The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic

( 8 )

Overview

Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge leads (much to her chagrin) a very dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything . . . until the night she overhears a life-changing secret. It seems that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not a mountain at all-it's the belly of a sleeping giant, moving as the giant breathes. Now Persimmony and her new friend Worvil the Worrier have to convince all the island's other quarreling inhabitants-including the silly Rumblebumps, the ...

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The Rise and Fall of Mt. Majestic

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Overview

Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge leads (much to her chagrin) a very dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything . . . until the night she overhears a life-changing secret. It seems that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not a mountain at all-it's the belly of a sleeping giant, moving as the giant breathes. Now Persimmony and her new friend Worvil the Worrier have to convince all the island's other quarreling inhabitants-including the silly Rumblebumps, the impeccably mannered Leafeaters, and the stubborn young king-that a giant is sleeping in their midst, and must not be woken.

Enhanced with Brett Helquist's dazzling illustrations, Jennifer Trafton's rollicking debut tells the story of one brave girl's efforts to make an entire island believe the impossible.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Framed as an account written by Professor Barnabas Quill, "Historian of the Island at the Center of Everything," Trafton's debut is a lively adventure about magical pots, pepper, manners, poison-tongued jumping tortoises, poetic soldiers, and downtrodden yet resilient heroine Persimmony Smudge. One night, Persimmony becomes lost in the woods and overhears a plot to dig for gold buried beneath the king's castle at the top of the mountain. Informing bratty 12-year-old King Lucas ("His motto had always been ‘Eat first, think later,' and somehow he usually never managed to get around to the second part"), she learns the gold is actually an enormous belt buckle, and she is sent to investigate the rumor that there's a giant asleep underneath their small island, the mountain rising and falling as he breathes. Gathering proof, she and her friends must convince the island's fractured races that the giant is real before he wakes up and causes widespread devastation. Trafton imbues her tale with a delightful sense of fun and fascinating, well-rounded characters--playful wordsmithing and flowing dialogue make this an excellent choice for bedtime read-aloud. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9–11. (Dec.)
Children's Literature - Leah Hanson
Persimmony Smudge can just feel that she is meant to be a hero. She dreams of saving the world, bravely exploring the unknown, and embarking on grand adventures. But everyone else can only see her as the often dirty, always quirky daughter of the town basket-maker. When she accidentally breaks a pot, loses her hat, and gets lost in the woods all in one day, Persimmony gets just the adventure she was hoping for. She quickly learns that being a hero is not that easy. Her home on the Island at the Center of Everything is in grave danger, and she and her unlikely sidekick Worvil the Worrier must warn its inhabitants. But no one can believe her seemingly impossible discovery—that a giant sleeps underneath the island and must not be awakened! Persimmony and Worvil journey from one end of the island to the other, trying to convince the king and the misunderstood Leafeaters that they must abandon their search for gold so that their digging does not inadvertently uncover a sleeping giant. Persimmony's spunk and Worvil's determination will quickly capture the hearts of young readers. Trafton's tale is in the vein of The Kneebone Boy and The Mysterious Howling, with unlikely events, strong characters, witty language, and a wry narrator. Brett Helquist of "Lemony Snicket" fame creates black and white drawings as magical and amusing as the story. Whether read aloud to a group or savored alone, this whimsical adventure is sure to please. Reviewer: Leah Hanson
School Library Journal
Gr 4–7—Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge has a bad day and loses her hat. She finds herself lost as well, survives an encounter with a poison-tongued jumping tortoise, and overhears a conversation between two underground-dwelling Leafeaters, who have total distain for humans. Persimmony travels to tell the king what she's learned and is sent on a mission to discover if the mountain at the center of her island homeland is really a sleeping giant. Once she confirms his existence, she finds herself on an even more urgent mission, this one even more dangerous, to save her homeland by preventing the giant from being awakened by the Leafeaters, who are digging for gold and are about to reach his feet. Trafton creates a unique setting with unusual and detailed characters, including the playful Rumblebumps, the polite but dangerous Leafeaters, and the selfish 13-year-old king who has no regard for his subjects. Persimmony's sense of adventure and determination make her an entertaining heroine. Trafton's message about courage and responsibility is conveyed through her, the exaggerated King Lucas the Loftier, and assorted other characters, but it never overshadows the story. Frequent full-page black-and-white illustrations add to the humor and nonstop action.—Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI
Kirkus Reviews

The inhabitants of the Island at the Center of Everything are inclined to take things to extremes. The clown-like Rumblebumps lack gravitas; the politically correct Leafeaters, sticklers for etiquette and proper grammar and usage, lack humor. Persimmony Smudge, the basket-maker's daughter, values imagination over everything, and Worvil, the odd creature she befriends, is fixated on the worst that can happen. From his castle on Mount Majestic, King Lucas the Loftier indulges his taste for pepper, oblivious to the workers who slave at the peppermill to feed his craving. The discovery that their island world rests on a sleeping giant who shows signs of waking up throws the island's self-centered residents off balance. Meeting the emergency will require all the ingenuity and interspecies cooperation they can muster. More is less in this unruly fable suffering from a surplus of morals, from "live for today" to "moderation in all things." The surfeit of characters and rambling plot are confusing and cause and effect often unclear. Happily, the debut author's wry wit and flashes of satire mitigate many deficits.(Fantasy. 9-13)

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780803733756
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 12/2/2010
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 1,245,164
  • Age range: 9 - 11 Years
  • Lexile: 930L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 7.12 (w) x 11.70 (h) x 1.09 (d)

Meet the Author

Jennifer Trafton lives in Franklin, Tennessee. This is her first novel.

Brett Helquist is the illustrator of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 8 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 9, 2012

    Awesome book

    A great adventurous book for all ages. When i first started reading it, i couldn't stop. Ou have to read this book.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 6, 2012

    Cloud

    Comes back to grab something then he left

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 2, 2012

    Yellow

    Blue

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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    Posted July 16, 2011

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    Posted April 19, 2012

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    Posted December 15, 2011

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    Posted September 16, 2012

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