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Review
`A gripping adventure from a talented author'
--Creative Steps
'A teenage novel unlike any other...Well written, sometimes eccentric, this strange story is not always easy to follow but is certainly worth the effort.'
--Books for Keeps
--Creative Steps
'A teenage novel unlike any other...Well written, sometimes eccentric, this strange story is not always easy to follow but is certainly worth the effort.'
--Books for Keeps
Product Description
After losing their house to foreclosure, three siblings - India, Finn and Mouse - have less than twenty-four hours to pack their belongings and fly, without their mother, to stay with an uncle in Colorado. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport in a pink car adorned with feathers. He has never heard of their Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in an unknown place, with no idea of how to get home. Time is running out ...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Charming, funny, and oh so original.
8 Feb 2011
Format:Hardcover
I don't think there is any author out there that writes kids characters as well as Gennifer Choldenko. With the Tompkins kids, she has created a family of siblings that are portrayed so realistically that when all the crazy things start happening to them, the reader is just sucked right along for what turns out to be a very crazy ride.
India is 14 and totally self obsessed, much like any young teenage girl. Look a little deeper and you will see her insecurity and overwhelming desire to be loved and appreciated. Finn is 12 and the worrier of the family. He wants to make everything right for everybody. Perhaps my favorite character is Mouse, the six year old genius. She's only in kindergarten but does fifth grade math and asks questions about everything. Her brain travels a hundred miles per hour and the author does a fantastic job with her dialogue. Named Mouse because she squeaks so much, she is a character of marvelous depth and charm.
All of these characters are dealing with some harsh realities. Their mom has just told them that the bank is foreclosing on their house and they have to move to Colorado to stay with an uncle that none of them have ever met. For India it means leaving her friends, for Finn it means leaving his basketball dreams, and for Mouse, it means leaving their mother who has to stay behind and finish out the school year.
This has all the makings of a realistic story about an increasingly common circumstance, but when the plane the kids are traveling on makes an early landing, the story shifts dramatically into the fantasy realm. It's quite a shock, but the author handles it seamlessly and before you know it you are traveling down the highway in a pink taxi with feathers. I can't really speak to much more of the plot without giving too much away, except to say that the kids go on an adventure that will test their mettle and help them come to some realizations about their own strengths and how much they love each other. The story turns into something that is highly original, very clever, and completely well imagined.
As an adult reader, I really loved this story. It will be a challenging read for any kid age 10 and up. Some elements can initially be confusing, but any reader who enjoys solving puzzles, or just figuring things out will get a big kick out of this one. The author doesn't just lay the story out for you, you have to do a bit of thinking and pay close attention to detail. Those that do will be rewarded with not only a grand story of adventure, but also a tale of some unexpected depth. There is quite a bit of humor, and also some deep felt emotions. This is an enthusiastic recommend, especially for middle schoolers on up.
India is 14 and totally self obsessed, much like any young teenage girl. Look a little deeper and you will see her insecurity and overwhelming desire to be loved and appreciated. Finn is 12 and the worrier of the family. He wants to make everything right for everybody. Perhaps my favorite character is Mouse, the six year old genius. She's only in kindergarten but does fifth grade math and asks questions about everything. Her brain travels a hundred miles per hour and the author does a fantastic job with her dialogue. Named Mouse because she squeaks so much, she is a character of marvelous depth and charm.
All of these characters are dealing with some harsh realities. Their mom has just told them that the bank is foreclosing on their house and they have to move to Colorado to stay with an uncle that none of them have ever met. For India it means leaving her friends, for Finn it means leaving his basketball dreams, and for Mouse, it means leaving their mother who has to stay behind and finish out the school year.
This has all the makings of a realistic story about an increasingly common circumstance, but when the plane the kids are traveling on makes an early landing, the story shifts dramatically into the fantasy realm. It's quite a shock, but the author handles it seamlessly and before you know it you are traveling down the highway in a pink taxi with feathers. I can't really speak to much more of the plot without giving too much away, except to say that the kids go on an adventure that will test their mettle and help them come to some realizations about their own strengths and how much they love each other. The story turns into something that is highly original, very clever, and completely well imagined.
As an adult reader, I really loved this story. It will be a challenging read for any kid age 10 and up. Some elements can initially be confusing, but any reader who enjoys solving puzzles, or just figuring things out will get a big kick out of this one. The author doesn't just lay the story out for you, you have to do a bit of thinking and pay close attention to detail. Those that do will be rewarded with not only a grand story of adventure, but also a tale of some unexpected depth. There is quite a bit of humor, and also some deep felt emotions. This is an enthusiastic recommend, especially for middle schoolers on up.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A fun, wild ride
2 Mar 2011
Format:Hardcover
India, Finn and Mouse Tompkins have experienced enough of the bad things in life. Finn is the man of the house, with his father being gone, and feels a desperate need to hold things together. India, like any teenage girl, wants to be accepted for who she is and not rely on others to tell her who or what she likes. And little Mouse, who desperately wants to get along with her bigger sister India, listens to her best --- and imaginary --- friend Bing for advice in all situations. When their mother reveals the worst possible news, India, Finn and Mouse don't know what to do.
