Voodoo Island

by Michael Duckworth, Tricia Hedge, Jennifer Basset (Series Editor)

Talks about Mr James Conway, who wants to build houses and shops - on an old graveyard, on the island of Haiti. There is one old man who visits the graveyard. The old man has friends - in the graveyard, under the ground. And when Mr Conway starts to build, he makes the mistake of disturbing the sleep of the dead.

Genres: Fiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2000

About the author

Michael Duckworth is a teacher and author who has worked in schools in Africa, the Far East, and Europe. He has written a number of successful courses, including several aimed at preparing students for, or leading up to, Cambridge ESOL examinations.

Reviews

[Anna Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I try to make an english review, because I'm studying english and I started to read adaptated books to learn more. I'm studying for the PET exam, and I think this book is good for me. I think the vocabulary is easy. If I had to look for the dictionary, maybe I'd left the book. This is a history about a rich man who want to be more and more rich, without thinking in other people. Voodoo is a lesson for us, because maybe we need money, but we have to think in other people.

[Jannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite its simplicity, I am astonished that I liked it so much ❤

[Zajafary · Rating 5 out of 5]

داستانی که نمیشد دوستش نداشتمیشه گفت داستان کافی ای بود یعنی به موقع دلهره آور بود به موقع دیالوگهای مناسب داشت به موقع جذاب بود و به اندازه ی کافی زیبا. برای من نمونه یک داستان بی نقص بود... به ویژه پایان عالیش

[Ivanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

He got what he wanted!

[Irem · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my students had to write an essay about this book. Minnor issue, he doesn’t know English. So I ended up reading and translating the ENTIRE book to him, yes i am great like that. I’m not really ashamed to admit, I wrote his essay too. Surely he won’t remember writing an essay, but i’m pretty sure i’ll stay in his mind as the badass teacher that knew English (he seemed mesmerised by my intelligence). I also like to think I inspired him to learn English and read more books.

My take on the book,
I strongly believe Kee was a narcissist.
Conway was just a man.
And Karen… idk she was just.. just.
The book did however make me gasp twice and it was easy to read and follow.
One of the questions on his essay was ‘What character had a trait you would want for yourself?’ I for once was clueless and let him take that one.

[Arif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect!😀

[Oier Quincoces · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5.

[Kosuke Katayama · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Oxford, Stage 2

2. Jan 10→80 minutes

3. money, Haiti, build, graveyard, house, dream, bed

4a. Conway wants to build houses and shops in Haiti to make money. Haiti has one of religion, it calls Voodoo. But, he did not believe this religion. He continued his plan. He gradually built some houses and shops, next, he made a plan to build them at the graveyard. Kee said that here is an important place because his grandfather slept under the ground. Kee tried to stop the plan, but Conway did not stop. Kee got angry, he made the spirit of Voodoo to Conway.

4b. This book was interesting because Conway built something without Kee's permmition, did bad things in Haiti. Voodoo exists truly, I a little scary because it has a curse. Each country has different religions. I want to be careful not to be like Conway.

5. This book was a fantasy. But, the content looked like Japanese animation. At end of the story, bad person is punished. The author wanted to tell readers fear of Voodoo, I thought.

[Źoälfqär Äħmễḑ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy & horror
The story have let's say not a very good plot ,generally it is about a business man who wanna just gain more money and not care about others feelings and then he will get a punishment because of that, let's come to the interesting part for me,what the author wanna to say throw this story, you should have a faith in all religions !!!🤔 If you have a religon says this thing is polytheism,magic and all these are just time wasting so you absolutely you have the right to deny it ,it is worth mentioning that I'm not saying you mustn't have a respect for them, for their beliefs and not to do like this business man did and just have mockery for him,you have your belifes and they have their.

[Michael Uzlaner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Один из директоров международной строительной компании прибывает на остров Гаити для организации широкомасштабного строительства жилья, офисных строений и гостиниц. Бизнес процветает, пока интересы транснациональной корпорации не сталкиваются со стремлением одного из старейших боккоров острова, шамана местного культа Вуду не допустить разрушения старинного деревенского кладбища под расчистку территории для строительства жилого комплекса. Написана на лёгком английском для тех, кто стремится совместить полезное/изучение иностранных языков/ с приятным/увлекательным чтением/.

[Linh Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the book. This is the second book in this level that I had read. It is short enough with no difficult words. I like the story. The moral of the story? Do not be so greedy. If you don't believe it, it doesn't mean that it is not true. Be careful what you wish for.

[Deuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conway has got everything he wanted finally. But at the same time he has lost his natural mental situation.
Mental health is as important as body health I think.

[Fabrizzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enhancing our english with a nice and full story about something interesting that we can take advantage in out lives! 5 stars =)

[Nabatova Mary]

i wont to read this book

[TarasProkopyuk]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...#

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un minicuento entretenido y con un buen mensaje moral.

[Phương Anh Khương · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good book to read when learning english. 10/10

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powalone to i to fest

[Yomna Mahmoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

He did everything had been told ... Not his fault that Conway explained false🤣

[Afri]

Bueno para practicar inglés, sencillo y corto

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read.

