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Pals in Peril #3
Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware
“The invention never flags.” —Booklist (starred review) In this third weird and wacky installment of National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson’s Pals in Peril series, Jasper Dash and his friends must unravel a terrible mystery.It is a land of wonders. It is a land of mystery. It is a land that time forgot (or chose specifically not to remember). Cut off from the civilized world for untold years by prohibitive interstate tolls at the New Jersey border, this land is Delaware. It is into the mist-shrouded heart of this forbidden mountainous realm that our plucky and intrepid heroes, Jasper Boy Technonaut, and his friends Lily Gefelty and Katie Mulligan, must journey to solve yet another a mystery. Come along on a tale of grand adventure that includes in its Lost cities! Tentacles! Monks! Dinosaurs! Cheap suits! Eye Doctors! And, of course, the fabled Curse of the Jaguar!
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
8 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
M.T. Anderson
55 books1,238 followersMatthew Tobin Anderson (M. T. Anderson), (1968- ) is an author, primarily of picture books for children and novels for young adults. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places, and Octavian Nothing. For middle grader readers, his novels include Whales on Stilts: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales and its sequel, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
-Wikipedia
His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places, and Octavian Nothing. For middle grader readers, his novels include Whales on Stilts: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales and its sequel, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 23, 2010
Jasper Dash is not only a Boy Technonaut, he is a champion for his high school’s varsity Stare-Eyes team, where you lose if you blink. Jasper is joined in a quest to save a monk friend from peril in a bizarre version of Delaware by his fellow adventurers, the, sarcastic, love-struck Katie Mulligan and supportive, slower-moving Lily Gefelty. All three characters are present in two other Anderson books, though the reader does not need to be familiar with either of them to enjoy this story.
Humor and weirdness are the main draws here, and while some readers may not fully appreciate all of the jokes, they will find enough to keep them laughing out loud. Anderson uses self-reference in sprinklings throughout the book to great comedic effect, such as his admission that he has never been to Delaware and he hopes that he hasn’t printed anything incorrect: “Everything I say is simply an uneducated guess. You are not in good hands. You are in incredibly clumsy, incompetent hands.” The levels of weirdness rise as the trio reaches Delaware, and discover kangaroo-riding cannibals, schoolchildren in smiley-face masks, and a distinct shortage of vowels in many proper names.
This title will suit those who want something quirkily funny, or fans of Anderson’s work. The story does drag a bit in parts, though this does not detract from the overall experience. The world needs more books that seem like a really strange, yet hysterical dream.
Humor and weirdness are the main draws here, and while some readers may not fully appreciate all of the jokes, they will find enough to keep them laughing out loud. Anderson uses self-reference in sprinklings throughout the book to great comedic effect, such as his admission that he has never been to Delaware and he hopes that he hasn’t printed anything incorrect: “Everything I say is simply an uneducated guess. You are not in good hands. You are in incredibly clumsy, incompetent hands.” The levels of weirdness rise as the trio reaches Delaware, and discover kangaroo-riding cannibals, schoolchildren in smiley-face masks, and a distinct shortage of vowels in many proper names.
This title will suit those who want something quirkily funny, or fans of Anderson’s work. The story does drag a bit in parts, though this does not detract from the overall experience. The world needs more books that seem like a really strange, yet hysterical dream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2012
Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com
If you are a fan of M. T. Anderson, you've got to read JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE. Mr. Anderson writes such gripping historical fiction such as the OCTAVIAN NOTHING titles, unforgettable young adult fiction in FEED, and now, another PALS IN PERIL TALE - entertaining, exciting, and yet thought-provoking material for our younger readers. There is a sense of authorial glee in this book that's almost palpable.
Jasper Dash is once again off to solve a dastardly mystery. This time it's the Stare-Eyes team from Delaware that has tricks that neither Jasper nor his teammates can beat. One by one, they are left beaten and slack-jawed. Shaken, Jasper meets his opponent. Just as he thinks he may have him beat, a voice from his past calls out for help. Before the day is out, Jasper and his friends are in route to Delaware aboard their Gyroscopic Sky Suite.
Let me warn you. When you enter this world...when you enter the mind of the author, nothing will be as expected. Bugs crawl across pages. Spoons stick out of buildings, and indeed, even provide transport. Mountains appear out of nowhere, flying dinosaurs hovering nearby. You'll meet characters without vowels; no one is as they seem. Except, of course, our amazing, dashing young hero, Jasper Dash: Boy Technonaut, and his friends, Lily and Katie.
The narrator tells his story in an off-handish, by-the-way, and did-I-remember-to-tell-you style. His amusing footnotes provide additional entertainment for the advanced reader. That reader who can totally see himself fighting the tentacled monster right alongside Jasper. That reader who fancies himself as the monk, crouched in the closet with the hungry tiger, looking for a board game to help him escape. Only a reader with vision, imagination, and a hunger for adventure will venture into this wacky, fun, yet dangerous world. And yes, I think so, I believe it to be true...that reader is you!
