January 1, 2009

The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher

Written by Carrie

I thought The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher was a pretty cute book overall. The story is written by Bill Harley (published by Peachtree Publishers) who is credited as being an excellent family story teller. I do believe I second that!

This is the story of Darius Frobisher whose father went missing in a hot air balloon. Eleven year old Darius is being raised by his father's housekeeper, Miss Hastings, until the insurance company that his father used to work for decides that the house Darius and Miss Hastings live in needs to be sold and the money put into a trust for Darius to live on when he is older. As a result of this, Darius is sent to live with his Aunt Inga between whom there is no love loss. If not for the hope Darius has of riding a bicycle that he finds in Aunt Inga's basement back to Miss Hastings, Darius would not have survived his summer at Aunt Inga's.

With that story line in mind, the book almost sounds like it could be a downer but it truly isn't. I thought the characters were quirky and wacky enough that it added an element of humor to the plot so that when you might be tempted to feel a bit down, you'd perk right back up. Not only that, but I sincerely appreciated (and applaud!) Harley for continually making the point that grownups are to be valued and respected as being wise — even though the particular ones being represented in this book had some serious character flaws. He could have easily removed all respect from the adult characters but instead encouraged his readers by saying things like, 'Now you and I both know that normally . . ." but Darius was not in a normal situation and the reader is encouraged to acknowledge that this is a special and unique situation.

The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher is clean (minus the military school mentioned in the book being named "Crapper Academy" which I thought was a bit distasteful), quirky and fun. Harley paints pictures in your heads with his choice of words. He sets scenes up in your minds eye and it's easy to see this book on the big screen. It's a little different, a little unique and quite a pleasant read. On the whole, I'd give this book a thumbs up for creativity and imagination.

If you'd like to win a copy, leave a comment here. The winner will be announced on January 7.

The winner of The Tale of Despereaux is #22 Betsy. You should have received an email, but if not, please use our contact form to send us your name and address.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Filed under Carrie, Children's Books, Fiction, ages 9 - 12 by Carrie

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Buzz Up Digg Mixx Twitter

Email Print

137 Comments

Comments on The Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher

January 1, 2009

Supermom2010 @ 8:28 pm

this book sound delightful. Our family would enjoy it as a bedtime story. Happy New Year 2009

Stephanie'sMommyBrain @ 9:44 pm

Sounds like a cute book my boys might be interested in.

Kristinia - Loving Heart Mommy @ 10:41 pm

My boys would definately enjoy this book. We are all about creativity and imagination!

January 2, 2009

Keeling @ 7:44 am

I'd love to win!

susan varney @ 9:39 am

love to read hope to win

Denise @ 10:24 am

Count me in!

Ann Fantom @ 10:24 am

I think my daughter would like this.

john ferris @ 10:28 am

I enjoy reading.

Dianne F. @ 11:12 am

The author is a Rhode Islander. Performs great concerts for kids (as well as adults). Would love this win for my grandson – beginning reader and loves it.

c. clemens @ 11:51 am

great prize. enter me

Mike s @ 11:57 am

Great prize

Shannon Baas @ 12:02 pm

Sounds like a good book.

Holly Cooper @ 12:15 pm

Sounds like a cute book! Thanks.

Cathy W. @ 12:44 pm

Sounds like a great book – count me in the running!

jenna @ 12:48 pm

This sounds like a great book. I would love to read it this Winter. Thanks for the giveaway!

Karen B @ 1:10 pm

Greatgrandson would love this!

Donna R @ 1:44 pm

Please enter me and thanks for the contest. I love reading and try to pass that along to my grand-children.

Belinda Shaw @ 2:26 pm

This would be a nice book for my two grandkids!

Sherri B. @ 2:29 pm

Sounds like a great read for my nephew who reads everything he can get his hands on! Thanks for the chance!

sherri419 at gmail dot com

Gina Stratos @ 2:45 pm

Love the cover art
gkstratos@yahoo.com

M.A. @ 2:58 pm

Darius sounds like our kind of guy!

Terra Heck @ 3:27 pm

My daughter would like this book.

Aniela R. @ 3:48 pm

Sounds interesting, I think my boys and I would like it.

Diane R. @ 4:09 pm

Sounds like a good chapter book to read to my grandkids.

Roseann Kies @ 4:31 pm

My son would enjoy this book. Thanks!

