Volcano Island

By: William Graham

Narrated by: Mary Allwright

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

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

.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 .

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.

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.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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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."

I highly recommend Volcano Island for all ages.

Would you consider the audio edition of Volcano Island to be better than the print version?

I think the audio version of Volcano Island is much better than the printed version because I think the narrator did an amazing job of portraying the emotions behind the story and capturing my attention throughout.
Overall, I think that having the ability to listen to someone, like Mary Allwright, who knows how to read with feeling and knows how to captivate an audience, further enhances the experience.

What did you like best about this story?

There were many things I liked about this story. But, in picking one, I think the story's visual language and ability to portray beautiful imagery was my favorite. Taking place in Iceland, there were so many beautiful surroundings and the book did an amazing job of bringing these beautiful settings to life.

What about Mary Allwright’s performance did you like?

Mary Allwright's narration was always clear and captivating. Her voice was calming at the necessary times and yet, chilling at others and her performance thoroughly kept my interest throughout.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Once I started Volcano Island I was hooked and wanted to listen to it all at one time. However, being that I have 2 little children I had to listen to the story over several sittings.

Any additional comments?

Volcano Island's plot is filled with friendship, adventure, danger and excitement, which I think interests people of all ages. I know that this book is listed under the category: "Children's Books," however, I think it is a book that people of all ages will enjoy.

Echo Echo... I can hear you?

The story was very good for younger children to listen to for expansion of there imagination. However the narrators voice seems very echoey and remind me of someone who should be reading a horror story, not one for children. Love the uses of the "hidden people" and the Irish.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Icelandic adventure.

William Graham is a keen travel blogger and it's great that he shares his experiences with young readers in his children's literature. This book is set in Iceland and I discovered to my surprise, that it was the first book I'd read about that country.

Rolf and Frieda are both ten; Rolf is a slightly alienated American boy and Frieda is an Icelandic girl, struggling through the recent death of her mother. Their parents are friends and arrange for Rolf to spend some of his summer vacation in Iceland. In spite of initial reservations, the two children find they have a lot in common and Frieda enjoys showing him around and sharing some of the local folklore.

The book was an interesting combination of travelogue and local myths, with a bit of an adventure thrown in. Sadly, most youngsters seem to want to read fantasy these days, but for a child looking for something a bit different, this would be an excellent choice.

I was listening to the audiobook version, well narrated by Mary Allwright, and obtained through Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended age 5 to 10 years.

Volcano Island!! Needs a series!!!!

**I was given this audio book for free from Audiobook Boom and the author for a honest review.**

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.

**If your child still believes in Santa or the Tooth Fairy you should probably come clean on them all before letting them read or listen to this!**

Rolf and Frida have an adventure when a volcano erupts and the small town is at risk. Full of Icelandic folklore, adventure, and the grieving of a child for her mother, Volcano Island, is a great addition for anyone's library, boy or girl alike.

Mary Allwright does an amazing job with narrating this story! I haven't been this happy about reading a kids book since Gary Paulson's The Hatchet. I really hope that Mr. Graham decides to bring back Rolf and Frida for more stories.

Iceland Comes Alive

Any additional comments?

I've never been to Iceland, but I can see it in my mind on hearing this tale full of magic and folklore. The narrator has a rich, beautiful way of telling the story. It gave me hours of listening pleasure.