps them all together, acting as a mother-figure. She is also the one who has the power to wield the Atlas. Michael is annoying but lovably so with all of his knowledge of things, particularly of dwarfs. Emma is the fire-cracker that has a hard outer shell but a soft sweetness deep down.

After being taken in by the scatterbrained wizard/scholar, Dr. Pym, the non-orphans discover the Atlas and learn about its powers to travel through time. By accident, the siblings get involved in an evil plot involving a corrupt Countess who imprisoned all the children of the peaceful mountain in order to locate the Atlas to give to her evil counterpart. It was enjoyable, fun, and magical to see the children discover what they are capable of in the process of the rescue, learning more and more about the whereabouts of their parents as they go along.

I would definitely recommend this to lovers of middle grade fantasy books. It has a unique spin on the idea of children using their magical powers to save the world.

This is a good middle grade swashbuckling fantasy. Three children are separated from their parents at a very young age, 4, 2, and 1, and end up living in orphanage after orphanage. They've convinced themselves that they are NOT orphans and, even though it's been ten years, their parents are coming back. They reach their last hurrah and are sent off to live with Dr. Pym in Cambridge Falls. Only thing, no one has heard of him or the town.

That's just the beginning of the strangeness. Kate, the eldest, had seen the house they arrive at in a vision. But the only two people in the castle are Ms. Sallow, the mean but funny cook, and Abraham, the all around handyman. Kate, Michael and Emma decide to explore and catalogue the place so they don't get lost and find a secret room in the dungeon. In the dungeon is a big, blank book. And that's how the adventure begins.

There's magic, time travel, a deranged countess, and crazy, grandfatherly wizard, dwarves, and a herd of captured children. Emerald Atlas is fast-paced and there were even parts that made me tear up! While Kate is the strong, family leader, and Michael is the bookish, family historian, Emma is the brave, smart-aleck family defender. She is quick to fight for what she believes is right but also never lets a moment pass to gibe at Michael. I loved her feisty wit.

The Emerald Atlas is the first book in what should be, at least, a trilogy as there are three Books of Beginning. I'm hoping that each sibling gets to star in one! Looking forward to the next book in the series and I highly recommend you get your hands on this one!

I had an unusual experience reading this book. It started out slow, very slow, and I actually set it down a couple of times. When this happens, I usually end up disliking the book (after pushing through to the end, because that's what I do). But, in this case, the opposite occurred.

After the first fifty pages or so, the story picks up quite a bit, the characters get more interesting, and the plot shifts into high gear. It was easy to see where the story was going, but I didn't think that was a bad thing. It's also kind of a compilation of Golden Compass, Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, but I didn't see that as a bad thing, either. Stephens has made this story his own, despite the similarities. So many fantasy stories have been told that it's nearly impossible to create something truly unique. Stephens used certain elements that exist in other stories, but his execution was different enough to keep the reader interested.

I really liked Kate. She's a strong character, and her heart is in the right place. She's also courageous, which leads her to make some pretty scary, and sometimes detrimental, decisions. Her motivations are always clear, and we can see just how much she cares for her siblings. Given her situation, this was both realistic and refreshing. She's the main reason I wanted to keep reading, because I wanted to know what she was going to do next.

By the time we get to the end, it's clear that the next two books will focus on Michael and Emma. I will miss Kate, but I'm very much looking forward to seeing the other two siblings take center stage.

There were only a few things that gave me pause. The bickering between Michael and Emma was realistic, but did get a bit old after a while. Fortunately, it doesn't take up much of the overall story. The Countess was truly creepy, but I do wish there had been a tiny bit more to her, perhaps along the lines of how she ended up. I would have liked to see a bit more of that spread throughout the story. I also wish there had been a map of the area. I sometimes couldn't keep a visual of where they were in my head.

Other than that, though, this is a great adventure story that I think boys and girls alike would enjoy.

The last thing four-year-old Kate remembered of her parents was her mother telling her to take care of her little brother and baby sister. She didn't remember, though, being whisked away in a car shortly after that by a mysterious old gentleman. Nor does she remember the car being attacked or barely escaping the pursuers by flying over a dock into a lake and vanishing into thin air. No, Kate only holds fond memories of her parents, which are sometimes barely enough to keep her calm when she looks back upon the 10 years that followed that mysterious night.

Being shuffled from orphanage to orphanage has taken its toll on now 14-year-old Kate, 12-year Michael and 11-year-old Emma. Being the oldest, Kate has hung dearly to her mother's wish of taking care of her brother and sister. Michael can get lost in his own world, often fantasizing about dwarves or some other world. Emma, the more pugnacious of the siblings, likes to pick fights that Kate usually ends up saving her from. The P siblings --- their last name is P (weird, right?) --- have stuck together through thick and thin, which makes their latest journey even more peculiar. A Dr. Pym has recently adopted them and shipped them off to Cambridge Falls, a place nobody has ever really heard of. And Cambridge Falls ends up being a place none of them ever could have expected.

