Los extintos

by Veronica Cossanteli

A George le encanta trabajar en la granja Wormestall, un lugar escondido en el bosque y lleno de criaturas espeluznantemente extintas, como un dodo que duerme en una camita de perro o unos dinosaurios que nadan en el estanque para patos.

Cuando se pierde Mortífero, el basilisco gigante, George debe encontrarlo antes de que se convierta en otro animal relleno para la colección de Diamond Pye, una malévola taxidermista.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Dragons

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2013

Reviews

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragutica carte si animalele preistorice prezente in vremurile noastre sunt binevenite. Asa am reusit sa ne ducem aminte si sa cautam detalii despee kraken, dodo. Magia cartii se simte!

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence about this one... :(

The MCs George and Prudence were great. They are kids, learning tolerance, respect to nature and to take consequences of their own choices and actions. Their care of The Extincts - the extremely rare (almost) extinct and legendary creatures - is very educational and heart-warming.
I also liked the positive secondary characters: Lo and Mrs Lind :)

On the other hand... In Poland The Extincts is recommended for 9+ yo kids. Really? Its positive/educational aspects are very welcome in middle-grade literature: saving endangered species, befriending people of opposite sex (like George and Prue), learning that pink is not a 'girly' colour, earning your own pocketmoney etc.
The other aspects were, however, very stereotypical and quite cruel... :(
For example, I didn't like how George's parents' divorce was handled here and what he himself was saying about his dad.
The biggest problem, though, was Prudence's stepmother and taxidermist... ... locking her stepdaughter in a cage and all the time talking about stuffing the kid's favourite animals. First, she was even worse than Cinderella's stepmother. And second, the way she was treated at the end... George, Prue and Lo were simply impassively watching how a creature simply ate the woman. There were also no questions about the woman's sudden absence and Prue simply got over it and started living with one of her stepmum's workers as her guardian... I mean, WTF?? The other worker wasn't treated much better, either. There are also some other minor issues that didn't bother me much as I'm an adult, but I wouldn't want my kids to read about them...

And so: the main idea of the endangered species and the species themselves? Brilliant. The language and humour? I was smiling many times. The friendship growing between George, Prudence and even Lo? Heartwarming.
But the how's and the why's behind the whole 'mystery' and all the 'ethical', let's say, background of the story? Definitely not for kids! :(

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids who get part time jobs working at a farm for extinct animals have many adventures. How cute is that? This is one of those zany madcap short fantasy adventures perfect for kids transitioning from early chapter books to MG novels. It isn't my particular cup of tea, but it is perfect for its target audience and a definite must have for elementary libraries. Every kid who loves books about animals will gobble this up.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Extincts was an enjoyable read but after laughing genuinely in the first chapter, I wasn't really struck by the humour of the book. The plot was a bit too much with all the legendary/magical creatures and though the story was fast-paced, the repetitive scheme made it drag on most times.
The characters were sweet and flamboyant, but sometimes far too cliché.
A good read but not as fun as I expected it to be in from the first pages.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a member of my local goal-setting writers group, but I have to say this hasn't influenced my opinion at all. This is a brilliantly funny and exciting story about a boy called George who lands an after school job with a difference - helping out on a farm of extinct and mythical creatures. Meanwhile, an evil taxidermist and her henchmen (with more than a whiff of a modern Cruella Deville about her) are worryingly close to finding the creatures, and it's up to George and his friend Prudence (the taxidermist's stepdaughter) to stop them. This is laugh out loud funny, as well as being a great introduction to creatures such as the kraken (who lives in the bathtub and loves fish fingers) and the basilisk (who is partial to a good curry.) I would love to see this made into a film as it is so visual. Highly recommended!

[Jessica Sorenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received this book as part of the Goodread's Giveaway program.**

This idea of this book was very unique. I read it with my 9 year old daughter and she seemed to enjoy the story. The characters were not very enjoyable, with the exception of Diamond Pye and Ms. Lind. Their voices were easily found, everyone else fell flat.

[Christiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

George needs money to replace his stolen bike so when he sees a mysterious Help Wanted sign he goes right out to Wormestall Farm to apply. Little does he know quite what sort of animals the farm is sheltering! I loved this story of extinct animals, evil taxidermists, and non-stop adventure. Recommended! Kids who like this may also like the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors.

[Annie Hasita · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'était une histoire très mignonne. J'ai adoré les personnages et j'ai même trouvé que George, le personnage principal était très drôle. J'aurais juste voulu avoir un peu plus de descriptions par rapport au personnages et leurs emotions, les créatures et l'atmosphère. A part ça, j'ai passé un bon moment à lire ce livre.

[Kimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well more like a 3.5🌟
Read this in French version and liked it a lot! A bit predictable but different at the same time :)

[Inara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Has a wonderful cast and an great plot. Would recommend for ages 8 to 12.

