The Secrets of Droon #1: The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet

by Tony Abbott

Other authorsTim Jessell (Illustrator)
Paperback, 1999

Status

Available

Call number

PB Abb

Call number

PB Abb

Local notes

PB Abb (c.1)

Barcode

2378

Genres

Publication

Scholastic (1999), Edition: 3rd Printing, Paperback, 96 pages

Description

Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the world of Droon!Eric, Julie, and Neal have just found something magic in Eric's basement. They have discovered a staircase to another world! The world of Droon is amazing - full of magic, flying lizards, and fun, furry creatures. But how will Eric, Julie, and Neal find their way home? Maybe their new friend, Princess Keeah, can help?

Language

Original publication date

1999

Physical description

96 p.; 7.4 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member rsamet
If you are looking for an easy chapter book that incorporates the premises of the Narnia chronicles and Lord of the Rings trilogy into short, 80-page nuggets for the 2nd-4th grade crowd, look no further than the Secrets of Droon series. The Hidden Stairs... is the first in the series, and
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introduces all the major characters. There is Eric, who has a secret staircase to another realm hidden in his messy basement, and his two best friends Neal and Julie. They arrive in Droon, a world in turmoil, as an evil wizard named Lord Sparr is trying to take over by finding three objects of power that have been scattered. They meet Princess Keeah, and her ally, the old wizard Galen Longbeard, and battle against Sparr and his army of Ninns using magical artifacts. The series continues as the trio's dreams summon them back to Droon to fight Lord Sparr and help Princess Keeah. This is a great series to recommend to kids who love fantasy but are not ready for the challenge and complexity of C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien.
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LibraryThing member pbamy
This is the first in a series called The Secrets of Droon. We purchased the first 10 in the series of almost 40 books. So far the students seem to enjoy the imaginary city of Droon and the adventures the characters face. In many ways it is a simplified version of Harry Potter. Even Eric in the
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illustration on the cover looks like Harry Potter with his round glasses. The story is well written and suspenseful and the plot is interesting and the characters are fun and likeable though a bit predictable and anticlimactic. I’m not sure that it can sustain the interest for 40 books but I will order some more.
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LibraryThing member readerworm12345
This was a really cute seris it was really good I loved them I wish I could have read more but my mom though I was to old for them. I loved how they made it realistic unlike some books like this were time passes the same in both places here its only been a few mins so it makes sence that the
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perants didnt worry about the kids. They were really good books i would recomend them to all the children grade 3-6.
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LibraryThing member matthewbloome
This is a pretty simple and relatively entertaining beginning to a beginners fantasy chapter book series. The characters are simply, yet adequately constructed. The story allows for the main characters to enter into and leave the other world, Droon, over the course of 96 pages and have a complete
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adventure along the way.
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LibraryThing member nmhale
In The Hidden Stairs, Eric and his friends discover a secret world in his basement. Consigned to cleaning the cluttered room, Eric is relieved when his friends Neal and Julie agree to help him with his chore, instead of playing the soccer game they were planning on. Neal is more interested in
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goofing around, and when he kicks the soccer ball and sends it ricocheting off the walls, the door to the small storage closet under the stairs pops open. Eric knows the room - what he doesn't know is that if you go inside, shut the door, and turn off the lights, an incandescent stairway appears at your feet, leading down to adventure.

Thus the trio step their way into Droon for the first time. Eric's exhilaration of finding a world under his house evaporates, however, when strange goons on flying lizards shoot flaming arrows at them. The kids tumble into the forest below, but escape, partly because of help they receive from Keeah, a princess of Droon. She asks Eric to take a message to Galen, a wizard, and dashes off. Eric reunites with Neal and Julie, and together they stumble upon Galen's invisible tower. Though they have found the wizard, more bad news follows when his magic mirror reveals that the evil Lord Sparr has captured Keeah, and taken her to Plud, his evil fortress. The children agree they must help her, and set off to brave the villain and save the day.

This book is brimming with invention and curiosity, certainly, and the story will enchant young readers. Imagine finding a magical world tucked away in your basement! Personally, I found it a bit slow. The fantasy was very typical and felt forced. I think this is one of those cases where the book is more suited for early readers than for adults; children will more easily suspend belief and accept a spider with a human head and a bad guy with purple fins behind his ears than I can. I love fantasy, but good fantasy needs to ground itself. Either the fantasy world has to be so well crafted that I believe it exists, or the realistic setting needs to draw me in first, and show me that these regular people are just as startled by the fantastic developments as I am. This opening book for the Droon series does neither of these things. However, it is a beginning reader chapter book, so the author has limited time to create not one but two worlds. I trust, as the series progresses, that the story will develop both the real setting and the magical Droon setting, and the books will become increasingly believable. In the meantime, I do value the creativity in this book, and the potential it offers. I easily see how a child would be swept away with wonder, and I plan to keep this one around and see how my girls respond when they are older.
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LibraryThing member benuathanasia
This was an absolute snooze-fest. There are sooooo many better fantasy series out there for this age group. Don't bother with this!
LibraryThing member heidi.donner
This is a wonderful book that students can get engulfed in. These children find a secret world in a friends basement and they go on adventures. This would be good for students who are fluent in reading up to sixth grade.

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Pages

96

Rating

½ (75 ratings; 3.5)
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