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The Secrets of Droon #1-3
The Secrets of Droon: Volume I: Books 1-3
3 Hours and 16 Minutes
The Secrets of Droon is an ongoing epic saga published for listeners who enjoy fantasy at its most exciting and engaging. This much-lauded series was cited by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top ten works to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter, and will finally make its audio debut in Fall 2004. Fast, whimsical action, engaging characters, and surprising, imaginative situations are the hallmarks of The Secrets of Droon, one of the best-selling series for its age group.
Book #1 - THE HIDDEN STAIRS AND THE MAGIC CARPET
A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the World of Droon with Eric, Julie, and Neal.
Book #2 - JOURNEY TO THE VOLCANO PALACE
The nasty Lord Sparr has stolen a magic jewel from Eric, Julie, and Neal's friend Princess Keeah. The jewel is in Lord Sparr's secret palace, which is in a volcano!
Book #3 - THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
Eric, Julie, and Neal are sailing with Princess Keeah and suddenly they are caught in the middle of a magical ocean storm. and they are shipwrecked on an island that belongs to one of Lord Sparr's witches.
Book #4 - CITY IN THE CLOUDS
Uh-oh! Neal has a problem. He's turned into a bug--again. The cure is in the City of the Clouds and his friends have one day to get the cure before the island disappears.
The Secrets of Droon is an ongoing epic saga published for listeners who enjoy fantasy at its most exciting and engaging. This much-lauded series was cited by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top ten works to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter, and will finally make its audio debut in Fall 2004. Fast, whimsical action, engaging characters, and surprising, imaginative situations are the hallmarks of The Secrets of Droon, one of the best-selling series for its age group.
Book #1 - THE HIDDEN STAIRS AND THE MAGIC CARPET
A hidden door. A magical staircase. Discover the World of Droon with Eric, Julie, and Neal.
Book #2 - JOURNEY TO THE VOLCANO PALACE
The nasty Lord Sparr has stolen a magic jewel from Eric, Julie, and Neal's friend Princess Keeah. The jewel is in Lord Sparr's secret palace, which is in a volcano!
Book #3 - THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
Eric, Julie, and Neal are sailing with Princess Keeah and suddenly they are caught in the middle of a magical ocean storm. and they are shipwrecked on an island that belongs to one of Lord Sparr's witches.
Book #4 - CITY IN THE CLOUDS
Uh-oh! Neal has a problem. He's turned into a bug--again. The cure is in the City of the Clouds and his friends have one day to get the cure before the island disappears.
Audio CD
First published November 9, 2004
About the author
Tony Abbott
211 books414 followersTony Abbott (born 1952) is an American author of children's books. His most popular work is the book series The Secrets of Droon, which includes over 40 books. He has sold over 12 million copies of his books and they have been translated into several other languages, including Italian, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. He has also written the bestseller Firegirl.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 28, 2015
I thought that this book was not very good compared to the rest of the books I still liked it but it wasn't as detailed plot wise as the other ones. I do recommend these books for a easy read when your bored and you want a short easy book.
July 15, 2017
The world of Droon is a mysterious place with creatures out of this world. Imagine being a child and stumbling upon a secret portal to another world. What would you do? Eric, Julie and Neal seem to adjust quickly to what most would clam up to.
This is a good book for a young reader that helps them bring the characters and the setting into their minds.
This is a good book for a young reader that helps them bring the characters and the setting into their minds.
February 1, 2018
While cleaning the basement Julie, Neal and Eric find magic in Eric's basement - a staircase leading to another world! - which is full of magic - fun and different creatures.....but, how do they get back home.
I don't really care for chapter books --- the whole book should be a WHOLE book not released a chapter at a time.....
I don't really care for chapter books --- the whole book should be a WHOLE book not released a chapter at a time.....
October 8, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
I was seven years old when I first read The Secrets of Droon books. I remember specifically because we bought them for the family road trip from California to Walt Disney World right before my eighth birthday, which we spent there in Florida. Very much an avid reader then and reading at a level higher than my age would have typically suggested, I recall being thoroughly pleased with myself for having read four of these books in what amounted to only a few hours. It was the first time I had ever done so.
As I look back on it now, what had once appeared to me an amazing feat really just seems like a reasonable event.
Rereading The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by Tony Abbott was an interesting experience. While I have the ability to look back on the story and characters fondly, as an adult with much more experience and knowledge of writing, plot, and character development I find that this book is severely lacking. But, is that a bad thing? As a child, I enjoyed it. I devoured these books. They were fun and full of adventure. They made me eager to read more.
Literary Merit
I guess what it all comes down to is where we place the merit for novels that we read. And for a children's book, this one is actually pretty great. It's a fast read, so kids who struggle to sit for long periods of time could benefit. It's got exciting moments and there are definitely some high stakes. That said, when analyzing it from plot and character development points of view, this book kind of sucks?
This book is basically the equivalent of a 30-minute children's show. It actually kind of reminds me a little of Dragon Tales. You have the kids who find a magical way to get into a different world, they spend some time there and kind of solve a problem, then they go home. I can't personally recall if that's how the rest of the series goes, but I feel pretty confident in saying that I'd place my bets there rather than anywhere else. The book was basically 1/10 of a plot that Abbott decided he could break into multitudes.
The best thing this book has going for it is the fact that there's a lot of action. It's engaging for young readers and you never really feel like you're being bogged down by pointless, dull, or dragging moments. And honestly, for young readers who struggle to remain engaged, this is a great thing. Of course, the action is still very rushed, keeping in line with that 30-minute episode thought. Everything happens painfully fast (how big is this kingdom supposed to be again?) and you don't get a second of downtime for anything.
Also, the mysterious secret code, while easy for adults to decipher, is actually pretty great for young readers.
Characters
Put simply, you do not get to know the characters at all. I couldn't tell you anything about them past a few very simple characteristics that I'm sure the author will play up as the series continues. What's worse is that I couldn't tell you anything about the main character, Eric, other than the fact that his mom expects him to clean the whole basement for some reason and that he likes Princess Keeah. He's insanely bland but he's also the hero, so he's motivated to do heroic things.
Keeah is at least a little more interesting, thankfully. She's on the run from Ninns--which are basically orcs that ride lizards, I guess?--who work for the evil Lord Spaar (why is he evil? I have no idea. I guess just because he wants to take over the castle and gain power). She's a quick thinker with a fighting spirit. But, that's about it.
Neal is...reckless? I think that's his personality quirk. And he likes soccer.
I honestly don't know if I could tell you a single thing about Julie, though. This is kind of sad considering she's one of two main female characters surrounded by men. The only other female character in this whole book is Eric's mom who we get to see for all of two minutes of reading. But honestly, you could remove her entirely and I don't think it'd even make a difference.
There's also absolutely no development for any of the characters. Though, to be fair, there's not really time for it. Considering this book is only 96 pages long and does action so well, there's not a whole lot of time for it. Hopefully, this doesn't continue throughout the rest of the books in the series.
So, thoughts?
I don't think it's terribly bad. I don't think it's particularly good, either, but at least it has some merit. And while I won't say that these books were life-changing for me--I had a great many books for that--they were still books that I recall truly enjoying from my childhood. It's a quick read, it's something young and especially reluctant readers will do well with. In essence, I think The Secrets of Droon is an excellent starting point for reading. And that's that.
| Reader Fox Links |
I was seven years old when I first read The Secrets of Droon books. I remember specifically because we bought them for the family road trip from California to Walt Disney World right before my eighth birthday, which we spent there in Florida. Very much an avid reader then and reading at a level higher than my age would have typically suggested, I recall being thoroughly pleased with myself for having read four of these books in what amounted to only a few hours. It was the first time I had ever done so.
As I look back on it now, what had once appeared to me an amazing feat really just seems like a reasonable event.
Rereading The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet by Tony Abbott was an interesting experience. While I have the ability to look back on the story and characters fondly, as an adult with much more experience and knowledge of writing, plot, and character development I find that this book is severely lacking. But, is that a bad thing? As a child, I enjoyed it. I devoured these books. They were fun and full of adventure. They made me eager to read more.
Literary Merit
I guess what it all comes down to is where we place the merit for novels that we read. And for a children's book, this one is actually pretty great. It's a fast read, so kids who struggle to sit for long periods of time could benefit. It's got exciting moments and there are definitely some high stakes. That said, when analyzing it from plot and character development points of view, this book kind of sucks?
This book is basically the equivalent of a 30-minute children's show. It actually kind of reminds me a little of Dragon Tales. You have the kids who find a magical way to get into a different world, they spend some time there and kind of solve a problem, then they go home. I can't personally recall if that's how the rest of the series goes, but I feel pretty confident in saying that I'd place my bets there rather than anywhere else. The book was basically 1/10 of a plot that Abbott decided he could break into multitudes.
The best thing this book has going for it is the fact that there's a lot of action. It's engaging for young readers and you never really feel like you're being bogged down by pointless, dull, or dragging moments. And honestly, for young readers who struggle to remain engaged, this is a great thing. Of course, the action is still very rushed, keeping in line with that 30-minute episode thought. Everything happens painfully fast (how big is this kingdom supposed to be again?) and you don't get a second of downtime for anything.
Also, the mysterious secret code, while easy for adults to decipher, is actually pretty great for young readers.
Characters
Put simply, you do not get to know the characters at all. I couldn't tell you anything about them past a few very simple characteristics that I'm sure the author will play up as the series continues. What's worse is that I couldn't tell you anything about the main character, Eric, other than the fact that his mom expects him to clean the whole basement for some reason and that he likes Princess Keeah. He's insanely bland but he's also the hero, so he's motivated to do heroic things.
Keeah is at least a little more interesting, thankfully. She's on the run from Ninns--which are basically orcs that ride lizards, I guess?--who work for the evil Lord Spaar (why is he evil? I have no idea. I guess just because he wants to take over the castle and gain power). She's a quick thinker with a fighting spirit. But, that's about it.
Neal is...reckless? I think that's his personality quirk. And he likes soccer.
I honestly don't know if I could tell you a single thing about Julie, though. This is kind of sad considering she's one of two main female characters surrounded by men. The only other female character in this whole book is Eric's mom who we get to see for all of two minutes of reading. But honestly, you could remove her entirely and I don't think it'd even make a difference.
There's also absolutely no development for any of the characters. Though, to be fair, there's not really time for it. Considering this book is only 96 pages long and does action so well, there's not a whole lot of time for it. Hopefully, this doesn't continue throughout the rest of the books in the series.
So, thoughts?
I don't think it's terribly bad. I don't think it's particularly good, either, but at least it has some merit. And while I won't say that these books were life-changing for me--I had a great many books for that--they were still books that I recall truly enjoying from my childhood. It's a quick read, it's something young and especially reluctant readers will do well with. In essence, I think The Secrets of Droon is an excellent starting point for reading. And that's that.
| Reader Fox Links |
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March 14, 2014It's hard to know what to say about these books. As an adult I found them cheesy and laughable. I mean on the first page he spells dryer, drier. But and I do mean but...
There is also another side to these. For my first grade reader they seem to be the perfect length. He gets tired easily and reading out loud can't last too long if you want to promote reading. These books seem the perfect length and there seems to be just enough action and adventure to encourage him to get to the end of the chapter, which is also an important reading milestone. So, in some ways I find them absolute perfection and feel a small need to give them five stars. All my kids have liked them and if you are serious about raising a reader, you can't take these books seriously enough.
Also, I wonder if parents get how important chapter books are for comprehension? It is such a great way to get kids to remember multiple people and places. Last night I asked, "Now who are these guys? And what happened last night?" In giving me his own little oral chapter report, I was able to tell that he is totally getting it and following the story beautifully.
I remember a parent in our neighborhood punishing their child because their comprehension was low. I can't tell you how idiotic I find this style of parenting because how does a child improve their own comprehension? Um, they can't! Only parents can do that through guided reading and finding the right books for them.
Comprehension takes work and kids need to feel like it is fun.
Enough said.
There is also another side to these. For my first grade reader they seem to be the perfect length. He gets tired easily and reading out loud can't last too long if you want to promote reading. These books seem the perfect length and there seems to be just enough action and adventure to encourage him to get to the end of the chapter, which is also an important reading milestone. So, in some ways I find them absolute perfection and feel a small need to give them five stars. All my kids have liked them and if you are serious about raising a reader, you can't take these books seriously enough.
Also, I wonder if parents get how important chapter books are for comprehension? It is such a great way to get kids to remember multiple people and places. Last night I asked, "Now who are these guys? And what happened last night?" In giving me his own little oral chapter report, I was able to tell that he is totally getting it and following the story beautifully.
I remember a parent in our neighborhood punishing their child because their comprehension was low. I can't tell you how idiotic I find this style of parenting because how does a child improve their own comprehension? Um, they can't! Only parents can do that through guided reading and finding the right books for them.
Comprehension takes work and kids need to feel like it is fun.
Enough said.
January 4, 2011
We listened to these stories as a family on a road trip. It is a cute series for children ages 6-8. Our older and younger children enjoyed them, but didn't love them like our six and eight-year old. The reader on the audio books is excellent! I found myself kind of annoyed by some repetitive words used by the author. At first, I thought the words were creative, but after their frequent use, I got bored of hearing them. For example, Max was always "chittering" and the other characters' eyes were often "flashing" in anger, excitement, etc. A larger variety of words could have been used in place of those words. A wide vocabulary in books such as these is a great tool for teaching children new words. That said, it's a fun book for kids. Who else hasn't imagined an entrance to a secret world from home?
May 26, 2013
In my quest to read more chapter books, I picked this one up. I can see where this would appeal to very young fantasy readers. The problem with chapter books, I find, is that the author is so very limited to size, style, and depth. So we are left with one dimensional characters who do this and this without us ever getting details. I know they are all like this, but I thought Droon might be funnier. Overall, I thought it had some cool fantasy creatures, some stock stereotypical leads, and a magical mechanism that transports the kids to a magical world. Not too shabby. I don't feel compelled to read more, nor did I read enough to care about Droon. Again, I realized how tough it must be to world build in an easy chapter book. This series has fans, and I feel better having had a taste of the series.
January 18, 2012
These first three books follow the adventures of Eric, Neal, and Julie as they descend the magical rainbow-colored staircase beneath Eric's basement into the Land of Droon. There they meet Princess Keeha (wizard wannabe), the great wizard Lord Galen, and Max the troll-faced spider who become friends with the upperland trio. They also meet lots of unsavory characters who want to bring harm to the beautiful and once peaceful realm of Droon. Lord Sparr and his henchman (well, hench-creatures) are after the friends and the red eye of dawn. He will stop at nothing to get his way!
For kids who are a little too young for Harry Potter, these Secrets of Droon books are delightful and the audio version comes alive with the voice of Oliver Wyman.
For kids who are a little too young for Harry Potter, these Secrets of Droon books are delightful and the audio version comes alive with the voice of Oliver Wyman.
February 2, 2009
These are great books for kids, they are perhaps a step above The Magic Treehouse series. These books are a fantasy series, with a secret world through a basement door. The adventures of Eric, Julie and comical Neil, meeting up with Droon's princess Keeah, are fun and imaginative complete with the usual fastasy characters (bad and good wizards, kings and queens) and unusual fantasy characters. They have a drama, comedy and some parts are a little tense. We stumbled upon the series at the library and listened to the first four books (good to listen to). I read a chapter every night and it captures the attention of all three of my boys (4,6 & 8). We are on #11. Fun books!
November 19, 2012
In the rating of this book, I choosed really amazing, the 5 stars. Because it is very imaginary. And I like imaginary. I like the part that there is a magic door and when you just open the door, you see magical staurs. I like Droon. I don't want to fight a monster in there because they are scary but if I were protagonist, which are Eric and his friends. I think the main imaginary part in Secrets of Droon #1 is a flying magic carpet. Because it kind of saved Eric and his friends.
Also fish head(?)(don't remember his name......) was scary.
Also fish head(?)(don't remember his name......) was scary.
December 12, 2011
I was not a fan of this recording. It may have been the way it was recorded, but the narrator was really quite when he wasn't reading dialogue. This made for his reading of the dialogue to be too loud which did not make for a pleasurable listening experience. Also, the narrator did not differentiate between the voices of the children very well and therefore made it hard to tell who was speaking.
December 30, 2008
We listened to this on a car trip last week. The kids, ages 3 and 5, absolutely loved these three books and wanted to hear them again. I thought they were pretty good for early chapter books. I had a problem with the varying volume of the narrator. His villain was far too loud and other parts were too quiet.
July 7, 2008
This book had a fantastic storyline, but a bad editor, if you catch my wave. In other words, it was a good story badly worded.
June 10, 2013
Cute adventure story for 2nd or 3rd grade level readers.
March 23, 2014
I liked the part when Neal rammed into Galen's invisible tower!
He was so funny!
He was so funny!
February 19, 2010
NICE ADVENTURE BOOK FOR THE YOUNGER SET
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews