The Emerald Atlas: The Books of Beginning, Book 1
By Patricia Tauzer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Thrilling, chilling time travel for mid-grade fantasy fans.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Pretty Good
Report this review
What's the Story?
Swept away to an orphanage at an early age, three siblings -- Kate, Michael, and Emma -- move from one dismal institution to next, each one worse than the one before. Kate, the eldest, remembers promising her mother to protect the younger two: misfit Michael, a bookworm fascinated by magic, photography, and dwarfs, and feisty Emma, who lacks patience for anyone. When they discover the Emerald Atlas, one of three magical books, they begin to time travel, searching for their parents in a fantastical world that involves wizardry, a wicked countess with magical powers, dwarfs, monsters, and just about anything else you can imagine. Together, they begin to learn why they were put in such distasteful and dangerous institutions in the first place -- and have an adventure that forces them to grow up, depend on each other, and make choices that change history.
Is It Any Good?
Kids ready to delve into time-travelling fantasy will love this fun, fast-paced book. Intriguing and suspenseful, the story is packed with strong characters, sophisticated language, and adventures that force the heroes to grapple with questions of loyalty, honesty, hard choices and, of course, good and evil. Here, author John Stephens uses some familiar fantasy elements -- innocent orphans, an evil witch, a struggle over three valuable books of wisdom -- to pull together a creative story that will have kids breathlessly waiting for the next installment. Younger readers may be confused by the time-travelling sequences, and the violence may be a little too much for them, but for kids who are mature enough, this is a thrilling ride.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fantasy books. Why are series like this one so popular right now? What does this book have in common with other fantasy novels you've read? How is it different?
What did you think about the cruelty and violence of the evil characters in this book? Or the ferocious battles? Does the fantasy setting make the violence any less intense to read about?
Book Details
- Author: John Stephens
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Knopf
- Publication date: April 5, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 14
- Number of pages: 417
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Fantasy Books for Kids
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate