Larklight: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of… (2006)

We float in space with Art Mymby in his home, Larklight, but before you know it we're attacked by spiders, his dad is feared dead, and the Potter Moth puts Art and his older sister, Myrtle, in big bottles. They are saved by pirates and taken into battle.

Action and adventure are the words to describe our allegiance with the young pirate Jack Havock in order to save Myrtle. Art finds his sister is much stronger than he'd ever thought and unovers many other surpirses about his family.

Be advised, you may have to hide under the covers with a flashlight so you can read late into the night. This is a hard book to put down. ( )

Charles Dickens meets science fiction. Art and his older sister Myrtle are the children of a British scientist in Victorian England, but rather than make their home in England, they live on Larklight, a house that floats in space. When their father is captured by some spider-like creatures who are up to no good, the children make their escape and after some hair-raising adventures, meet up with space pirate Jack Havock and his motley crew of creatures from across the solar systems. As they make their way through space, they realize that the spider creatures are actually trying to find the key to Larklight... and that key is the necklace that Myrtle has worn around her neck since their mother died. The chase is on, and the action never stops. If dry British humor a la Douglas Adams appeals to you, this is a great ride. ( )

Wonderful ( )

It's the steampunkiest!
This book was so much fun. Literally my only complaint is a few things at the end seemed wrapped up a little improbably. But wait... this is a Victorian Space Drama! Who am I to question what's probable? Hah. Anyway, the narrator is a delightful little opinionated boy, and the plot moves along at a quite a clip, propelled by the chemical wedding in the aether engines, no doubt. I would totally recommend this to anybody, it's quick and fun. Definitely giggled outloud a bunch.

ETA: As the series continues I'm really appreciating the strong characters of both genders. Reeve doesn't hesistate to play with stereotypical gender roles, but both the guys and the girls here get to be heroes. ( )

If this is a young adult version of 'steampunk,' maybe I should give that genre a closer look. I really enjoyed this quick-moving book -- the author balanced details of the setting (and explanations for all the science) with the story and characters. Although the relationships between a couple of the main characters were very predictable, I didn't mind, as some things that happened were very unpredictable.
It reminded me at times of a good serial with lots of cliffhangers.... I would definitely read this aloud to a class of 4-6 graders (if I had an english class to read to...). ( )