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139th out of 553 books
—
382 voters
The Twenty-One Balloons
Professor William Waterman Sherman just wants to be alone. So he decides to take a year off and spend it crossing the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon the likes of which no one has ever seen. But when he is found after just three weeks floating in the Atlantic among the wreckage of twenty hot-air balloons, naturally, the world is eager to know what happened. How did he e
...moreHardcover, 192 pages
Published
September 14th 1947
by Viking Juvenile
(first published 1947)
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Sep 04, 2011
jzhunagev
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Kidz at ♥
Recommended to jzhunagev by:
Kwesi and K.D.
Flight of Fancy
(A Book Review of William Pène du Bois’s The Twenty-One Balloons)
After busting a literary heavy I noticed that from time to time there’s this feeling, an emerging need to clear the palate, to freshen up and clean the slate for another bout of serious reading. In occasions like this I always dig the rich fields of Children’s Literature on the look out for some fun and light book where I don’t have to think much and just go along to the pull of the story wherever it will take me.
Goo...more
9 likes · like · see review
view all 10 comments
May 05, 2011
K.D. Oliveros
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to K.D. by:
Kwesi 章英狮
Shelves:
childrens
One month after graduating from college, I started working. That was in 1984. I am now in my 4th company and except for my paid vacation leaves and rare sick days, I have never been, even a single day, out of the corporate rate race.
27 years of working and trying to earn a living.
I know it is still far from the 40 years of being a math teacher in some high school for Professor William Waterman Sherman but once in a while, I also feel that I need to do something outrageous. Maybe just to break t...more
27 years of working and trying to earn a living.
I know it is still far from the 40 years of being a math teacher in some high school for Professor William Waterman Sherman but once in a while, I also feel that I need to do something outrageous. Maybe just to break t...more
15 likes · like · see review
Feb 20, 2009
Stacy268
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
newbery,
children-s
I picked this one up for a course that I am taking, and it certainly elicited the most responses from my friends and colleagues. It seems that everyone has a great childhood memory of this book. The same was true of my classmates...positive reviews across the board.
William Walter Sherman wants to take a balloon voyage around the world. He has been a teacher of mathematics for many years, and after all of that time surrounded by children, a bit of peace is just what the doctor ordered. Professor...more
William Walter Sherman wants to take a balloon voyage around the world. He has been a teacher of mathematics for many years, and after all of that time surrounded by children, a bit of peace is just what the doctor ordered. Professor...more
3 likes · like · see review
“Half of this story is true and the other half might very well have happened.”
Our story kicks off with the exciting discovery and rescue of a sophisticated professor named William Waterman Sherman, who is stranded in the North Atlantic amid the wreckage of twenty-one sadly deflated balloons. It's the first sighting of this adventurous professor since is departure from San Francisco three weeks earlier. But that day he'd floated off the pier in one large balloon, not twenty one. How did he come t...more
Our story kicks off with the exciting discovery and rescue of a sophisticated professor named William Waterman Sherman, who is stranded in the North Atlantic amid the wreckage of twenty-one sadly deflated balloons. It's the first sighting of this adventurous professor since is departure from San Francisco three weeks earlier. But that day he'd floated off the pier in one large balloon, not twenty one. How did he come t...more
I read this a long time ago in a rocking chair by the window in an upstairs bedroom at my grandmother's house; I couldn't have been older than 7 or 8 the last time I stayed there. I recently found the audiobook in the library and snapped it up.
The book is not the 5-star wonder I remember, but it is a fine read for the young (or people who can read young people's books without scorn), and I was pleased to revisit it. The first thing I noticed was the reader, who also read _Wicked_. He's darned go...more
The book is not the 5-star wonder I remember, but it is a fine read for the young (or people who can read young people's books without scorn), and I was pleased to revisit it. The first thing I noticed was the reader, who also read _Wicked_. He's darned go...more
2 likes · like · see review
The Twenty-One Balloons is a winner of the Newbery Medal and an interesting story about Professor William Waterman Sherman and his idea to live for 1 year in a hot air balloon. You see "there are two kinds of travel. The usual way is to take the fastest imaginable conveyance along the shortest road. The other way is not to care particularly where you are going or how long it will take you, or whether you will get there or not." Sherman uses the second type of travel. His travel takes him around...more
Guy builds the hot air balloon to end all hot air balloons and intends to float all the way around the world on it, but instead he crash lands on a secret island filled with diamonds where 20 families live in the lap of luxury, secluded from the rest of the world and perfectly content.