For moms and dads out there who like to read what their child is reading, there's humor here for you, as well. Innuendos that will quite go over the head of most children. JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE reminds me of other iconic reads, such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll, and perhaps even more so, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer. This book is loads of fun, a regular romp in the world of make-believe. Every child's fantasy.
Take a load off from the stress of school, pull out your flashlight, burrow in under your tent of sheets and blankets and take a trip into the extraordinary. Into the Flame-Pits of Delaware. You'll be glad you did.
If you are a fan of M. T. Anderson, you've got to read JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE. Mr. Anderson writes such gripping historical fiction such as the OCTAVIAN NOTHING titles, unforgettable young adult fiction in FEED, and now, another PALS IN PERIL TALE - entertaining, exciting, and yet thought-provoking material for our younger readers. There is a sense of authorial glee in this book that's almost palpable.
Jasper Dash is once again off to solve a dastardly mystery. This time it's the Stare-Eyes team from Delaware that has tricks that neither Jasper nor his teammates can beat. One by one, they are left beaten and slack-jawed. Shaken, Jasper meets his opponent. Just as he thinks he may have him beat, a voice from his past calls out for help. Before the day is out, Jasper and his friends are in route to Delaware aboard their Gyroscopic Sky Suite.
Let me warn you. When you enter this world...when you enter the mind of the author, nothing will be as expected. Bugs crawl across pages. Spoons stick out of buildings, and indeed, even provide transport. Mountains appear out of nowhere, flying dinosaurs hovering nearby. You'll meet characters without vowels; no one is as they seem. Except, of course, our amazing, dashing young hero, Jasper Dash: Boy Technonaut, and his friends, Lily and Katie.
The narrator tells his story in an off-handish, by-the-way, and did-I-remember-to-tell-you style. His amusing footnotes provide additional entertainment for the advanced reader. That reader who can totally see himself fighting the tentacled monster right alongside Jasper. That reader who fancies himself as the monk, crouched in the closet with the hungry tiger, looking for a board game to help him escape. Only a reader with vision, imagination, and a hunger for adventure will venture into this wacky, fun, yet dangerous world. And yes, I think so, I believe it to be true...that reader is you!
For moms and dads out there who like to read what their child is reading, there's humor here for you, as well. Innuendos that will quite go over the head of most children. JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE reminds me of other iconic reads, such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll, and perhaps even more so, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer. This book is loads of fun, a regular romp in the world of make-believe. Every child's fantasy.
Take a load off from the stress of school, pull out your flashlight, burrow in under your tent of sheets and blankets and take a trip into the extraordinary. Into the Flame-Pits of Delaware. You'll be glad you did.
May 10, 2010
This is the third book in M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales series. The first two, Whales On Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, were wacky with silliness. I enjoyed them, even though it's not my favorite kind of humor.
The Flame Pits of Delaware is in the same vein - much silliness with crazy characters, lots of unpredictable plot twists, and purposely contrived situations. It's a story to be taken lightly, and it helps to check your idea of reality at the front door.
Even though I did this, I didn't like Flame Pits as much as the other two, and that's mostly because of the length. I can only take so much mindless silliness, and I'd reached my limit about two thirds of the way through.
Also, there were a few odd things added, like conflict between the main characters, and the beginnings of a love interest. Those elements felt strange, because this kind of story isn't meant to delve into typical kid problems. Stories like this work best when it's a good, plain adventure, like the first two. As a result, this story was just okay. For me, anyway.
Still, I can see middle grade kids going for a book like this, though even they also might prefer a shorter version.
The Flame Pits of Delaware is in the same vein - much silliness with crazy characters, lots of unpredictable plot twists, and purposely contrived situations. It's a story to be taken lightly, and it helps to check your idea of reality at the front door.
Even though I did this, I didn't like Flame Pits as much as the other two, and that's mostly because of the length. I can only take so much mindless silliness, and I'd reached my limit about two thirds of the way through.
Also, there were a few odd things added, like conflict between the main characters, and the beginnings of a love interest. Those elements felt strange, because this kind of story isn't meant to delve into typical kid problems. Stories like this work best when it's a good, plain adventure, like the first two. As a result, this story was just okay. For me, anyway.
Still, I can see middle grade kids going for a book like this, though even they also might prefer a shorter version.
November 30, 2010
Jasper Dash and the Flaming Pits of Delaware
What does adventure mean to you? What is true friendship like? What does it take to be a hero? Jasper Dash and the Flaming Pits of Delaware by M.T Anderson is an amazing and suspenseful book that shows friendship, heroics, and adventure.
