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Overview
A boy and dog trapped aboard the legendary ship, the Flying Dutchman, are sent off on an eternal journey by an avenging angel, roaming the earth throughout the centuries in search of those in need. Their travels lead them to Chapelvale, a sleepy nineteenth-century village whose very existence is at stake. Only by discovering the buried secrets and solving the dust-laden riddles of the ancient village can it be saved. This will take the will and wile of all the people-and a very special boy and dog! Brian Jacques turns from Redwall to a very different sort of story, and succeeds admirably.Illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
Author Biography:
Synopsis
A boy and dog trapped aboard the legendary ship, the Flying Dutchman, are sent off on an eternal journey by an avenging angel, roaming the earth throughout the centuries in search of those in need. Their travels lead them to Chapelvale, a sleepy nineteenth-century village whose very existence is at stake. Only by discovering the buried secrets and solving the dust-laden riddles of the ancient village can it be saved. This will take the will and wile of all the people-and a very special boy and dog! Brian Jacques turns from Redwall to a very different sort of story, and succeeds admirably.
Illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
Publishers Weekly
Well known for his Redwall books (over a dozen volumes detailing the quests and feasts of various plucky woodland creatures), Jacques here turns his attention to the human world, and his fans will not be disappointed. Readers led by the title and cover art to expect a briny swashbuckler may be surprised to find that the bulk of the story consists of an ambling scavenger hunt set in a cozy English village. Pure-hearted enough to escape the curse that befalls the crew of the legendary Flying Dutchman, a boy and his dog are instead granted immortality and sent forth to "spread peace and joy" throughout the world. Two centuries later, in 1896, the ageless Ben and Ned (the latter is the dog) land in Chapelvale, a quaint village threatened with industrialization by a passel of nasty developers and ruled by a gang of juvenile delinquents. With the help of the villagers, the duo conducts a fairly contrived search (one clue is even written in invisible ink) for the ancient land title that will save Chapelvale from its grim fate. Though most of the characters are bipeds, the story doesn't veer much from the Redwall formula. Ultimately, it doesn't much matter whether the bumbling thugs sent from London to intimidate the Chapelvale populace are weasels or humans--Jacques's fans will be tickled by the characters' goofy slapstick regardless of their genus. The care taken with design (among other features, line drawings are set niftily into the first page of each chapter) adds to the appeal. All ages. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewTake the adventure element from the anthropomorphic Redwall fantasy series and mix in a bit of mystery àla the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, and you'll come close to Brian Jacques's Castaways of the Flying Dutchman. This book reads like two stories in one, the first taking place on the 17th-century decks of the legendary ship, the Flying Dutchman, where a 15-year-old boy and a stray dog struggle to survive the horrid conditions and the murderous crew. But when a deadly storm sinks the ship, it's only with a bit of angelic intervention that the two survive and are gifted with immortality.
The second part of the story takes place some 200 years later. During this time, the boy (Ben) and his dog (Ned) haven't aged a day, and their wanderings have led them to the small English village of Chapelvale, where they befriend an elderly widow who tells them that the little village may soon be destroyed. It seems a greedy developer named Obadiah Smithers has plans to buy the town up, tear it down, and mine it for limestone. The widow's family has long been rumored to own the lands where the village stands, but the woman can't find the necessary paperwork to prove her title. And without it, Smithers can't be stopped.
Ben and Ned offer to help the widow look for the paperwork and are aided in their quest by a couple of local youngsters. Eventually, Ben finds a clue that suggests one of the widow's ancestors has hidden the necessary title documents. But as one clue leads to another, before long everyone is off on an adventurous treasure hunt through town. Hampering their efforts is a gang of local bullies led by Smithers's nasty son, but it doesn't take long for Ben to outsmart the bullies, and rob them of their power.
Adding to this wonderful reading experience are Ian Schoenherr's pen-and-ink drawings at the start of each chapter, which help readers anticipate what's coming and visualize the clues. And while Jacques has opted for more human heroes this time out, fans of his Redwall series will find similar themes and the same sense of adventure. (Beth Amos)
Publishers Weekly
Pure-hearted enough to escape the curse that befalls the crew of the legendary Flying Dutchman, a boy and his dog are granted immortality and sent forth to "spread peace and joy throughout the world." PW wrote that while the Redwall author here turns his attention to humans, "his fans will not be disappointed." Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Publishers Weekly
Well known for his Redwall books (over a dozen volumes detailing the quests and feasts of various plucky woodland creatures), Jacques here turns his attention to the human world, and his fans will not be disappointed. Readers led by the title and cover art to expect a briny swashbuckler may be surprised to find that the bulk of the story consists of an ambling scavenger hunt set in a cozy English village. Pure-hearted enough to escape the curse that befalls the crew of the legendary Flying Dutchman, a boy and his dog are instead granted immortality and sent forth to "spread peace and joy" throughout the world. Two centuries later, in 1896, the ageless Ben and Ned (the latter is the dog) land in Chapelvale, a quaint village threatened with industrialization by a passel of nasty developers and ruled by a gang of juvenile delinquents. With the help of the villagers, the duo conducts a fairly contrived search (one clue is even written in invisible ink) for the ancient land title that will save Chapelvale from its grim fate. Though most of the characters are bipeds, the story doesn't veer much from the Redwall formula. Ultimately, it doesn't much matter whether the bumbling thugs sent from London to intimidate the Chapelvale populace are weasels or humans--Jacques's fans will be tickled by the characters' goofy slapstick regardless of their genus. The care taken with design (among other features, line drawings are set niftily into the first page of each chapter) adds to the appeal. All ages. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature
This is a thrilling story about a boy and his dog who get stuck on a haunted ship. After they fall off the boat and are whisked ashore, an angel voice guides them through many adventures. Brian Jacques authored the very popular "Redwall" series, which features anthropomorphic animals. This book focuses on people rather than animals and therefore departs from his previous style. However, fans of the "Redwall" series and new readers will enjoy this engaging, suspenseful tale. It is appropriate for older elementary students through adults. 2002 (orig. 2001), Ace/Penguin, Ages 9 up.— Joshua Lusk