Fun read. Interesting idea. You could do a lot of art projects with kids who were reading this book, but that's really about it. There aren't any deep themes or questions to explore and it seems like a story that w...more
Fun read. Interesting idea. You could do a lot of art projects with kids who were reading this book, but that's really about it. There aren't any deep themes or questions to explore and it seems like a story that w...more
2 likes · like · see review
confusing but good!
1 like · like · see review
Apr 07, 2013
Gale
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-young-adult,
oldest-newbery-books
LOCKED IN A DIAMOND PRISON!
Professor Sherman of San Francisco has retired from teaching math in order to indulge his passion for Ballooning. He plans to fly across the Pacific, but is rescued (most curiously) in the Atlantic! He resists all efforts and bribes as well as a Presidential request to explain his story, for he has promised to keep mum until he addresses the San Francisco Explorers' Club.
Most of this delightfully amusing book is his account of his misadventures in a balloon. There is...more
Professor Sherman of San Francisco has retired from teaching math in order to indulge his passion for Ballooning. He plans to fly across the Pacific, but is rescued (most curiously) in the Atlantic! He resists all efforts and bribes as well as a Presidential request to explain his story, for he has promised to keep mum until he addresses the San Francisco Explorers' Club.
Most of this delightfully amusing book is his account of his misadventures in a balloon. There is...more
3.5 stars
This was both entertaining and delightful to read. Very much along the lines of a Jules Verne novel with fantastical inventions and miraculous escapes from crashing balloons and exploding volcanoes.
I was especially fascinated by the community on the island and how they'd established a peaceful, industrious, fulfilling life on what had been a deserted island. The restaurant government was intriguing enough that I've found myself discussing it with several others and examining its real-l...more
This was both entertaining and delightful to read. Very much along the lines of a Jules Verne novel with fantastical inventions and miraculous escapes from crashing balloons and exploding volcanoes.
I was especially fascinated by the community on the island and how they'd established a peaceful, industrious, fulfilling life on what had been a deserted island. The restaurant government was intriguing enough that I've found myself discussing it with several others and examining its real-l...more
Ever wondered if there were people on an island with an active volcano, diamond mines, crazy houses and brilliant inventions? Well, that pretty much describes the Legendary island of Krakatoa. In The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois the main character Professor William Waterman Sherman from San- Francisco is out on a hot air balloon adventure to the other side of the world. Instead, he lands on an island with 18 months and families that last names are the first letter of a country! Wi...more
Retro Book Review
The Twenty-One Balloons
By William Pène du Bois
I am a creature of habit. I order the same thing every time I go to a restaurant, I stick to a routine, and my favorites are my favorites. Many of the books I fell in love with as a child are, to this day, still my favorites. I was once told by a colleague that many of the books I enjoy are “crusty”. I believe a great book never goes out of style; it becomes a classic that can stand the test of time.
Although The Twenty-One Balloons...more
The Twenty-One Balloons
By William Pène du Bois
I am a creature of habit. I order the same thing every time I go to a restaurant, I stick to a routine, and my favorites are my favorites. Many of the books I fell in love with as a child are, to this day, still my favorites. I was once told by a colleague that many of the books I enjoy are “crusty”. I believe a great book never goes out of style; it becomes a classic that can stand the test of time.
Although The Twenty-One Balloons...more
The 1948 Newbery Winner, this lighthearted adventure tale blends fact and fiction to craft a humorous and fanciful tale that informs and entertains. The protagonist, William Waterman Sherman, leaves San Francisco to fly across the Pacific in a single balloon (inspired by real-life airship pioneers such as Henri Giffard and Felix Nadar). He is found later adrift in the Atlantic, near death, clinging to the wreckage of not one but twenty balloons. After an amusing, suspense-building delay in recou...more
The first time I read this book was when I was in maybe the third or fourth grade. I remember being fascinated by it and finding it to be the most extraordinary adventure. It struck me so much that even 25ish years later I could still remember some of the plot.
What I seem to have forgotten in those 25ish years is how boring the actual presentation of the story is. Granted, it's part of the epistolary tradition and is presented as the transcription of a speech by the protagonist, which was quite...more
What I seem to have forgotten in those 25ish years is how boring the actual presentation of the story is. Granted, it's part of the epistolary tradition and is presented as the transcription of a speech by the protagonist, which was quite...more
Jun 22, 2011
Antof9
added it
Shelves:
2011-read,
alterna-history,
americana,
kidlit,
liberry,
mysterious,
read-the-newberys,
travel
This was kind of a funny book. It kept my interest, and was definitely about ballooning, but I also felt that it was a lot more about Krakatoa than hot air balloons.
I feel like a lot of these Newbery books are reminding me of other Newbery books. This one, for example, is a combination of Dr. Dolittle 1923) and Call it Courage (1941). That's not a bad thing; just something I've been noticing. That happens all the time -- 2 meteor movies come out at the same time, everyone is into vampire books,...more
I feel like a lot of these Newbery books are reminding me of other Newbery books. This one, for example, is a combination of Dr. Dolittle 1923) and Call it Courage (1941). That's not a bad thing; just something I've been noticing. That happens all the time -- 2 meteor movies come out at the same time, everyone is into vampire books,...more
This past week I've been visiting my mother as she recuperates from surgery, and as a way to pass the time I've been reading her The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois. She'd never read it before, and it's not a bad book to read aloud.
In 1883, Professor William Waterman Sherman of San Francisco, a teacher of arithmetic for many years, decides upon his retirement that he will set forth in a huge specially-made balloon to take a trip around the world. Fate decrees a slightly different cou...more
In 1883, Professor William Waterman Sherman of San Francisco, a teacher of arithmetic for many years, decides upon his retirement that he will set forth in a huge specially-made balloon to take a trip around the world. Fate decrees a slightly different cou...more
As I’ve been reading books for this class, I’ve had a little notebook next to me to take notes on things I’d like to talk about in my post about the book: the very first thing I wrote down for the Twenty-One Balloons was “I’m SO excited about rereading this; it’s been maybe 15 years.”
I loved then and still love the way the book opens – we’ve met our main character, albeit briefly, and are on the edge of our seats, waiting along with the rest of the world, to hear his tale. I really think this s...more
Title: The Twenty-One Balloons
Author: William Pene duBois
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, 1001 Childrens book Before I Grow Up
Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio (192)
Published: 194...more
Author: William Pene duBois
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 + Reading Challenge, Young Adult Reading Challenge, YA Through the Decades, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, 1001 Childrens book Before I Grow Up
Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio (192)
Published: 194...more
Just a guess on the time I read it. It was definitely 5th grade. It was definitely the most memorable book I read during adolescence. I credit this book as the first book I really, truly, loved. The first book, gradually followed by many others, that made me realize reading could be fun. Sometimes it almost feels like it was the first book I completed, the first book I held in my memory, but as I go back I realize that isn't true. There were plenty books before, I'm sure, mainly of the Beverly C...more
This is my favorite book! The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois was read to me in my gifted, or TAG class. It is about a retired math teacher named Professor Sherman who wants to be alone. So he has a giant hot-air-balloon built for him that has a basket house attached. Brings to mind the movie "Up", dosen`t it? He plans to live in it for a year, using trash for ballast. But those plans are spoiled because a seagull pokes a hole in his balloon, forcing him to crash land on the island o...more
1 like · like · see review
I first encountered this book when my grade five, I think, teacher read it to us in class. I remembered it fondly, and thought I'd re-visit it. Many of the things I enjoyed about it then I still did now; specifically, the notion of living apart from regular society, surrounded by fantastic inventions made possible by unlimited funds and a less rigourous set of physics than we live with in reality. The idea of the society based on restaurants like that also sounded appealing. It's also interestin...more
William Pene du Bois' book is categorized as a young adult book, though it can easily become a beloved story for all ages. Though this book was originally written in the 1940s, it is a timeless classic. Winner of the Newbery Medal, this story can truly be read over and over again and still maintain the excitement. I found this story completely engaging from the beginning. The characters are unique and quirky with something to hide-making the story a fun and thrilling read. The civilization as we...more
This book was one I found recommended in one of the summer issues of the children's Friend magazine, so I knew that it would not be offensive. I think there was an asterisk next to it in the Friend that said they made brief mention of drinking alcohol.
I really liked the book. It did happen to be on the AR reading list and it is a 6.8, so a more difficult book. But it's very imaginative and adventurous. The protagonist is male, but I think this is a story that both boys and girls would enjoy.
It i...more
I really liked the book. It did happen to be on the AR reading list and it is a 6.8, so a more difficult book. But it's very imaginative and adventurous. The protagonist is male, but I think this is a story that both boys and girls would enjoy.
It i...more
What a peculiar story! William Sherman, tired of teaching ungrateful children, decides to travel around the world in a hot air balloon. Sherman succeeds, but not in the way he'd anticipated. Unexpectedly, Sherman crashes on the island of Krakatoa. Instead of finding a deserted island, however, he comes upon a strange community of people.
The community has a source of wealth, a magnificent diamond mine, that allows the people to do anything they wish. The people have created a zany civilization fo...more
The community has a source of wealth, a magnificent diamond mine, that allows the people to do anything they wish. The people have created a zany civilization fo...more
I read the twenty one balloons last week.It told us a story of an arithmetic professor who traveled around the world by taking a balloon travel , going wherever wind bring him.Professor Sherman accidentally descended at a concealed small island where diamond was as common as iron and found that the twenty innovative families there enjoyed a special life . A serious volcano eruption destroyed the island and professor survived and went back to USA at last .
Living in such a diamond island must be t...more
Living in such a diamond island must be t...more
Professor Sherman is tired of teaching and engages a balloon-maker to build a balloon for him to take him wherever the wind goes. But his journey in the skies didn't last long and he lands in Krakatoa where he discovers people living on this very-active volcano island. They lead an interesting life there, governed by the 'restaurant government' where each family takes turn to cook for everyone else, and they go on short trips overseas to purchase things. These families are rich as Krakatoa is a...more
My guess is I was ten years old the first time I read this book, and I absolutely loved it. Fast forward to today, and the book still worked for me. It's an adventure story (can a retired old schoolteacher travel around the world in 40 days on a balloon and survive a huge volcanic eruption?), a treasure story (think bucketfuls of gigantic diamonds), and a story of science (exploring the Victorian obsession with ballooning, as well as other inventions such as electric wiring, in both realistic an...more
Since I am still in my Children's Media Class I am still reading children's books. My latest book that I completed reading was called Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois. I choose to read this because my professor suggested it highly, plus it is an adventure about a Balloonist in the 1880's (A very exciting time to be a Balloonist) and the many wonders and adventures he has on the mysterious island of Krakatoa. This book was less about an actual story and more about really neat little in...more
I would have loved this book as a kid--really loved it--structure applied to a cool idea. Explorer aims to travel around the world, crash lands on the 'exotic' island of Krakatoa, Indonesia, and discovers an alphabetized Utopian society of 20 wealthy families, one from each nation, with diamonds, advanced technology and optimized dining habits.
This book was published in 1948 and, well, it shows. Despite its high concept (which kid wouldn't want to live there? let's eat and be rich ALL THE TIME)...more
This book was published in 1948 and, well, it shows. Despite its high concept (which kid wouldn't want to live there? let's eat and be rich ALL THE TIME)...more
I didn't choose this book my mom went and bough me a couple book and this happened to be one of them. I put this book aside and never read it until now. Theirs a man by the name of Professor William Sherman that decides to fly across the pacific ocean. things go wrong and problems start, by the time his Hot Air Balloon house sails down to the ground he has landed on a secret island. A whole new civilization is being run on this island. 20 families and a whole new world. "In a balloon, you can de...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: SOLVED: Adventure novel about a man with a hot air balloon discovering a town/civilization on an active volcano (Krakatoa I think) [s] | 5 | 9 | Apr 05, 2013 03:38pm |
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“Half of this story is true and the other half might very well have happened.”
—
4 people liked it
“The best way of travel, however, if you aren't in any hurry at all, if you don't care where you are going, if you don't like to use your legs, if you don't want to be annoyed at all by any choice of directions, is in a balloon. In a balloon, you can decide only when to start, and usually when to stop. The rest is left entirely to nature.”
—
2 people liked it
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