“Mt. Sneffels is a 5000 ft. high mountain which shall be our doorway to the center of the Earth.” This is one of the first statements that pulled me right into this astounding book. From the vivid imagination of Jules Verne, with bellowing forests of mushrooms to dangerous sea monsters, welcome to the center of the Earth!
This book stars the reluctant adventurer Axle, the one who did not have any enthusiasm for the trip at first, his stubborn Uncle Hardwigg, the man who discovered the artifact that has the key to the center, and their guide and friend, Hans, the one who saves them throughout the whole story. This trio follows and retraces the almost lost trail of Arke Saknussemm, the one who claimed to have made it. Along their journey, they battle extinct species never before seen and survive bizarre weather. The setting ranges from calm Hamburg, Germany in the 1800’s and then to the beautiful and exciting Iceland.
This book has everything a person who loves action and suspense and imagination could ask for. One reason this would be a great book is for those who like geography and science. All through the book, it speaks of volcanoes, nature, and much more. It is not only a thrilling book, but a great way to learn the techniques of science and land of geography. As they say in the book, “Luckily this volcano is dormant.” “We went toward the forest. When at last we reached it, I found that I stood not in a forest of trees, but towering mushrooms!” This is Verne’s vision of what is really below our feet. His brilliant imagination is what kept the story running and not stopping. When he would cut off at a chapter, I would always keep going because of his ideas. I have never seen a book so elaborate. But this is only a part of the whole book. ACTION. This book is tense. I have never seen any action like it except for the STAR WARS novels. One thing after another, mayhem explodes right beside them. This book never slowed down. “The water of the Central Sea must have hit the bottom, and now it’s forcing us up…to a crushing death!” Great job, I would say.
Though this is a phenomenal book, it has some difficult vocabulary, and as I said, a bit tense. I would wait on reading this book untill you’re at a 5th grade reading level. I highly recommend this book for those readers who need something to wake them up.
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