It all starts when Kate, Michael and Emma are exploring the old orphanage and stumble upon a book. It isn't until Michael places his latest Polaroid picture into the atlas when it all begins. Instantly the three siblings are transported into the past and stumble upon Cambridge Falls' greatest travesty. The Countess, whom they will soon meet, has taken all of the children of Cambridge Falls hostage and is planning on killing them. Not quite sure of what's happening amidst all the chaos, Kate, Michael and Emma quickly put the picture of the orphanage back in the book and are transported back to the present. There's just one little problem: Michael is left in the past!

With Michael stuck in the past and no doubt in harm's way, Kate and Emma seek help from Dr. Pym to return to the past and help their brother and the other children. Dr. Pym reveals the power of the book to transport through time, and soon Kate and Emma plot out a rescue mission. But nothing ever could have prepared them for what they are about to face. The Countess is evil and wants nothing more than to capture the P children and recover the atlas. Evil creatures lurk in the night and threaten at every turn. Above all, Kate, Michael and Emma are going to learn about their mysterious past. Unless they remain united, the very truth may tear them apart.

THE EMERALD ATLAS is a promising start to what is sure to be an epic fantasy trilogy in the same vein as the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series. There are wizards, dwarves, magic, secrets, and any and all elements that belong in a good fantasy book. There are enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning, and while some answers are revealed in the end, more and more questions pop up that can only be read about in the next installment. If you've been waiting around for the next best fantasy series, look no further than John Stephens's impressive debut novel.

--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

The Emerald Atlas is an upper middle grade fantasy novel. It was written by John Stephens and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. Part one of a trilogy, it runs 417 pages.

The Story- Three orphaned siblings, Kate, Michael and Emma, end up in a strange old orphanage on a nearly deserted isle. Right away magical things begin to happen and the kids find themselves 10 years in the past. Now facing a terrifying witch, they side with dwarves and a wizard to rescue a magical book, called the Atlas, and save the future of the isle.

My Thoughts- Right away this book tugged at my heart strings. The prologue set the entire scene, a mother giving up her children. For the rest of the book this image stays present in your mind. The characters are enjoyable, especially Emma, the youngest. She is spunky and brave, always ready to fight. I also liked Dr. Pym, the wizard, his character spends a lot of time in different realities and the story flowed around him without any bumps. The children's choices ring true, their grief at losing their parents so young colors all their decisions, often causing story twists.

For parents- The book does contain violence, but not gory, mostly fighting. There is no bad language or inappropriate situations. The book is a perfect read for 8 and up. [..]

I liked this book. There are likable enough characters: Kate, who has been charged by her mother at age 4 to look after little brother Michael and little sister Emma; Dr. Pym, who seems to pop up in just about any time frame the children find themselves (the Atlas allows the children to do some time trave); Gabriel, a giant who fights a fierce battle for the good of Cambridge Falls and its imperiled children who are separated from imprisoned parents and being held by an evil, power-hungry countess; even Hamish, a horrible slob of a dwarf king who nevertheless shows his courage when it matters most) and his brother Robbie, who really would be a much better kind). And the story is decent and easy to follow (basically, a decade after the children are whisked away by a secret protector, they find themselves in the middle of a hunt. Everyone wants the first of three magical books, the Atlas - the good guys are trying to keep this magical book in their possession and save the town's children; the bad guys want the book to build their power to epic proportions).

Why I didn't give the book five stars is because it lacked charisma, depth and originality. It's not that there aren't sparks of all of those things - there are. When Kate finds out why Michael so deeply loves dwarves, for example, I was charmed - and there were other insights into characters and reasons why something was occurring as it was, that helped to spark that magic that makes us love a book. But there wasn't enough of those things for me. There is a lot of action - but I kept having the feeling I'd read something similar or it was bland (almost like a book report, generic or forgetting the emotions in parts). At first I was reminded of "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Not in a bad way, either. But then there were things that reminded me of other stories - Narnia, a pale imitation of something you might find in a Harry Potter rough draft, etc.

Overall, I enjoyed this book - I had no problem finishing it. I just think there could be - and hopefully will be in the next book - more spark, more originality.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I found the story engaging, witty and entertaining. I read it aloud to my 8 year old daughter and she just couldn't get enough of it. In fact she was so gripped by the story and the suspense that she pleaded with me to download the audio book from audible.com so we could listen to it when we were not able to read it, which I did. The audio version is also good. So on that level the book was a great success and a fun experience. However, as much as I found it generally entertaining I couldn't help feeling I'd read this book before. It is heavily influenced by such books as The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lemony Snicket books, The Hobbit and of course Harry Potter but never quite reaches the quality of any of those series.
Something I am very curious about is that the writing style of the author seems very British. British ironic sense of humor and britishisms like "don't be dotty" etc are laced throughout. The audio book is read by Jim Dale ( who also narrated the Harry Potter books and he reads this book exactly the same way that he read HP) all of the characters have british accents and the dwarves all appear to be Scottish. strange and somehow irritating. It makes the comparison to HP inevitable and I think the success of this book will be hurt by that. It appears the author is American and the book is set in America. Bizarre.
On the whole 'though this is a fabulous read aloud book that the 8 and up crowd will love bUt I don't think it will cross over and be equally appealing to adults.