The Secret of the Twelfth Continent

Das Adoptivzimmer #2

by Antonia Michaelis

Twelve-year-old Karl (a friend of Achim's from the orphanage) is really strong but can't cope without his timid friend, who has been adopted by a nice couple and now lives far away. What's the use in being strong, thinks Karl, if you don't have anyone to protect? He is relentlessly teased by the other kids at school, so Karl starts beating them up and is eventually expelled. Spending time alone in his room, Karl daydreams about his father, who he believes is a sea captain who has somehow lost Karl as a baby, but who will one day come and fetch him. But when Maria, who works at the orphanage, admits to Karl that she made up this story to soothe him when he was younger, he decides to run away from his teachers, his peers who tease him, and the people in his life who tell him lies. Thus he embarks on a journey to reach the ocean, become a sailor, and find his father.On his journey he meets the Tiny Ones, a tribe of adventurers and sailors not much bigger than Karl's little finger. They've lost their ship and would like to borrow the model ship Karl has brought with him on his escape. Karl is magically changed into one of the Tiny Ones and they set sail on an adventure to the Twelfth Continent. On a previous journey here, the children of the Tiny Ones vanished while on a walk one evening. Now, with Karl's help, the Tiny Ones want to find their children again. Throughout his adventures, Karl not only finds the solution to an old riddle on the Twelfth Continent, but also discovers traces of his real father on this very peculiar island with more than one surprise in store for him and his fellow sailors. Full of wit and surprises, The Secret of the Twelfth Continent is sure to captivate children while reinforcing the importance of family and friendship.

Genres: Fantasy, German Literature, Childrens

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2009

About the author

Antonia Michaelis has lived and taught in India. She is the author of several award-winning books published in her native language German.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book in Foyles in London, and sadly didn't immediately buy it. Sad because it is hard to come by in English. I tracked down a German version, got some way into that, but only belatedly found an English version that allowed me to finish it off.

The book really should be easier to find in English as it's a great and fanciful children's story. I think aimed a little lower than my usual preference, but it will be fine up to mid-grade. Karl, the protagonist, is a wonderful flawed character, shaped by his time in a children's home, and eventually expelled from school. But he grows through a wonderful adventure on a tiny ship, where he meets new (tiny) friends and discovers other lands and, of course, the secret of the Twelfth Continent.

Lost bicycles, rock falls, rusks that change your size, monsters and mysteries abound in this imaginative children's adventure. There's a lovely heartwarming end too.

[Fliederfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Großartig
Dieses Buch kann Groß und Klein verzaubern. Alles an diesem Buch ist zauberhaft und kann jeden mit auf eine aufregende Reise des Erwachsenwerdens, der echten Freundschaft und der Suche nach den eigenen Wurzeln nehmen.
Karl ist anders als andere Protagonisten, weil er Erfahrungen gemacht hat, die aus ihm einen Jungen gemacht haben, der lernen muss mit seinen eigenen Ecken und Kanten zu leben und dabei auch noch zahlreiche Abenteuer erlebt.

Die Autorin versteht es mit ihrer Worten Gefühle und Orte einzufangen und den Leser in eine andere Welt zu führen.
Besonders empfehlen kann ich auch das Hörbuch.
Es stimmt alles: 5 Sterne ⭐️

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Buch hat mich als Kind sehr verzaubert, weil der Protagonist Karl(?) der beste Freund des Protagonisten aus “Das Adoptivzimmer” zu sein scheint? Ich erinnere mich nicht an viel, ausser, dass sie sich in der Tasche einer Frau versteckten, das Schiff mit Zwieback, und ein Puppenhaus...

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3,5