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    The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning
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    The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning
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    The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning

    Written by John Stephens

    Narrated by Jim Dale

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

    Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

    Until now.

    Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world . . . a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And-if an ancient prophesy is true-what they do can change history, and it's up to them to set things right.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 5, 2011
    ISBN9780307879776
    Unavailable
    The Emerald Atlas: Books of Beginning
    Author

    John Stephens

    John Stephens is former president of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature and foundation editor of International Research in Children’s Literature (2008–2016). In 2007 he received the 11th International Brothers Grimm Award and in 2013 the Anne Deveraux Jordan Award, both given to recognize significant contributions to the field of children's literature in scholarship and service. He is author of several books and over a hundred articles.

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    Reviews for The Emerald Atlas

    4/5

    393 ratings57 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This book was such a ripoff of so many other recent and not so recent stories. There was a little "Harry Potter", a little "Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" and even a little "Despicable Me". Kind of discouraging that the author couldn't come up with something original.
    • 5/5
      Ahh I love summer! I've heard of this book when it first came out and decided that if I ever found it cheap, I'd look into it. Well, few months ago I went to a library book sale and low and behold, there it was for fifty cents. Now that I have some time on my hands, I was able to pick it up and read through it.The Emerald Atlas is about three kids: Kate who's the oldest and sworn to protect her siblings, Michael, obsessed with dwarves, and Emma, a fiery tempered eleven-year-old who's won all twenty-three fights she's gotten into with older kids at orphanages. These three siblings accidentally get caught up in a battle against evil as they try to locate the Atlas before an evil witch gains control of it and its time traveling magic.The story plot was a fresh view of the Other World/Magic Book fantasy plot. Still set in the "real" world, yet mostly fifteen years in the past, with magic creatures but was not too overbearing. It took the best of time travel, orphaned kids, prophecies, and the magic world and lumped them all together. (It also helps that I'm a HUGE time travel fan.) At first I wasn't so sure I'd get into the book, but the author left enough unanswered questions that I cared about knowing in order to keep me hooked on finishing.On to characters: I will admit, the characters felt very flat for a large portion of the book and still are not fully rounded yet. But: the characters DID round more and more until I was able to connect with them easier and appreciate them more. I must say, though, that one character in particular was fantastically done and the relationship between him and Emma was superb, but I'm getting ahead of myself.John Stephens' writing style, overall, was pretty smooth, although I do have a few points to make out. For about the first half of the book, it seemed as if the humor was forced. Miss Sallow was one particular instant, with her making fun of the "kings and queens of France." I wasn't quite sure WHY she was so against the kids, and why she always said they were acting like royalty. The reason for her quips didn't make sense and never really did. Also Emma's insults at Michael didn't always fit either, as though the author wanted to build this uneasy brother-sister rivalry between them to use later in the story, but was a little too excited and put in some unnecessary insults that didn't make any sense. Other points were that Stephens would sometimes structure his sentences with run-ons that were strung together with "and,' yet other times he would leave "and" completely out in a long list. He also broke the "Show Don't Tell" Rule several times by explaining what certain characters said or did and not having the dialogue to back it up. Other than these picky observations, the story flowed smoothly along the page and were not overtly distracting to the reader. In fact, his style kept such a hold on me in some parts, it was all I could do not to let my eyes skip down the page to see what happened next.One specific element I loved that was woven through this story was that of the "Admirable Character" or what have you. That one character your protagonists look up to in their hour of need. I've seen these characters before in books, and I'm not sure if they're actually a literary device or authors feel that they just need a character in order to relieve stress from the reader and protagonists. Usually, this character displays these qualities: he's usually a man, he's older than the protagonists, stronger, and wiser, he's sometimes a fatherly figure, and he can't be in the exact same sticky situation as the protagonists...(and for some bizarre, unexplainable reason, he's usually very good looking. ???)