A desert island story. This starts off as a great family adventure. Michael's father loses his job at the brickworks and his parents decide to sell their house and all their possessions and buy a yacht to sail round the world. Of course, sailing the world's oceans is a bit different from messing about in a dinghy on the local reservoir, but Michael's mum qualifies for her Yachtmaster's Certificate and everyone practises his own job - Mum is the skipper, Dad is first mate and handyman, Michael is the ship's boy and Stella Artois (the dog) is the ship's cat.
The voyage goes well. They master their fears and handle their vessel well. They visit Africa and South America and Australia, having the time of their lives. But as they leave the Great Barrier Reef behind them and head up through the Coral Sea towards Papua New Guinea disaster befalls Michael. Left alone at the wheel one night while his parents sleep below Michael is washed overboard:
The terrors came fast, one upon another. The lights of the Peggy Sue went away into the dark of the night, leaving me alone in the ocean, alone with the certainty that they were already too far away, that my cries for help could not possibly be heard. I thought then of the sharks cruising the black water beneath me - scenting me, already searching me out, homing in on me - and I knew there could be no hope. I would be eaten alive. Either that or I would drown slowly. Nothing could save me.
But something does save Michael. His football, which was washed overboard with him, provides just enough buoyancy to keep Michael's head above water. Hours later Michael awakes to find himself washed up on a desert island. He is exhausted and hungry and thirsty. How he would have managed if he had been quite alone on the island, I'm not sure. But he is not alone, on a rock shelf above his head is a bowl of fresh water and fish and fruit laid out on palm leaves.
One solitary man lives on this island, and if you want to know his story, you will have to read the book. Michael tells us, in his own words, how he learned to live with Kensuke, and how he came to love him.
A quietly told story, but plenty of drama and emotion.
What do you think about ‘Kensuke's Kingdom’?
Lenett, girl, age twelve, from Gold Coast, Austria, on 21st November 2008. Rating: 10/10
I think this book is one of the most touching books i have read. It is full of drama, emotion and joy. I was touched by it mainly because of Kensuke's life story. It is a lovely book and i strongly recommend it to all readers though i think children aged nine to thirteen will understand and enjoy it more. Read it and you'll automatically LOVE it! Recommend it to all you friends - you won't be dissapointed. They won't be dissapointed. READ IT READ IT READ IT! If you decide not to, you don't know what your missing. This is a lovely book for any gender. It is full of adventure and drama. Five stars out of five!
hasy hay, boy, age 10, from london, United Kingdom, on 17th November 2008. Rating: 10/10
this book is the best book ever, it is terrific sensational, brilliant [if i go on i will die ] i think the best and funniest part was when kensuke was talking japanies for egsample:when kensuke said to micheal 'damida damida' i think that it means 'there is danger in there do not go there' [i know that because at the back of the book the japanies words are written in japanies and then in english and the meanings are next to them remainder:the meanings are in english] and the part that made me so so so so so so so upset is when micheal left and kensuke was left alone in this deserted island again[i nearly cried in the classroom, but i held my feelings ] our teacher read this terric and excellent and sensational book that is written by micheal morpurgo to us . i persuade the people who have still not brought or read this book to read or buy this book. i wish i have persuaded and encouraged you to buy or read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reese, boy, age 11, from VA, United States, on 11th November 2008. Rating:
I love this book!! And by the way he doesnt hold onto a football to stay alive in the water, its a signed soccerball from his friend. (that may be the new one im talking about :)) P.S. go to runescape.com to have an awesome time
Read all 625 comments about Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
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Michael Morpurgo has written a lot of other books. You might like to look at this one:
If you enjoy desert island stories, you could look at this one by Theodore Taylor:
Not a desert island, but surviving in the Australian outback, you might perhaps look at this one by James Vance Marshall:
I don't know how else to describe it, but if you really like the quietness of Kensuke's Kingdom, I think you could look at anything by David Almond, but perhaps especially this one:
