Overview
A day at the fabled amusement park Isles of Wonder turns deadly when a world-wide biological attack kills every adult, leaving behind only the kids to fend for themselves. Isolated from the world, unsure of what lies ahead, the young survivors assemble under the statue of King Neptune, the mythical ruler of the Isles, to form a new society. Led by the children of the park workers, they choose to remain closed off from the outside world living relatively comfortably inside the self-contained park. But when violence from the infested outside world appears to infiltrate their safe zone, one small group discovers a secret society and a hidden system of underground tunnels, and the stage is set for a war that will determine the future of everyone on the Isles.
As alliances are formed and broken, readers will find themselves taking sides in this suspenseful adventure story that addresses the duality of human nature.
Synopsis
A day at the fabled amusement park Isles of Wonder turns deadly when a world-wide biological attack kills every adult, leaving behind only the kids to fend for themselves. Isolated from the world, unsure of what lies ahead, the young survivors assemble under the statue of King Neptune, the mythical ruler of the Isles, to form a new society. Led by the children of the park workers, they choose to remain closed off from the outside world living relatively comfortably inside the self-contained park. But when violence from the infested outside world appears to infiltrate their safe zone, one small group discovers a secret society and a hidden system of underground tunnels, and the stage is set for a war that will determine the future of everyone on the Isles.
As alliances are formed and broken, readers will find themselves taking sides in this suspenseful adventure story that addresses the duality of human nature.
Children's Literature
What would happen if all the adults in the world were to die simultaneously? Dobkin sets up the premise of her story: terrorists inoculate themselves, then release a virus designed to kill on contact, enabling them to sit back to rule the world. Two things the killers did not foresee: the virus mutated so quickly that the vaccines were useless, and the virus did not kill children. In the amusement park Isles of Wonder, thousands of children were stranded, Milo quickly saw that someone had to take charge. Children naturally formed into small families and larger social groups. Milo and his loyal followers oversaw chores, food distribution, and mitigated small problems. As some of the children began to realize that Milo's power was absolute, conflict was inevitable. The characters are well-developed and the story is fast paced and well situated within the premise, although the ending is somewhat simplistic, and the emphasis on diversity is rather heavy-handed. This might be an interesting book to pair with watching Kid Nation, the reality TV show featuring kids ruling their own world. Reviewer: Wendy M. Smith-D'Arezzo
Editorials
Children's Literature -
What would happen if all the adults in the world were to die simultaneously? Dobkin sets up the premise of her story: terrorists inoculate themselves, then release a virus designed to kill on contact, enabling them to sit back to rule the world. Two things the killers did not foresee: the virus mutated so quickly that the vaccines were useless, and the virus did not kill children. In the amusement park Isles of Wonder, thousands of children were stranded, Milo quickly saw that someone had to take charge. Children naturally formed into small families and larger social groups. Milo and his loyal followers oversaw chores, food distribution, and mitigated small problems. As some of the children began to realize that Milo's power was absolute, conflict was inevitable. The characters are well-developed and the story is fast paced and well situated within the premise, although the ending is somewhat simplistic, and the emphasis on diversity is rather heavy-handed. This might be an interesting book to pair with watching Kid Nation, the reality TV show featuring kids ruling their own world. Reviewer: Wendy M. Smith-D'ArezzoSchool Library Journal
Gr 7-10
Terrorists design a virus to take over the world, but something goes wrong. On a vacation at the Isles of Wonder, a theme park similar to Disney World, Josh and his little sister watch as all of the adults die around them, leaving them and thousands of others under age 13 to fend for themselves. With no other choice, the youngsters start working to create their own society, barricading themselves from the outside world and its dangers. Led by the charismatic Milo, a group of the older children become the central government, the Core. Eventually, barricades will not be enough to keep danger out of their utopian world and the community will be threatened in unexpected ways. This thriller has gripping writing that makes it hard to put down. The characterizations of the older children are well done, especially the main protagonists. The details of the society that the children create are nicely crafted, as is the setting of the theme park. As the book's pacing picks up toward the end, the darkness, uncertainty, and violence are well handled. The themes of safety and danger speak to our larger society as well. Even with the large number of survival stories on the market, this is one worth adding to your collection.-Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library, WI