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The Lucky Bottle

"From pirates and potions, to books, bones, and beautiful friendship bonds, this desert island escape story is a stirring charmer"

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LoveReading4Kids Says

LoveReading4Kids Says

Blessed with storytelling magic, along with a generous sprinkling of actual magic, in The Lucky Bottle celebrated author-illustrator Chris Wormell has created a stunning story that will grip 8+ year-olds hook, line and sinker.

With nods to Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels and The Tempest, this melds the thrills of traditional adventure stories — desert island survival, treasure-hungry pirates, messages in bottles — with thoroughly fresh elements, among them witchcraft, a giant tortoise, and a beautiful bond between a boy and long-time islander.

When ten-year-old Jack finds himself washed up on a tiny Atlantic island, “a great black void of loneliness came upon him, and a homesickness so acute, he wept uncontrollably.” Such is the direct, affecting lyricism of this novel, and such is the gravity of Jack’s situation. Happily, though, his dark mood is lifted when he discovers he’s not alone. A wise, kindly man Jack names Robinson has been on the island for nineteen years, living in a cave packed with books, which, in Robinson’s words “have the power to enchant and cast spells just as powerful as any magic potion!”

When Robinson teaches Jack to read and write, he suggests Jack writes messages in bottles that might help him realise his dream of being rescued. Then, as they uncover the island’s long-lost treasures, along with links to pirate stories Jack recalls from home, he and Robinson implement an outlandish plan involving a witch’s potion and a deep belief in the notion of luck.

Joanne Owen
Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen
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About The Lucky Bottle

Ten-year-old Jack is stranded on a desert island. He's been very lucky: he's survived a terrible storm and the mysterious island he has found himself on has a kindly if unusual inhabitant, fresh water and plenty of food. But Jack needs to find his way home, and as he uncovers incredible hidden treasures on the little island, he starts to formulate a plan.

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