Kensuke's Kingdom

This book surprised me with its beautiful imagery, as the author helps us clearly visualize every setting and event. It also contains a variety of extended metaphors and intriguing symbolism, often affected through creative imagery and the use of words with dual meanings. The themes of man versus

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nature and man versus self were wonderfully portrayed on every page. This story is also a coming of age story for Michael, reminiscent in some ways of a Greek myth. There is loss, temptation, and obstacles that are both internal and external. The story is written from Michael’s point of view, allowing the reader to have full insight into his thoughts and feelings at every pivotal moment. To be honest, I was a little frustrated by the irony in the postscript, and the fact that some mysteries are never solved (such as what was causing the strange stomach illness experienced by Michael’s mother). But overall, I loved this book and would recommend it highly for the middle school reader. It is a fast read, with lots of action, and its wonderful imagery and metaphors could easily serve as the focal point of a language arts discussion. Also, there is an excellent lesson in problem solving embedded into the manner in which Michael processes and handles his dilemmas.

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Michael Morpurgo brings us on the tale of young Michael who falls overboard in the Indian Ocean, and awakens on a small island. He is lucky to be alive, and even more lucky to find he's not alone on this island, or is he? Kensuke's Kingdom is the story of Michael, a boy who is faced with new

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challenges and adventures on a small island, which is home to Kensuke. I found this story to be a wonderful read, with excitement, adventure, and especially well captured human emotion and struggle in the face of adversity and circumstances beyond our control. This is a great piece of literature for either a classroom lesson, or simply for the pleasure of reading a good book.

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I loved this book. in particular, the main section of the book which takes place on the Island, Kensuke's Kingdom. Michael's struggles and the relationship that develops between Michael and Kensuke explore adversity, confusion and complexities of relationships.

I bought this book because I like the

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picture of the Wave, and being a fan of Robinson Crusoe, I thought I might enjoy it before handing it over to my son - I did, I couldn't put it down and it made me cry.

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Very good book from Morpurgo.Felt myself attached to them and a sad feeling when I finished it!!

Michael and his parents were sailing around the world when Michael and his dog fell out of the boat. They was rescued by an old Japanese man who had been living on a deserted island since World War II. The Japanese man, Kensuke, fed and protected Michael, but at first was uninterested in

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befriending him because he thought Michael would only bring violent people to the island. Slowly they bonded until Michael was finally found and reunited with his parents. A heartwarming story.

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a fantastic read that evoked various emotional responses; at the end i felt that i wanted to actually contact Kensuke's son and tell him to go search for his father as he may be still alive. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fictional work. Great for the classroom to understand and

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learning to listen to others to survive; this book would create a lot of good discussion.

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This book was oddly paced: too much exposition, too little rising climax, very little resolution. It does not have the detail or struggle found in other books like this (Hatchet, Robinson Crusoe, the Cay, etc.). It would be most effective for small literature circles or guided reading groups in 5-8

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grade. Connections could be made to ecology and conservation, WWII history, sailing, or friendship.

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A family home on the sea. Blue water everywhere. One minute he was on the boat, the next he was stranded on a deserted island with the company of Stella Artois, his dog and a complete stranger, Kensuke of the island. Survival is crucial with a sad ending that will make you cry.

I had to read this in Primary school, didn't like the book or the teacher for that matter. Morpurgo has written some great books but this sure ain't one of them.

I read this for the second or third time for my book club and loved it all over again. I love Michael Morpurgo's style of writing: descriptive, attentive to the details of the natural world with well-developed characters and plot, and strong themes of friendship, self-growth, and the horrors of

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war. Everyone in the club loved it, too. Some of my favorite parts are Kensuke's words of wisdom to Michael, such as, when Michael looks always toward the future of rescue instead of enjoying his present friendship and learning with the elder: "Life must not be spent always hoping, always waiting. Life is for living." I also love how Kensuke is content with his own company and the company of wild companions, the orangutans. He has his art, his routines, his purpose of protecting the wildlife, and a good place to call home, however humble it may seem.

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I was expecting this book to be similar to Robinson Crusoe but it is so much more. I was actually in tears by the end of the book I found it to be a very touching and sensitive story especially since there is a real case of a Japanese survivor of WW2. It is very well written especially for the

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audience it is intended for.

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I was expecting this book to be similar to Robinson Crusoe but it is so much more. I was actually in tears by the end of the book I found it to be a very touching and sensitive story especially since there is a real case of a Japanese survivor of WW2. It is very well written especially for the

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audience it is intended for.

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Very touching story of a family sailing around the world and, twelve year old Michael goes overboard with his dog in a violent storm, while his parents are below, asleep.
He finds, himself and dog, washed up on what he thinks is an uninhabited island. But, who is leaving him food and water, in the

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morning.
Beautifully told story, with Michael as the narrator.

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Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is an children’s adventure story about 11 year old Michael and his dog, Stella who are washed overboard and end up on a desert island in the Pacific during a family trip in the 1980’s. There is one other human on the island, an elderly Japanese man who

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looks after Michael but doesn’t seem to want him to try to catch the attention of any passing boat or do anything that could perhaps end in Michael’s rescue and reunion with his mother and father.

At first Michael is bitterly angry at Kensuke’s attitude but life on the island has its own gentle rhythm that eventually finds Michael and Kensuke bonding as they fish, paint and play football together. Kensuke tells Michael his story of how he ended up on the island. Kensuke eventually realizes that Michael is too young to be stranded on the island the rest of his life so the two build a signal fire and through their conversations, Michael is sure that Kensuke will come off the island with him. But when rescue finally arrives, Kensuke elects to stay on the island as he feels responsible for protecting the orangutans and other wildlife that are to be found there.

My granddaughter read this book for school and wasn’t particularly taken with it and as I knew this author and love survival stories, I decided to read it for myself. I can understand why she wasn’t enthralled by the book as there wasn’t a lot of action or humor in the story, both elements of which she looks for. This is a book to bring an awareness of the environment to the young and as such, I thought the author did a fine job. I enjoyed the book with its simple language and quiet understated story.

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A gripping tale of a young boy taken from the familiarity and comfort of his home and school as his parents try their best to bounce back after losing their jobs at the brick factory. The answer: Sail around the world, of course! Michael and his dog are thrown overboard and are rescued to a

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(deserted?) tropical island where the real journey of discovery and identification of the self begins.

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This is the story of a boy who is lost at sea and finds a new way to survive creating friendships and learning to appreciate what he already had.

A very beautiful story about how a young boy escapes poverty on a sailing boat with his family, then gets swept overboard with his dog. He wakes on a deserted island only to find that he is not alone. A interesting look into the thought patterns of a boy trying to get back to his parents. The

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relationship that evolves from controller to father figure with the gentle but stubborn Kensuke. I love the description of how he paints. Building a friendship around silence. Beautiful.

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