Flight of the Phoenix, 1

I am a big reader, and I try to encourage my four older boys to read as well. My oldest two have read Harry Potter, Eragon, etc...and this book is PERFECT for my 10 year old! Harry Potter is a tough read for him, but he loves that element of fantasy and magic, so something like "Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist" Is perfect for him. I admit that it starts off a tad sad. Nathaniel finds out about the tragedy that MIGHT have befallen his parents, he learns that his nanny (the woman he has spent the last three years with)is more interested in money, and finally he is going to be shipped off to a relative he has never heard of, let alone met. The writing is such that a child can easily sense Nate's sadness, and his confusion, at the same time there is an element of hope in the story, and as a mom that is something I adore in a book like this! Once Nate gets to his Aunt Phil's house he is treated to all sorts of odds and ends, and then he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime! Kids will get to see Nate accept the unexpected, challenge himself and come through, and (hopefully) anyone that reads this book will be reminded that size doesn't matter....not when you are trying to do the right thing. I adored this book, and will eagerly await more to come!

This book is adorable! Nate Fludd is a good kid, but not a goody-goody kid; he's likable and rather quiet. However, he is catapulted into a wild adventure with his cousin Phil, and nothing will ever be the same. The sense of adventure mixed with the matter-of-fact tone of this delightful story reminds me of the old Miss Pickerel books that I loved when I was young. Nate discovers, of course, that he has inner resources and unexpected skills, and he finds amazing friends on the way. This is clearly the first book in a series, and I'm glad. The story was concluded nicely, but we are set now for plenty of beastological excursions with Nate and Phil, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Of course, I intend to read it aloud to every child I can persuade to sit still long enough, and to give copies to the bigger ones, and I suggest that you do the same. I can picture this book as one that might introduce a young reader (maybe 10 years old) to the joys of reading for fun, and I strongly approve of that!

Like magic and dinosaurs, most kids are fascinated by beasts and monsters - and this book has plenty of them, though it's not at all scary. Instead, Flight of the Phoenix is perfect for kids who are just starting to read (i.e. not ready for the complexity of Harry Potter) or who want someone to read to them aloud an easy-to-follow chapter book. The illustrations add just the right amount of detail to this exciting story and my son cannot wait for the second book.

Born into a family of adventurers, ten year old Nathaniel Fludd should have started his training when he was eight, but his parents never sent for him and he feels like a failure. All of this changes when his parents are declared lost at sea and he is sent to live with a distant cousin - Phil A. Fludd, the world's last remaining Beastologist. Suddenly Nathaniel is having the adventure of a life time, an adventure filled with amazing creatures, danger, and courage. Set in 1928, "Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix" is a very clever and amusing book aimed at readers aged 8 to 12. Author R.L. LaFevers has a lively imagination and the book is filled with surprises and interesting characters starting with Phil, a pet Dodo, a Phoenix, a Gremlin, and much more. There is a wonderful sense of humor throughout the book that makes it enjoyable not only for children but their parents (for example Phil flies a Sopwith Platypus). This sense of humor even extends to the end of the book which includes "Nathaniel Fludd's Guide to People, Places and Things" which is a nice mixture of true and fictional facts. Part of the charm of the book is the illustrations by Kelly Murphy. Nate likes to draw and often the illustrations are included in the book as if they were drawings by Nate - very clever and they fit effortlessly into the book. While there is a lot of adventure in the book, none of it is very scary and even the bad guys aren't that scary, so the book is perfect for younger readers. There are also several underlying mysteries in the book (including what really did happen to Nathaniel's parents) and since this book is the first in a series, some mysteries remain unsolved and will have readers eagerly waiting for the next book in the series, not only to find the answers to the mysteries, but to find out what other adventures Nate has. Fans of the Spiderwick Chronicles will enjoy "Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix". Well done.