It had been coming for a while, at least according to overdue notices on the mortgage payment arriving daily, but India, Finn and Mouse weren't expecting their mother to send them off to their uncle's house in Colorado practically overnight. So with great reluctance, they find themselves strapped into an airplane without any time to catch their breath. The flight went according to schedule: India and Mouse fought the whole time, while Finn tried to keep the peace. None of them were looking forward to landing in Colorado, but they had no idea what to expect when they landed.
First, a baby-faced taxi driver named Chuck picks them up in a pink cab covered with feathers and starts issuing them warnings about where they're going --- and how to escape. Then they're ushered into Falling Bird (not exactly close to Colorado) with fanfare, bright new homes built especially for them, and way cooler moms. All of the kids get lost in the dreaminess of their new surroundings before things take a turn for the worst. Finn finds out the truth about where they are and that they have a one in 100,000 chance to get to their uncle's house in Colorado. But that's not the worst of it. India is missing in action, and Mouse has been hurt.
What follows is a complex journey that will stretch India, Finn and Mouse in ways they couldn't have imagined. India will need to figure out once and for all whether or not she really wants to belong to a family that doesn't get her. Finn will finally get the chance to prove himself, but it might end with him failing miserably. Mouse may have to give up her best and imaginary friend Bing in order to put her trust in an unreliable source. Beware the sign that says "No passengers beyond this point!"
Gennifer Choldenko has found success in her popular Al Capone books, and fans will be thrilled with her take on the supernatural in NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT. It marks a departure from her witty realistic fiction to a story that's a mix of THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ and THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. There's action, bad guys, lots of dogs, creepy welcoming committees, danger, and an ending that you'll have to read at least twice. Fasten your seatbelts, because this is one wild ride!
--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche
It had been coming for a while, at least according to overdue notices on the mortgage payment arriving daily, but India, Finn and Mouse weren't expecting their mother to send them off to their uncle's house in Colorado practically overnight. So with great reluctance, they find themselves strapped into an airplane without any time to catch their breath. The flight went according to schedule: India and Mouse fought the whole time, while Finn tried to keep the peace. None of them were looking forward to landing in Colorado, but they had no idea what to expect when they landed.
First, a baby-faced taxi driver named Chuck picks them up in a pink cab covered with feathers and starts issuing them warnings about where they're going --- and how to escape. Then they're ushered into Falling Bird (not exactly close to Colorado) with fanfare, bright new homes built especially for them, and way cooler moms. All of the kids get lost in the dreaminess of their new surroundings before things take a turn for the worst. Finn finds out the truth about where they are and that they have a one in 100,000 chance to get to their uncle's house in Colorado. But that's not the worst of it. India is missing in action, and Mouse has been hurt.
What follows is a complex journey that will stretch India, Finn and Mouse in ways they couldn't have imagined. India will need to figure out once and for all whether or not she really wants to belong to a family that doesn't get her. Finn will finally get the chance to prove himself, but it might end with him failing miserably. Mouse may have to give up her best and imaginary friend Bing in order to put her trust in an unreliable source. Beware the sign that says "No passengers beyond this point!"
Gennifer Choldenko has found success in her popular Al Capone books, and fans will be thrilled with her take on the supernatural in NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT. It marks a departure from her witty realistic fiction to a story that's a mix of THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ and THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. There's action, bad guys, lots of dogs, creepy welcoming committees, danger, and an ending that you'll have to read at least twice. Fasten your seatbelts, because this is one wild ride!
--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Interesting Read
23 April 2011
Format:Hardcover
Summary: After the bank forecloses on their house, their mom sends Finn, India and Mouse to fictional Ft. Baker, Colorado to live with their Uncle Red. Since mom is a school teacher and they need the money from her job, she will join them once the school year ends. However, it's not Ft. Baker where they land, but Falling Bird. Reminiscent of Dorothy's trip to Oz, the children soon realize that Falling Bird is like no place they have ever heard of - and though at first it seems like a wonderful place to India and Mouse (Finn is more skeptical), they soon realize that home is where you family is and "there is no place like home." But time is running out. Will they beat the clock and make it home?
This story had the beginnings of a realistic story detailing an all too common experience for many families in today's economy. When the plane lands the story shifts from realistic fiction to fantasy. It is a little confusing - trying to figure out just what is going on - but the confusion the reader feels is the same as the characters. Choldenko's craftily woven plot pulls the reader into the story, making it easy for readers to identify with the characters. Half the fun of the reading the book is trying to solve the puzzle.
Young adults/pre-teens will identify with how the children feel about being uprooted from their home. Adults will appreciate the growth the children experience as they try to find their way back.
Readers who enjoy a bit of a mystery with a twist and a little bit of fantasy will enjoy this book.
Recommended for 4th Grade and up.
Mrs. Archer's rating: 4 of 5
This story had the beginnings of a realistic story detailing an all too common experience for many families in today's economy. When the plane lands the story shifts from realistic fiction to fantasy. It is a little confusing - trying to figure out just what is going on - but the confusion the reader feels is the same as the characters. Choldenko's craftily woven plot pulls the reader into the story, making it easy for readers to identify with the characters. Half the fun of the reading the book is trying to solve the puzzle.
Young adults/pre-teens will identify with how the children feel about being uprooted from their home. Adults will appreciate the growth the children experience as they try to find their way back.
Readers who enjoy a bit of a mystery with a twist and a little bit of fantasy will enjoy this book.
Recommended for 4th Grade and up.
Mrs. Archer's rating: 4 of 5
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