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A Journey to the Center of the Earth
For generations, readers have enjoyed classic literature. They have delighted in the romance of Jane Austen, thrilled at the adventures of Jules Verne, and pondered the lessons of Aesop. Introduce young readers to these familiar volumes with Great Illustrated Classics. In this series, literary masterworks have been adapted for young scholars. Large, easy-to-read type and charming pen-and-ink drawings enhance the text. Students are sure to enjoy becoming acquainted with traditional literature through these well-loved classics.
238 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
April 11, 2010
I want to make it very clear that this rating is for the "Great Illustrated Classics" series edition of this book, not the real Jules Verne classic. This series is horrifying in its failure to edit or even construct logical sentences. Dumbing down classics with truly dumb re-writings is worse than Cliff Notes.
August 15, 2024
Hans >>>> the uncle 😭💀
No because tell me why I thought this was the same Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraiser and Josh Hutcherson 😅😅 they had dinosaurs 🦕 unique flying birds 🦅 all sorts of creatures in the movie when, indeed, the story did not lol
I actually tandem read this book and another Journey to the Center of the Earth adaptation simply because of Doc Emmett Brown from Back to the Future 🫶🏽 [see my review on that book]. But this edition did a great job summarizing the classic story while also being descriptive with the events, keeping me entertained throughout the journey!
******************** spoilers ahead *******************
First of all, I cannot believe the book ends with the uncle being deemed “the hero” of the story 🙄 No no no no! My mans, Hans, was the REAL hero of the book 😩👏🏽🙌🏽 He held it DOWN for them, always saving their lives 🫶🏽
And I felt so bad for the nephew!!! He was just trying to accompany his uncle in this wild journey while the nephew ended up getting dehydrated, stranded, unconscious, bleeding to death 😭😭 he just wanted to go back home to his Gretchen, but his uncle kept saying “nahh, we almost there fam” like nooooo 😫 let him go home dude
No because tell me why I thought this was the same Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraiser and Josh Hutcherson 😅😅 they had dinosaurs 🦕 unique flying birds 🦅 all sorts of creatures in the movie when, indeed, the story did not lol
I actually tandem read this book and another Journey to the Center of the Earth adaptation simply because of Doc Emmett Brown from Back to the Future 🫶🏽 [see my review on that book]. But this edition did a great job summarizing the classic story while also being descriptive with the events, keeping me entertained throughout the journey!
******************** spoilers ahead *******************
First of all, I cannot believe the book ends with the uncle being deemed “the hero” of the story 🙄 No no no no! My mans, Hans, was the REAL hero of the book 😩👏🏽🙌🏽 He held it DOWN for them, always saving their lives 🫶🏽
And I felt so bad for the nephew!!! He was just trying to accompany his uncle in this wild journey while the nephew ended up getting dehydrated, stranded, unconscious, bleeding to death 😭😭 he just wanted to go back home to his Gretchen, but his uncle kept saying “nahh, we almost there fam” like nooooo 😫 let him go home dude
February 13, 2020
I've really enjoyed reading these illustrated classics with my 10 year old son. I'm sure they pale in comparison with the originals, and the number of typos is disappointing, but they make for great bedtime reading and are perfect for 8-10 year olds.
June 3, 2022
"A marked improvement over the original. While only about fifteen percent in length, this book had just as much meaningful content as the unabridged novel. It even had a few changes which were certainly improvements, such as Harry not marrying his cousin. I hope Ziti liked it."
December 13, 2020
In which my review is furnished by my four-year-old, who, I must warn you, has no qualms about spoilers:
What did you think about this book?
Good, can you put all the stars?
Why was it good?
Because I liked the part of the volcano and the dinosaurs of the water.
What did you think about all the parts in between the dinosaurs and the volcano?
Very, very interesting.
Which character was your favorite? Hans, the uncle, or Harry?
All of them.
What were they like?
Harry was very silly because he was getting blood all over him.
Hans was very brave at making the dinosaurs from the deep water not getting them.
The uncle was just like Hans.
Would you want to go on this journey with them?
No, no, no.
Why not?
Because I wouldn’t want to get burned by that volcano they went in. And helping Hans get those dinosaurs to go away.
What about when Harry got lost and broke his lamp so was in total darkness?
Yeah, that was my scary part too.
If the uncle asked you to go on this journey with him, what would you tell him?
No, because I would be very scared, because of those dinosaurs and the volcano.
If someone else was thinking about reading this book, what would you tell them?
