The Silver Arrow

I have read this with my 5 and 7 year old and we have all loved it. I have since bought it again as a gift for my 10year old niece.It is such a wonderful book - full of imagination, wildlife and creativity. My son and daughter have enjoyed it equally. The book is packed full of interesting facts about unusual wildlife - we’ve learnt so much as we’ve read. And it really does open your eyes to the need to protect endangered species. Plus, there’s the appeal of a magical talking steam engine - what’s not to love?! There are a few scarier moments but nothing that my 5yr old couldn’t handle.For young animal lovers, adventure seekers and eco-warriors, this is a fantastic read!

I was lucky enough to be approved via Netgalley the audio book of The Silver Arrow read by Simon Vance. As I already had the book i decided to read and listen at the same time and Omg I had the best time. Simon's narration and the voices of each character was spot on alot of the time I was smiling and laughing while reading I was captivated by it. The Silver Arrow is written by Lev Grossman and yes he wrote the Magicians. Lev used quite alot of magic in here there were talking animals and a talking train which was driven by kids. All I can say is read and listen at the same time. One thing I did notice was that while reading the book and listening there were some language differences for example UK version the road was a motorway but on the Audio Book it was Highway but that didn't bother me in the slightest and yes the ending of the book did make me cry especially how the importance of conservation was used throughout the book. So I had to give it 5 stars.

Fab book full of animals and a magic train and an important message about the loss of wildlife.. appropriate for my 9 year old.

Wonderful story

I think this book is AMAZING. This book is about a girl called Kate, who is 11 and her little brother Tom, who is 9. For Kate’s 11th birthday her uncle Herbert gives her a steam locomotive. When Kate’s parents come outside and see the train they are frustrated with her uncle and send Kate to her room. Later her brother comes in and tells her that the train is on fire, but she doesn’t believe him until she goes outside and that’s where their adventure begins. The train is magical and can talk. They stop and pick up animals at train stations along the way. It is up to Kate and Tom to help the endangered animals get back to their natural habitat safely. Kate is a brave and fierce girl for her age. She wants to follow in Grace Hopper’s footsteps and make a difference to the world. Tom is a daredevil and has a quick brain for ideas. Even though he is only 9 he doesn’t quit when challenges come his way in life. They come across a talking heron, a green mamba snake, a fishing cat and a porcupine. This book teaches you to fight any challenges that get in your way, even if you really want to give up you will feel good if you save the day. It also teaches you that we need to look after planet Earth and all it’s animals. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like adventure stories and animal books. I would also recommend this book because it is magical and you really want to see if Kate and Tom succeed to save the animals.

An excellent and well written story that made me smile, moved and kept turning pages.Lev Grossman is a master storyteller and delivers an excellent story with a great cast of characters and excellent world building.It can be appreciated by children and adult and I thoroughly enjoyed even if I'm surely a lot older that the intended target age.Strongly recommended.Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As ever, my review of this unusual children’s book is informed by the opinions of my eleven year old grandson. He enjoyed the book and despatched it remarkably quickly. He writes “This exciting adventure story is about 11-year-old Kate and her younger brother Tom. Kate, who is about to have her eleventh birthday, is eager for adventure. So she writes to her rich uncle Herbert who presents her with a real train. This is the start of her adventure; on the way she has to overcome lots of challenges to get to her final destination. The Silver Arrow is a great adventure story, but it also emphasises the impact humans can have on the environment.” It’s difficult to argue with this judgement.

The fact that my sons all read this book, and finished it in a day or two kind of says enough. Lev is a master storyteller, and his new children's book is fantastic.Please write more!

This was added instantly to my 10 yr old son's favorite book list! He couldn't put it down and read it all in one sitting. It's an easy and entertaining read without any scary or crude content! A solid recommendation for any train kid!

It was a great book interesting plot and lessons to be learned for a middle school or younger audience.

Invited by a hopeful niece seeking a birthday gift, a seldom-seen uncle in a yellow suit shows up and parks a 102-ton locomotive in her backyard.From the day he does, eleven-year old Kate and her younger brother, Tom, take command of a powerhouse machine storming across the world on the road to fortitude and opened eyes.Early on, they assemble a full train of specialty cars ranging from library to swimming pool to candy shop. As the train roars on, the siblings gather passengers, every one an animal bringing with them fresh stories and new viewpoints. In fact, “The Silver Arrow” is a milder distant cousin of the 1899 Australian classic “Dot and the Kangaroo.” In both books, it’s the creatures hefting the troubling central message.“The Silver Arrow” is a grand adventure story for any age, filled with hazards, surprises, and just the right voltage of hair-raising zing.However, a gentle caution to buyers/readers. Grace Hopper, the real-life computer pioneer and rear admiral, is mentioned in the book. On page 14, it says an aircraft carrier is named after her. Not true. It’s a destroyer. On page 61, it says every train has a caboose. Actually that has not been the case for many years. But these are just a couple of nicks in an otherwise high-energy, first-rate book. Most satisfying.

My 11yo son liked the creative characters and such.

This is a cleverly written children's adventure story. It has a theme and a message, but it is not too heavy handed.Naturally, I tried the sequel (Golden Swift), but I was sorely disappointed. The sequel is very simplistic, has very few actual events, and is mostly just character standing around and preaching to the reader. Where the original showed its message, and had moderation, the sequel tells you its message with no moderation. Enjoy Silver Arrow and don't bother with Golden Swift.