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Overview
Ben and his black labrador, castaways from the legendary ghost ship Flying Dutchman, swore never to go to sea again. But fate casts them adrift once more on a French pirate ship, with two villainous sea captains--and a ghost--in pursuit.Ben and Ned, a boy and dog gifted with eternal youth and the ability to communicate with one another nonverbally, encounter pirates on the high seas and rescue a kidnapped prince from a band of gypsy thieves.
Synopsis
Ben and his black labrador, castaways from the legendary ghost ship Flying Dutchman, swore never to go to sea again. But fate casts them adrift once more on a French pirate ship, with two villainous sea captains—and a ghost—in pursuit.
Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, young Ben and his faithful black Labrador, Ned, having escaped the ghostly ship's hellish curse but bound to wander the world for eternity lending a helping hand wherever needed, return for another spate of adventures. Once again, Jacques spins a rousing yarn that fairly bursts at the seams with exciting escapades, exotic locations, poems, shanties, treachery and derring-do as the heroes travel from the pirate-infested Caribbean to a cave awash with evil magic high in the Pyr n es. If Jacques piles it on a bit thick in what actually becomes two separate tales-one a sea voyage and the other an overland trek-the sheer storytelling vigor is hard to resist. The second half of the book proves especially enticing, when Ben and his dog, who communicate telepathically and whose affectionate sparring provides much of the book's spark, team up with a feisty gypsy girl and a young artist to save the long-lost son of a nobleman. As in all of Jacques's books, he conjures a colorful, fully realized world (particularly the gastronomic delights) and injects the pages with plenty of snappy repartee ("Cease cackling like a market goose, you old relic," the nobleman calls affectionately to his cook). Readers can once again take satisfaction in the fact that virtue is rewarded, evil-doers get their comeuppance and good triumphs over evil in Jacques's universe. All ages. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
In this Redwall Castaways novel, Ben and Ned continue their nautical adventures. As in Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (to which this is a stand-alone sequel), our 17th-century heroes sail from danger to danger. This episode finds the boy and his dog on board a Frenchman's pirate ship, pursued by not one but two hostile vessels -- a Spanish buccaneer and an English privateer. Even landfall brings them no rest. After they escape into the Pyrenees, they stumble into a pack of gypsy thieves. Superlative swashbuckling excitement.Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, young Ben and his faithful black Labrador, Ned, having escaped the ghostly ship's hellish curse but bound to wander the world for eternity lending a helping hand wherever needed, return for another spate of adventures. Once again, Jacques spins a rousing yarn that fairly bursts at the seams with exciting escapades, exotic locations, poems, shanties, treachery and derring-do as the heroes travel from the pirate-infested Caribbean to a cave awash with evil magic high in the Pyr n es. If Jacques piles it on a bit thick in what actually becomes two separate tales-one a sea voyage and the other an overland trek-the sheer storytelling vigor is hard to resist. The second half of the book proves especially enticing, when Ben and his dog, who communicate telepathically and whose affectionate sparring provides much of the book's spark, team up with a feisty gypsy girl and a young artist to save the long-lost son of a nobleman. As in all of Jacques's books, he conjures a colorful, fully realized world (particularly the gastronomic delights) and injects the pages with plenty of snappy repartee ("Cease cackling like a market goose, you old relic," the nobleman calls affectionately to his cook). Readers can once again take satisfaction in the fact that virtue is rewarded, evil-doers get their comeuppance and good triumphs over evil in Jacques's universe. All ages. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature
Ben and Ned, a Labrador, immortal refugees from the Flying Dutchman, must leave the Caribbean on the pirate ship La Petite Marie. They find themselves in the middle of a gripping sea chase, with two other pirate ships in pursuit. After many adventures at sea, Ben and Ned finally make it safely to France and begin a quest to find a nobleman's lost son. They meet Karay, a girl who uses keen observation to tell people's "fortunes" and Dominic, a very gifted artist. The four journey through the land, are captured by Gypsies, and free a man imprisoned in a bear suit. Alas, Ben and Ned can never stay in one place for long else their immortality is noticed and they must leave their good friends. This book is really two smaller, very different books. The first and second parts really have no relation to each other beyond the presence of Ben and Ned. They also have very different tones; the first a high-adventure sea story, the second a quest with more interesting characters. Part one might be a bit hard for someone unfamiliar with "sea lingo" to follow, but is exciting, nonetheless. Elliot's small black and white drawings sprinkled throughout the text add a unique flavor to this two-toned adventure story. 2003, Philomel,— Amie Rose Rotruck
VOYA
This charming yet haunting story of a boy and his dog, fated by an angel to wander the earth for eternity doing good deeds for others, will appeal to any reader looking for the next step after Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Orchard, 1990/VOYA December 1990). Ben and Ned's plight is well detailed, entwining seemingly unconnected episodes into a single tale of their unending journey that will keep most teens interested. VOYA Codes: 3Q 4P M (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2003, Philomel, 372p,— Ali Daniels, Teen Reviewer