^^This character in the Emerald Atlas is Gabriel (and yes, the book actually says he's good looking, okay?). John Stephens development of this character and the relationship he had with eleven-year-old Emma was, like I said, superb. It wasn't over the top, and he wasn't too distant either, yet, as the reader who (like any good reader should) gets into the protagonists' heads and suffers through the same emotions as they do, you find you need *that* character, just like your protagonist does. Stephens does a great job here, and it's a skill I want to learn to better my own writing.This book was a fun and entertaining read. Next time I see the second book, I will be sure to grab it!Things to watch out for:Romance: a witch killed her husband in a quest for power, then later jokes she would "have an affair" with another man then kill him tooLanguage: L*-8, "hellish"-1, "devil"-1, "bloody/bleeding"-23 (most by one character who is in about a third of the book), bloody h*-5, "'ells bells", D-1Violence: evil creatures are sliced in half, one is decapitated, poison arrows are shot through a little girl but she doesn't die, wolf's skull is shattered, fist fights between siblings, kids try to hang one boy but are stopped, parents are separated from their kids for two years and are implied some are hurt or killed in trying to rescue them, a boat on the water is a place of death, punishment, and torture, creature rips its own wings off, about sixty total lives of children are at stakeDrugs: wizard smokes a pipe, dwarf king gets drunk with ale, girl is fed whiskey to warm her bodyOther: use of magic, wizards, witches, betrayal, a "witch doctor" character and someone makes a joke about her owning another's soul, although not serious, a villain takes possession of another's body, sacrificeRated 5th grade and up417 pages
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. I borrowed it from my local library because I read on a blog that this was an excellent read. I didn't realize from the blogger that this was a fantasy children's book. I figured I've read the entire Harry Potter series what's one more children's book.
      It was thrilling! I could not put the book down. I must admit that I am one those people who will read the ending just to see how it ends...yes I did. But even knowing the ending didn't deter me from wanting to keep reading to see how it will end. There were a few times that I almost missed my stop on the subway because I was so absorbed in the book.
      I was terribly disappointed that the next book in the trilogy is not yet published. I'm actually considering buying this book. I don't want to wait to read it.
      I highly recommend this book to everyone.
    • 4/5
      4Q, 4P. I'm a sucker for anything involving time travel and multiple alternate timelines, so I really enjoyed this while. A few points off for the story relying fairly heavily on some very common cliches (missing parents, prophecies, Dursley-esque horrible guardians, a mysterious evil guy behind everything) but put together in an entertaining way. The kids have some interesting quirks which made them fun characters, like Michael's obsession with dwarves (who DOESN'T like dwarves? Dwarves are awesome) and Emma's tsundere-ness, which could have been obnoxious but didn't come off that way. Definitely a great series for kids who enjoy Harry Potter and similar books; curious to read the rest!
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. It was so much fun to read. The writing is excellent and action packed. The story beings with three orphaned siblings living in The Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans <----- great right! The Orphans, whose last name is P, are shuffled from orphanage to orphanage until they finally are accepted into the orphanage of Dr. Stanislaus Pym. While there, they discover a mysterious green book. Their journey begings when they learn that the book is one of three books called the Books of Beginning. Thousands of years ago, wizards wrote down all of their secrets in three books. The books are extremely powerful and contain information about the begining of the world and magic. The orphans, Kate, Emma, and Michael, soon realize that they were destined to find the book and as they struggle to keep the book out of the hands of the wrong people, they also learn that the book may help them find their parents who disappeared nearly 10 years ago. Once you start this book you probably won't want to put it down. The first one hasn't hit stores yet, but make sure you pick up a copy April 5. I can't wait to read the next in the series!
    • 5/5
      A fresh fantasy that has it all: spunky and engaging siblings, the wise wizard, and enough twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. While Harry Potter spawned a whole slew of mediocre wannabes, this is the real thing. Now the wait begins for the sequel...
    • 4/5
      'The Emerald Atlas' by John Stephens is a fun fantasy adventure that is sure to please readers of Cornelia Funke's 'Inkheart' series, as well as fans of Lemony Snicket's 'Series of Unfortunate Events'. 'The Emerald Atlas' has a great cast of characters and some really great dialogue. And the funny thing? This juvi friendly story was dreamed up by someone who usually works on WB shows like Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl!


      I've found that in-between YA reads, it's always nice to delve into a good juvi fantasy adventure. If you're in need of a Juvi fix, this book just might be what you're looking for. The standout feature of this novel, which is the first in a trilogy, has to be the characters.


      We've seen plenty of books that star orphan children, but this set of kids seemed a little different. I found all three siblings unique, likable, and, actually, quite real. My favorite character of the three is Emma. She's the youngest of the trio. She's a tough, spicy girl who you don't want to mess with. Middle brother, Michael, is obsessed with knowledge, especially that on fantastical things. And then there is big sister Kate, who at a very young age was entrusted by her mother to keep her siblings safe. Each child has their own journey to take and that is one thing I really liked about this story. Because each character had their own thing going on, we got to see a bit of development in each of them, not just one.