[Liz Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story: George was just looking for a job so he could save up for a bike--little did he know that working at Wormestall Farm would do more than lead him on a wild goose chase...try a basilisk chase! (Or maybe a unicorn chase--or a dragon chase!) Together with Prue, George must work to outsmart the evil taxidermist Diamond Pye, who's determined to stuff every last mythical beast on the farm. But they'd better be careful of the basilisk: it's hard to save the day when you've been turned to stone.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: I'm always on the hunt for a book that makes me laugh--and even though this is actually a fantasy story with a hefty dose of action, George is a funny narrator and there are a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments. Probably too young for the Lonestar list, but definitely a good choice for middle-grade readers!

[Karlee Rayman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of figurative language used within this book, specifically similes and metaphors, that will interest young readers. The pacing of the story, however, may turn readers away because the story starts off fairly slow which does not lead all readers to become engaged as they view it as boring. The author used this chance to build and develop characters so that when the action and adventure started to build, the reader knows what they need to so that the can process and analyze why a character may be acting the way they are or made the choices they did. There is a lot of conflict within the book ranging from George and Diamond to George and the DAD. This type of conflict and action can be very appealing to the intended audience to pull them into the book, keeping them actively reading. This is a book that I wish to include into my classroom library as children from a variety of reading levels would be interested in reading and potentially could read this fun and imaginative book!

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the Little Free Lending Library, because I liked the cover. I am so glad I did. This is such a fantastic idea for a story. I loved this book.

I really enjoyed Cossanteli's writing. It was humorous and easy to relate to. She did a very good job of expressing George's character.

The plot was a bit slow in the beginning, but the world-building was fantastic so the book was never dull.

I love how Cossanteli incorporated extinct and mythical animals into the story as well as fairy tale elements such as the evil step-mother.

Awesome read. It is quite the adventure.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story with a fast-paced plot. I loved that all the "extinct" creatures included were either once real or literary allusions—I had to google a few and learned about a couple new ones (i.e. the Ping Feng). The main character's voice was especially strong and likeable. Nothing ground-breaking, just fun.

[Salome · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Un libro infantil bastante entretenido y rápido de leer, si me demore fue por la misma razón de que es infantil y no tiene una trama muy difícil o profunda, es bastante interesante todos esos animales extintos que al inicio pense eran ficticios pero NO si existieron. Lo recomiendo para una lectura ágil o luego de libros de sagas de fantasía muy complicadas.

[Stella_bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petualangan middle grade yang simple dan manis. Ringan & menghibur, takarannya pas, sukaaa🥰

[M Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ada sebuah pertenakan benama Wormestall yang menyimpan beberapa hewan yang dianggap punah dengan 1 anak lelaki well, sebenarnya dia seorang "A" dan Mrs. Lind yang menjaga apa yang ada ditaman itu.

-George Drake yang datang untuk mencari pekerjaan ke Peternakan Wormestall untuk membeli sepeda setelah sepeda nya hilang (dibawa oleh Prudance yang mana menjadi teman berpetualang George dalam mengelola dan 'menyelamatkan' hewan ditaman ini) saat mengunjungi toko permen.
Punya saudara perempuan, Frank dan Harry(yup nama untuk anak cowo) dan Ibu.
Disini diceritakan ibu dan Dad(George memanggilnya Dad) sudah bercerai, sedikit diberitahukan gambaran perceraian, dan ibunya yang kesusahan ekonomi.

Pov disini adalah George.


-Prudance, anak perempuan, murid baru satu kelas dengan George
Punya ibu tiri yang bernama Diamond Pye
Suka menjelajah, keingin tahuannya sungguh besar sama dengan George, hebat menggambar dan pemberani

-Diamond Pye ibu tiri Prudance
Antagonis, seorang taksidermis seorang antagonis dicerita ini yang layaknya ibu tiri well dia jahat terhadap Prudance.

Taksidermi adalah seni pengawetan dan pengolahan jazad hewan melalui penyanggaan dan pengisian sehingga tampak seperti keadaan aslinya saat masih hidup.

-Lo anak lebih besar sedikit dari George dan Prudance
Seorang"A" yang ada dipertenakan itu dan tahu semua hal mengenai hewan-hewan.
-Mrs. Lind si penjaga perternakan, baik, dia juga yang mengelola pertenakan.

Dan beberapa karakter pendukung


Buku ini seru bangettttt, tapi juga horror at the same time, bagaimana si protagonis ini 'kalah' (well sangat horror) dan dibiarin gitu aja?? Like whaa-
Juga tentang perlakuan Diamond Pye ini selaku ibu tiri Prudance sungguh well layaknya ibu tiri, dan sangat tidak dapat diterima(membayangkan ini dikisah nyata akan membuat kita menangis!)
Petualangan 2 bocah ini digambarkan sangat seru, the friendship that i wish i have(cewe dan cowo)
Banyak yang mengganjal tapi Ok.
digambarkan juga betapa buruknya perceraian, kehilangan orang tua, heartwarming antara George dan Ibu dan lain-lain.

Terkadang bukanlah hal buruk untuk melakukan apa yang diperintahkan kepadamu-George Drake page 154.

Pria sejati tidak takut merah muda-George's mom page 216.

#Friendship #adventure #Pemberani

[Halina - a linguist reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story, but... not for young kids :(

What I liked:
- The animals - I liked all the endangered legendary and (almost) extinct species :) The book teaches the readers that nature should be respected and cared for. And we should do everything in our power to save the rare and exotic animals, even though they're ugly, unfriendly or weird. That side of the story was very educative.
- George and Prudence's friendship - The MCs got off on the wrong foot and didn't want to collaborate for a long time. They were a bit hostile, a bit jealous and a bit prejudices but beautifully learnt throughout the story that there's nothing "too girly" or "too manly" or that a boy can be friends with a girl and together they can make a great team.
- Lo - I don't know why but I loved him! He's seemingly gruff and impassive, but there were some aspects of him that made me feel sorry for him (but in a good way!). And I think I know what he is! ;)

What I didn't like:
- The stereotypes - The villains are too one-dimensional and too cruel. We have here the most stereotypical ethos of the evil stepmother and also a cruel taxidermist. Diamond Pye's features were exaggerated and cartoonish. The same goes with her worker, Mr Mintzer.
- The denouement - And that's totally not for kids! What happened to the villains was MAYBE fair and well-deserved but the way Prudence, George and even Lo (not)reacted to it all is completely improper! George and Prudence glossed over her stepmum's horrible death and simply went on with their lives and Prue started living with the other of Diamond's workers as her adult guardian! Nobody even asked where and how her stepmother vanished and what would happen to Prudence after that. Mr Mintzer was also treated quite cruelly by our MCs and nobody said anything about that either. :(

[nahes. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝑫𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒌 𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒚𝒊 𝒃𝒂𝒈𝒊 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒂 𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒖𝒌𝒂𝒏. 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕, 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒈𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒊 𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏, 𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒌𝒌𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒏𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒏, 𝒅𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒖𝒏𝒊 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒕. 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒂𝒌 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒉𝒍𝒖𝒌 𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒍; 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒌 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒚𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒌 𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒋𝒖."
***
Peternakan Wormestall bukan peternakan biasa yang menampung hewan-hewan pada umumnya. Di peternakan ini terdapat hewan yang hampir dan sudah punah dengan ukuran tubuh yang sangat besar. George terpaksa bekerja di peternakan tersebut karena memerlukan uang untuk membeli sepeda baru.
Hari pertama George di Wormestall membuatnya bertemu dengan beberapa makhluk yang ada di peternakan tersebut, seperti Burung Dodo, Gurita yang sangat besar yang mendiami toilet pemilik peternakan, serta naga yang suka menonton televisi dan membuat kue.
Salah satu makhluk ternyata menghilang dari Wormestall dan sedang berkeliaran di pusat kota. Masalahnya makhluk tersebut adalah basilisk yang bisa membuat orang yang melihat matanya menjadi patung dan ternyata sudah banyak korbannya.
George dan Prudence beserta pemilik peternakan harus mencari cara menyelamatkan basilisk dari demo warga yang ingin memusnahkannya. Belum lagi mereka harus menghadapi seorang taksidermis yang mana merupakan ibu tiri Prudence, yang juga ingin memburu makhluk-makhluk di peternakan Wormestall untuk dijadikan pajangan rumah.

[Averey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly one of the favorite books i've read so far. I finished reading in just two days because of how much im addicted to the story, and keep re-reading it after! The main and secondary characters relationship are truly heartwarming, and somehow brings me a sense of comfort :) Though, i would still rate this as 4.5 but i'll round it up as 5 i suppose. There's just some things that are... let's say, questionable. I've heard that this was considered an elementary-grade children book, and yet i'm not sure if some parts would be fitting for children of those age. I myself who is a high schooler still finds them a little horrifying, especially the ending!

But overall, i think it is a very great book. I love love the concept of saving endangered animals, in fact it has inspired me to write a short story of the same concept for my school assignment. The plot is also very great, and the characters are all unique in their own way (even the side ones). But if only some parts weren't as brutal and confusing, or at least have it not be a children book, then i'm sure it will be one of the best books ever.