They should read it because it’s really fun for their kids because of the dino dino saurs and the vol cano cano canos.
What did you think about this book?
Good, can you put all the stars?
Why was it good?
Because I liked the part of the volcano and the dinosaurs of the water.
What did you think about all the parts in between the dinosaurs and the volcano?
Very, very interesting.
Which character was your favorite? Hans, the uncle, or Harry?
All of them.
What were they like?
Harry was very silly because he was getting blood all over him.
Hans was very brave at making the dinosaurs from the deep water not getting them.
The uncle was just like Hans.
Would you want to go on this journey with them?
No, no, no.
Why not?
Because I wouldn’t want to get burned by that volcano they went in. And helping Hans get those dinosaurs to go away.
What about when Harry got lost and broke his lamp so was in total darkness?
Yeah, that was my scary part too.
If the uncle asked you to go on this journey with him, what would you tell him?
No, because I would be very scared, because of those dinosaurs and the volcano.
If someone else was thinking about reading this book, what would you tell them?
They should read it because it’s really fun for their kids because of the dino dino saurs and the vol cano cano canos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2022
I have very fond memories of reading and rereading this book as a child. The GIC series opened me to classic literature when I might not have been ready to tackle the complexity of the language. While the nuances of prose are lost in some adaptations, Verne is a story-first writer, so there is still plenty to.love here. Great way to introduce a young reader to a classic tale.
The only knock from 5 stars is, as some reviewers have mentioned, the amount of typos. A lot. A distracting amount. Otherwise, a fine adaptation.
The only knock from 5 stars is, as some reviewers have mentioned, the amount of typos. A lot. A distracting amount. Otherwise, a fine adaptation.
June 22, 2021
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I loved the story and that there was a black-and-white sketch illustration on every other page.
I was annoyed at how the main character didn’t want to go and once on the journey, kept wanting to turn back. Until one point when I WOULD have wanted to turn back, he’s like “We can do it!” and I’m in disbelief.
I liked the journey to get to the center of the earth, but once they reached a certain point, I felt a little let down. Not because of what they found there, that was great. Just that they didn’t stay there long enough. I don’t know if the original was this way or if the adaptation left a lot of things out. I wish they had stayed and explored longer.
I decided to reread this child adaptation for nostalgia’s sake, and found the text far more dumbed down than I originally remembered. That being said, for the age group this is aimed at, I think it’s fine. Just not for adult me. But now I look forward to reading the original!
I was annoyed at how the main character didn’t want to go and once on the journey, kept wanting to turn back. Until one point when I WOULD have wanted to turn back, he’s like “We can do it!” and I’m in disbelief.
I liked the journey to get to the center of the earth, but once they reached a certain point, I felt a little let down. Not because of what they found there, that was great. Just that they didn’t stay there long enough. I don’t know if the original was this way or if the adaptation left a lot of things out. I wish they had stayed and explored longer.
I decided to reread this child adaptation for nostalgia’s sake, and found the text far more dumbed down than I originally remembered. That being said, for the age group this is aimed at, I think it’s fine. Just not for adult me. But now I look forward to reading the original!
September 24, 2018
Having never read it in high svhool, i found a high school edition and dove right in.
No illustrations are needed as Verne creates topography, creatures, pathways, caverns and more. So we'll that they come to life as do the characters whom encounter dangers and difficulty, seemingly at every momnt.
**abridged version 280 pages. **
No illustrations are needed as Verne creates topography, creatures, pathways, caverns and more. So we'll that they come to life as do the characters whom encounter dangers and difficulty, seemingly at every momnt.
**abridged version 280 pages. **
November 22, 2021
I truly enjoyed reading this in a sitting, on a Monday morning. Even as an adult, I am very curious about these kind of adventures into the centre of the earth. Has it really been attempted before? I have to find out for myself.
July 4, 2022
There are plenty of other adventure books I would recommend before this, but Journey to the Center of the Earth is certainly more action-packed than most. Many of the scenes dragged on, connecting you at times to Henry in having to sit on a boat and wait for days on end.
August 23, 2022
I give it 3 stars, my six year old gives it 5 stars…plus 15 more stars. Call it a composite 4. :)
May 5, 2011
The first time I read this book I was knee high to a grasshopper. The version I read was the kid friendly version with hand drawn pictures of the spectacular journey as it unfolded. Now that I’m an adult I wanted to recapture some of that same magic from my childhood.
The original book by Jules Verne was published in 1864 in French and then translated to English in 1871. Reading a book that is 140 years old was an adventure all in itself because as you can imagine the language and dialog was quite different in in the 1800’s. I’m not ashamed to admit that there were plenty of words that I had to look up in the dictionary because I had no clue what they meant because I’ve never heard them before. Luckily I was reading this book on my Kindle which handled the word look-ups brilliantly.
“Journey to the Center of the Earth” follows the various miss adventures of Professor Hardwigg, his nephew Henry, and Hans their invaluable guide as they attempt to venture to the center of the Earth via an inactive volcano. Verne’s imagination is fantastic which makes this book a joy to read. The story sucks you right in as you turn the pages and then all of a sudden Vern will go off on a tangent about a scientific fact that in itself is interesting but pulls you right out of the story and brings you back to reality. The only other pet peeve that I have is in the later chapters when the perspective of the story changes from being told as if you were on the adventure and then in the later chapters the story is being told after the adventure was over. Although this book didn’t really recapture the magic of my childhood as I remembered it, this book got my imagination going and is definitely worth the read. Just make sure you have a dictionary handy.
The original book by Jules Verne was published in 1864 in French and then translated to English in 1871. Reading a book that is 140 years old was an adventure all in itself because as you can imagine the language and dialog was quite different in in the 1800’s. I’m not ashamed to admit that there were plenty of words that I had to look up in the dictionary because I had no clue what they meant because I’ve never heard them before. Luckily I was reading this book on my Kindle which handled the word look-ups brilliantly.
“Journey to the Center of the Earth” follows the various miss adventures of Professor Hardwigg, his nephew Henry, and Hans their invaluable guide as they attempt to venture to the center of the Earth via an inactive volcano. Verne’s imagination is fantastic which makes this book a joy to read. The story sucks you right in as you turn the pages and then all of a sudden Vern will go off on a tangent about a scientific fact that in itself is interesting but pulls you right out of the story and brings you back to reality. The only other pet peeve that I have is in the later chapters when the perspective of the story changes from being told as if you were on the adventure and then in the later chapters the story is being told after the adventure was over. Although this book didn’t really recapture the magic of my childhood as I remembered it, this book got my imagination going and is definitely worth the read. Just make sure you have a dictionary handy.
September 5, 2017
This is a timeless classic sci-fi adventure story that was originally written by Jules Verne but adapted by Howard J. Schwach. This was a very interesting book that tells the story of how an uncle, his nephew, and their tour guide travelled to the center of the Earth.
The story was told in the perspective of the nephew. He explained his worries and their troubles during the trip. I found it very interesting that their whole journey began by decoding an ancient runic message they found in a book. I also think that it was rude of how the uncle (Professor Hardwigg) made his nephew (Harry) go with him on the journey although Harry was skeptical about the sanity of the trip. Although in the end, Harry ended up enjoying the trip. It was cool how one of the craters from Sneffels could lead into underground pathways. It was interesting how there was a large body of water and large/oversized animals and human inside the Earth. It was also amazing how they ended up in Italy, when they started in Iceland.
Although, there were some parts of the story that were very interesting but there were also a few parts where it started to get a bit boring because of too much unnecessary details. I liked how there was a picture that show a depiction of what was happening in the specific part of the story. I did not like, however, that there were pictures on almost every other page. You can basically know the whole story by just looking at the pictures and reading the captions! But, this is an amazing book and I would recommend reading it.
The story was told in the perspective of the nephew. He explained his worries and their troubles during the trip. I found it very interesting that their whole journey began by decoding an ancient runic message they found in a book. I also think that it was rude of how the uncle (Professor Hardwigg) made his nephew (Harry) go with him on the journey although Harry was skeptical about the sanity of the trip. Although in the end, Harry ended up enjoying the trip. It was cool how one of the craters from Sneffels could lead into underground pathways. It was interesting how there was a large body of water and large/oversized animals and human inside the Earth. It was also amazing how they ended up in Italy, when they started in Iceland.
Although, there were some parts of the story that were very interesting but there were also a few parts where it started to get a bit boring because of too much unnecessary details. I liked how there was a picture that show a depiction of what was happening in the specific part of the story. I did not like, however, that there were pictures on almost every other page. You can basically know the whole story by just looking at the pictures and reading the captions! But, this is an amazing book and I would recommend reading it.
September 29, 2011
I strongly believe that this book was really good. The only thing that I didnt like was that some parts I didn't understand. I don't recromend this book to people who get really bored on books. I do recremend this book to people who find thrillers good, and also don't mind parts that are boreing at points. This book is also like a mystery book. For example, there are parts where your asking your self what will happen to a character or you might start guessing what parts might happen next. since this is a fictional book, it was cool reading about the different animals and different settings the author was thinking about.
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November 19, 2014I thought it was a great story. It was originally written by Jules Verne, but the illustrated version was made by Howard J. Schwach. It is a story about a man named Harry and his uncle, Professor Hardwigg, on their journey to the center of the earth. It is a very cool story and I hope you like it if you read it.
January 14, 2014
so amazing.....
July 10, 2024
I read this book with my 5 and a half year old daughter and she loved it. The first few chapters were a bit slow but once we got into it, she couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
June 20, 2021
Howard J. Schwach's adaptation of A Journey to the Center of the Earth (Great American Classics) is nicely done; however the editor dropped his duties in ensuring that the book did not contain mechanical and grammatical errors. For example, on page 224 "relief" is spelled "reliel" and that's just one of the misspellings. There are other issues throughout the read. Regardless, I read this because my granddaughter read it during her final nine weeks of fifth grade and I couldn't believe the teacher chose this to read but I could see connections to both math and science and hope that the teacher took some time to explain the importance of using those skills to help solve life's problems. This book is pared down from Jules Verne's version and that is a blessing in itself but it is still an imaginative tale of an incredible journey. One thing that I did find appealing for young people is that every other page is an illustration which helps move the story along and does shorten the reading time which makes it a nice summer read in-between grades. In conclusion, if teachers or parents help make other educational connections this is a classic read in a time when so many of our books are being canceled by the woke. Now that I have read this and have a copy of the movie they watched on loan from our local library to watch with her, we will have a discussion about what she learned, liked and disliked.
February 24, 2019
Because I was too lazy to read the original, I thought I’d take the opportunity to dive into the abridged version just to satisfy my curiosity. The first 3/4 or so was really quite good and entertaining, the last 1/4 however just went downhill. I really thought the ending was rather idiotic and entirely implausible, granted, this is science FICTION. I couldn’t get past the dinosaurs and giant mushrooms. I just couldn’t. Also from an editorial standpoint there were many grammatical errors in this book, and the sentences were extreme dumbed down. Over all though it was quite enjoyable and you could picture yourself with Harry, the professor, and Hans going on this once in a life time adventure even though it ended in shit.
February 6, 2023
They went into an unactive volcano and then came out at another volcano. The journey was subpar, but I felt like this book might have cut at least 50 pgs. from the original book. Because of that, the extinct animals and the journey would be in more detail in the original full length book. If you don't know, these books are condensed and modified by the person who wrote the story. This cuts out a ton of pages.
They have pictures on every other page. This wasn't bad until I got about 60% through this book. I was like why can't they have at least two pages a in row with text that are side by side. However, these pictures do provide visual context on what is happening throughout the story. This helped me visualize the scenery better in my head.
They have pictures on every other page. This wasn't bad until I got about 60% through this book. I was like why can't they have at least two pages a in row with text that are side by side. However, these pictures do provide visual context on what is happening throughout the story. This helped me visualize the scenery better in my head.
July 11, 2025
My aunt gave me a set of these Moby Books adaptations when I was in second grade, and I loved them so, so much. I recently purchased a set of them on a whim, read Journey, and it's been a weird mix of nostalgia and disappointment.
Spoilers below.
How did I not previously notice how whiny the narrator is? Or all the glaring inconsistencies where they keep being on the verge of starvation or dehydration and then are fine, or where they enter the final volcano ride on August 27 and leave a couple days before September 30? I also was completely content with Hans being a noble savage character, always putting the other characters' well being above his own.
my favorite quote: "Then he picked up a crowbar and began attacking the wall three feet above the tunnel floor."
Spoilers below.
How did I not previously notice how whiny the narrator is? Or all the glaring inconsistencies where they keep being on the verge of starvation or dehydration and then are fine, or where they enter the final volcano ride on August 27 and leave a couple days before September 30? I also was completely content with Hans being a noble savage character, always putting the other characters' well being above his own.
my favorite quote: "Then he picked up a crowbar and began attacking the wall three feet above the tunnel floor."
June 4, 2024
#3 in the 11 novel Extraordinary Voyages adventure series by Jules Verne.