      This book has some great dialogue. The lines are fun and have a life of their own. Stephens did a wonderful job at inserting a touch of everyday humor into his dialogue and story. One running gag in particular made me laugh out-loud (note to future time travelers-- you may need to explain who you are to the same person a lot depending on the timeline!)


      The only thing that bugged me a bit in 'The Emerald Atlas' was that the descriptions were a bit blocky. That's a big pet peeve of mine because I don't do well with long involved paragraphs about things. I like them to be broken up with dialogue. Many time Stephens would use a line of description (instead of dialogue) to describe what people were discussing. I would have loved for him to just show us, as opposed to telling us what was happening. Plus, then it would have cut down the page count a bit-- this is quite a long read!


      Other than that minor issue, I enjoyed 'The Emerald Atlas'. No spoilers, but the ending had me grinning from ear to ear. It was very well done! 'The Emerald Atlas' is a fun, fantasy read that should catch young readers interest quickly and even some older readers (like me!). I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series!
    • 5/5


      I thought this book was brilliant. I have given it five stars here, because I can't add 4.5. My only criticism - the very American use of "Gotta" and "Gonna" all through the text. If "proper" english had been used, I feel it would be more enduring. Even so, I will be recommending this whole heartedly to readers who loved Harry Potter.
    • 3/5
      I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it's very original, but on the other, the first half really dragged and it had this weird thing going on where it was obviously trying to copy a very British Harry Potter style while making it set in the US. That said, I'll probably read the next one.
    • 4/5
      iew I was very impressed with The Emerald Atlas. This is the story of three siblings Kate, Michael and Emma who have been shuffled through various orphanages since their parents went missing 10 years ago on Christmas Eve. Kate's mother made her promise to take care of her younger siblings and assured her that one day they would be a family again. After failing to be adopted yet again they are shipped to a mysterious place named Cambridge Falls. It is hear that the three learn of the powers they possess and the prophecy that speaks of their destiny. This book was well written and well paced. It had plenty of action and suspense to hold your interest. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Harry Potter or the Narnia Series.
    • 5/5
      A trio of sibling children are sent away from their parents ten years ago under mysterious circumstances, they wind up at an orphanage run my a mysterious, kooky, and wise old wizard, and get themselves into all sorts of trouble and have to get their way back to “reality”. It is a great story with lots of adventure and twists, and there are times when this really reminded me of the “Harry Potter” stories.
    • 4/5
      This is a delightful YA book, the intended start of a trilogy I think. It's full of magic, strong intelligent children, courage and mystery. I don't think I'll be reading the next 2, but 9 to 12 year olds would probably love them all.
    • 4/5
      Age 9 and up 3 to 4 grade startingStory about 3 young children, Kate, Michael and Emma taken from their parents and placed in an orphanage and given the last name of P to protect the children. They are moved again to a large old mansion home to dr. Pym with a magic door leading to a labortory where a world of magic opens up for them through a green leather book , an atlas. Fighting villians and screechers, the children stand together. This is a very detailed book one that you will remember from time to time and a great beginning for a series about Cambridge Falls
    • 5/5
      I liked this book, and can see why it's been getting a lot of buzz. I'm always on the lookout for the next big juvenile fantasy series, so I was excited to start this one. I don't think it's going to be the next Harry Potter, but I do think it will be up there with popular series like Fablehaven and Percy Jackson. It actually reminded me of Fablehaven a good bit, partially because both books have siblings who interact in similar ways, and partially because the vocabulary and dialogue in both are fairly simple. Like most fantasy tomes, it could have handled more editing (I know it's increasingly common, but I still think 417 pages is a bit much for ages 8-12, which is what they're marketing this toward).I don't want to sound over-critical and give the impression that I didn't like the book, though! I did enjoy it, particularly the last half of it, once I was fully engaged in the story. There are some great secondary characters, the kids themselves are believable, and I like that they make mistakes and own up to them. I'll definitely read the sequels!One final criticism, this of the ending (so if you haven't finished it yet, you may want to stop reading here): I was hoping to get away from the whole "Children of Prophecy" shtick that's so ubiquitous in juvenile fantasy, but I can't say I didn't see it coming from early in the book. I also thought Pym was getting a little too Dumbledore-esque for my taste during that final showdown with the Countess. All in all, though it was an enjoyable, exciting read.
    • 4/5