[Stefanny Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,9 / 4 bintang

Ceritanya seru sebenernya karna ada banyak magical animals & creatures di dalamnya. Alur ceritanya juga cepat banget dan di ceritakan pakai sudut pandang orang ke 3. Dari awal cerita sampai akhir selama baca ini aku berasa kayak lagi nonton adegan drama panggung yang setting dan ceritamya berganti sangat cepat terutama stengah bukunya menuju terakhir itu wkkwkw kayak kejar2an.
Dan aku bayangin Mrs.Lind itu diperanin sama yg peranin mamany Ron Weasley di film harry potter 😂😂

Untuk karakter2 didalemnya gak ada yg special menurutku, cuma si Diamond Pye itu ngingetin aku sama Tante Rambut Palsu di telenovela jaman aku kecil dulu yg kalau pake baju harus 1 warna sama smua wkkwkw

[Hapudin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ulasan lengkap ada di link ini:
https://www.bukuhapudin.com/2022/01/r...

Menurut saya, novel dengan kover cantik ini punya kekurangan yaitu minim ilustrasi untuk hewan-hewan aneh yang ada dalam ceritanya. Pembaca bisa mengikuti petualangan George dan Prudence tapi tidak bisa menikmati ketakjuban hewan-hewannya.

Dari novel The Extincts ini kita bisa belajar jika berbuat baik itu akan melahirkan efek yang baik. Meski George sempat kehilangan sepeda, tapi ketika ditanya oleh Mum, dia jujur soal apa yang terjadi. Dan berkat dia melakukan hal baik setelahnya, dia mendapatkan balasan hal baik juga berikutnya.

[Saanvi Neema · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book, honestly. Most parts are made for younger elementary school kids. It's also an excellent way to teach young children about endangered species, and how they need to be protected. However, there are some parts which are just plainly not meant for kids. The part where the animal eats Diamond Pye is just not cool. Does she deserve it? Obviously. But it just doesn't fit the context. And the children just watch her being eaten? Doesn't really fit the context. These kids must be savage. Anyway, all in all, it's an okay book. It was overall enjoyable.

[Haefa Azhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this novel makes me a kid again. I always enjoy books and movies about magical creatures, aliens, dragons, and lingerlings from a kid's perspective or in a kid's story. Veronica Cossanteli seamlessly tells a story with morals about the animal and human relationship in nature. As an adult, I really understand what she wanted to tell through the story. On the other side, I really adore how she researched mythology creatures and extinct animals. The extinct animals in this novel represent a good mix of science and myth. She even added some cryptids (a new term for me). I wish she or the publisher could add photos of the creatures, so we didn't have to Google them.

[Ruru Frans · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3,25

Banyakkkk hewan-hewann anehh. Dari yang hewan prasejarah sampai hewan yang keberadaannya disebut rumor atau legenda. Beberapa halaman awal memang buat tertarik, tapi juga cukup bikin bosan. Mungkin, karena dari aku sendiri berharap momen dia melihara hewan-hewan di peternakan itu lebih banyak. Butuh juga banyak hewan-hewan aneh. Tapi, rame kok setelahnya, mungkin, karena mulai degdegan apa yang bakal terjadi sama-sama hewan itu. Endingnya typical lah. Ini emang lebih cocok dibaca sama anak-anak kecil yang suka sama fantasy dan lagi berusaha baca novel.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for an after-school to pay for a new bike, George winds up helping out on Wormestall Farm, home to creatures that either time or reality forgot. When a crazy taxidermist starting hunting for super-rare creatures to stuff to win a prize, George and he rest of Wormestall family must save the day. Oh, the comeuppance is good, well not for the taxidermist.

[Moshe · Rating 3 out of 5]

אהבתי. הספר מנסה לאזן בין רגעים רציניים לבין רגעים משעשעים
ולרוב, הוא מצליח לעשות זאת.

הוא יכול להיות נהדר לילדים בין הגילאים 11-9 (אולי גם 12), אך
לא יותר מכך. מכיוון שמאוד קשה להתעלם מהעובדה שהרעים הם
לא באמת רעים - הם סוג של רעים פרווה.

[asaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. The simplicity behind all that complexity is stunning. George takes care of rare animals but at the end of the day, he’s living a normal life. He’s navigating boy girl friendships, what it’s like to live without a dad. 1000000/10.

[Lol-be Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente de mis mejores lecturas del año.
Desde el primer instante me atrapó en la historia y definitivamente pude identificarme con los protas. A pesar de que son niños yo sentía lo que ellos sentían, en especial George. Su angustia, temor, alegría, en fin.
Totalmente recomendado.

[Zehra Bellamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aku lupa nama karakternya apa, tapi mereka berdua (yg dicover) keren banget menjaga hewan² yg hampir punah dari orang² jahat yang mau mengawetkan hewan² itu. Dan aku suka banget sm tokoh utamanya yg sweet sm ibunya, walau cuman sedikit diakhir💗 mereka berdua solid, dan kisahnya ada tegang²nya aku suka. Silahkan baca blurbnya pasti bakal bikin tertarik sih👀