Jasper, Katie, and Lily already have a lot of problems at home, but when Jasper Dash gets a S.O.S message from his friend, Drgnan, they must travel and have a daring adventure in Delaware at the temple of Vbngoom to save him. They face and fight deadly gangsters, evil coaches, jocks, and a handless/footless silver criminal from another dimension.
I was pulled into the story of Jasper’s journey; I just had to skip to end. Jasper’s Katie’s and Lily’s adventures were unbelievable. This is an adventurous, suspenseful, and exciting book. I recommend this book to anyone who loves adventurous.
What does adventure mean to you? What is true friendship like? What does it take to be a hero? Jasper Dash and the Flaming Pits of Delaware by M.T Anderson is an amazing and suspenseful book that shows friendship, heroics, and adventure.
Jasper, Katie, and Lily already have a lot of problems at home, but when Jasper Dash gets a S.O.S message from his friend, Drgnan, they must travel and have a daring adventure in Delaware at the temple of Vbngoom to save him. They face and fight deadly gangsters, evil coaches, jocks, and a handless/footless silver criminal from another dimension.
I was pulled into the story of Jasper’s journey; I just had to skip to end. Jasper’s Katie’s and Lily’s adventures were unbelievable. This is an adventurous, suspenseful, and exciting book. I recommend this book to anyone who loves adventurous.
January 4, 2015
Many moments of truly funny writing strung together by a weak story, plot and lack of depth. Maybe this is too harsh, but there are books out there that are funny and will leave you with something to uplift, like Kate DiCamillo's Flora and Ulysses.
March 4, 2021
Pete is absolutely hooked. As should you all be!
May 3, 2025
This was part of a zany series I read with my kids. They loved it. And this particular book in the series was so incredibly quotable that I find myself bringing it up all the time.
Delaware, a place that is exactly like but not precisely a fantastical Tibet! (Don't worry: you can trust the description because the author solemnly promises he has never been to Delaware. Except maybe when he had to pay tolls passing through.)
The ladder peddlers carrying their wares on their heads!
The spies who fold themselves into furniture!
Delaware, a place that is exactly like but not precisely a fantastical Tibet! (Don't worry: you can trust the description because the author solemnly promises he has never been to Delaware. Except maybe when he had to pay tolls passing through.)
The ladder peddlers carrying their wares on their heads!
The spies who fold themselves into furniture!
February 19, 2024
This book begins the two-book Delaware arc in Pals in Peril. Yes, there is a Delaware arc. In these two books, our main characters visit Delaware, a lost dystopia which is ruled by the Autarch and contains random mountains with Buddhist monasteries. The names of the people in Delaware have no vowels, because they are too expensive. This is my favorite of the two Delaware books, and it made me include Delaware jokes in some of my own projects.
May 4, 2025
This is a strange book: it is trying to make fun of the serialization of characters like Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew but these are so out of phase that the target age does not make sense.
As an adult who grew up on the aforementioned series, I enjoyed the jokes but I doubt they would land well.
As an adult who grew up on the aforementioned series, I enjoyed the jokes but I doubt they would land well.
June 10, 2018
BE AWARE
AND
BEWARE
OF THE FLAME PITS
OF DELAWARE
AND
BEWARE
OF THE FLAME PITS
OF DELAWARE
Currently reading
September 8, 2020Good
September 14, 2021
What if Welcome to Nightvale, but for kids?
June 5, 2025
As lifelong Delaware residents, my kids would like you to know that this book is “totally realistic”. (Air quotes included.)
October 17, 2025
I highly recommend this ridiculous series. it's over the top hilarious and has us laughing the whole time.
May 19, 2022
i love this
June 30, 2010
If you are a fan of M. T. Anderson, you’ve got to read JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE. Mr. Anderson writes such gripping historical fiction as the OCTAVIAN NOTHING titles, unforgettable young adult fiction in FEED, and now, another PALS IN PERIL TALE, entertaining, exciting, and yet thought provoking material for our younger readers. There is a sense of authorial glee in this book that’s almost palpable.
Jasper Dash is once again off to solve a dastardly mystery. This time it’s the Stare-Eyes team from Delaware that has tricks that neither Jasper nor his teammates can beat. One by one, they are left beaten and slack-jawed. Shaken, Jasper meets his opponent. Just as he thinks he may have him beat, a voice from his past calls out for help. Before the day is out, Jasper and his friends are in route to Delaware aboard their Gyroscopic Sky Suite.
Let me warn you. When you enter this world…when you enter the mind of the author, nothing will be as expected. Bugs crawl across pages. Spoons stick out of buildings, and indeed, even provide transport. Mountains appear out of nowhere, flying dinosaurs hovering nearby. You’ll meet characters without vowels, no one is as they seem. Except, of course, our amazing, dashing, young hero, Jasper Dash: Boy Technonaut, and his friends, Lily and Katie.
