Review by Luanne Clark and the Kids of Yakima - The Inkwell Chronicles

 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet by JD Peabody

Review by Luanne Clark and the Kids of Yakima!

 

A  Pacific Northwest author, JD Peabody from Federal Way, WA, has written an intriguing fantasy/mystery for readers aged 9-12. It takes place in post-WWII England where a widowed father is raising his 2 children. Everett and Bea are thrown into the mystery when their father is kidnapped and they set out to rescue him, aided by members of the original group of English authors of that time known as the Inklings.

Well, Inklings Bookshop couldn’t pass up a fortuitous coincidence like that! This summer we presented an opportunity to our middle grades readers and they responded enthusiastically. Any young readers who read the book and replied with a short written review were entered into a drawing for a free copy of the second book of Everett and Bea’s adventures, which comes out this month: The Inkwell Chronicles: Race to Krakatoa. Also, some of the reviews were to be published in the Yakima Herald Republic–and here they are!

 

  My Thoughts About the Inkwell Chronicles

By Abby

 

In the book, The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet, the author did a great job of introducing the characters and setting the scene in the first chapter. I like how the author said in the first chapter, ”It’s far more meaningful to be interestED than to try to be interestING”. I also like how the author said, “You have greater influence than you know.”  The middle had so much suspense and adventure I couldn’t stop reading it! The end was so breathtaking it was awesome! I like the part when Everett didn’t think he was courageous but then, after all he went through trying to find his dad, he was, in fact, courageous like Max Courageous in the comic books his dad wrote. The author did a great job detailing the whole book! I felt like I was in every scene! How cool would it be to hold that pen and find an inkwell? I am super excited to read the second book!

Abby–I’m also excited for the second book! And I also loved the part where Everett recognized his courage. You wrote a great review! Adding quotations from a book really helps to bring it to life–and you picked great quotations that are very

meaningful.  
 

The Inkwell Chronicles

By Bailey

 

For starters, The Inkwell Chronicles book was so good. It had twists and turns on every page and I couldn’t put it down! My favorite part of the story is when Everett figured out that the sticks that Gilroy gave him could navigate him to find ink. He figured out that his sticks could navigate ink because Everett was angry at his sister Bea and his friend Trey because they both got a pen and he did not. But, when Everett did not know where Bea,Trey and Gilroy were he tried to use his sticks and they gave this kind of energy and they started moving forward in all different directions. Then he found his sister and friends. At first he thought they could navigate to find someone. But Gilroy was in a dangerous situation and Everett used his sticks and he found
Gilroy. Once Gilroy was out of the situation, Everett was telling Gilroy that his sticks could navigate someone. But Gilroy said they don’t find people, they find ink. That was my favorite part because he got to know how to use his sticks and he did not need a pen. It shows that you have to be happy with what you have.

Bailey–I love your review. You picked a very important part of the plot and explained it clearly. And you did something that a good reader and reviewer can do: you took what happened in the plot and figured out what the author was trying to tell us. Good work!
 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

By Brooklyn

 

I really enjoyed the first volume of The Inkwell Chronicles. The second I started reading I knew I would enjoy it. I felt like I was with the characters, doing exactly what they did. I think the book was really creative, and I want to be able to write like that when I’m older. I also got really excited when they talked about a girl named Madeleine figuring out about the “pinches”. A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books! I think this book was definitely worth reading. I want to get the second one!

Brooklyn–I’m glad you enjoyed it! And I’m so happy that you picked up on the references the author made about Madeleine L’Engle. I think you must be a very good reader, I know you’re a very good writer. Maybe one day we’ll be reading a book you have written!

 

The Ink of Elspet: A Review

By Garrett

 

The Ink of Elspet was an invigorating story and it is no wonder why you chose it for your summer book program. I was pleasantly surprised when the writers club was named Inklings. Surprisingly, unlike most books, it had a wonderful blend of surprise, mystery, and adventure. My favorite characters were Ermengarde the pigeon and the lovebugs. They were amazing. I especially like the part where they caught Bea when she fell off the tower. I enjoyed the war between the Blotters and the Formentori and its symbolism. This book was amazing! JD Peabody wove a splendid story.

Garrett–You figured out exactly why we chose this book for our summer reading! The Inklings were an amazing group of author friends. If you liked Ermengarde, be sure to come to Inklings on September 16. Mr. Peabody and inflatable Ermengarde will be there!

 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

By Keegan

 

It’s about two kids whose father has been kidnapped by Blotters. An evil creature that came out of a book.These kids, Bea and Everett, must save their father, Marcus, by using the power of ink. A powerful, imaginative liquid. Along their way they meet Inklings, a group of people who use ink to write stories, and Formentori who can wield the ink as weapons and who were born from the same book as the Blotters. Will Everett and Bea be able to save their father? Find out in this fantastic journey through stories.

Keegan–Well done! You gave a lot of important plot and character information. Also, you employed a technique that is used by professional reviewers. By asking the question, you tell the basic plot of the book and inspire people to read to find out the answer. 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

By Lyon

 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet begins with the main characters (Everett and his sister Bea) in their room. We figure out that Bea is an escape artist. Then we see their father leaving to go on a work trip. On his way back a creature called a Blotter crashes the train and kidnaps him. After that it gets a little complicated but Bea and Everett get help from 3 Inklings named Dot, Ronald, Jack, a conductor named Gilroy and a kid named Trey. Did I mention I love all the British names in this book? In the end, Everett, Bea, Gilroy and Trey rescue Everett’s and Bea’s father and defeat the Blotters. I believe that this book had a killer combination of action, chases, creativity, and plot twists.

Lyon– You wrote all your plot points in a nice, sequential order. It’s easy to follow. It was a good idea to mention that you like the British names in the book. It makes it more personal and your readers see some of your personality. Your last sentence is powerful!
 

The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

By Teresa

 

After reading the book The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet I rate it a 4 out of 5 because I like the characters and the plot, but I wish there was more mystery. My favorite part was when Osgood turned Mrs. Crimp into a statue because at first I thought Osgood was evil. My favorite character was Trey  because he randomly came and I liked how he retrieved his memory while going on the adventure. I feel like he was the least important character but having him in the book was much better than without him. Lastly, I would recommend this to one of my friends because it was easy to follow along and understand, also because I liked the characters.

Teresa–I love your review! I like the way you recognize that something can be good and not be perfect. It’s very honest. If you like mysteries, have you read The Westing Game? You might like it; it’s a puzzler for sure. Thanks for a thoughtful, well-written review!

Congratulations and thank you to all our young readers and reviewers. We at Inklings Bookshop hope you had a great summer full of good books! And now a special surprise! JD Peabody, the author of The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet will be coming to Inklings Bookshop to meet his readers! He’ll be signing books and he’s going to bring Ermengarde, his giant inflatable pigeon. We have The Ink of Elspet  at the shop now and he will be bringing  Everett and Bea’s second adventure, The Race to Krakatoa. We hope to see lots of you readers:  young, old and in-between!  Mark your calendars to join us–Saturday, September 16, at 1:00 pm.