The Travelling Restaurant: Jasper's Voyage in Three Parts

A Tale of Fontania #1

by Barbara Else

In the reign of Lady Gall (Provisional Monarch of Fontania), the word ‘magic’ is forbidden...

When 12 year old Jasper Ludlow’s parents flee the city, he gets left behind and finds refuge on The Travelling Restaurant, a sailing ship captained by old Dr Rocket and crewed by feisty Polly.

Jasper faces challenges, adventures, storms and hungry pirates. Should he go in search of his parents, or his lost baby sister? Who should he trust? And why is Lady Gall hunting him?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Novels, Fiction, Family

300 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

Barbara Else is a playwright and fiction writer, and has also worked as a literary agent, editor and fiction consultant. Else won the Victoria University Writer’s Fellowship in 1999, and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature in 2005.

Reviews

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasper is just an ordinary boy who lives in a place where the monarch is oh so adorable! Or that's what everyone says in fear so they don't get taken away. He doesn't understand how people do that. He also doesn't understand why his mother keeps on telling everyone that he is ten instead of twelve. And then he sees Lady Gall put something in his little sister's mouth and everything goes haywire after that. He's left alone and ends up going on a ship with a restaurant that has an odd set of people that he soon finds out are not only odd but important. They're against Lady Gall taking the crown but I don't even they would have expected this much trouble from an ordinary boy like Jasper. Stealing orphans, bribing pirates, and you the reader discovering that this isn't just an ordinary boy after all.

Well this one took me awhile so you know it wasn't as captivating as it could be BUT that doesn't mean it was bad. It actually was pretty good. Another "I didn't expect" type of book. I would just say it is for a certain type of reader. It's a journey but I thought there would be more action less talking. Jasper is very likable and I felt sorry for him because everyone kept calling him plain and he was anything but. He loved his sister very much and his sister was a toddler so that's love! I know I shouldn't say this but it was too long. The average middle schooler is not going to keep there attention on this book for that long. Again it's a certain type of reader. An actual READER. Someone who likes to read a lot. So other than that this book was a unique one. The plot was a great one with an evil monarch wanted to take over who was kind of reminiscent to the one in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in A Ship of her own Making. I'm happy that I finally got to finish it and it ended nicely.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot...

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A magical world, a nasty acting Queen, orphans, pirates and sword fights. Really, what's not to like? Jasper is a great character! Nice entertainment on a plane. I also rather perversely like that this NZ fantasy-ish book has absolutely nothing to do with NZ at all.

[Kate Copeseeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely delightful MG book that I picked up on a whim after a trip to the library with my kids (because I thought the title was intriguing). Well, it turns out, the writer is very good at titles. I was continually amused by the chapter titles of this book. Here are a few in order, so you can see why they're so funny:
-this is when Jasper realizes something dangerous has started
-the next day goes like this
-this is when it becomes very dangerous
-this is when it becomes very distressing
-this is when Jasper has to cope

and this grouping right here:
-a not very excellent plan
-the plan is still very awful
-this is what happens when you have no plan at all
-who needs plans anyway?
-no plan could have been much help
-give up plans and hope for good advice

Honestly, the story was fun, the characters were adorable, and the protagonist was so brave and rebellious. The antagonist, though... *shudder* She was a really good one.

Overall, if you like Middle Grade for yourself or your kidlets, I recommend this book.

[Mauoijenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

*NetGalley book review*

Such a eclectic story. Being lost, chased, dealing with pirates and traveling, this book is quite an adventure for young readers. It was a good book, kind of too long for me during this story line, but still good.