The narrator tells his story in an off-handish, by-the-way, and did-I-remember-to-tell-you style. His amusing footnotes provide additional entertainment for the advanced reader. That reader who can totally seem himself fighting the tentacled monster right alongside Jasper. That reader who fancies himself as the monk, crouched in the closet with the hungry tiger, looking for a board game to help him escape. Only a reader with vision, imagination, and a hunger for adventure, will venture into this wacky, fun, yet dangerous world. And yes, I think so, I believe it to be true…that reader is you!
For moms and dads out there who like to read what their child is reading, there’s humor here for you as well. Innuendos that will quite go over the head of most children. JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE reminds me of other iconic reads, such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll, and perhaps even more so, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer. This book is loads of fun, a regular romp in the world of make believe. Every child’s fantasy. Take a load off from the stress of school, pull out your flashlight, burrow in under your tent of sheets and blankets and take a trip into the extraordinary. Into the Flame-Pits of Delaware. You’ll be glad you did.
Jasper Dash is once again off to solve a dastardly mystery. This time it’s the Stare-Eyes team from Delaware that has tricks that neither Jasper nor his teammates can beat. One by one, they are left beaten and slack-jawed. Shaken, Jasper meets his opponent. Just as he thinks he may have him beat, a voice from his past calls out for help. Before the day is out, Jasper and his friends are in route to Delaware aboard their Gyroscopic Sky Suite.
Let me warn you. When you enter this world…when you enter the mind of the author, nothing will be as expected. Bugs crawl across pages. Spoons stick out of buildings, and indeed, even provide transport. Mountains appear out of nowhere, flying dinosaurs hovering nearby. You’ll meet characters without vowels, no one is as they seem. Except, of course, our amazing, dashing, young hero, Jasper Dash: Boy Technonaut, and his friends, Lily and Katie.
The narrator tells his story in an off-handish, by-the-way, and did-I-remember-to-tell-you style. His amusing footnotes provide additional entertainment for the advanced reader. That reader who can totally seem himself fighting the tentacled monster right alongside Jasper. That reader who fancies himself as the monk, crouched in the closet with the hungry tiger, looking for a board game to help him escape. Only a reader with vision, imagination, and a hunger for adventure, will venture into this wacky, fun, yet dangerous world. And yes, I think so, I believe it to be true…that reader is you!
For moms and dads out there who like to read what their child is reading, there’s humor here for you as well. Innuendos that will quite go over the head of most children. JASPER DASH AND THE FLAME-PITS OF DELAWARE reminds me of other iconic reads, such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll, and perhaps even more so, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer. This book is loads of fun, a regular romp in the world of make believe. Every child’s fantasy. Take a load off from the stress of school, pull out your flashlight, burrow in under your tent of sheets and blankets and take a trip into the extraordinary. Into the Flame-Pits of Delaware. You’ll be glad you did.
January 5, 2013
Maybe you’ve been to that small wonder of the state of Delaware a time or two. Perhaps you even reside there. But you’ve never been to the one as crafted by M.T. Anderson in Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware. This Delaware is “a realm of wonders and terrors, a land that time forgot, or chose specifically not to remember.” (98) Filled with majestic mountains, deep forests, icy bluffs and frigid cliffs, this land is indeed a challenge for our three intrepid high school heroes: Jasper Dash, Katie Mulligan and Lily Gefelt. You may remember these three as the stars of Whales On Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
As the Flame Pits of Delaware opens, the reader finds that Jasper has joined his local Stare Eyes league, a competitive sport based around who can stare the longest at the other person without blinking. Jasper’s team is on the way to becoming state champions but they must face their final opponents, the formidable Delaware Stare Eyes team.
During the competition, Jasper receives a telepathic communication from his old friend Dragan Pghlick. It is a cry for help. All the while, Katie observes the Delaware Stare Eyes team trying to sell some precious treasures to the local museum. These Stare Eyes champions are clearly not what they appear to be. Jasper soon deduces that they are part of a group that has overrun the lost monastery of Vbngoom located in Delaware. This monastery is home to his friend Dragan and also the source of the famous flame pits that can bequeath awesome powers on the monks there.
Jasper, Katie, and Lily are soon on their way to Dover, Delaware where they intend to locate and save Vbngoom. The way ahead is fraught with peril as the three are stalked by secret agents, chased by dinosaurs, and tangled up in an eldritch demon-spawn. They eventually find the monastery and must come face to face with Jasper’s oldest and most faithful foe.
Younger readers will appreciate the sense of adventure throughout the book. Intelligent children and adults will enjoy the immense amount of wit that Anderson has embedded in the text. The character of Jasper Dash , for example, is a sincere character based on 1950’s comics. He cannot fathom the laughter of his Stare Eyes teammates when he shows up in the locker room “wearing a space-age uniform involving tubing and silver sparkles” (32). His out of touch earnestness creates comedy all through the novel.
