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Description edit
Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge leads (much to her chagrin) a very dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything . . . until the night she overhears a life-changing secret. It seems that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not a mountain at... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
Ten-Year old Persimmony Smudge, who longs for heroic adventures, overhears a secret that thrusts her into the middle of a dangerous mission that could destroy the island on which she lives.
Characters/People edit
- Amelia Smudge: Wife of Simeon Smudge, mother of Persimmony and Prunella, and basket maker with highly sensitive moral feelings and a storehouse of proverbs.
- Badly: Substitute herald with a cowd who addoudces visitors by blowing his dose.
- Barnabas Quill: Me, your trusty narrator and royal historian.
- Barnacle: A revered elderly Rumblebump.
- Captin Gidding: Absentminded but courageous captain of the king's guard, poet and lover of beauty and butterflies.
- Dustin Dexterhoof: Dirty digger, discoverer of gold belt buckles, bearer of bad news, and, to come to the point, and archeologist.
- Flack: A worker in the pepper mill and defender of turnips.
- Fulcrumb (Mr.): The despicable foreman of the pepper mill.
- Giant: Shh! Did I say giant?
- Gaufnoggle: King Lucas's jester. A Rumblebump full of much laughter and little punctuation.
- Harold: Herald with a stopped-up trumpet.
- Jim-Jo Pumpernickel: A peddler with good business sense and a lot of extra colanders to sell.
- Lucas the Loftier: King of the Island at the Center of Everything, soon to turn thirteen, and craving pepper.
- Lulu the Luminous a.k.a. Lulu the Ludicrous: Case in point why you should always believe the Lyre-That-Never-Lies.
- Lyre-That-Never-Lies: Prized and unpredictably prophetic musical instrument. Do you believe it?
- Mad Sweet Potato Farmer: Case in point why you should always take a deep breath and calm down after hearing traumatic news.
- Ned: A pepper mill worker, not very interesting, but suffices to move the plot along.
- Nubbins: King Lucas's faithful old steward.
- Persimmony Smudge: If you don't know who she is, I suggest you go to page 1 start reading.
- Professor Quibble: Geographer, mathematician, philosopher, man of science, advisor to the king and all-around-know-it-all.
- Prunella Smudge: Persimmony's very clean but bewildered older sister.
- Restless Mangrove: A tree that has not yet found its place in the world.
- Rhedgrave Rhinnkle: An extremely bitter and uncompromising Leafeater (Uncle to Rhueben).
- Rhueben Rhinkle: An extremely truthful, noble and artistic Leafeater.
- Rhiddle: An extremely ticklish Leafeater.
- Rhule Rhodshod: Chief of the Leafeaters with a penchant for dandelion hats.
- Sallyroo: A young Rumblebump girl who wants to catch the moon in her pocket.
- Simeon Smudge: Husband to Amelia, father of Prunella and Persimmony, former peppercorn picker, rescuer of anyone who wants to be rescued and many who don't and mysteriously disappeared hero.
- Theodore the Wise: Elderly potter who makes the Giving Pots, careful studier of the Lyre's prophecies, protector of young girls lost in the woods and in general someone you should probably listen to.
- Toddle: An overburdened donkey (particularly colanders) belonging to Jim-Jo Pumpernickel.
- Worvil: A worrier, but we love him anyway.
- Guafnoggle: Add a description of this character.
- Rheuben Rhinkle
- King Lucas: 13 year old boy
- Leafeater: a group of vegetarin enviornmentalist.
- Captain Gidding: An older man given to reciting bad poetry.
Quotes edit
-
“After all, they said to each other, what more is there to be done? Life is a mess and a miracle. so pick up a broom and dance.”
Islanders on the Island at the Center of Everything -
“There is a very good possibility that you will believe a word I say. Alas, it is the risk all historians take. The truest things are often the most unbelievable.”
Professor Barnabas Quill -
“No One Lives Here. Please Go Away.”
Setting & Locations edit
- The Island at the Center of Everything: The only island in the world, according to those that live there. Just you try to prove otherwise.
- Mount Majestic
- Willow Woods
- Willowroot
Organizations edit
- The Citizens Against Giants: The name really says it all, don't you think?
- The Peppercorn Picker Rebels: A group of peppercorn pickers fed up with their working environment.
First Sentence edit
There is a very good possibility that you will not believe a word I say.
Table of Contents edit
In Which a Flying Hat Has Dire Consequences.
In Which Tragedy Besets the Royal House.
In Which Persimmony Hears Something She Shouldn't.
In Which Home is Where the Heartache Is.
In Which Geography Takes A Turn For The Worse.
In Which Persimmony builds Castles And The Potter Makes Plans.
In Which A Smudge Gets A Good Washing.
In Which Philosophy Leads To A Ticklish Conclusion.
In Which a Lyre Tells The Truth (Perhaps).
In Which The Kings Pepper Shaker Results in Tyranny, Oppression And A General Unsettling Of The Nose.
In Which Our Heroes Are Armed With Mighty Weapons And Many Pancakes Are Consumed.
In Which Persimmony Meets A Very Important Person.
In Which Persimmony Drives A Hard Bargain And Worvil Catches A Star In His Pocket.
In Which It Pays To Be Polite, But Grammar Can Get Sticky.
In Which It Is Better To Be A Noble Worm Than A Dead Frog (Or Something Like That).
In Which Captain Gidding Shows His Valor With Coconuts.
In Which Injustice Is Overthrown And A Perfectly Good Bubble Bath Is Spoiled.
In Which Persimmony Remembers Her Manners.
In Which The Rumblebumps Invent A New Game And Worvil Gains Perspective.
In Which Captain Gidding Shows His Valor With Poetry.
In Which King Lucas And Worvil Have Too Little Lunch, And Persimmony Has Too Much.
In Which The King Is Left Alone, And Everything Is Turned Upside Down.
In Which Persimmony's Talents Are Appreciated, Though Not The Right Ones.
In Which The Air If Full Of Fear, Suspicion, Blame And Vegetables.
In Which A Feather And A Flute Prove Their Worth.
In Which Mourning Comes In The Morning.
In Which Persimmony Smudge Sweeps A Floor.
Epilogue.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Jennifer Trafton (Author)
- Jennifer Trafton (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Brett Helquist (Illustrator)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3375-6
Page Count: 339
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3375-6
Page Count: 339
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