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The Seven Professors of the Far North #1
Seven Professors of the Far North
When Sam visits Zara and Ben and their great-uncle, the quirky inventor Professor Ampersand, he never expects to embark on a fantastical adventure. But when Professor Ampersand and his group of professor friends are kidnapped by the evil Professor Murdo, it's up to Sam, Zara, and Ben to save them. They have only three days in which to journey to an icy, desolate land and uncover Murdo's sinister plot. Only then can they save the professors— and the fate of the whole world.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
John Fardell
14 books9 followersJohn Fardell is a British cartoonist and author.
He is a regular contributor to the adult comic Viz, and has created and drawn two of the most popular and long-running strips, The Modern Parents[1] and The Critics, as well as the more recent (and rather less popular) additions of Ferdinand the Foodie and Desert Island Teacher. His work for Viz often tends to satirise various types of self-important or self-righteous middle class people. The Modern Parents, for example, portrays the way a mother and father insist on bringing up their young sons following a doctrine of what they term as 'ethical awareness', much to the detriment of their children.
Fardell is also the author and illustrator of three children's adventure novels — The Seven Professors of the Far North, published in 2004, The Flight of the Silver Turtle, published in 2006, and The Secret of the Black Moon Moth, published in 2009 — and a children's picture book, Manfred the Baddie, published 2008.
Fardell lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two children.
He is a regular contributor to the adult comic Viz, and has created and drawn two of the most popular and long-running strips, The Modern Parents[1] and The Critics, as well as the more recent (and rather less popular) additions of Ferdinand the Foodie and Desert Island Teacher. His work for Viz often tends to satirise various types of self-important or self-righteous middle class people. The Modern Parents, for example, portrays the way a mother and father insist on bringing up their young sons following a doctrine of what they term as 'ethical awareness', much to the detriment of their children.
Fardell is also the author and illustrator of three children's adventure novels — The Seven Professors of the Far North, published in 2004, The Flight of the Silver Turtle, published in 2006, and The Secret of the Black Moon Moth, published in 2009 — and a children's picture book, Manfred the Baddie, published 2008.
Fardell lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 4, 2016
I bought this middle grade book YEARS ago and just discovered it at my parents' house. I was shockingly impressed! Full of adventure and very clever.
January 31, 2024
I haven’t read this in ages. I got it in a bookstore in Italy in middle school. What a lucky find! It absolutely stands up. So fun!
May 23, 2008
The book The 7 Professors of the Far North is very interesting.Everyone should read this book because once you start to read it, you will not be able to put it down. It is an adventure story. The story is about Sam who is going to his aunt's house on a holiday.Just before he went to his aunt's house, Professor Ampersand, his mother's friend, invited him to his house for a stay. Professor Ampersand adopted two children, Ben and Zara. while he stayed there, Professors Ampersand's friend came to his house looking very sick. He said that their enemy, Professor Murdo was trying to kill them. Professor Ampersand sent an e-mail to the other four professors to come to his house to disscus about the matter. When the other six had gathered at his house, they were kidnapped by Professor Murdo leaving behind Sam , Zara and Ben.
Now, the children are on a quest to save Professor Ampersand
and his friends. Do you want to know the ending of the story and why Professor Murdo want to kill them?
Read the story.
Now, the children are on a quest to save Professor Ampersand
and his friends. Do you want to know the ending of the story and why Professor Murdo want to kill them?
Read the story.
July 22, 2011
This was a bit of a slog. I read it aloud to my kids, and while they enjoyed the bits about poor Marcia, the other children were poorly characterized and uninteresting. We felt like there was too much description of gadgetry and too little action. And we didn't need to hear about every trip the children made to a bathroom. The climax was exciting, but the conclusion took too long. At least as a read-aloud, this book was a disappointment.
September 17, 2014
My 10 y.o. daughter loved it and insisted I read it. She liked the plot development and admired one of the female characters who she describes as being much stronger and smarter than any of the others thought". Part Jules Verne, part Enid Blyton, this book is a fun but often predictable read.
July 24, 2019
Have just read this with my two kids, aged 4.5 and 6.5. They absolutely loved it, and so did I. I'd say it's one of the best adventure novels for younger kids that I've ever come across. A real hidden gem. In fact I would regualrly sit in on the kids bedtime even if their Mum was doing it, so as not to miss the story! The kids would always beg for just one more chapter at lights-out time. If you like a good old-fashioned adventure yarn then this is great. It's well written, with a great plot with right level of detail to keep kids (and parents) interested. A little in the mould of a modern-day Enid Blyton novel (but I'd say better). Characters are well formed and the story moves at a great pace. Almost every chapter seems to end in a cliff-hanger. There are some themes targetted at slightly older kids (i.e. death, family problems, abduction) but it's handled in a way that is largely accessible even to a young audience, and the book makes it pretty clear where the moral/ethical rights and wrongs lie. Overall, I'd highly recommend this for any adventurous and literate kids, aged 4-10 yrs.
July 15, 2022
In this juvenile adventure novel, a resourceful kid's visit to a nice inventor (and his great-niece and great-nephew) in Edinburgh is cut short when the inventor and his colleagues are kidnapped by a mad scientist who had once worked with them. To rescue the professors, the three kids need to travel all the way to the Arctic. Since that's really far, much of the book involves travel: by train (the top-secret subway that connects most of Europe and that I think was invented for this book), by ski-boat, by submarine, and by stealth plane. It's an exciting book that could well be made into an action movie. A bunch of British and Scottish expressions are used (e.g., Perspex, fairy lights, tatties), but American kids might be able to figure them out from context.
Read
November 26, 202420 years ago, I read this book and The Flight of the Silver Turtle. Somewhere along the way, I lost the title of the book, the names of the characters, and all I could remember was some vague plot points, and the way the books made me feel. I have children of my own now, and wanted to find the book again to read to them. I texted my brother. I texted my mother. I combed through 4000+ books on a goodreads list, and another 1000+ on the catalog of the local library that I went to when I was growing up. Finally, I posted onto Reddit with my wildly vague recollections. Someone knew the book! I didn’t make it up! I wouldn’t have been capable of such a feat. I am excited to have found this little corner of joy from my childhood, and share it with my children.
September 23, 2024
I read this on Naomi’s recommendation (she read Mysterious Benedict Society on mine), and it simply cannot hold a candle. The children are somehow able to perform these feats without an abundance of cleverness. It took me ages, and I feel bad about that, but really. I liked the train network, and would like to be invited to it if real, but the kids aren’t all that special. And neither are the adults who let that one guy get away with all the atrocities.
February 6, 2025
A childhood reread.
This book was one of my favourites growing up.
It was really fun to see how your memory changes the events, and I felt like the first time ever reading this book.
I must say, it was a very fun read still, even as an adult.
I understand why it was one of my favorites.
It is full of adventures, secrets, gadgets, bravery, and friendship, and I am glad I had something like this growing up.
I can't wait to give this to my child to read.
This book was one of my favourites growing up.
It was really fun to see how your memory changes the events, and I felt like the first time ever reading this book.
I must say, it was a very fun read still, even as an adult.
I understand why it was one of my favorites.
It is full of adventures, secrets, gadgets, bravery, and friendship, and I am glad I had something like this growing up.
I can't wait to give this to my child to read.
March 11, 2020
I feel bad only giving this book 2 stars, I enjoyed the story, but it just lacked in so much depth. Firstly regarding the characters and also in some parts of the story, it was all very surface level, especially regarding the professors. I feel like a good children's book should be able to entertain kids and adults
January 26, 2026
A great read aloud for upper elementary schoolers. There is an evil genius who must be stopped, friends and relatives who must be rescued, and daring adventures for a group of preteens and teens who risk life and limb to help others and save the world. Fascinating inventions and an unfriendly environment make the challenges even more interesting.
September 7, 2019
I loved this book! I was invested in the story, it had fun illustrations, and the overall thing was resolved well. The author established the seven professors and the transport system very well. The second book was far less interesting to me, though, but I'll always love this one.
July 17, 2020
It's a very amazing adventure book....but as a young adult I felt like it's for children or young teens... otherwise my taste is just to read adventure books more often....and I loved the story and nice writing skills of John fardell..