I would recommend Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware to advanced readers ages 9+. Themes: friendship, the strangeness of the familiar, double identities, heroism, good vs. evil.
As the Flame Pits of Delaware opens, the reader finds that Jasper has joined his local Stare Eyes league, a competitive sport based around who can stare the longest at the other person without blinking. Jasper’s team is on the way to becoming state champions but they must face their final opponents, the formidable Delaware Stare Eyes team.
During the competition, Jasper receives a telepathic communication from his old friend Dragan Pghlick. It is a cry for help. All the while, Katie observes the Delaware Stare Eyes team trying to sell some precious treasures to the local museum. These Stare Eyes champions are clearly not what they appear to be. Jasper soon deduces that they are part of a group that has overrun the lost monastery of Vbngoom located in Delaware. This monastery is home to his friend Dragan and also the source of the famous flame pits that can bequeath awesome powers on the monks there.
Jasper, Katie, and Lily are soon on their way to Dover, Delaware where they intend to locate and save Vbngoom. The way ahead is fraught with peril as the three are stalked by secret agents, chased by dinosaurs, and tangled up in an eldritch demon-spawn. They eventually find the monastery and must come face to face with Jasper’s oldest and most faithful foe.
Younger readers will appreciate the sense of adventure throughout the book. Intelligent children and adults will enjoy the immense amount of wit that Anderson has embedded in the text. The character of Jasper Dash , for example, is a sincere character based on 1950’s comics. He cannot fathom the laughter of his Stare Eyes teammates when he shows up in the locker room “wearing a space-age uniform involving tubing and silver sparkles” (32). His out of touch earnestness creates comedy all through the novel.
I would recommend Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware to advanced readers ages 9+. Themes: friendship, the strangeness of the familiar, double identities, heroism, good vs. evil.
May 27, 2015
Kodey Huff
5/27/15
Mrs. Toney
Period 1 and 2
Reading strategies
Summery
Jasper is trying to get out from the stare eyes kids. They go to Delaware to find what they used to cheat. They go to Delaware and find the glasses they used to cheat with. Then they used it against them when they played them again.
They play them again and they lose somehow. They try to get a rematch and they do. They play them the next day and they have these glasses that shine a bright light after a while and it makes the people blink. So they buy them so they can use them against Delaware to win.
Characters
The main characters of the book are Katie and jasper. Jasper is the main character of the whole entire book. He is the one who does the stare computation and competes. Katie is the one who watches jasper and the other kids in it.
They both help all the other kids in the stare computation to get better. Katie likes one of the boys on the team. She tries to talk to him but when she did he made he cry. Then she avoided him.
Setting
The setting was mostly taken place in the school. The second place is Delaware. And the third place is jaspers house. That’s where all of the setting take place.
Conflict
The conflict is that Delaware cheats and uses special glasses. The glasses would change into different animal’s eyes and it would make them blink. They were really mad they were using them. They tried to get them disqualified.
Resolution
The resolution to that is that they try to go to Delaware and find the glasses that they had. They went to Delaware and found a pair but they were different. The ones they found had flashing lights. How they would work, they would work by them flashing after 5 minutes. It would mostly make people blink.
Opinion
I think the book was a 3 out of five it was kind of good but then again boring. It was just about a staring computation. It wasn’t good I didn’t like it except for some parts. I wouldn’t read it again.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to Nik. I think that he would like it because he sometimes reads books like that and he likes to read a lot. I think he would enjoy it. I don’t any of my other friends would like it though.
5/27/15
Mrs. Toney
Period 1 and 2
Reading strategies
Summery
Jasper is trying to get out from the stare eyes kids. They go to Delaware to find what they used to cheat. They go to Delaware and find the glasses they used to cheat with. Then they used it against them when they played them again.
They play them again and they lose somehow. They try to get a rematch and they do. They play them the next day and they have these glasses that shine a bright light after a while and it makes the people blink. So they buy them so they can use them against Delaware to win.
Characters
The main characters of the book are Katie and jasper. Jasper is the main character of the whole entire book. He is the one who does the stare computation and competes. Katie is the one who watches jasper and the other kids in it.
They both help all the other kids in the stare computation to get better. Katie likes one of the boys on the team. She tries to talk to him but when she did he made he cry. Then she avoided him.
Setting
The setting was mostly taken place in the school. The second place is Delaware. And the third place is jaspers house. That’s where all of the setting take place.
Conflict
The conflict is that Delaware cheats and uses special glasses. The glasses would change into different animal’s eyes and it would make them blink. They were really mad they were using them. They tried to get them disqualified.
Resolution
The resolution to that is that they try to go to Delaware and find the glasses that they had. They went to Delaware and found a pair but they were different. The ones they found had flashing lights. How they would work, they would work by them flashing after 5 minutes. It would mostly make people blink.
Opinion
I think the book was a 3 out of five it was kind of good but then again boring. It was just about a staring computation. It wasn’t good I didn’t like it except for some parts. I wouldn’t read it again.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to Nik. I think that he would like it because he sometimes reads books like that and he likes to read a lot. I think he would enjoy it. I don’t any of my other friends would like it though.
May 13, 2012
M. T. Anderson has stealthily become one of my favorite authors.
I loved Whales on Stilts: M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, and its follow-up; and then I read Feed, which is fantastic; and I found some of his short stories, and they were great.
By the time I got to this book, evidence of an apparent series forming from his Whales premise, I was excited, but wary. A series about kids from other series is a great shtick, but does it have longevity? The joke, I think, would wear thin quickly.
And I felt like it was going to with this one, but then Anderson goes and names a character Choate Brinsley. Who does that? And there are some gags that are predictable and sort of muddle along, and I start to wonder again, and then he writes this indictment of "Sweet Valley High"-esque books: "No one stumbles on any ancient devices, the stars in the night sky are pretty and not filled with alien menace, and there is never a single circular saw--let alone a circular saw with a conveyor belt."
And then later, when Jasper Dash fires his laser at Weasel Chops O'Reilly, the mobster shouts, "He almost fried my kisser! You little punk! I'm gonna need that someday! For kissing!" And Jasper replies, "I hope not, you scoundrel! I hope that no women ever calls the number on the clammy little scraps of paper you doubtless force into their hands at hamburger rallies and 4-H fairs!"
And by the time he's writing that Delaware has been given unto us, all of us, I'm helplessly sold.
I loved Whales on Stilts: M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, and its follow-up; and then I read Feed, which is fantastic; and I found some of his short stories, and they were great.
By the time I got to this book, evidence of an apparent series forming from his Whales premise, I was excited, but wary. A series about kids from other series is a great shtick, but does it have longevity? The joke, I think, would wear thin quickly.
And I felt like it was going to with this one, but then Anderson goes and names a character Choate Brinsley. Who does that? And there are some gags that are predictable and sort of muddle along, and I start to wonder again, and then he writes this indictment of "Sweet Valley High"-esque books: "No one stumbles on any ancient devices, the stars in the night sky are pretty and not filled with alien menace, and there is never a single circular saw--let alone a circular saw with a conveyor belt."
And then later, when Jasper Dash fires his laser at Weasel Chops O'Reilly, the mobster shouts, "He almost fried my kisser! You little punk! I'm gonna need that someday! For kissing!" And Jasper replies, "I hope not, you scoundrel! I hope that no women ever calls the number on the clammy little scraps of paper you doubtless force into their hands at hamburger rallies and 4-H fairs!"
And by the time he's writing that Delaware has been given unto us, all of us, I'm helplessly sold.
September 8, 2014
I grabbed this BOCD, almost at random, before a road trip with my 3 boys. I was not at all familiar with the author, but the cover appealed to me and the description sounded like it would appeal to my boys (ages 8, 11, and 13).
The story is absurd, and full of unrelated tangents, which work together to make it hilarious. It is even more absurd to someone who knows about Delaware (as I do) - like Katie, I was saying "there are no mountains in Delaware!" before they ever left Pelt. But setting aside those kinds of quibbles and just soaking in the story itself, I was able to enjoy the adventure. However, I did find myself tiring of the absurdity after a while - I felt like it should have been 20 to 25% shorter. (If Goodreads allowed half stars, I would give it 3.5 for this reason.)
My boys also enjoyed the book. The 13yo has not yet heard the whole thing because we dropped him off at camp, but he was raving about it to a friend (quoting entire sections) when he got to camp. The 11yo says the beginning is kind of slow. The 8 yo has no complaints (and would probably give it 5 stars!).
The reader is very good. Characters tend to be distinct. The penultimate track on the final CD is someone singing M. T. Anderson's version of the Delaware State Song - again, hilarious in its absurdity!
The story is absurd, and full of unrelated tangents, which work together to make it hilarious. It is even more absurd to someone who knows about Delaware (as I do) - like Katie, I was saying "there are no mountains in Delaware!" before they ever left Pelt. But setting aside those kinds of quibbles and just soaking in the story itself, I was able to enjoy the adventure. However, I did find myself tiring of the absurdity after a while - I felt like it should have been 20 to 25% shorter. (If Goodreads allowed half stars, I would give it 3.5 for this reason.)
My boys also enjoyed the book. The 13yo has not yet heard the whole thing because we dropped him off at camp, but he was raving about it to a friend (quoting entire sections) when he got to camp. The 11yo says the beginning is kind of slow. The 8 yo has no complaints (and would probably give it 5 stars!).
The reader is very good. Characters tend to be distinct. The penultimate track on the final CD is someone singing M. T. Anderson's version of the Delaware State Song - again, hilarious in its absurdity!
March 23, 2015
The book's setting is Delaware , it's a land of wonders , it's also a land of mystery . Delaware is a land that time forgot . Jasper Dash, and his friends Lily Gefelty and Katie Mulligan, must journey to unravel a terrible mystery , they are also the main characters . This book was a very interesting to read , it had from aliens to humor . Jasper Dash is my favirote character , he is brave and does many challenges to get to what he wants . Jasper thinks that the Delawarean Stare-Eyes team might have stole some valuable artifacts from the monastery of Vbngoom , hidden away in one of the perilous, shifting, mistshrouded mountains of Delaware , Jasper has spent time at Vbngoom he learns the secrets, and wisdom of the monks and befriending the young monk Drgnan Pghlik . In order To investigate the threat to Vbngoom, Jasper, Katie , and Lily must navigate the spyladen streets , exotic bazaars of Dover, outwit the Kangaroo-Riders of Armstrong, and they all must avoid being thrown in the dungeons of Wilmington Castle . The book had many interesting parts which was what made me want to read it eagerly . This book was very good to read I highly recommend this book to a friend .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2009
I enjoyed this as much as the others in the series, Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen, although I often wonder who likes these besides me. The adventures work for a juvie - to- teen audience, but the references to children's series fiction of other eras are so thick I always think these are really written for adults.
Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, and his friends Katie (of the Horror Hollow series) and Lily (of no book series at all) travel to the wilds of Delaware to rescue the monks of a lost monastery. There are constant jokes about wild lands and references to the fact that the real Delaware is not, really, controlled by a dictator or covered in mountains, etc.
Fun for the very strange.
Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, and his friends Katie (of the Horror Hollow series) and Lily (of no book series at all) travel to the wilds of Delaware to rescue the monks of a lost monastery. There are constant jokes about wild lands and references to the fact that the real Delaware is not, really, controlled by a dictator or covered in mountains, etc.
Fun for the very strange.
March 9, 2022
Book three of the Pals in Peril series is much longer than the other books. The first book, Whales on Stilts, is a parody of alien invasion stories. The second is a send up of kids mystery fiction. Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of Delaware is a take on quest fantasy, with a healthy dose of espionage thriller.
The state of Delaware, in case you didn’t know, is a nightmare realm, tyrannized by the Awful and Adorable Autarch of Dagsboro. Jasper, Katie and Lily must enter this enchanted horrorscape to save the Monks of Vbngoom from an organized crime syndicate. Like a lot of quest fantasy we get a travelogue of bizarre scenery and hideous monsters before reaching the epic, nonlinear conclusion.
While individual aspects of the book are great, one of the strengths of the previous novels in the series is how short and punchy they are. The length of Flame Pits robs it of some of it’s momentum, but the author’s penchant for absurdity is in high gear, and the fiery conclusion is pretty cool.
The state of Delaware, in case you didn’t know, is a nightmare realm, tyrannized by the Awful and Adorable Autarch of Dagsboro. Jasper, Katie and Lily must enter this enchanted horrorscape to save the Monks of Vbngoom from an organized crime syndicate. Like a lot of quest fantasy we get a travelogue of bizarre scenery and hideous monsters before reaching the epic, nonlinear conclusion.
While individual aspects of the book are great, one of the strengths of the previous novels in the series is how short and punchy they are. The length of Flame Pits robs it of some of it’s momentum, but the author’s penchant for absurdity is in high gear, and the fiery conclusion is pretty cool.
April 2, 2010
The latest in MTA's affectionately satiric take on various genres of children's adventure series. This time, they must rescue monk friends of the anachronistically dapper Jasper Dash in a land of mystery and danger: Delaware. "For one hundred years, Delaware has been cut off from the other states, isolated completely as a result of its overpriced and prohibitive interstate highway tolls...Only the bravest of explorers have penetrated this exotic land."
Sometimes I'm tempted to give an MTA book fewer than 5 stars because surely they're not all equal quality. Then I have to remind myself to rate them in comparison to all the other books I read, not just his, and I'm forced to admit the notably high caliber and shell out the 5th star again. Darn you, Tobin, and your freakishly good writing ability!
Sometimes I'm tempted to give an MTA book fewer than 5 stars because surely they're not all equal quality. Then I have to remind myself to rate them in comparison to all the other books I read, not just his, and I'm forced to admit the notably high caliber and shell out the 5th star again. Darn you, Tobin, and your freakishly good writing ability!
August 31, 2010
Adventure at its most camp. M. T. Anderson's Pals in Peril books are take-offs on the old adventure books written in the 20's and 30's, complete with the original language in places. Ready to depart, chums? The book starts with the town high school's all important Stare-Eyes contest. Our team loses, but why? There's mischief afoot--no, that's Sherlock Holmes. Darn! the intrepid Jasper Dash and his friends Lily and Katie travel to the wilds of Delaware, cut off from the rest of the country because the toll roads there charge too much. The chums have to journey through the jungles of Delaware to find a monastery hidden in the mountains, save a friend from being eaten by a tiger, fend off kangaroo riding cannibals, and save priceless artifacts.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but it's strangely irresistable. Adventures abound and the action never stops.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but it's strangely irresistable. Adventures abound and the action never stops.
February 23, 2011
Strong readers (8-12 yr olds) with a taste for sharp wit, tongue in cheek humor, and the totally bizarre will love this book and I gather the rest of the series. (First in the series is Whales on Stilts.) Setting & characters read like a superhero comic book world...so it may appeal to those who like graphic novels, although this isn't one. It may be a good bridge from graphic novel format to the standard novel. The characters in this book are all characters from other (fictional- as in non existent) books/stories that come together for their adventure and escapades. Action packed.
M.T. Anderson is one of the most imaginative & versatile authors of Juvenile and YA fiction today - from Feed to The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing to this. Good stuff. Not for every reader, but those who like this style will eat it up and beg for more.
M.T. Anderson is one of the most imaginative & versatile authors of Juvenile and YA fiction today - from Feed to The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing to this. Good stuff. Not for every reader, but those who like this style will eat it up and beg for more.
June 2, 2012
First, for context, I listed to a great audio recording of this book on a road trip with my family. It worked well for us.
The book is entertaining start to end, although the slapstick and the narrator sometimes get in the way of enjoying the over-the-top pulp. It is funny. And mostly clean, although with some subtle issues that might affect some perspectives. Too much emphasis on how and why this Delaware is weird, although we usually just get to enjoy it. While it was never mentioned in the book (and indeed seemed not to be the impetus of this book at all), it made me ponder the Delaware tribes displaced by Europeans and how ancient ways on all sides affect our world of today.
Oh, and one other beef, Katie acts too wimpy for supposedly being a heroine on her own. I'd expect a different style than Jasper, but I'd still expert her to act less insecure.
The book is entertaining start to end, although the slapstick and the narrator sometimes get in the way of enjoying the over-the-top pulp. It is funny. And mostly clean, although with some subtle issues that might affect some perspectives. Too much emphasis on how and why this Delaware is weird, although we usually just get to enjoy it. While it was never mentioned in the book (and indeed seemed not to be the impetus of this book at all), it made me ponder the Delaware tribes displaced by Europeans and how ancient ways on all sides affect our world of today.
Oh, and one other beef, Katie acts too wimpy for supposedly being a heroine on her own. I'd expect a different style than Jasper, but I'd still expert her to act less insecure.
September 29, 2014
A wacky story in the vein of 40s-era serials with your hero (Jasper Dash) and his nemesis (Bobby Spandrel) locked into another battle. The wacky part? Where to start: the hero is on the local "Stare Eyes" team, in which the athletes stare each other down. The main action of the story happens in Delaware, where they speak a different language (with a severe lack of vowels). There are also mountains in this version of Delaware. And a king. And plenty of spies.
We read this to our kids, but the story line didn't grab them. I finished it on my own. It's probably better for teenagers
Not knowing much beyond this book, it was never clear when the narrator referred to other adventures if they were other books or if they were made up out of whole cloth for this story. Turns out there is a series with Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut.
We read this to our kids, but the story line didn't grab them. I finished it on my own. It's probably better for teenagers
Not knowing much beyond this book, it was never clear when the narrator referred to other adventures if they were other books or if they were made up out of whole cloth for this story. Turns out there is a series with Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut.
September 21, 2009
This is one of those books that I want to carry out onto the sidewalk and accost random passersby, saying "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!" I admit that I partly want to do this because it's so hard to describe why the book is so good; explaining that it takes place in a world where the characters from children's series fiction are real kids interacting with each other makes it sound like a parody, which it is... kind of... but also an homage - that's really funny - and a great version of one of these stories - and lyrical and deep and smart and wise and OH JUST GO READ IT NOW.
While you're at it, read the first two books in the series, Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
While you're at it, read the first two books in the series, Whales on Stilts and The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
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January 18, 2014While I couldn't finish it, this would be the perfect book to hand a young middle school boy. It has aliens, a crazy plot, and a lot of humor. Personally though, it had a couple things working against it. First, the length. Although the topic would probably draw in reluctant reader, the thickness might put them off. I certainly didn't enjoy the story enough to continue much past page 75. Second, I think it was meant as a parody of various genres, but I am not familiar enough with those to get the jokes. I felt like I wasn't in on an inside joke. However, it's zany enough that a middle schooler might be totally unaware of that aspect. Finally, it was just a little too odd for me. I can usually find something to get me through a book, but because of the length I just couldn't finish.
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