Volcano Island

De: William Graham

Narrado por: Mary Allwright

Ten-year-old Rolf Arneson from Minnesota visits Iceland. During his stay he meets an Icelandic girl named Frida who introduces him to a world of magic, folklore, glaciers and erupting volcanoes. Learn how they work together to save a small town about to be destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

©2005 William Graham (P)2015 William Graham

A Wonderful Adventure On Volcano Island

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Volcano Island. This was a super audiobook for all ages. The characters were all so cute. I think my favorite was Shamus, the Irish monk just because he was the glue that perhaps bonded the children for life. The story was magical and adventurous. I can't wait for my grandchildren to listen to it. An overall great listen by William Graham. Definitely recommended.

Mary Allwright had such a beautiful voice. She was perfect for the story. She spoke clearly and with a nice tone that I think would resonate well with children. This was an excellent match with author/narrator.

"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

tale of friendship and magical adventure

Rolf and his mother travel to a small island off the coast of Iceland to visit their distant friends.  Ten year-old Frida is grieving the loss of her mother, but is excited to show off the magic of her home to her new friend.  Frida and Rolf are still young enough to believe in the “Hidden People,” the elf-like people who sometimes help the Icelanders.  But mostly the magical people just want to be left alone.  Of course, most of the adults don’t believe in the Hidden People and ignore the children’s stories about them.  But when the island itself is facing destruction, they have to listen.

Volcano Island is for young children (5 to 10 years-old).  The plot is straightforward and easily followed.  The adventures are exciting enough, but not frightening, and the Hidden People are not threatening.  The magic is really about good advice when it is important.  The story is mostly about the friendship between two ten year-olds facing the challenges of alienation in their own lives, coming together to give each other confidence to trust their own judgment.

Mary Allwright performs the audiobook well.  She has a friendly voice that fits the story.  She does occasionally stumble over words or phrases, but that seems to make the story more authentic, more like a parent reading to a child, than a professional actor.

This simple tale of friendship and magical adventure should appeal to many young children.  There are unusual animals, adventure, the mystery of friendly elves and the dramatic setting of Iceland and its long summer days.  Children's taste and attention spans vary widely.  A patient 5 year old might enjoy this story more than an antsy 10 year old.  As with all children's stories, the parent knows his or her child's interests best.

Children’s Fiction 5 to 10 years old.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

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.Magic at Magma Mountain

Where does Volcano Island rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have not read many children's books recently ,however I loved it.I think it will be fantastic for my friends daughter.the content was perfect for the age range that the book caters to.I especially like the developing friendship between Rolf and Frida.Mary Allwright made me feel like I was six again as she told William Graham's magical tale of the hidden people.Like all good children's stories this one has a good moral within the Magic and mysticism.On te whole this was a lovely book and an exciting story for adults as well as children.The writing was rather beautiful throughout but I especially liked how the author talked about Frida and her greif and how shoe moves on with it. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.As always this is my honest opinion .

Natural Friendships and Natural Disasters

Would you listen to Volcano Island again? Why?

Yes, I enjoyed listening to Iceland and the Summer Solstice

If you’ve listened to books by William Graham before, how does this one compare?

I've listened to several of his books and have more of his on my Wish List.
This was set in a modern day location ( although I'm not sure of its accuracy) and the some of the others were dominantly set in fictitious places.
I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as others. This didn't feel like a tight story witha build up to a climax.

Which character – as performed by Mary Allwright – was your favorite?

Frida was smart and had developmental growth.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Volcano Island was descriptive and sounded beautiful. The characters' had several adventures with their explorations, but I never really connected with them, nor did they have any emotional moments to share with the reader.

Any additional comments?

I review all ebooks and audiobooks.
However, "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Volcanoes

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This book follows Rolf and Frieda, two 10 year olds, as they attempt to save Frieda's village from the local volcano, accompanied by the "Hidden People", including an Irish monk Seamus. Being that I love studying volcanoes, this book was brilliant. It really did focus around the volcano as well as Rolf's desire to have adventures and Frieda's attempts to grieve for her mother. It was brilliantly written and Mary Allwright narrated well, though she did stumble over a couple words.