November 22, 2017
Very fun and clever adventure. Excited to learn this is a series!
January 16, 2018
Found it on the bookshelf - I'd got it for my son but he's too old for it now at 13. Good fun for an 8 year old I would have said, although they would probably need it read to them.
August 28, 2018
This is adventurous but can get boring to read as it is basically your everyday adventure novel. I don't recommend it.
February 17, 2020
Eleven year old me would have devoured this book and reread it a dozen times. A it was I read it in two hours and found it a delight, especially after the depressing dystopia I just finished...
September 10, 2020
For a kids' book, very good. The characters are actually smart
Read
October 7, 2020It was good book.
July 29, 2021
childhood reread
December 9, 2022
I read this book a few years ago and I was hooked, I've read it over & over & over many times.
April 22, 2024
Gedankenreise in die Arktis ❄️
April 11, 2025
Excellent! What a great story, plausible and yet stretches the plausibility meter. Funny, exciting and just a great read. Can't wait to read others in the series.
February 17, 2026
4-1/2 stars rounded up. A delightfully fun adventure story.
August 10, 2026
I read this
February 5, 2013
Diese Rezension bezieht sich auf die deutsche Ausgabe "Sam Carnabie jagt Professor Murdo", die im Ravensburger Verlag erschienen ist.
Inhalt:
Kaum kommt Sam Carnabie im Edinburgher Haus von Professor Ampersand an, bei dem er die Ferien verbringen soll, klingelt ein alter Kollege des Professors an der Tür und bringt schreckliche Neuigkeiten: Professor Murdo hat sein Forschungszentrum Nordbergen neu errichtet. Bevor Sam und seine Freunde Zara und Ben jedoch erfahren, was Murdo plant, lässt dieser Ampersand und seine fünf Kollegen entführen. Für die drei Kinder beginnt eine abenteuerliche Reise in den hohen Norden, denn sie müssen unbedingt die Insel im ewigen Eis erreichen, bevor Murdo seine finsteren Pläne und die Ermordung der Professoren in die Tat umsetzt.
Sprache:
Die Sprache ist für die Altersstufe angemessen. Jedoch haben sich die Figuren in ihren Formulierungen kaum unterschieden (abgesehen von Juri und Mr. Skinner), selbst die Hauptfiguren sprachen in ihrer Art und Weise recht gleich; was ich als schade empfand. Außerdem mag ich Texte oder Kapitel, die größtenteils im Präsenz geschrieben sind, nicht. Schon gar nicht wenn die Gedankenfetzen eine so unzureichende Ortsbeschreibung liefern, dass man noch eine Grafik oder eine Zeichnung hinzufügen muss, damit die Szene vorstellbar wird.
Figuren:
Allein durch die sieben Professoren des Nordens herrscht eine Fülle an Figuren. Einige sind wirklich gut gezeichnet, andere eher weniger. Bis auf Ampersand, Gauntraker und Professorin Sharpe verwischen die Namen und Eigenschaften der anderen Professoren, da sie nicht oft genug in der Geschichte vorkamen. Da hätten vielleicht auch weniger gereicht, denn schließlich frage ich mich, ob Professor Pottle überhaupt einen Satz von sich gab, außer in seiner ersten Szene …?
Auch Sam, laut Titel anscheinend die Hauptfigur, kommt meiner Meinung nach zu wenig vor. Die Geschichte springt zwischen dem Schauplatz in Nordbergen und der Reise der drei Kinder. Doch leider gibt es mehr Szenen, die aus der Sicht von Ben und Zara geschrieben sind, als aus Sams. Seitdem die drei Kinder ihre Rettungsaktion starten, steht er eindeutig im Hintergrund und nicht mehr im Zentrum der Geschichte.
Im Nachhinein bin ich sogar zum Schluss gekommen, dass Sam als Figur nicht zwingend gebraucht wird. Die Geschichte hätte auch ohne ihn funktioniert, ohne dass man viel hätte abändern müssen. Dies in meinen Augen das Schrecklichste, was einer Hauptfigur passieren kann.
Lob und Kritik:
Seit Langem habe ich wieder eine Abenteuergeschichte gelesen, die sich Großteils auf wissenschaftlichen Fakten aufbaute. Erfindergeist und Wissensdrang stehen im Vordergrund und in der ersten Hälfte des Buch schafft es Fardell, jede Menge Wissen und Informationen über neue Entwicklungen oder auch die Arktis einzubauen. Diese Vermittlung geschah fantasievoll (z.B. die ISNT) und war detailreich ausgearbeitet (das verrückte Haus von Professor Ampersand). Leider verlor sich dies in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs. Ich habe immer noch viel über Expeditionen in den Hohen Norde gelernt, aber ich fühlte mich belehrt, da die Wissensvermittlung nicht mehr so spielerisch von der Hand ging. Und leider begann der Autor auch Punkte, die sich nicht erklären ließen, einfach auszulassen oder zu überspringen. Natürlich kann man mit einem Skiboot super über Eis fahren und wenn man einbricht, auch durch das Wasser gleiten. Aber wie kommt man denn bitte aus dem Wasser wieder auf das Eis? Das frage ich mich immer noch. Oder warum erklärt man, dass bei -45°C alles schockgefriert, aber das weggeworfene Essen, das eine Figur aus der Not heraus verspeist, in einer Mülltonne nicht?
Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt ist, dass die Geschichte zum Ende hin kaum Tempo aufnimmt. Immer ist eine Figur da, die den Kindern hilft und es ihnen fast schon zu leicht macht. Auch die Wiederholungen am Ende haben mich gestört. Ich habe das Buch recht zügig gelesen, wusste also noch sehr gut, was die Kinder erlebt haben. Daher haben mich die mehrfachen Zusammenfassungen und Wiederholungen (sowohl innerhalb von wörtlicher Rede als auch vom Erzähler) genervt. Ich habe einmal zu oft die Formulierung lesen müssen, dass die Kinder „ausgezeichnete Arbeit“ geleistet haben.
Leider ist der Titel irreführend. Ich bin davon ausgegangen, eine Abenteuergeschichte über Sam Carnabie zu lesen, nicht eine Geschichte, an der der Junge auch ein bisschen beteiligt ist. Jetzt im Nachhinein habe ich herausgefunden, dass eine frühere Ausgabe „Der finstere Plan des Professor Murdo“ und der Originaltitel „The Seven Professors of the North“ hießen. Beides bessere Titel als der, der für diese Ausgabe gewählt wurde.
Zusammenfassend:
Für die Altersstufe ist die Geschichte nett zu lesen, besonders auf die vielen wissenschaftlichen Aspekte bezogen. Aber als originell würde ich „Sam Carnabie jagt Professor Murdo“ nicht bezeichnen, was schade ist. Ich hatte mir mehr erhofft. Daher gibt es nur drei von fünf möglichen Sternen für das Buch.
Inhalt:
Kaum kommt Sam Carnabie im Edinburgher Haus von Professor Ampersand an, bei dem er die Ferien verbringen soll, klingelt ein alter Kollege des Professors an der Tür und bringt schreckliche Neuigkeiten: Professor Murdo hat sein Forschungszentrum Nordbergen neu errichtet. Bevor Sam und seine Freunde Zara und Ben jedoch erfahren, was Murdo plant, lässt dieser Ampersand und seine fünf Kollegen entführen. Für die drei Kinder beginnt eine abenteuerliche Reise in den hohen Norden, denn sie müssen unbedingt die Insel im ewigen Eis erreichen, bevor Murdo seine finsteren Pläne und die Ermordung der Professoren in die Tat umsetzt.
Sprache:
Die Sprache ist für die Altersstufe angemessen. Jedoch haben sich die Figuren in ihren Formulierungen kaum unterschieden (abgesehen von Juri und Mr. Skinner), selbst die Hauptfiguren sprachen in ihrer Art und Weise recht gleich; was ich als schade empfand. Außerdem mag ich Texte oder Kapitel, die größtenteils im Präsenz geschrieben sind, nicht. Schon gar nicht wenn die Gedankenfetzen eine so unzureichende Ortsbeschreibung liefern, dass man noch eine Grafik oder eine Zeichnung hinzufügen muss, damit die Szene vorstellbar wird.