      This is an epic adventure in the traditional sense, and it sticks close to the traditional characters and plots for such books. I found it quite entertaining to read, but not strikingly original. There are a number of twists and turns to the plot, and the target audience of middle and upper elementary age kids may find some of these twists confusing. It's clearly set up for sequels, and perhaps some of the confusion will be resolved with these sequels for those who don't get lost and give up along the way. I found this to be a book worth reading, but one that may require some thought and re-reading. Looking forward to the sequel.
    • 5/5
      Engaging fantasy about three siblings who are find a magical book that allows them to move through time.
    • 4/5
      In this first book of a planned trilogy, three children, who may or may not be orphans, are left growing up in a series of bleak and horrible orphanages, until they are sent to live in a mysterious orphanage in Cambridge Falls which turns out to be a mansion in an isolated village on a mountain, and they are the only children there. It doesn't take much exploring for the children to find a portal through space and time and they are drawn into an adventure where they must save all the children of the village from an evil countess. There are many hair-raising and exciting encounters and magic, and the book leaves you wanting to read the next in the series, I found it to be an enjoyable middle-grades fantasy book, but not really exceptional or earth-shattering either.
    • 4/5
      There were once three books of magic... the Books of Beginning. Two did indeed vanish. The third was smuggled out of the city by a very clever, very attractive young wizard... who made a pact with the dwarf king to hide it. Kate, Michael and Emma were spirited away from their parents in the night ten years ago when they were very little. Bounced from orphanage to orphanage over the years, they finally land in Cambridge Falls, a remote town near the Canadian border where they discover they are the only children in this last-chance place. In the huge house where they are staying, they discover a hidden room far below the basement, with a mysterious green book. Thinking it might be some kind of scrapbook, they place a photograph on a page, and they find themselves transported to the past when the photo was taken, when things in the little town were far different and far more dangerous. Magic, monsters, time travel, dwarves, witches and wizards... this action-packed story has them all! Lots of humor, especially from feisty Emma, who says what she thinks and is always ready for a fight. First in a planned series, this was really enjoyable fantasy. Grade 6 and up.
    • 3/5
      Kate, Michael and Emma's parents abandon them when they are small. Their mother's last request of Kate is to look after her younger siblings. But how is she to do that when they are moved from orphanage to orphanage, each worse than the last. Until they end up with Dr. Pym - in whose house they find a magical book that enables them to travel back to troubled times and lets them learn some of their own history.
    • 4/5
      Definitely a Harry Potter read alike. The audio version is even read by Jim Dale of the Harry Potter audio books. Three siblings are shuffled from orphanage to orphanage. Their latest orphanage only has three children in it - them. The children have adventure after adventure as they interact with a magical book found in a secret room in the latest orphanage. This is the first book in the Books of Beginning series. Can't wait for the next book.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this ones, except for the fact I will have to wait for the next book to come out next year!!! LOL....I love the time travel aspect and can't wait to really understand how it all came to be how the kids have these 'special' talents...
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. It was pretty funny and a fun adventure to read about. I'd recommend this to fans of the Harry Potter series and The Chronicles of Narnia. The characters were likable and the story was pretty exciting.
    • 5/5
      Great first book. You'll get hooked from the first chapter....I really just loved it!
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing! It has everything I want in a book. Great characters, plot, and story-telling. I loved all the different personalities of the three main characters. Even though it's geared towards younger readers, I think any age group would enjoy it, as I did. This was such a fun, witty, and magical read!
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It was very fun, adventurous, and filled with magical elements which keep you want to keep reaidng until the book is finished. Three children, Kate, Emma, and Michael, are the lovable main characters who unwittingly embark on an adventure filled with time travel, humor, discovery, and many memorable characters. This book is the first of what is supposed to be a trilogy. I am very excited for the next book and can't wait to see how this story will progress.
    • 3/5
      I'm not feeling very inspired to write this review. I don't know if it's because I'm just not in the mood, or because the book failed to inspire me. Here's the thing though. I don't have a lot of criticisms, but it just didn't do a whole lot for me. One of the things I look for most in books that I am reading is something, anything in the writing that evokes an emotion in me. That didn't really happen here. I read for pure enjoyment; I read to get completely lost in the story. The Emerald Atlas was well written however. I did really enjoy the story and the creativity behind the writing. I really enjoyed the scenes with the dwarves. It's a children's book so I don't expect the characterizations to get very deep, but I actually felt fairly connected to the characters here. Emma was my favorite by far and I enjoyed her relationship and attachment to Gabriel. I don't usually "do" time-travel books. I had no idea this was a time-travel book before I started it. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have read it, but I still enjoyed it. I just thought that certain parts of the book were unnecessarily confusing. And if it was confusing for me as an adult, imagine how it would be for a child. Not to mention, I have a hard time suspending disbelief for time-travel plots. But that's not the author's fault. It's just a personal preference for me. The action was great and a lot happened. I thought the book was well-paced, but the one thing I didn't care for was the voice. And I've been noticing this in a lot of middle-grade books lately. Why do the authors feel the need to talk down to their readers? Just like a lot of others this one was written with an air of "I'm much more intelligent than you, so listen to what I have to say." I really find that to be annoying. I'm sure most children wouldn't even notice it, but I do. A lot. I never felt that way with Harry Potter. Not with Fablehaven either. Just because one is a child, they do not need to be talked down to. I really dislike that and it makes a book less enjoyable for me. I did like the action though, the setting was kind of cool, and I like where the series is going. So I will probably read the next book. It was better than most middle-grade books I have read lately. I guess I am just looking for more. It didn't wow me enough. Hopefully that will happen with the next book.
    • 2/5
      One thing is for sure. Definitely not the next Harry Potter. All the characters sound the same.
    • 4/5
      Although I was initially thrown off by the setting of this book ( it just realy seemed like it should take place in England, not the US), I found I could not put it down. The characters are engaging and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. This is one of those books where you don't want to turn the last page because even though it is obvious there is going to be another book in the series, you know you are going to have to wait a while to get it.
    • 2/5
      Urk. How to explain what I think about this book without sounding too snotty.While the writer of this children's book has an MFA in Creative Writing, most of his prior experience is in the production of shows like The OC, Gilmore Girls, and Gossip Girls. His past experience shows as it moves along its predictable (and filmmable) path.It's being touted as the next Harry Potter and it's just not, although it may take hold depending on its publicity campaign.It's not a bad book by any means, but it's not particularly special either. I really liked silly obnoxious kids (who behaved mostly like kids). To me there's something about the perfect precocious darlings that are in many books that makes me want to barf. These kids read like they were written by someone who has actually parented real kids. I also liked the idea of a magic book that takes you places because that's what books do - great concept.I really hated the language. The book has a pseudo-British storytelling feel to its writing, but its set in the US (even the magical places are set up as US places). I found this element really jarring - language and setting should make sense together. Lastly, the book is terribly derivative of many other (and much better) children's books. There's nothing new here and somewhere around two-thirds of the way in I just didn't care enough to finish.
    • 4/5
      This is one of those books that sucks you in from the first paragraph. There is quite a bit of mystery to it that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is centered around three orphans, Kate, Michael and Emma. Their parents gave them up for adoption at a very young age. You don't know why but you know that it's for their own good. The children grow up in several different orphanages over the years. I really liked the children's characters. They each have their own distinct personalities that add charm into this story. Kate is the eldest. She's a leader but she's still young with lots of insecurities. Michael is the middle child. He's bookish with a fascination for dwarfs that boarders on obsession. Emma is the youngest and the girl has gumption. I think she's my favorite of the three. Emma is a brave and tough cookie but at times you see her vulnerabilities come through. I love the dialog between the three children. Several times I laughed out loud because of it. John Stephens captured the art of sibling rivalry perfectly. The children are placed in a new orphanage where they are the only children. This is where the adventure begins. They are led through a time traveling journey full of magic and impossibilities. Along the way they find friendship and make enemies. They unlock secrets that have been forgotten and awaken mystical forces. The children find out that they are more important than they could ever imagine. I like how John Stephens slowly unravels the children's personalities. He shows you their strengths and weaknesses that help to form them. He pulls back their layers as the children are tested in all sorts of ways. I really like this book. The characters are great although some of the characters reminded me of others. For instance, Granny reminded my a little bit of Yoda and the secretary reminded me of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. It's not that they were exact copies but there was something about their characters that brought these others to mind. This did not take away from the story at all. This is the first book in the series and I can't wait to see what happens next. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters.