Minecraft: The Island
Kids say
Based on 3 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Minecraft: The Island, by Max Brooks, is an engaging adventure story for those with at least minimal understanding of playing the Minecraft video game, and likely not interesting to anyone who doesn't know about inventory, building with blocks, creepers, and Endermen. The writing is simplistic and the storytelling not at all subtle, but there are lots of great lessons about perseverance, dealing with anxiety and fear and failure, caring for the environment, and friendships forming in unlikely places. Problem-solving is a big theme throughout, and more mature readers will be able to translate the lessons in the book to new ways to approach problems in the real world.
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What's the Story?
A castaway is alone on a strange island without any clue how to survive in the Max Brooks adventure tale MINECRAFT: THE ISLAND. After nearly drowning, they try to find food and create shelter but see that everything in this new world is made of blocks and the rules of the real world don't apply. While learning how to craft tools, harvest, and build, they have to defend themself from skeletons and creepers in order to stay alive and maybe, just maybe, make it off the island alive.
Is It Any Good?
The first-person perspective in this adventure is fun but reads like a person narrating every detail of their moves in a video game, and will only really make sense to someone familiar with Minecraft. Minecraft: The Island is a nonstop adventure for those who like to build and battle in the Minecraft video game, and an overly detailed, clunky read for anyone who needs to ask what a creeper is. The lessons here, though, are universal and hugely positive for all readers: planning, preparation, prioritization, practice, and perseverance are essential for success and happiness. There's a strong message to protect the environment, manage anger, learn from mistakes, and think through decisions -- all great things for readers of all ages to practice in their own lives, both onscreen and in the real world.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the ways the adventurer changes his approach to survival in Minecraft: The Island might help change the outcome of the story. Do you think your motivation for doing something can change the outcome?
If you washed up on an island alone, what are the first five things you'd want to do, and why?
What other adventure stories had you read? Which are your favorites?
What's fun about reading a story based on a video game? Does it help you imagine what it would be like to live in the world of the game?
Book Details
- Author: Max Brooks
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Del Rey
- Publication date: August 13, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 288
- Available on: Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 31, 2021
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