Figuren:
Allein durch die sieben Professoren des Nordens herrscht eine Fülle an Figuren. Einige sind wirklich gut gezeichnet, andere eher weniger. Bis auf Ampersand, Gauntraker und Professorin Sharpe verwischen die Namen und Eigenschaften der anderen Professoren, da sie nicht oft genug in der Geschichte vorkamen. Da hätten vielleicht auch weniger gereicht, denn schließlich frage ich mich, ob Professor Pottle überhaupt einen Satz von sich gab, außer in seiner ersten Szene …?
Auch Sam, laut Titel anscheinend die Hauptfigur, kommt meiner Meinung nach zu wenig vor. Die Geschichte springt zwischen dem Schauplatz in Nordbergen und der Reise der drei Kinder. Doch leider gibt es mehr Szenen, die aus der Sicht von Ben und Zara geschrieben sind, als aus Sams. Seitdem die drei Kinder ihre Rettungsaktion starten, steht er eindeutig im Hintergrund und nicht mehr im Zentrum der Geschichte.
Im Nachhinein bin ich sogar zum Schluss gekommen, dass Sam als Figur nicht zwingend gebraucht wird. Die Geschichte hätte auch ohne ihn funktioniert, ohne dass man viel hätte abändern müssen. Dies in meinen Augen das Schrecklichste, was einer Hauptfigur passieren kann.
Lob und Kritik:
Seit Langem habe ich wieder eine Abenteuergeschichte gelesen, die sich Großteils auf wissenschaftlichen Fakten aufbaute. Erfindergeist und Wissensdrang stehen im Vordergrund und in der ersten Hälfte des Buch schafft es Fardell, jede Menge Wissen und Informationen über neue Entwicklungen oder auch die Arktis einzubauen. Diese Vermittlung geschah fantasievoll (z.B. die ISNT) und war detailreich ausgearbeitet (das verrückte Haus von Professor Ampersand). Leider verlor sich dies in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs. Ich habe immer noch viel über Expeditionen in den Hohen Norde gelernt, aber ich fühlte mich belehrt, da die Wissensvermittlung nicht mehr so spielerisch von der Hand ging. Und leider begann der Autor auch Punkte, die sich nicht erklären ließen, einfach auszulassen oder zu überspringen. Natürlich kann man mit einem Skiboot super über Eis fahren und wenn man einbricht, auch durch das Wasser gleiten. Aber wie kommt man denn bitte aus dem Wasser wieder auf das Eis? Das frage ich mich immer noch. Oder warum erklärt man, dass bei -45°C alles schockgefriert, aber das weggeworfene Essen, das eine Figur aus der Not heraus verspeist, in einer Mülltonne nicht?
Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt ist, dass die Geschichte zum Ende hin kaum Tempo aufnimmt. Immer ist eine Figur da, die den Kindern hilft und es ihnen fast schon zu leicht macht. Auch die Wiederholungen am Ende haben mich gestört. Ich habe das Buch recht zügig gelesen, wusste also noch sehr gut, was die Kinder erlebt haben. Daher haben mich die mehrfachen Zusammenfassungen und Wiederholungen (sowohl innerhalb von wörtlicher Rede als auch vom Erzähler) genervt. Ich habe einmal zu oft die Formulierung lesen müssen, dass die Kinder „ausgezeichnete Arbeit“ geleistet haben.
Leider ist der Titel irreführend. Ich bin davon ausgegangen, eine Abenteuergeschichte über Sam Carnabie zu lesen, nicht eine Geschichte, an der der Junge auch ein bisschen beteiligt ist. Jetzt im Nachhinein habe ich herausgefunden, dass eine frühere Ausgabe „Der finstere Plan des Professor Murdo“ und der Originaltitel „The Seven Professors of the North“ hießen. Beides bessere Titel als der, der für diese Ausgabe gewählt wurde.
Zusammenfassend:
Für die Altersstufe ist die Geschichte nett zu lesen, besonders auf die vielen wissenschaftlichen Aspekte bezogen. Aber als originell würde ich „Sam Carnabie jagt Professor Murdo“ nicht bezeichnen, was schade ist. Ich hatte mir mehr erhofft. Daher gibt es nur drei von fünf möglichen Sternen für das Buch.
January 21, 2024
Fun middle-grade adventure...with science! I like kid's adventure stories in which knowledge and intellect are valued as much as bravery.
June 29, 2014
Eleven-year-old Sam Carnabie is not looking forward to a family trip to visit his Great-Aunt Roberta. Great-Aunt Roberta likes cats and china ornaments; she doesn't much like children. And there isn't even a proper park near her oppressively tidy home in Reading. Why can't the Carnabies be headed out for an adventure somewhere exciting instead. You know what they say: Be careful what you wish for....Because when Professor Ampersand and his adopted children Zara and Ben zoom up on a yellow motorcycle and sidecar to whisk Sam away from the proposed dreadful visit in Reading, the adventure is well on its way. And it will be more adventure than Sam could possibly imagine.
Sam barely has time for a quick investigation of Professor Ampersand's awesome inventor's digs when one of the professor's colleagues arrives with news that the evil Professor Murdo is out to kill the rest of the original "7 Professors of the Far North"--a group of brilliant scientists who were once going to teach at a university on Nordbergen, an island in the Arctic Circle--as well as making preparations to take over the world. The other professors are called for a meeting at Ampersand's home--but before Professor Gauntraker can fully explain the dangers, Murdo's henchmen arrive and kidnap the professors. Sam, Zara, and Ben manage to hide and Gauntraker leaves a clue behind that will allow the kids to follow to Nordbergen. But how can three children take on an evil genius and his armed minions? The fate of their friends...and the world...is in their hands.
A wonderful adventure book for the nine and older crowd. The opening immediately grabs the reader and the story provides an exciting ride. This is definitely the type of book that I would have devoured in my younger days and I found it quite enjoyable now. It reminds me of the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories--written as a straight narrative. While the idea of three children defeating an evil genius may be a little hard to believe, the story as told sweeps you right along and the kids have enough doubts and get just enough help along the way to make it really easy to suspend your disbelief. Great fun and interesting story. There is also a parallel story about Marcia and her parents that works well as it dovetails with the adventures of Sam, Zara, and Ben--and it serves as a nicely done morality story about being happy with who you are and letting others be exactly who they are as well. Good, solid story-telling.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Sam barely has time for a quick investigation of Professor Ampersand's awesome inventor's digs when one of the professor's colleagues arrives with news that the evil Professor Murdo is out to kill the rest of the original "7 Professors of the Far North"--a group of brilliant scientists who were once going to teach at a university on Nordbergen, an island in the Arctic Circle--as well as making preparations to take over the world. The other professors are called for a meeting at Ampersand's home--but before Professor Gauntraker can fully explain the dangers, Murdo's henchmen arrive and kidnap the professors. Sam, Zara, and Ben manage to hide and Gauntraker leaves a clue behind that will allow the kids to follow to Nordbergen. But how can three children take on an evil genius and his armed minions? The fate of their friends...and the world...is in their hands.
A wonderful adventure book for the nine and older crowd. The opening immediately grabs the reader and the story provides an exciting ride. This is definitely the type of book that I would have devoured in my younger days and I found it quite enjoyable now. It reminds me of the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories--written as a straight narrative. While the idea of three children defeating an evil genius may be a little hard to believe, the story as told sweeps you right along and the kids have enough doubts and get just enough help along the way to make it really easy to suspend your disbelief. Great fun and interesting story. There is also a parallel story about Marcia and her parents that works well as it dovetails with the adventures of Sam, Zara, and Ben--and it serves as a nicely done morality story about being happy with who you are and letting others be exactly who they are as well. Good, solid story-telling.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
November 25, 2019
The book was very interesting and unique. The characters were not described in much detail but you can still paint a picture of what they look like. The beginning was a little slow but it started to pick towards the middle of the book. I like how they also put detail in the gadgets they used so you can picture those and how they looked. Overall the book was ok and I recommend it if you like adventure and mystery books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews