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Word Hunters #2
The Lost Hunters
From award-winning author Nick Earls and illustrator Terry Whidborne comes the second book in a mysterious, action-packed series for the word nerd in us all.
In their previous adventure, Lexi and Al thought they had seen it all – time travel, epic battles, ancient cities on the point of collapse, the invention of the telephone and … vomiting rats. But nothing could prepare them for the realisation that their missing grandfather is a word hunter too and has been lost in the past. Only Lexi and Al can save him. But how do you find someone in 3,000 years of history?
With more battles, more action and more words, these hunters are discovering history like never before, as they search for their grandfather – the lost hunter.
In their previous adventure, Lexi and Al thought they had seen it all – time travel, epic battles, ancient cities on the point of collapse, the invention of the telephone and … vomiting rats. But nothing could prepare them for the realisation that their missing grandfather is a word hunter too and has been lost in the past. Only Lexi and Al can save him. But how do you find someone in 3,000 years of history?
With more battles, more action and more words, these hunters are discovering history like never before, as they search for their grandfather – the lost hunter.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Nick Earls
74 books172 followersNick Earls is the author of twelve books, including bestselling novels such as Zigzag Street, Bachelor Kisses, Perfect Skin and World of Chickens. His work has been published internationally in English and also in translation, and this led to him being a finalist in the Premier of Queensland’s Awards for Export Achievement in 1999.
Zigzag Street won a Betty Trask Award in the UK in 1998, and is currently being developed into a feature film. Bachelor Kisses was one of Who Weekly’s Books of the Year in 1998. Perfect Skin was the only novel nominated for an Australian Comedy Award in 2003, and has recently been filmed in Italy.
He has written five novels with teenage central characters. 48 Shades of Brown was awarded Book of the Year (older readers) by the Children’s Book Council in 2000, and in the US it was a Kirkus Reviews selection in its books of the year for 2004. A feature film adapted from the novel was released in Australia by Buena Vista International in August 2006, and has subsequently screened at festivals in North America and Europe. His earlier young-adult novel, After January, was also an award-winner.
After January, 48 Shades of Brown, Zigzag Street and Perfect Skin have all been successfully adapted for theatre by La Boite, and the Zigzag Street play toured nationally in 2005.
Nick Earls was the founding chair of the Australian arm of the international aid agency War Child and is now a War Child ambassador. He is or has also been patron of Kids Who Make a Difference and Hands on Art, and an honorary ambassador for both the Mater Foundation and the Abused Child Trust. On top of that, he was the face of Brisbane Marketing’s ‘Downtown Brisbane’ and ‘Experience Brisbane’ campaigns.
His contribution to writing in Queensland led to him being awarded the Queensland Writers Centre’s inaugural Johnno award in 2001 and a Centenary Medal in 2003. His work as a writer, in writing industry development and in support of humanitarian causes led to him being named University of Queensland Alumnus of the Year in 2006. He was also the Queensland Multicultural Champion for 2006.
He has an honours degree in Medicine from the University of Queensland, and has lived in Brisbane since migrating as an eight-year-old from Northern Ireland in 1972. London’s Mirror newspaper has called him ‘the first Aussie to make me laugh out loud since Jason Donovan’. His latest novel is Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight, co-written with Rebecca Sparrow.
Zigzag Street won a Betty Trask Award in the UK in 1998, and is currently being developed into a feature film. Bachelor Kisses was one of Who Weekly’s Books of the Year in 1998. Perfect Skin was the only novel nominated for an Australian Comedy Award in 2003, and has recently been filmed in Italy.
He has written five novels with teenage central characters. 48 Shades of Brown was awarded Book of the Year (older readers) by the Children’s Book Council in 2000, and in the US it was a Kirkus Reviews selection in its books of the year for 2004. A feature film adapted from the novel was released in Australia by Buena Vista International in August 2006, and has subsequently screened at festivals in North America and Europe. His earlier young-adult novel, After January, was also an award-winner.
After January, 48 Shades of Brown, Zigzag Street and Perfect Skin have all been successfully adapted for theatre by La Boite, and the Zigzag Street play toured nationally in 2005.
Nick Earls was the founding chair of the Australian arm of the international aid agency War Child and is now a War Child ambassador. He is or has also been patron of Kids Who Make a Difference and Hands on Art, and an honorary ambassador for both the Mater Foundation and the Abused Child Trust. On top of that, he was the face of Brisbane Marketing’s ‘Downtown Brisbane’ and ‘Experience Brisbane’ campaigns.
His contribution to writing in Queensland led to him being awarded the Queensland Writers Centre’s inaugural Johnno award in 2001 and a Centenary Medal in 2003. His work as a writer, in writing industry development and in support of humanitarian causes led to him being named University of Queensland Alumnus of the Year in 2006. He was also the Queensland Multicultural Champion for 2006.
He has an honours degree in Medicine from the University of Queensland, and has lived in Brisbane since migrating as an eight-year-old from Northern Ireland in 1972. London’s Mirror newspaper has called him ‘the first Aussie to make me laugh out loud since Jason Donovan’. His latest novel is Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight, co-written with Rebecca Sparrow.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 2, 2013
This is a great second book in an evolving series. Lexi and Al are twins in a modern age who find that their surname ‘Hunter’ is exactly what they are – Word Hunters.
At the end of the first book Al and Lexi set out to find their Grandfather a fellow Word Hunter trapped in a distant past. With each trip back to find a word and peg it they find a clue as to where he could be, they also meet up with some unsavory cloaked characters that are chasing them. Will they ever be safe?
They find help in the form of traveler's who came back in time with them to the present. A librarian turns out to have been keeper of ancient texts in a library 3000 years earlier, and Will a London born Word Hunter who'd also encountered the grey robed nemises.
I loved the historical references that will help kids of the technology age realise things were very different not so long ago, and, in some cases the origins of words from very long ago. Kids of all ages will be intrigued by this journey.
Nick writes with his usual beguiling style and this series really suits his wit. Terry provides the illustrations that are integral part of the story.
I'm now looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
At the end of the first book Al and Lexi set out to find their Grandfather a fellow Word Hunter trapped in a distant past. With each trip back to find a word and peg it they find a clue as to where he could be, they also meet up with some unsavory cloaked characters that are chasing them. Will they ever be safe?
They find help in the form of traveler's who came back in time with them to the present. A librarian turns out to have been keeper of ancient texts in a library 3000 years earlier, and Will a London born Word Hunter who'd also encountered the grey robed nemises.
I loved the historical references that will help kids of the technology age realise things were very different not so long ago, and, in some cases the origins of words from very long ago. Kids of all ages will be intrigued by this journey.
Nick writes with his usual beguiling style and this series really suits his wit. Terry provides the illustrations that are integral part of the story.
I'm now looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
June 7, 2018
I had high hopes for these books but they are just somewhat disappointing, the pace is somewhat frenetic and you never really get a grip on the story and develop any feelings for the characters. There is a lot going on but ultimately very little being said.
March 24, 2013
Not having read the first book in the series I was at a little disadvantage but it didn’t take too long to get up to speed. 12 year old twins, Lexi and Al are wordhunters. They have discovered that their grandfather, who has gone missing, is also a wordhunter. Lexi and Al are on a hunt to find their grandfather. He has gone missing somewhere in the past. The trouble is they don’t know where or when he is trapped. With the aid of some clues and the word hunter dictionary they hope to find their way back to the past and rescue him
The three words they follow through are okay, dollar and gun. They have some help in the form of Mursili.
The first word, okay, lands them firstly in 1928 Chicago in the time of Al Capone. The second clue leads them to 1865 New York and the offices of The New your k Times. The third clue has them in 1840 still in New York. And so it goes on as they travel through portals to different times searching for the grandfather with the aid of the three words and their origins in the English Language. But of course what would a quest be without those who are trying to prevent this rescue mission
Yes this is an adventure story for readers around 9-13 but it is also for anyone who loves history and language. Teachers’ notes are available to help teachers and children get the most out of this inventive series.
The black and white illustrations of Terry Whidborne add to the fun text. While action packed, it is also a clever and painless way to teach about history and language. This is a series designed to get teachers and children talking, investigating language and wanting to read more. My suggestion is get the first book Word Hunters: The Curious Dictionary, then read this one and then keep an eye out for the third in the series War of the Word Hunters.
The three words they follow through are okay, dollar and gun. They have some help in the form of Mursili.
The first word, okay, lands them firstly in 1928 Chicago in the time of Al Capone. The second clue leads them to 1865 New York and the offices of The New your k Times. The third clue has them in 1840 still in New York. And so it goes on as they travel through portals to different times searching for the grandfather with the aid of the three words and their origins in the English Language. But of course what would a quest be without those who are trying to prevent this rescue mission
Yes this is an adventure story for readers around 9-13 but it is also for anyone who loves history and language. Teachers’ notes are available to help teachers and children get the most out of this inventive series.
The black and white illustrations of Terry Whidborne add to the fun text. While action packed, it is also a clever and painless way to teach about history and language. This is a series designed to get teachers and children talking, investigating language and wanting to read more. My suggestion is get the first book Word Hunters: The Curious Dictionary, then read this one and then keep an eye out for the third in the series War of the Word Hunters.
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April 27, 2013Nick Earls and Terry Whidborne joined us in the studio to talk about collaborations, 'gun', and shadowy villains. Originally broadcast on 25/04/2013, the podcast is available at zedbookclub.com
The Word Hunters trilogy is a fast-paced time-slip adventure looking at the strange and fascinating history of commonly used words, in which twins, Al & Lexi, travel into the past with the help of a curious dictionary. The trilogy is a series of firsts: the first collaboration between writer Nick Earls (ZigZag Street, 48 Shades of Brown, The Fix, and many more well-loved novels) and illustrator Terry Whidborne; Nick’s first children’s book; and Terry’s first time illustrating a novel. The second book in the series, The Lost Hunters, was recently released and sees the word hunters search for their missing grandfather across 1000 years of history.
The Word Hunters trilogy is a fast-paced time-slip adventure looking at the strange and fascinating history of commonly used words, in which twins, Al & Lexi, travel into the past with the help of a curious dictionary. The trilogy is a series of firsts: the first collaboration between writer Nick Earls (ZigZag Street, 48 Shades of Brown, The Fix, and many more well-loved novels) and illustrator Terry Whidborne; Nick’s first children’s book; and Terry’s first time illustrating a novel. The second book in the series, The Lost Hunters, was recently released and sees the word hunters search for their missing grandfather across 1000 years of history.
March 3, 2013
If you love words, you should read this series. In each section of the book you trace the development of a single word (like water, okay or gun) back through history. This series is about the power of language and there's heaps of great facts and insights into how important words have been throughout history.
The fantasy elements are believably explained by history. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love the way they compliment the story rather than simply depicting it. These books don't gloss over the history either. There are battles and people get hurt. I like that in a kids book.
Basically I totally love Word Hunters and you should read them because I think you would like them too.
The fantasy elements are believably explained by history. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love the way they compliment the story rather than simply depicting it. These books don't gloss over the history either. There are battles and people get hurt. I like that in a kids book.
Basically I totally love Word Hunters and you should read them because I think you would like them too.
September 18, 2013
In this instalment of word hunters we meet some other hunters, find out about a bunch of new words (my favourites were 'hold your fire' and 'berserk') and. See a couple of battles. The guys in grey robes are pretty interesting and I'm keen to find out what they're up to! Bring on the battle! Oh and kudos to Nick for working Doug vomiting into the story yet again.
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August 2, 2015Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
August 14, 2016
I was very curious to know how the author was going to solve and continue the story and it was a bit disappointing. I was waiting for more. But there was no surprises here. :-(
Still it is very interesting to read.
Still it is very interesting to read.
June 5, 2013
Exhilarating and gripping as the first. Lovers of words, history and adventure will revere this series.
June 5, 2013
This is an awesome books when Lexi and Al find out that they're grandfather which has been lost for 30 years they try to find him as they also hunt in the past to hunt words and peg them down.
February 19, 2014
Like the idea but think it's too wordy in some sections and that stops the fear/mystery of the grey men coming through
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews