Larklight, by Philip Reeve
Reeve, Philip (2006). Larklight. New York: Bloomsbury U.S.A. 399 pages.
Summary and Evaluation: First of all, the *entire* title is Larklight, or The Revenge of the White Spiders!, or To Saturn’s Rings and Back!: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space, which just about sets the tone for the rest of the book. Arthur Mumble and his older sister Myrtle think their day is only going to be interesting because their father is expecting a visitor. However, their house Larklight is attacked by giant not-quite-spiders (they have ten legs!) and the two barely escape with their lives. Their house isn’t just a house, though-it’s an aether ship and they live in space. Yes, space. This is a Victorian steampunk, fantasy, space adventure in which Isaac Newton discovered space travel and the British Empire extends throughout the galaxy. The two intrepid Mumbles are rescued by Jack Havock-a fourteen (ish)-year-old space pirate whose reputation is more fierce than he is (somewhat like the Dread Pirate Westley)-and his merry band of aliens, including a giant land crab and walking sea anemones. They must defeat the giant “spiders” (after figuring out who’s behind the nefarious plot), save the British Empire, and find each other again-inevitably, the siblings are separated.
This book is so much fun! It’s thoroughly set in the Victorian Era (albeit an alternate one) and even features Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and a Royal Exhibition. The adventure is quite swashbuckling (involving several plot twists) and a great deal of humour is present as well. While Art is the main protagonist, the reader gets glimpses of Myrtle’s far more proper diary when the two are separated. I also enjoyed the pen-and-ink drawings throughout. The novel is available in both hardcover and paperback, but the hardcover editions have the added bonus of fake adverts on the inside covers for everything from clothing to Hogwash (used to clean one’s hoverhogs). And there are two sequels! Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats (2007) and Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus! (2008) are definitely on my reading list.
Booktalk Hook: Although Larklight might be written for slightly younger YAs (Art is eleven), I think older teens would like the fast pacing-they might also enjoy the steampunk aspects more. The covers for this series are eye-catching; likewise, the full titles are sure to garner more interest. I would booktalk this novel by introducing it as a sci-fi/fantasy/Victorian space adventure with pirates and giant spiders and all sorts of aliens (oh my!). I might also read a passage to show the book’s humour.
Summary and Evaluation: First of all, the *entire* title is Larklight, or The Revenge of the White Spiders!, or To Saturn’s Rings and Back!: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space, which just about sets the tone for the rest of the book. Arthur Mumble and his older sister Myrtle think their day is only going to be interesting because their father is expecting a visitor. However, their house Larklight is attacked by giant not-quite-spiders (they have ten legs!) and the two barely escape with their lives. Their house isn’t just a house, though-it’s an aether ship and they live in space. Yes, space. This is a Victorian steampunk, fantasy, space adventure in which Isaac Newton discovered space travel and the British Empire extends throughout the galaxy. The two intrepid Mumbles are rescued by Jack Havock-a fourteen (ish)-year-old space pirate whose reputation is more fierce than he is (somewhat like the Dread Pirate Westley)-and his merry band of aliens, including a giant land crab and walking sea anemones. They must defeat the giant “spiders” (after figuring out who’s behind the nefarious plot), save the British Empire, and find each other again-inevitably, the siblings are separated.
This book is so much fun! It’s thoroughly set in the Victorian Era (albeit an alternate one) and even features Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and a Royal Exhibition. The adventure is quite swashbuckling (involving several plot twists) and a great deal of humour is present as well. While Art is the main protagonist, the reader gets glimpses of Myrtle’s far more proper diary when the two are separated. I also enjoyed the pen-and-ink drawings throughout. The novel is available in both hardcover and paperback, but the hardcover editions have the added bonus of fake adverts on the inside covers for everything from clothing to Hogwash (used to clean one’s hoverhogs). And there are two sequels! Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats (2007) and Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus! (2008) are definitely on my reading list.
Booktalk Hook: Although Larklight might be written for slightly younger YAs (Art is eleven), I think older teens would like the fast pacing-they might also enjoy the steampunk aspects more. The covers for this series are eye-catching; likewise, the full titles are sure to garner more interest. I would booktalk this novel by introducing it as a sci-fi/fantasy/Victorian space adventure with pirates and giant spiders and all sorts of aliens (oh my!). I might also read a passage to show the book’s humour.