Opens on May 24, 1863 in Hamburg, Germany (ends with their return on September 9,1863) when geology professor Otto Liedenbrock discovers a coded note pointing out the start of a route to the center of the earth. This is the trigger that sends Liedenbrock and his young assistant, nephew Axel, immediately off to Iceland in order to be at the spot by the end of June to show them the entrance.
With their Icelandic guide Hans, the 3 enter a passage in an Icelandic volcano and at end of August are ejected from the volcano Stromboli in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern Italian coast.
Opens on May 24, 1863 in Hamburg, Germany (ends with their return on September 9,1863) when geology professor Otto Liedenbrock discovers a coded note pointing out the start of a route to the center of the earth. This is the trigger that sends Liedenbrock and his young assistant, nephew Axel, immediately off to Iceland in order to be at the spot by the end of June to show them the entrance.
With their Icelandic guide Hans, the 3 enter a passage in an Icelandic volcano and at end of August are ejected from the volcano Stromboli in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern Italian coast.
November 4, 2025
Preface: This is a childrens version of a classic book. For an adult, I would recommend the regular version, which having grown up to read, would also highly recommend. (And both have pictures!)
The Great Illustrated Classics series in my elementary school library introduced 6 year old me to Verne. While obviously lacking in the depth of the original, I feel that they do a wonderful job of converting Verne's worlds and his drier adult style into a book easily accesible for children to enjoy.
If you have a young one that may be into science fiction, these versions might be worth the look. They certainly were for me!
The Great Illustrated Classics series in my elementary school library introduced 6 year old me to Verne. While obviously lacking in the depth of the original, I feel that they do a wonderful job of converting Verne's worlds and his drier adult style into a book easily accesible for children to enjoy.
If you have a young one that may be into science fiction, these versions might be worth the look. They certainly were for me!
June 12, 2025
I read this with my tween son. It's interesting reading after having just taught Earth Science. I recognized the parts of the volcano, abs marveled at the "not so hot" temperature. Jules Verne really had a great imagination! The illustrator did a great disservice by staying the characters wearing regular shirts and pants (no overcoats). It makes me wonder if the original had better description of their outfits and gear.
By chance, modern Mount Etna just erupted a few days after we finished the book. That was where the adventurers exited. It makes the story come alive!
By chance, modern Mount Etna just erupted a few days after we finished the book. That was where the adventurers exited. It makes the story come alive!
July 26, 2017
I like the Journey to the Center of the Earth because of the humor. One part in the book I liked was when a boy talked about needing water. Another part I liked was when they broke a hole in a wall but right when that happened it created a waterfall. The final part was when lava pushed the raft out of the mouth of the volcano.The part I disliked was the part when a boy and there grandfather were decoding a letter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
This is for the illustrated classic version that I read nightly to my legit captivated 4yr old daughter. It was so incredibly full of errors and over-exposition that I know the original doesn’t have.
But! it was still a delightful read and I definitely had fun channeling my best shitty German accent for the perpetually angry professor.
My partner & I also found great amusement in the very plain captions for the illustrations.
But! it was still a delightful read and I definitely had fun channeling my best shitty German accent for the perpetually angry professor.
My partner & I also found great amusement in the very plain captions for the illustrations.
June 12, 2021
This cute, wee pocketbook was my first introduction to Jules Verne's epic adventure. Severly abridged and accompanied by beautiful line drawings, it helped a young reader discover the perilous journey into the bowels of the earth in a satisfying and engaging format.
Since I was currently doing *A Journey to the Centre of the Earth* marathon and devouring the expedition in every format, it felt only right to scour out this childhood book and add it to the must-reread collection.
Since I was currently doing *A Journey to the Centre of the Earth* marathon and devouring the expedition in every format, it felt only right to scour out this childhood book and add it to the must-reread collection.
March 9, 2023
Gets five stars from Parker who says he likes this more than the other books! He liked the adventures and how they went into the earth and came out through a volcano. He found the strange land and sea creatures really exciting. (Rating is for the story itself, as the writing and typos throughout of course would take it down a notch or two, but that’s to be expected with these Great Illustrated Classics.) Parker: “I love you” to the book.
November 4, 2023
A book that keeps me on the edge of my seat! I empathize with Harry's ups, downs, and in-betweens as he describes every situation he is experiencing; I become emboldened and interested by the hearty words and bull-dog tenacity of Professor Hardwigg; and finally, I am inspired by the overall stability of Hans, the Icelandic guide and aid to the two men. This books brings perfect balance between Science and Fiction. 10/10!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews