Far-Flung Adventures: Hugo Pepper

Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell first came to attention with their intriguing series, the Edge Chronicles. These books conformed to a recent trend in children's books of having well made hardcover editions sized for young readers' hands filled with Mr. Riddell's brilliant illustrations. I have been reading this series to my two sons, age 7 and 8. The difficulty is that as attractive as these books are, the Edge Chronicles are not really appropriate for younger readers. There is some complex psychology of guilt and blame, some very gory descriptions and deaths, and some quite scary moments. I have had to edit as I read aloud, and even skip a few paragraphs. This is to put into context what a joy the Far Flung Adventures series is. You get the same clever plot, whimsical inventions, incredibly beautiful illustrations and striking characters we have come to expect from this creative team. However, it is all very much accessible to kids under age 12. There may be danger or the threat of violence but there is no imagery or description that would give a parent pause. The protagonists in all the books are younger than the Edge books, making it easy for kids to identify with the heros/heroines. My boys have loved Fergus Crane and Corby Flood, and were swept away with Hugo Pepper. They love leafing through the book to look at the illustrations, unfolding the gorgeous map and referring back to the earlier books to characters and events referred to in the latest installment. They are captivated by the plot and held breathless by the adventure. In this book Hugo Pepper comes back to Harbor Heights from the Frozen North on a flying sled, and lands in the middle of a mystery that involves dastardly deeds, conniving characters and perhaps lost pirate treasure. If your children are fans of Spiderwick or Harry Potter they are in for a real treat! Did I mention I liked it too?

This is the third book in the "Far Flung Adventures" series by the dynamic duo that gave us "The Edge Chronicles". This adventure series is for younger readers from about eight, and each book includes a fold out map cleverly disguised as a dust jacket. Although each one can be read on its own, you should still read Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane (Far-Flung Adventures) and Far-Flung Adventures: Corby Flood (Far-Flung Adventures) , because there are sneaky references to these highly imaginative books in Hugo Pepper. In a nutshell, young Hugo Pepper is rescued from the perils of the Frozen North by a couple of reindeer herders after his parents become the special of the day for a pack of marauding polar bears. Ten years later, he sets off to find his real home, and lands up in Firefly Square, where he meets a cast of eccentric and magical characters, including land-loving mermaids, tea-blenders, moth-eating dogs, and cloud sheep whose wool is in high demand, to say the least. The villains in this book are exceptional also - a snooping, conniving cat lady and an editor with an axe to grind who controls a work force of snow monsters. Filled with action, adventure, intrigue and even treasure-hunting, this book is another must-read from Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. Amanda Richards, March 31, 2007

Our Four year old has read every book these two have written, including The Edge Chronicle series that they wrote. She loves the characters and following the story.

My daughter got into the series of three books (with Corby Flood and Fergus Crane) when she was about 8 and she still loves them 5 years later! The stories are captivating and imaginative so they hold your attention. And they're fun!

This was a wonderful book to read to my son - beautiful pictures cannot wait for next installment to come out.

This is one of 3 in the series. It is a wonderful fun book. I am an adult have fell in love with the series.

Amazing story, lifetime fan of paul stewart here, his stories never get old and are great for all ages

I read this to both my boys, 5 and 11, and they really enjoyed it. When we go to the libary I try and look for any book by this author. The author has an awesome imagination and the books that I have read seem to have elements in each of them that relate or tie into another book he has written.