The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

This book is so completely brilliant, that I have been compelled to post about it on my sadly extremely neglected blog.  It's on the Carnegie Longlist for this year, which I have been steadily working my way through, and if it doesn't get on the shortlist, I will be both very surprised, and very cross.  Especially given that Rooftoppers did get on the shortlist, and it's SO much better than that.  And that was quite good.

I thought this was called The Explorers at first, as it's the tale of 4 children stranded in the Amazon rainforest.  It's not, it's The Explorer, singular, and is named for a character that we never know the name of, that we meet about half way through the book, who is the best old man in a children's novel since Mister Tom.  Who is one of my very favourite people of all time, despite the fact that he never existed, and even if he had, would have been long dead before I was born.

The characters in this are outstanding, even the ones that only have one line at the very end. They are flawed, but likeable. There are unbelievable elements, like the fact that one of them befriends a baby sloth, and it becomes her companion, but I don't think it's supposed to be grittily realistic.

It's a story of adventure, risks, and learning to care for others.  There's enough mild peril to keep it extremely interesting, but enough clues that everything will be OK in the end, that you don't fear it's going to go all dark and depressing on you.

The language is a thing of absolute beauty.  I am grateful to Katherine Rundell to providing me with many quotes that I am going to write on my board and ask my students to admire and to use to improve their own writing.  A few tasters, that won't spoil the book for you:

"The fire made a noise like an idea being born, a crackle that sounded like hope."

"People do not tell you that love is so terrifying.  It is less like rainbows and butterflies and more like jumping on to the back of a moving dragon."

"Would you like some more?" "No, thank you,  It tastes too much like being electrocuted."

I just loved it.  I was very sad when I finished it.  I am going to nag both of my older children until they read it, and then I am going to nag all of the children I teach until they read it too.