The Puppet Master (Charlie Small Series #3)
Search in google:
Gentleman adventurer Nick Ward has tracked down a third installment of Charlie Small’s incredible life story. The battered journal was found beneath the seat of a bus shelter in Pimlico. Passed into the hands of a collector of dubious repute, it took swift work from Nick to prevent the story from vanishing forever!Having finally escaped from the perfidious pirates, Charlie travels though icy waters and hair-raising mountains and encounters man-eating bats, a wild dog whose bark is worse than his bite, and ultimately finds himself ensnared by the evil Puppet Master, a figure of pure unadulterated evil. Will Charlie manage to escape his clutches, or will he remain a puppet forever, never to adventure again?Charlie Small is a keen amateur explorer. His interests include climbing trees, collecting things, playing computer games, and football. He also enjoys conversing in the secret language of the gorillas. His present whereabouts is unknown, but we understand that he’s hoping to be home in time for tea.Children's LiteratureCharlie Small's third incredible journey begins as he emerges from a huge ice hill and encounters a world of white in every direction. Charlie claims to be at least 400 years old, but he has retained the size and features of an eight-year-old boy. Pulling out his compass, Charlie heads west toward a remote mountain village. His body parts are beginning to freeze when he comes upon a ferocious white wolf. Fortunately, the slab of whale meat in his rucksack provides the wolf with a meal and Charlie with a life-saving friend. Charlie must overcome many challenges, such as fighting off man-eating bats and escaping from massive worms on the way to his destination. Once there, he learns about the dreaded puppeteer who performs in the village every year and takes a child as he leaves. Of course, Charlie comes in contact with this evil being and is enticed into drinking his toxic potion. Charlie's body is immediately encased in a ceramic-like substance that prevents him from making any movements on his own and he is hung on a hook with the other puppet-children. Finally, Charlie finds a way to escape, due to the puppeteer's excessive greed. Important events and chapter headings appear in large, handwritten script. Humorous black and white drawings add to the animation of the narrative. Young readers may be a bit confused by some of the British terms, such as "torch" for flashlight, measurements given in "metres," and the fact that Charlie's mother expects him home in time for "tea," but the fast-moving pace of the story will likely carry them along without much bother about individual words. An imaginative tale well suited to grade-school boys. "Charlie Small's Journal" series. Reviewer:Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.