[Gwyn Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've definitely got some interesting things to say about this one. So much complexity in a deceptively simple package. One of the things being that it took me halfway through the book to suddenly have this brain flash: This is a dystopian novel! And it is, absolutely. That fact is just a little obscured by the fact that it's not actually a future dystopia -- the world of the Restaurant is not our world at all, but a typical high fantasy world suffering from The Accident in which all magic was lost from a world that depended on it - a loss that coincided with the loss of the rightful rulers leaving the land in the hands of a 'provisional' Queen with a penchant for giving sickly sweet speeches about how wonderful everything is under her benevolent rule and making sure that anyone who doesn't immediately agree and tell her how wonderful she is mysteriously disappears. Said Queen is also determined to remove that pesky 'Provisional' from her title by any means necessary. Enter Jasper, the twelver-year-old son of one of the the kingdom's most eminent scientists -- now permanently reassigned to brewing ever increasing dosages of the kingdom's version of Botox for the Queen. The Queen seems to have taken an unhealthy amount of interest in Jasper and his little sister Sibilla, and in the family's flight from the city Jasper is left behind. What follows is Jasper's quest to reunite with his family and to save his little sister from the clutches of the Evil Queen. As in all good quest narratives, along the way he meets a variety of helpers and antagonists, and some who seem to fit in both categories. Secrets are shared and pasts are revealed, but it's all secondary to the main objective -- get to Sibilla and protect her at all costs.

And this is where I think this book really shines. It definitely falls into the category of 'kid has to save the day because the adults can't be trusted to do it right'. But all the adults in this book are *realistically* flawed. They're not stupid, or naive, but they are all damaged, with emotional and mental wounds that often impair their better judgement. Reading this, you're constantly reminded that the adults *remember* a time when things were good. There is a certain overwhelmed helplessness to their actions - you get the feeling they are constantly looking around in bewilderment -- how did we go from normal to *this*?

For the children, this *is* normal. There's anger, absolutely, but there's none of that paralyzing disbelief and denial. It is this very acceptance -- this almost protective attitude toward the adults -- that is most heartbreaking. I was struck particularly by the scene in which Jasper almost tells his aunt that the man she loves - who she believes is dead - was instead captured alive. He starts to say something, then catches himself. The man was captured. He's going to be dead soon anyway. No need for her to grieve twice. No twelve-year-old should have to think like that.

From my description at this point you're probably imagining some dark depressing narrative along the lines of The Hunger Games. That couldn't be further from the truth. The genius of this book is that the story, in all its dystopian anguish, is told in a straight-forward, fairy-tale style narration that, much like Jasper himself, downplays the darker events in favour of focusing on the next step toward achieving the goal. And, of course, there's quite a bit of humour sprinkled in for some much needed comic relief.

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this book a 5 because not only is it my kind of book but it's full of adventure, fun, mystery and FOOD. I decided to read this book because of three reasons, the name, the pictures on the front cover and the description on the back. The description on the back of the book asked questions about the book and what would happen, this making me wonder about what would really happened compelling me to read the book. The character I found most interesting was Polly, I thought Polly was the most interesting character because she was fiery and made everything interesting with her smart words and sarcastic comments. My favourite quote was when Jasper Ludlow described lady gall "She was so skinny, and her golden hair so puffed she looked like a walking mushroom" this is by-far my favourite comment n the book because it was really funny. The new thing I learnt from this book was that even if your beautiful your personality can be ugly, and you can't hide that with any amount of make-up or surgery. This is one of my favourite books by far.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. It's about a boy who has to flee with his family from a woman who unrightfully wants to take the crown and has forbidden magic. And well, I had trouble getting into it. I didn't connect to the characters, and therefore the story didn't leave a huge impact on me, if any impact at all. But it was fast-paced and fun enough to read the whole of it and is probably a very quick and fun story for children.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun adventure story about an evil woman trying to become queen and the young boy who helps foil her, with the help of a floating restaurant boat, some pirates and the "rightful heirs." Fun.

[Lemurkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging and entertaining story set in an intriguing world. Most enjoyable.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An assortment of characters who know more than they share with readers throughout the story. Else introduces readers to the world of Fontania - a kingdom without a king. We meet what appears to be a neglectful family who refuses to celebrate their son's 12th birthday - instead lying and saying Jasper is ten. As more layers are revealed, readers see loving parents doing what they can to protect their son and daughter. No spoilers but it's interesting to guess at relationships and see how the characters are related to each other. And, of course, how they defeat the fake ruler before she takes complete control of the kingdom.

