"A dreamy charmer of a book, full of clever wordplay that practically demands it be read out loud.”—New York Times The Doldrums is an extraordinary debut about friendship, imagination, and the yearning for adventure from author-artist Nicholas Gannon. Archer B. Helmsley wants an adventure. No, he needs an adventure. His grandparents were famous explorers . . . until they got stuck on an iceberg. Now Archer’s mother barely lets him out of the house. As…
4.7Overall Score
The Doldrums
Reader's Review With gorgeous illustrations and laugh-out-loud adventures, this book has much to love for kids and adults alike. The plot is creative; a young boy longs to be an adventurer ...
Reader’s Review
With gorgeous illustrations and laugh-out-loud adventures, this book has much to love for kids and adults alike. The plot is creative; a young boy longs to be an adventurer like his grandparents, but his mom keeps him under strict house arrest to keep him from acting on his intrepid tendencies. The book is also about friendships with great character development, although the book is more of a fun read than of educational value.
To look out for
- Islamic Values: Archer’s mom is strict and critical of his love of adventure. She forces him to do chores he hates, hides his gifts, keeps him from seeing his grandparents and threatens him with boarding school. Ms Murkey, a school teacher, is overbearing and cruel. Archer often sneaks out from his room to see his friend Oliver. The three friends plan a secret escape which involves getting on a boat to the Antarctic.
- Violence: An adventure in the zoo results in tigers chasing people, and Archer hitting his head and losing consciousness.
Purchase on: Book Depository
