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Once Upon an Island
Watch your step, this book doesn't play straight! If you’re the sort of person who needs predictability then pick up another book, curl up and enjoy it. This book won’t mind. But if you’d like to take an active part in a book then stick around. You might be just the reader it has been waiting for. You've been invited to a mysterious island. Beware not every path is safe. You could go back in time, get kidnapped by criminals and a whole lot more. If you survive there are rich rewards. Oh ... and watch out for the giant squid! Interactive fiction for ages 10 - 12. What readers say "A very different kind of page turner and one to recommend." "Three days into it and my son has already read about four different stories" "There are fun twists at every corner." 'You Say Which Way' books can be read in any order. And the big list of choices makes it easy to find story lines you haven't read yet. Have you read all these 'You Say Which Way' adventures?Isle of Swimming CatsDinosaur CanyonDragons RealmDungeon of DoomSecrets of the Singing CaveDeadline DeliveryMystic PortalStranded StarshipOnce Upon an IslandIn the Magician's HousePirate IslandLost in Lion CountryBetween the StarsMovie Mystery MadnessSecrets of Glass MountainVolcano of FireDanger on Dolphin IslandMissing Cat MysteryDuel at DawnIsland of GiantsThe Sorcerer's Maze - Adventure QuizThe Sorcerer's Maze - Jungle TrekThe Sorcerer's Maze - Time MachineOr check out the You Say Which Way sets and save.Four You Say Which Way AdventuresThree You Say Which Way Adventures4 More You Say Which Way AdventuresSci Fi Two Book BundleBest of You Say Which WayThe Sorcerer's Maze CollectionThree Animal AdventuresPast Present Future 3 in 1The You Say Which Way Collection
83 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2012
28 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 11, 2019
This is not your everyday traditional story because of its interactive experience. The reader is put in the hot seat and gets to makes the decisions, which will shape the story. In this way you get to decide how the story finishes. In this story you are invited to New Zealand to spend your school holidays on an Island called Arapawa, with your cousins, Stella and Max. It has been arranged that you will all stay with Aunt Maddy, on the Island. But guess what? It doesn't turn out to be as simple as that! The fun, entertainment and surprises quickly kick-in! To make things even more interesting, at certain points in the story, you'll have to make the next decision, by choosing one of the two hyper-links, in-order to continue..
Depending on your choices, you can expect to encounter; a missing Tuatara from a sanctuary, dolphins, a secret trapdoor, secret caves, forgers, a giant squid, a castaway, perhaps some kidnapping? maybe even a Dinosaur? But for certain, lots of great adventures!
It's all very entertaining, and possibly without even realizing it, you are also given a historical and educational insight into the lifestyle on Arapawa Island, both past and present.
This story is very well written and has been recommended for readers aged nine and above.
I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it.
Don't forget to visit: www.pinterest.com/debzeb/once-upon-an... : to see pictures, and to get an insight into what inspired the author, D M Potter, to write this amazing story.
Depending on your choices, you can expect to encounter; a missing Tuatara from a sanctuary, dolphins, a secret trapdoor, secret caves, forgers, a giant squid, a castaway, perhaps some kidnapping? maybe even a Dinosaur? But for certain, lots of great adventures!
It's all very entertaining, and possibly without even realizing it, you are also given a historical and educational insight into the lifestyle on Arapawa Island, both past and present.
This story is very well written and has been recommended for readers aged nine and above.
I really enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it.
Don't forget to visit: www.pinterest.com/debzeb/once-upon-an... : to see pictures, and to get an insight into what inspired the author, D M Potter, to write this amazing story.
July 23, 2016
"Once Upon an Island" by D M Potter was my first experience with an interactive book and I found it surprisingly easy to figure out and great fun. Although I was worried that I might miss some very good storylines if I followed the wrong path the options took me to some exciting places and through the participation I felt much more part of the story than I thought. I might become a fan of the concept after all.
Only I cannot tell you what I experienced personally, you have to take the journey yourselves. As the title implies the story takes place on the sea and involves great adventures.
This is a fun read that also gives you the option to go back to the story and experience a slightly different adventure and maybe even outcome?
Great fun for readers aged nine and above.
Only I cannot tell you what I experienced personally, you have to take the journey yourselves. As the title implies the story takes place on the sea and involves great adventures.
This is a fun read that also gives you the option to go back to the story and experience a slightly different adventure and maybe even outcome?
Great fun for readers aged nine and above.
May 9, 2014
This was such a fun read. It is perfect for a younger generation. It doesn't have a straight story line - you are the main character. At the end of the chapter you get to make a choice as to how the story progresses by making a choice about what you should do. There are easily 10 - 15 different stories between these covers. You can go back and make a different decision and the story takes a completely different route. The different routes do not overlap at all.
The way this book is set up is brilliant. There is no seriousness with this book - just pure fun. The writing is very well done.
Final Thoughts: I am so happy I picked up this freebie while it was on promotion. It is a great fantasy adventure for a much younger generation, and I could appreciate it for what it was.
The way this book is set up is brilliant. There is no seriousness with this book - just pure fun. The writing is very well done.
Final Thoughts: I am so happy I picked up this freebie while it was on promotion. It is a great fantasy adventure for a much younger generation, and I could appreciate it for what it was.
May 28, 2014
After opening the attractive cover, the reader will discover the words HOW to PLAY. Yes, this book is a game of sorts; it is an interactive story. The reader’s decisions allow her to shape the story. At each chapter break, the reader obtains an opportunity to redirect the story. So, in effect, the reader is almost writing the outcome of the story.
General plot involves you being invited to New Zealand to spend holidays with your cousins, Stella and Max. These cousins are planning to journey to an island named Arapawa. You don’t have to go there. Instead you can make the choice to stay with your mother’s friend, Maddy. That is only your first choice.
I spent some time alternating between choices so I could get a good feel for the divergent story lines. Depending on whether you want to make a “safe” choice or be adventurous, your journey might involve time travel, animal adventures, exploring social issues, becoming a hero or getting involved in a kidnapping. I like the fact that the author chooses both a strong male and female protagonist allowing the book to appeal to boys and girls. The text is written clearly and simply. It could be considered an early chapter book. Siblings might enjoy reading the book together and taking turns making alternate choices. There are so many variations that children will want to go back to it over and over again to see what happens as different combinations are selected.
I feel the author missed an opportunity by not including some illustrations to accompany the alternate chapters. The cover is attractive and appealing. While the book is certainly fun and interesting, having a few pictures could have piqued the interest level even more. I would still recommend the book highly to parents, teachers and librarians as one that will encourage creativity, decision making and critical thinking skills for children in middle grades and older. Adults will certainly enjoy reading it aloud as well.
General plot involves you being invited to New Zealand to spend holidays with your cousins, Stella and Max. These cousins are planning to journey to an island named Arapawa. You don’t have to go there. Instead you can make the choice to stay with your mother’s friend, Maddy. That is only your first choice.
I spent some time alternating between choices so I could get a good feel for the divergent story lines. Depending on whether you want to make a “safe” choice or be adventurous, your journey might involve time travel, animal adventures, exploring social issues, becoming a hero or getting involved in a kidnapping. I like the fact that the author chooses both a strong male and female protagonist allowing the book to appeal to boys and girls. The text is written clearly and simply. It could be considered an early chapter book. Siblings might enjoy reading the book together and taking turns making alternate choices. There are so many variations that children will want to go back to it over and over again to see what happens as different combinations are selected.
I feel the author missed an opportunity by not including some illustrations to accompany the alternate chapters. The cover is attractive and appealing. While the book is certainly fun and interesting, having a few pictures could have piqued the interest level even more. I would still recommend the book highly to parents, teachers and librarians as one that will encourage creativity, decision making and critical thinking skills for children in middle grades and older. Adults will certainly enjoy reading it aloud as well.
August 3, 2014
Oh my gosh! Once Upon an Island by D M Potter is so much fun. The book is an interactive adventure that both boys and girls will enjoy. Throughout the story there are decision points, such as “rescue the dog yourself” or “let a crew member rescue the dog,” or “choose between the left and right tunnels.” Depending upon your choice, different story lines are routed to your ereader. And you get the fun of tracing back to the beginning and choosing the other options. I did wish that my kindle would have indicated whether I’d read all of the branches of the story, but it is old and I doubt it has that functionality.
Ms. Potter puts the reader into the story because she refers to Max and Stella, who are your cousins, but the narrator also refers to “you.” This technique will make it fun for young readers to pretend that they are in the story as well. The numerous adventures that you face with Max and Stella are creative and exciting. There are sea monsters, time travel, kidnappings, dinosaurs, caves with hidden tunnels to be explored, and others that I don’t want to reveal so that I don’t give away any of the surprises.
I agree with the author’s recommendation that this book is for children who approximately nine or older. Younger children might be confused by the multiple story lines. That being said, the older children will absolutely love exploring this book and finding all of the variations to the story line. This is the most original format I’ve read lately, and I loved it! I can’t wait to read some of Ms. Potter’s other books.
Ms. Potter puts the reader into the story because she refers to Max and Stella, who are your cousins, but the narrator also refers to “you.” This technique will make it fun for young readers to pretend that they are in the story as well. The numerous adventures that you face with Max and Stella are creative and exciting. There are sea monsters, time travel, kidnappings, dinosaurs, caves with hidden tunnels to be explored, and others that I don’t want to reveal so that I don’t give away any of the surprises.
I agree with the author’s recommendation that this book is for children who approximately nine or older. Younger children might be confused by the multiple story lines. That being said, the older children will absolutely love exploring this book and finding all of the variations to the story line. This is the most original format I’ve read lately, and I loved it! I can’t wait to read some of Ms. Potter’s other books.
April 28, 2014
Once Upon An Island is the perfect bedtime read if you dream of going on adventures. And as we all know, I love a good adventure. D.M Potter's book is unique and creative because a combines an older concept (a choose your own adventure) book with a newer concept (the eBook)
This is actually better than the traditional choose-your-own-adventure, because instead of having to flip to a certain page, you are presented with two links.
You can take option one.
Or you can take option two.
In this book you travel to an island called Arapawa, and if you're not careful, you may even end up going back in time. There are fun twists at every corner, so definitely check this book out.
Unlike other books, I find myself reading Once Upon An Island a lot, because each time you read the book you can have a different adventure.
D.M Potter's brilliant writing makes you feel like you are really there. She has a style that is all her own.
This book is definitely top shelf!
***This book was featured on Destiny's Book Dig Up and is a winner of the unofficial Top Shelf Book Award***
This is actually better than the traditional choose-your-own-adventure, because instead of having to flip to a certain page, you are presented with two links.
You can take option one.
Or you can take option two.
In this book you travel to an island called Arapawa, and if you're not careful, you may even end up going back in time. There are fun twists at every corner, so definitely check this book out.
Unlike other books, I find myself reading Once Upon An Island a lot, because each time you read the book you can have a different adventure.
D.M Potter's brilliant writing makes you feel like you are really there. She has a style that is all her own.
This book is definitely top shelf!
***This book was featured on Destiny's Book Dig Up and is a winner of the unofficial Top Shelf Book Award***
July 11, 2014
I've been looking forward to reading this book for a while, and it didn't disappoint. I wasn't quite sure what an interactive story entailed, but enjoyed the way this one worked. The reader is basically referred to as "You" throughout, and worked seamlessly into the story as the main character. You are then given decisions to make at various points throughout the story, and your answers decide what happens next. Great for kids who like to be in control of their own destiny, and fun for everyone to go through several times just to answer the questions of "What if..."
This particular story is set among the islands of New Zealand, and, among other things, includes time travel, interesting historical details, kidnapping, and giant squid! Just, whatever you do DON'T choose....no, I'm not going to spoil it for you. I recommend that you read it yourself.
This particular story is set among the islands of New Zealand, and, among other things, includes time travel, interesting historical details, kidnapping, and giant squid! Just, whatever you do DON'T choose....no, I'm not going to spoil it for you. I recommend that you read it yourself.
March 10, 2014
D M Potter's Once Upon An Island brings me back to my childhood, when R.L Stine's Goosebump series was all the rage, especially the interactive ones. I remember being engrossed for hours, finding different cute - and often gruesome - endings. Potter's novel is like a carbon copy of it; it's interactive, has two sidekicks (usually one boy and one girl, like this book) and features a wacky and exciting plot. It would've been five stars if not for the rushed story. So quickly it'll change to unbelievable events like finding forged money or being kidnapped. Really? No GODDAMN WAY! This may have not been the most delectable nor complaisant read but it has ignited my forgotten love for interactive novels and I may now have a search for my Goosebumps books lurking in my mum's houses' cupboards.
March 13, 2014
What a fun story. Takes me back to my youth with the chose your own adventures book series. This being an interactive book makes it even more entertaining because you are instantly taken to the page you selected based on your choice. Chose your own adventures for the 21st century. A most for the reluctant young reader to get into reading.
August 3, 2014
I think these pick your own adventure books are a great way to get children into reading. My nephew loved reading this in the car as we drove. Am looking forward to buying him the latest: In the Magacians House. Great stuff keep up the good work.
February 18, 2014
I didn't die on either of my adventures! :-).
The time travel part was easy to figure out, but do you want to stay in your current time or go to a different one? Do this or that? Definitely brought back childhood memories.
The time travel part was easy to figure out, but do you want to stay in your current time or go to a different one? Do this or that? Definitely brought back childhood memories.
June 5, 2014
http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-an-Is...
I wrote this book so Im giving it a neutral set of stars. I'm just letting friends know it exists :-)
I wrote this book so Im giving it a neutral set of stars. I'm just letting friends know it exists :-)
July 10, 2014
Great for kids so different to a regular book!!
September 19, 2015
This was a fun new e book version of a choose your own adventure book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews