Dial Books for Young Readers, 2010. Ages 8-11.
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Life is a mess and a miracle
Oh, how ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge longs for Glory! Heroism! Adventure! But instead she leads a very dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything, weaving baskets and sweeping floors. Until, that is, the night she overhears a life-changing secret. It seems that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain at the center of the island, is not a mountain at all. It’s the belly of a sleeping giant! Now it’s up to Persimmony and her new friend Worvil the Worrier to convince all the island’s other quarreling inhabitants—the Rumblebumps, the Leafeaters, and most of all, the stubborn young king—that a giant is sleeping in their midst, and must not be woken.
With dazzling illustrations by the legendary Brett Helquist, Jennifer Trafton’s fantastical debut tells the story of one brave girl's efforts to make an entire island believe the impossible.
What people are saying . . .
“Framed as an account written by Professor Barnabas Quill, ‘Historian of the Island at the Center of Everything,’ Trafton’s debut is a lively adventure about magical pots, pepper, manners, poison-tongued jumping tortoises, poetic soldiers, and downtrodden yet resilient heroine Persimmony Smudge. . . . Trafton imbues her tale with a delightful sense of fun and fascinating, well-rounded characters—playful wordsmithing and flowing dialogue make this an excellent choice for bedtime read-aloud.”
“Trafton creates a unique setting with unusual and detailed characters, including the playful Rumblebumps, the polite but dangerous Leafeaters, and the selfish 13-year-old king who has no regard for his subjects. Persimmony’s sense of adventure and determination make her an entertaining heroine.”
“There’s a funny, witty read ahead, as we follow Persimmony, who must be lost in a significant way, and then, yes, found, in search of a much more interesting tale under the ‘Center of Everything’— literally a sleeping giant—than anyone else knew. . . . A good book for the family to read aloud.”
“The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic is a book just made for a family to share, with enough wit to keep grown-ups amused and enough action to keep kids wanting one more chapter. . . . Clearly, Jennifer Trafton has an affinity for Lewis Carroll’s wordplay and Roald Dahl’s creatures, most especially his Oompa-Loompas. The island’s inhabitants include the swimming, giggling Rumblebumps and the humorless, courteous Leafeaters. Be sure to assign the read-aloud role to someone good at voices.”
“With language that trips and dips and twirls and swirls off the tongue, and zings merrily through mind and heart alike, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic will delight readers young and old. Whimsical, wonder-full, and witty, Jennifer Trafton’s tale of the big, breathing-in ups and the gigantic, breathing-out downs of the extraordinary inhabitants of the Island at the Center of Everything is magical—a buoyant, lively debut and a great read-aloud!”
“Fantastic and fun, Trafton’s debut is for anyone who loves to let their imagination run loose. (Recommended reading position: on your back with a toy building — such as a Monopoly hotel — balanced on your stomach.)”