Ulteriori informazioni
Zusatztext ". . . this American author has crafted an exciting tale. Straightforward sentences, chronological narrative, short chapters and Murphy’s plentiful black-and-white illustrations make this appropriate for middle-grade readers looking for a series to grow with."-- Kirkus Reviews "LaFevers (the Theodosia books) gets the Nathanial Fludd, Beastologist series off to a sprightly start with this wry story introducing a 10-year-old orphaned when his parents' airship crashes in the North Pole in 1928 . . . this quick-paced adventure . . . should entice kids to return for Nate's next escapade."-- Publishers Weekly Informationen zum Autor R.L. LaFevers lives in Southern California. Learn more at her website: http://www.rllafevers.com/ Kelly Murphy grew up surrounded by swamps and marshes that she explored with her six other siblings in southern New England. If you'd like to see more of Kelly's work, please visit www.kelmurphy.com Klappentext Nathaniel Fludd's life has taken a turn for the worst. With his parents lost at sea, he lands on the doorstep of a distant cousin?the world's last remaining beastologist. Soon Nate is whisked off on his first expedition, to Arabia, where the world's only phoenix prepares to lay its new egg. When disaster strikes, Nate quickly finds himself all alone. Will he be able to see the phoenix safely hatched, keep his accidental pet gremlin out of trouble, and rescue his guardian from the Bedouin? If he fails, nothing will stand between the world's mythical creatures and extinction. Too bad Nate's not the sort of boy who enjoys adventure . . .yet. Leseprobe Chapter One It was one of the most important moments in Nathaniel Fludd’s young life, and he was stuck sitting in the corner. Miss Lumpton had promised him an overnight trip to the city to visit the zoo. Instead, he found himself in a stuffy office with their suitcases at his feet and his sketchbook in his lap. He’d been given clear instructions not to listen in on Miss Lumpton’s conversation with the lawyer. The problem was, they sat only three feet away and the lawyer spoke rather loudly. Nate tried to concentrate on his drawing. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," the lawyer said. Nate drummed his heels on one of the suitcases to try to drown out the sound of their voices. Miss Lumpton shushed him. He stopped kicking. "You said you had news?" Miss Lumpton asked. The lawyer lowered his voice, and Nate felt as if his ears grew a bit, straining to hear. "We’ve had word of his parents." Nate’s head jerked up. Miss Lumpton caught him looking. "Keep drawing," she ordered, then turned back to the lawyer. Nate kept his eyes glued to the sketchbook in front of him. But even though his pencil was moving dutifully on the paper, every molecule of his body was focused on the lawyer’s words. "On May twenty-third of this year, the airship Italia crashed on the ice near the North Pole." Nate’s pencil froze. His body felt hot, then cold. He hadn’t even known his parents were on an airship. The lawyer continued. "After months of searching, only eight of the sixteen crew have been found. The boy’s parents were not among them." Miss Lumpton put a hand to her throat. "So what does that mean, exactly?" Her voice wobbled. "It means that, as of this day, September fifth, 1928, Horatio and Adele Fludd have been declared lost at sea." "I thought you said they crashed on the ice?" Nate blurted out. Luckily, Miss Lumpton was too busy fishing for her handkerchief to notice he spoke out of turn. "Yes, well, technically, the ice was frozen seawater," the lawyer said. "But either way, I’m afraid your parents aren’t coming back." Miss Lumpton began to cry quietly. Nate hadn’t seen his parents in more th...
