River Quest

Dinotopia: Complete #5

by John Vornholt

Waterfall City is in grave danger when the Polongo River mysteriously dries up.  Magnolia and her dinosaur friend Paddlefoot, along with Birch and a triceratops called Rogo, battle the elements in their desperate quest to save Dinotopia's most beautiful city.  

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Dinosaurs, Adventure, Young Adult, Science Fiction

146 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

John Vornholt also writes as Caroline Goode.

Reviews

[A.E. Chandler]

This was my favourite book in the series.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as the first, but I did. There is none of the perceived perfectionism that many seem to see in the first one. These are just regular people trying their best in a rather unique society. This works very well as a coming of age story for the main character—a young lady who has lived in Dinotopia her whole life. The situation is pretty plausible. The only really far-fetched thing about these books so far has been the idea of talking dinosaurs.

I love the recurring theme of this society that everyone has a place—that each person can use their own personal talents and learning to benefit the whole. That’s one of the things that make this society true utopian. Another is that there is no force involved—the individual has to choose for their self.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it wasn't as amazingly good as I remembered, I enjoyed re-reading "River Quest" and venturing into the hidden land of Dinotopia again.

Honestly, this is such an entertaining book. I can remember being a kid and thinking that falling asleep against a boy's shoulder while huddling under a boat sounded like the most romantic thing ever, lol.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Dinotopia and seeing some minor characters from the original books as the main characters here was really neat. It was also really nice to see a bunch of other characters from the original book crop up here and there. I read this with my son and we both enjoyed it. Magnolia is the 13-year-old apprentice to the Habitat Partners of Freshwater along with Paddlefoot, her hadrosaur dinosaur companion. After her master gets injured he makes her and Paddlefoot the new Habitat Partners just in time for them to have to go and figure out what happened to the Polongo River that is supposed to flow past Waterfall City. Enter Rogo and Birch, two disgruntled farmers looking for adventure, and Aaron, a newly arrived sailor, to complete the search party. I really liked the lack of romantic involvement between the two teenagers, not because I have any issues with romance, but because it just wasn't necessary to the plot. I also liked how competent, intelligent, and yet unsure Magnolia is at times. It made her character very believable and made you want to root her on. Birch, on the other hand, was suitably annoying right up until the end.

[Alec · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, these short novels are proving quite promising!!

A fun coming of age story! A unique little tale in Dinotopia, following young Magnolia and her dinosaur partner, Paddlefoot, as they are suddenly thrust into one of the most important roles in Dinotopia, just as disaster strikes!!

I love how these books and the universe they take place in continue to hammer home this theme that everyone has a place in Dinotopia, their role will help out the society as a whole, and that it is something for one’s self to discover. As I will probably repeat in every review, I love Dinotopia’s unique take on a Utopian Society. Preparing to be whisked away again in the next one!!

[Mizannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my FB book club's "Book-It for Grownups" program wherein you read ten books of any length, topic, or reading level this summer and when you get to 10 you win a Pizza Hut, Dunkie's, or Aroma Joe's gift card, super-cool stickers and other prizes. The world might be in total shambles but dammit our inner children still deserve the thrill of winning prizes for reading!

Also: strong female protagonist, ecology themes and DINOSAURS. Freaking awesome.

[Kearn]

A world I will always enjoy going back to. Nice, self-contained story that visits some known places and characters.

Read most of this book floating on a lake in a water hammock, which made the story all the more lively and really let me dive in to the world. I'll surely be going back to Dinotopia again.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice simple adventure in Dinotopia. I do like that each of the Dinotopia books takes a different look at the island and that while we do not get consistent characters but instead we get look at a different group and their adventures.

[Nicole Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these as a child. Beautifully imagined world, swashbuckling adventure. Multiple authors for refreshing different writing styles.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good kids chapter book. I think to understand more of what went on, you definitely should read the first in Dinotopia series, River Quest was the second

[Kathryn Lampkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, great read. May be quick but the journey is just as amazing as I remember it.

[Megan Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a bit of responsibility for a 13 year old 😅.

[Ellie Gaidai · Rating 5 out of 5]

super interesting perfect for dino lovers.

[BLAKE SHIRLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book to be very interesting and engaging, but there were some parts in the book where it seemed boring, other than that, it was a great book.

[Travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slogging through this book convinced me that my plan of reading these various Dinotopia junior novels really isn't worth it. I suppose it is normal for children's books to be simple, but I have read some remarkably well written ones which have spoiled me for books like this. The premise doesn't even make sense: there is a map at the start of the book (smaller and lacking color of the original, but still fairly detailed) that shows the Polongo River draining an entire rainforest basin; there is no way a simple landslide would redirect this entire river. And if it did happen, there is no way it could be easily rerouted in one day. Plus, it is annoyingly claustrophobic how just about the only side characters mentioned are those encountered in the original Dinotopia and are elevated to being the most important people in there areas ever, even though the original implication was just that they were people who Arthur and Will happened to encounter.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

River Quest is a book that expands the world of Dinotopia created by James Gurney. Two characters from James Gurney's first Dinotopia book, Magnolia and Paddlefoot the Lambeosaurus, have just been made the new Habitat Partners of Freshwater and they've been landed with a crisis: The Polongo River has dried up and unless the water returns one of Dinotopia's famous cities, Waterfall City, will be abandoned. The two must journey to find out what has happened before time runs out.
I have always loved the island of Dinotopia and I was pleased with this book. It keeps with the peaceful nature of the island's lifestyle. We also learn more about characters who appeared briefly in the first book and get to see what they're like. I would recommend this book to any fan of Dinotopia.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute favorite of the Dinotopia paperback series. I admit many weren't that well written, and rather predictable, but I just loved the idea of the habitat partners and out of all of them pictured in the first book, Magnolia was my favorite (probably be cause she was a girl and lambeosaurus' are awesome). So finally getting to read her story, I was elated.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very fun adventure tale.
I love Magnolia's character. She is strong and capable, but still vulnerable and unsure of herself and her new position at times. She is a very realistic character and I loved watching her strength grow throughout the book.
I enjoyed this story. A fun read for dinosaur fans young and old.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my absolute favorite book when I was a child, and my mother read it to me about 15 times. It was also one of my favorite books to read myself, later in school when I could. It's exciting and the author has a way with words.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember I got this book from the star book club. I think I even wrote a book report on it, complete with drawing of Lambeosuarus

[Molly]

A wonderful, fantastic series. The authors do a good job to keep their writing and voice congruous throughout the various books.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good.

[Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story that explains some of the inner workings of dinotopia.

[Genelle]

I enjoy reading this book and I watched a little bit of the series when it used to come on. I have also seen the movie and I try to watch it whenever it comes on

[Merrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite from the paperback Dinotopia series. I was fascinated with the idea of 'Habitat Partners' in the original and love that a story was written about a pair!

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read through this series of books on dinotopia as an interest in a lesson plan extension for higher elementary school grades, this was expanding the thematic unit i created for kindergarten...

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was obsessed with this series in the fifth grade, ha. Sadly, even nostalgia couldn't make it as good as I'd remembered.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember wanting a dino buddy like Paddlefoot so badly after reading this!

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantasy, adventure is quick read. Good for age 7 up. Those who like dinosaurs go for this. The fantasy land Dinotopia. This book deals with the saving of river Polongo river.

[Lashya Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word: WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!