Alice Hansen @ 4:51 pm

I'd love this for my little boy – thanks for the chance!

angie @ 5:49 pm

I would definitely love to win a copy of this book! Thanks!

Angie
Http://twitter.com/pricousins
Pricousins at aol dot com

Samantha R @ 5:53 pm

Sounds like a good book!

Catherine copeland @ 5:55 pm

i know my son would love this book

Christine @ 6:05 pm

I would love to give this one a read! I love the young reader book level, so many hidden treasures to be found there!

Tom @ 6:29 pm

Looks great!

MRS.MOMMYY @ 6:50 pm

count us in!

Kathy Scott @ 6:55 pm

Thanks for the chance.

Anne @ 7:31 pm

Sounds like an enchanting story to read to my grandchildren!

Thanks

dorothy lazorchik @ 8:36 pm

I would love to win

Kristie @ 8:42 pm

Sounds like a great book!

Angie Lamb @ 9:15 pm

I would love to win!

christopher h @ 9:37 pm

love to win this

Leann S @ 9:44 pm

Would like to win a copy.

Beth @ 10:34 pm

I would love to win this book! Sounds creative and the art on the cover is soothing.

sito @ 11:25 pm

Your reivew of the book makes it sound delightful and something we might enjoy.

Stephen Saunders @ 11:50 pm

pick me pick me

January 3, 2009

Don @ 12:18 am

Looks like a good read…thank you.

Rich Lawrence @ 4:29 am

My grandson would love this book,hope I win.

Mary Gleason @ 5:00 am

The story sounds interesting. I think I'd like to read the book.

Vicky Boackle @ 5:46 am

my grandkids would love this.

Lynn H @ 7:44 am

My nephews would love this!

Linda Howard @ 8:25 am

Please enter me. Thanks!

Susan C @ 8:30 am

This sounds like a book my 8 year old grandson would love!

Michael Capp @ 8:33 am

I'd love to win!

Sydney @ 8:39 am

Bill Harley is amazing! He has been entertaining families for at least 20 years. I'd love a copy of this book!!

Kari @ 9:14 am

I've never heard of this author! Would LOVE to check it out, count me in! THANKS so much!!

david basile @ 9:37 am

sounds fun thanks

Sarah H @ 10:20 am

Sounds like an interesting book.

Dawn Fiske @ 10:23 am

The family would love this book. Looks delightful.

Cassandra Janda @ 10:32 am

Please enter me–thanks!

ellen cunningham @ 10:33 am

I'd love to win this for my son. Thanks for the chance.

michele anne jaquays @ 11:15 am

Hey, I want in on this contest.

Mary Ward @ 12:11 pm

The books sounds like one that my daycare kids would love and that I would enjoy reading right along with them.

Maja @ 12:49 pm

love it

claudette flanigan @ 12:57 pm

wow…sounds great! I'd love to read this.

veronica sandberg @ 1:36 pm

want to win this

Anya @ 1:52 pm

Great giveaway. Thanks for the chance.

Christin Banda @ 1:58 pm

this looks great! thanks!

Noelia Gutierrez @ 2:19 pm

I would love this and so would my kids

Terry Vanderpool @ 2:48 pm

Please enter me in this great contest thanks

Angela J @ 2:56 pm

Looks like a good read.

Ally @ 4:30 pm

great prize

angela cisco @ 5:10 pm

I think my family would enjoy this

Jack Davis @ 5:45 pm

Looks like a GREAT book for the kids!

Gina from Queen Rabbit's Realm @ 8:54 pm

This sound like a great read aloud for our family. My 8 year old and 6 year old would especially enjoy it. Thanks for the opportunity!

Andrea R. @ 8:58 pm

My 9 yr old daughter loves to read & she would love this book!

MJ @ 9:06 pm

This sounds really cute!

Jill Miller @ 9:29 pm

Sounds like a really good book!

Amy Tucker @ 9:32 pm

This sounds like a great read.

Carla Pullum @ 11:19 pm

Count our family in!!!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cindi @ 11:56 pm

Happy New Year! The cover of the book is wonderful. I have a niece and nephew who would enjoy this book together. Please enter my name in your delightful drawing. Many thanks…..Cindi

January 4, 2009

meredith @ 1:45 am

Such a cute book, I would love to win this for my child's library.

Pamela Hansen @ 8:34 am

would love to win this for my niece and nephews

Linda Moeller @ 10:23 am

I've heard this is a great story. We have avid readers in the family!

Christina G. @ 11:31 am

Thanks for the giveaway!

Jennifer hedden @ 11:38 am

enter me

adrienne Gordon @ 12:05 pm

i'd liek to win

Deidre @ 12:43 pm

Sounds like a good book that the whole family would be interested in.

Deidre

mindy @ 1:27 pm

great read thanks for the contest

Susan Ledet @ 2:20 pm

Thanks for the chance to win this nice book.

Katherine Frazier @ 2:41 pm

sounds like an interesting book, would love to have it.

Annette @ 3:16 pm

Sounds like a good book.

Keith @ 4:47 pm

Sounds like a fun book, I'd love to give it to our library.

Karen Gonyea @ 6:51 pm

Looks great

Stacie @ 9:48 pm

Please count me in

Hesper F @ 11:00 pm

Looks like a fantastic read!

Jean F @ 11:30 pm

Thank you for holding such a great giveaway!

January 5, 2009

Daniel Petre @ 1:00 am

I would like to read this to my kids.

Jay French @ 1:43 am

This sounds like a wonderful book.

Francine Anchondo @ 2:13 am

Thanks for the giveaway… I love reading new books.

Lara Aleff @ 2:16 am

What an adorable kids book!

Delores @ 4:08 am

please enter me!

romero @ 4:08 am

would love to be entered.

Marion B @ 8:47 am

Sounds like a good book!

Erma @ 8:49 am

I would love the chance to win, thanks.

Jason Nickolay @ 12:11 pm

This book sounds very interesting

Annie G @ 12:25 pm

Sounds right up Zo-Peep's alley! Thanks.

Cheryl F. @ 1:10 pm

I'd love to read this *Thanks* for the giveaway!

Samantha Miller @ 1:20 pm

This sounds like a great book! I would love to win this!

Valerie Mabrey @ 2:29 pm

count me in to win

Brenda Park @ 2:57 pm

Looks like a great read, thanks for the chance to win!

Heather B @ 3:00 pm

sounds like a book my children and i could really enjoy reading together

Ed Nemmers @ 5:02 pm

Happy 2009!

Joyce Jacobs @ 7:37 pm

So many books, so little time. This one sounds really cute.

Ellie W @ 8:00 pm

This sounds like a really cute book. Please enter me.

Melissa P @ 8:58 pm

Thanks for the giveaway!

Tamara Burks @ 10:19 pm

This sounds interesting.

Gabriel J. @ 10:36 pm

Please, enter me, great prize!!! I would love to win this.

Doreen @ 10:45 pm

What a great book…count me in.

john ferris @ 10:51 pm

You offer such great prizes.

January 6, 2009

Marcia S @ 12:25 am

The title of this book is intriguing.

Robert R @ 12:49 am

please enter me…thank you for the nice giveaway

Alli @ 12:56 am

This would be so great! Thanks!

Linda Killian @ 12:59 am

This book sounds like it would be great to read to my daughter!

Marcy Strahan @ 3:53 am

What an adventerous read! Would love to read this book.
Thanks!

Elizabeth M. @ 5:57 am

It sounds like an absolutely delightful read!

Jennifer Barr @ 7:19 am

sounds like a great book

Tracey Byram @ 8:30 am

Liz and Tristan would enjoy a new book for bedtime reading.

kathy pease @ 9:34 am

PLEASE COUNT ME IN ON THIS AWESOME GIVEAWAY

Kathy Conley @ 9:51 am

Sounds like a good read!

Amy Griffin @ 10:23 am

Sounds excellent! Count me in. Thank you for such a nice giveaway!

Tarah @ 10:30 am

This looks like a really cute book!

Jeane Campbell @ 10:59 am

Sounds like a book I should have on my grandchildren's book shelf.

jayne @ 11:06 am

Sounds like a great book! I would love to enter!

Buddy Garrett @ 12:38 pm

I would love to win the book.

Kelly F @ 12:57 pm

This book looks so fun and cute! Great giveaway!

Tammy @ 12:59 pm

I think my daughter would really enjoy this book, quirky is right up her alley!

Susanne Troop @ 1:25 pm

My children would enjoy reading this book!

Lily Kwan @ 3:41 pm

Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!

Kathy @ 4:09 pm

Looks like a great story!

Timothy Sternberg @ 4:51 pm

This book sound delightful.