[Rosa Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the most underrated book I've read, like have you seen the number of reviews?!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have the first three in the series on my bookshelf and though I've only read them once I still love looking at them and being reminded of the story.
This book was amazing, I love Jasper and his whole experience on the travelling restaurant and the adventures he goes on are so thrilling. It's such a ride.
The whole book was so unexpected, I've never read anything like it. The books get progressively stranger as they go along and that is what adds to the fun of it. I didn't see the ending of this book coming from a mile away, the whole concept was so odd, but that made it great.
The world and the characters were clearly so well thought out, it was marvellous.
I loved this book and would definitely recommend

[RocilinaLagat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for a middle grade book. The main plot twist though was highly predictable. The story was interesting, and it was kind of funny how most of the plot twists were just about everyone being related somehow. I had to reread the explanation like four times to figure out what actually happened before the death of magic—it was a lot of characters, and I kept getting confused about who was who.

[Kasi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a great premise and a fun world but the writing seemed so incredibly choppy and randomly spontaneous. I felt like it just jumped quickly from one thing to the next. It very much felt like a poorly translated book but I’m pretty sure it isn’t translated. Not a series I will continue on with.

[Mia Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! The book is about a boy whose family is keeping many secrets from him. He comes across a magical ship the traveling restaurant and finds all the answers to his questions. I loved the mystery of the story.

[Maya Epstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother purchased this book for me when I was eleven. An obstinate prepubescent, I refused to read it until I rediscovered it on my shelves this year. It was cute. I probably should’ve read it when I was younger, because I definitely would’ve enjoyed it more, but alas. A lovely story, overall.

[Gabby Eastgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this when I was younger and I really enjoyed re-reading it! I love the way the mystery unfolds, as Jasper learns more about his family and the way he's connected to the people around him. Also books set on the ocean are always a good time.

[Shuang Hu · Rating 1 out of 5]

very good book

[Gwyn VDB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicious! I feeling like I'm watching the characters are the go about adventures! Simply amazing!

[Callum Booth-Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only took 4+ years to read.

[Peter Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else is a book written in three parts telling the story of Jasper Ludlow. Jasper is a young man who has just turned twelve at the time the story opens. He lives with his parents and baby sister Sibilla in the land of Fontania. We know that something isn’t right when the story opens and Jasper meets a stranger at the door who inquires about Jasper’s age. His mother, Lady Helen, quickly intervenes to tell this journalist that Jasper is 11 while Jasper tries to tell people that he’s really 12. Shortly afterwards we’re introduced to Lady Gall, the “provisional monarch” of the land. We see that she rules with an iron fist as a young boy interrupts her speech and guards quickly move in to make their presence known and quell further interruptions.

Jasper’s family attends a big party thrown by Lady Gall and while there Jasper sees Lady Gall feed his little sister something. She becomes sick after that and Jasper tries to tell his parents that Lady Gall gave her something, but can hardly believe that someone would intentionally make his sister sick. Jasper’s uncle comes to the house and things quickly escalate with the family trying to leave before Lady Gall comes for them. Jasper gets separated from his family and ends up aboard The Travelling Restaurant, a boat that seems to have m-gic (the word that should not be spoken for fear of Lady Gall’s retribution) properties. The Restaurant seems to be able to escape danger and keep its passengers safe while its quirky crew do all they can to throw off any interest in their boat/restaurant.

Ms. Else takes us on a great ride through the land of Fontania to slowly reveal more about Jasper, his family, the people he meets along the way, why magic is a forbidden word, and why Jasper is running in the first place. The characters may seem slightly silly at times, but fit well with the story. I never felt that there were contrived moments to move the story forward. We’re taken on a journey that has a great pace to introduce the characters and back-story.

As an adult reader, some of the names for things felt slightly silly, but they worked well with the story. I read this to my daughter and she ate it up. She wanted to know what happened next and it was a hard book to put down when reading together. There were a couple of longer chapters in the book, but they were generally a good length to read one or two before bed. I didn’t have to worry too much about language or scenes that were too intense for a young child which was great for me as a parent. There was just enough silliness in the story to have my daughter rolling a couple of times, but balanced with the story telling to keep her interested in the people and their plight. I’m going to go with the kid’s rating for this and say that it was a good book for later Elementary ages and up.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. I initially gave it two stars but it gave thought-provoking enough that I bumped it up to three. Probably still more like 2.5 though.

Jasper has been brought up in ignorance of his chosen one status, for his own safety. Which is fine, but 12 is a magical age in this universe, and he's drawn the eye of the local tyrant. He ends up separated from his family and having adventures, in a story that is somewhat evocative of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Pretty standard, yeah? Yeah. The thing I found to be most interesting was that by keeping him in the dark and not sending him to regular school for the usual brainwashing, Jasper's parents have apparently given him the idea that he's dumb. There were some interesting undercurrents mixed in with the typical children's fare here, including a journal entry that Jasper's mother made just before her marriage and then read to him around the time of his birthday.

The genealogy seemed a little tangled — many revelations of previously concealed relationships. But I don't care to re-read the whole book trying to find them, and there is no legal searchable copy online that I was able to find.

Jasper seemed a little too concerned about his infant/toddler-aged sister Sibilla to be believable for most 12 year old boys, but I can let that slide. I liked Beatrix, who is clearly being set up as a future love interest, if the author writes a sequel.

[Marta Boksenbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever and fun story of a young boy named Jasper whose family is suddenly forced to flee their home because Lady Gall, the ruler of their kingdom is after them. Jasper is accidentally left behind, and he takes refuge on a ship that is a traveling restaurant. On his journey he learns more about Lady Gall's tyrannical rule and how she came to power, as well as his family's role. His biggest concern is his sister Sibillia's safety, and on his quest for the welfare of his sister, he becomes involved in a larger adventure. The plot of this story is a bit predicable, but paired with the quirky and exotic world Jasper lives in, this tale is very charming. The dialogue is witty and the pace quick, so the reader sails through the story along with Jasper. Unlike many travel adventures featuring child main characters, adults in the story are present and helpful. Although the parents are helpless in the story, Jasper spends the book adventuring with both adults and children, and includes intergenerational bonds, which children who spend time with their grandparents or aunts and uncles may appreciate. I would recommend this book to adventure seekers, those who enjoy clever books, and those who like books with elements of magic and fantasy.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasper is turning twelve, but for some reason his parents won’t tell anyone his real age. They keep him inside most of the time and won’t let him go to school. But when he tells them that he spotted Lady Gall, the Provisional Monarch of Fontania, try to poison his little sister Sibilla, they gather up the family and bolt. What do they know that they’re not telling him?

When he gets left behind, Jasper ends up boarding a strange boat called The Traveling Restaurant, whose crew consists of an eclectic duo, Polly and Dr. Rocket. The longer Jasper travels with these two, the more secrets he uncovers about who they are, who his family is, and who really ought to be ruling over Fontania. He also discovers why Lady Gall has outlawed magic – and where it went when it became illegal.

Brave the storms and the pirates, the monkeys and the downright rude orphan girls, with Jasper as he journeys on the ship that’s known in every town as the Traveling Restaurant…and find out why it’s much more than what it seems.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. It's a middle grade novel about a boy named Jasper. His parents leave him behind when they flee from the clutches of an evil Provisional Queen. He finds refuge on a small vessel called The Traveling Restaurant. With the help of the boat's Captain and Polly (the only other crew member), he goes in search of his lost family members while trying to elude the grasp of the Queen.

The book is well written and the plot is somewhat entertaining. There are bursts of excitement, usually when the Restaurant pulls into harbor, or when they meet another ship on the Old Ocean. Between these bursts, parts of the story tend to drag. The content is clean, and the characters are generally likable, yet elusive. Nobody answers questions—at least not honestly.

This book is for a specific type of reader. I can't decide if I liked it or not. If you have access to the book (like through your library), give it a shot. You may love it.

Content: clean

My blog: Batch of Books

[Margo Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sophisticated children's book that features a dystopian land, a quest to rescue magic, self discovery, and the importance of family, along with some hair raising adventures.. Jasper doesn't understand why his parents don't have time for him or why they bow to the beautiful but evil provisional monarch Lady Gall. But when Lady Gall tries to poison his 2-year-old sister, Sibilla, the family sets off to end Gall's reign. Unfortunately, Jasper is left behind and winds up on a floating restaurant that hides a bit of magic. In his search for his sister he learns about his own strengths as an ordinary boy. This book reminds me of The Phantom Toll Booth, in its sophisticated themes and travel through enchanted lands. I especially loved the emphasis placed on family, which includes the family Jasper searches for, the one he finds on the traveling restaurant, and the story of the orphans of the Great Accident. I would have LOVED this book as a child and I can't wait to share it with my nephew.

[Marlous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Als de ouders van de 12-jarige Jasper Ludlow hun huis en stad ontvluchten, laten ze hem per ongeluk achter. Gelukkig kan hij terecht op The Travelling Restaurant, het zeilschip van de oude Dr Rocket en zijn pittige dochter Polly. Samen met hen reist Jasper over zeeën en rivieren en trotseert hij draaikolken, stormen en hongerige piraten om zijn ouders en zijn zusje te vinden. Wie kan hij vertrouwen: zijn onbetrouwbare oom, de mysterieuze journalist in het zwart of de brutale, fluitspelende wees? Waarom hebben zijn ouders hem achtergelaten? En waarom zit Lady Gall achter hem aan?

In Nederland verschenen bij Lannoo als Avonturen uit Fontania: Jasper en het Restaurant-op-Zee. Leuk, spannend avontuur met magische elementen voor 9+. Bijzonder aan de Engelse vormgeving: een losse zwart-wit illustratie van de kaart van Fontania, voor en achter ingeplakt als schutblad!

[Crystallinum · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hands down, this is one of the worst book I've EVER read. I was trying to pluck up every tiny bit of information while I read the book. At the end of the story, I still had ABSOLUTELY NO idea what he looked like, except that he was skinny and had brown hair or something. Throughout the entire story, I felt empty, no feelings, nothing, even when he was left behind, I felt no pity for him. The characters were so undeveloped that I felt every character DESERVED whatever bad thing happens to them.
What happened to Jasper's mother and father throughout the entire story? They were in the story at the start and BAM! They disappeared. And they then reappeared at the last few chapters of the story. There was only ONE mention of is parents in the middle of the story, the rest were mostly about Jasper's little sister, Sibilla.
I do not recommend this book to ANYONE.

[WY]

I think this is the worst book I have ever read. The author kept introducing new characters to fill up the pages. There’s no character or story development. The plot was unconvincing and forced. The story lingered on and on about the same thing. Using the Hunger Games as an example, this whole book would be at the reaping. If this book was Harry Potter, we would still be at Privet drive waiting for baby Harry Potter to come. It was obvious that the author had major writer blocks and was unable to create a climax for the story. The only emotion that I got out of this book was anger. I have never been angry at a book for wasting my time. My daughter and I kept on reading hoping it would get better, it never did.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely characters! The start is a little wobbly...the reader is dropped in the middle of the story but struggling to get his/her bearings as to what direction we're heading in, who's really important to the story and who's not. It took me a little to get grounded into the story. BUT I LOVED the traveling restaurant idea! It was yummy! And showed how food can work its own magic! It's important for "American readers" to realize that not all stories are the same as those from other countries. Barbara Else is a writer from New Zealand and I loved her style. It was colorful and different, with real characters and pirates. Have to love the pirates. Really, grumpy pirates being made not grumpy by good food. A lesson for us all. ;)

[Lachie douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

1)I decided to read this book because it was gifted to me.

2)I found the character jasper interesting because he reminds me of someone but I cant quite figure out who it is. He is smart, kind and gentle and i like him the most because he has common sense which the rest of his family don't seem to have.

3)My favorite quote from the book would be: “I'm too old to figure out the rights and wrongs of everything.” I like this quote because it is partly true and it shows why old people are such bad drivers.

4)I learnt from this book that if someones in need of help and you don't like them very much the right think to do is to help them. Also i learnt that your family is very important and even if they don't give you any attention they still care about you.