Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gritty high-seas historical fantasy mixes danger and magic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Twelve-year-old Bren Owen longs for adventure. Stuck in a gritty port town on the coast of Britannia in 1599 during the Age of Discovery, Bren repeatedly tries to escape on the sailing ships that frequent the port, only to be thwarted time and time again. He loves his father but doesn't really like him and doesn't want to end up like him, working long hours drawing maps for the wealthy Rand McNally. Finally, adventure finds Bren when a dying man gives him a coin ripe with magic that enables him to accompany the famous Admiral Bowman on a fortune-seeking adventure. Bren uses his fine problem-solving skills to crack the code of the magic coin that will lead him to the beginning of an adventure and possibly treasures left by Marco Polo.
Is It Any Good?
This fast-paced nautical adventure has enough twists and turns to captivate readers, along with interwoven folktales and myths from both Western and Eastern cultures. It has it all: greed, danger, intrigue, and magic. Sensitive readers might find the graphic depictions of murder and fighting in THE VANISHING ISLAND unsettling. That said, the depictions of Bren's harsh life are a good representations of life during the late 16th century.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difference between history and historical fantasy. The Vanishing Island is historical fantasy. In what ways is inventing history entertaining for the reader, and in what ways can it be misleading?
The Age of Discovery was a time when drinking was common among everyone and water wasn't always safe to drink. Discuss how that might have affected daily life, especially for children.
Author Barry Wolverton describes life on the sailing vessel the Albatross in great detail. What would it be like to be on a sailing vessel in the 16th century? How would it differ from being on a ship today?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Walden Pond Press
- Publication date : September 1, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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