[Yuuka Matuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.oxford 2rating
2.conway, graveyard, grandfather, dead, mirtake, angry, curse
3. 6/23 50minutes, 6/25 30minutes
4.(a) i like the last scene in the book.
(b)the scene is conway's wish coming true. he said to knee that i want to live a large house, be taken care and not to work. knee put the curse on conway, so conway cannot live normal and murt stay in the hospital. but he can live a large houre(hospital),be taken care by nurse and not to work(now he cannot work because of the curse). it is not real conway's wish. i was exciting the consequences of unexpected.
5.conway is the president of the construction company. he wanted to build new houses and shops on an old graveyard. the graveyard is importat for knee because there is his grandfather in it. knee asked conway to stop building them on it, but comway started to build them. knee was angry and put a curse on conway. conway cannot live normal and build them. this book is little scary but interesting.

[Yokoi Yumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

VOODOO ISLAND Level2
9/25:10minutes, 9/28:20minutes, 9/29:40minutes

7 summrizes;man lady old-man voodoo graveyard dream mad

Discussion question

1.Voodoo is religion involing magic. In this story, a old man used Voodoo to a buisiness man because the buissiness man tried to build houses and shops in graveyard. So every night, he dreamed nightmare of dead people in graveyard. Finally, he was mad. Do you believe like this?
No, because I haven't seen such as cases so I don'tbelieve. But if I see the cases, I would be afraid.

2.In this story, a buisiness man destroyed the graveyard and began to build new shops and houses there because he wanted to make money for himself. What do you think about a person who acts for oneself's greed?
I think it's bad. The graveyard is important for dead people and their families. So to destroy something without someone's permit is unbeliebale.

[Kosuke Kamiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Oxford level 2
2. 6/11=40 min 6/12=20min
3. island, peaceful development, destruction noisy, black magic, hosipital
4 a. Conway who developed the Island got mad, but Kee who is magician said that he's happy here(hospital), because he doesn't need to work and clean the room, and he got a lot of money. he has everythihng he wants.

4 b I was very surprised with last scene, becuase Kee meet Conway's desire by getting Conway mad.
Conway said Kee that he wants a lot of money and don't want to work, and so he has to earn the money in order to develop the Island. However, Kee likes current Island and so he don't want him to change there. He decided to use magic to save Island and meet his desire.

5 This book is one of my favorite books I have read. I was so surprised and excited when I read the last scene. I don't explain well, so I want my friends to read it.

[かりん · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. OXFORD Level2
2. 10/7 65min
3. voodoo, graveyard, houngan, dream, business, spirit, village
4. Do you believe in goast or spirit of dead people?
No, but sinsce I read this book I became thinking about them more.
I want to believe in the spirit of my grandparents who are not here now.
5. I knew the word "voodoo" in Portland, Oregon in USA this summer.
There are some stores of "voodoo doughnut", and they are very popular in Portland.
At first, I imaged it was just funny and unique tradition.
However in this book, the power of voodoo was stronger than that I imaged.
I felt scary finally. This is a kind of strange story.


I am really sorry about that I cannot submit this review by yeaterday.

[Maho Asano · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.Oxford level2
2.5/13=84min
3. James Conway, Haiti, a doctor, voodoo, new town, the graveyard, mad
4.a, "But perhaps he's happy here. ~ Perhaps he has everything he wants."
b, This is an old man's lines but also James Conway's, too. James used to say, he wants to have a big place to live in, which lots of rooms. people come and clean the rooms and bring him food. He doesn't have to work, and he's got a lot of money in the bank. Now he is in the hospital which has everything he wants. He is in a dream forever by an old man.
5. From the beginning of the story to the middle of it was about opposition between an old man and a business man. Also I could enjoy then, but the ending of the story, of course, I could enjoy but I realized that it was a gruesome tale.

[Satomi Ito · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.OXFORD, level2
2. 100min.
3. money man build island mistake dead happy
4. When do you become happy?
-- When I talk with my friends. They make me happy.
5. Mr James Conway wants to make money. He wants to build new houses and shops - and he wants to build them on an old graveyard, on the island of Haiti. There is only one old man who still visits the graveyard; and Mr Conway is not afraid of one old man. But the old man has friends - friends in the graveyard, friends who lie dead, under the ground. And when Mr Conway starts to build his houses, he makes the terrible mistake of disturbing the sleep of the dead . . .
I enjoyed reading this book, it is slight horrable for me!

[Chie Akura · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Oxford level 2

2. voodoo, spirits, magic, old man, Haiti, graveyard, mad

3. 9/29=70 minutes

4. Conway thinks about just his business and himself. He doesn't care about other people. He is selfish. However, Kee has oposite characteristic. He thinks about an ancestor well. He also can say what he thinks to other people clearly. Thanks to their characteristics, I felt justice and be refreshed.

5. I really thought that if we do bad things to others, it will be absolutely recoil up on ourselves. That's why, we should do good things to others I think.

[Yuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.oxford
level2
mystery

2.June 2 (50 minutes)
June 4 (30 minutes)

3.island - young man - old man - spirits - graveyard - building - mad

4.Do you believe spirits or curse?
-Yes. These are scarcely, but I'm interested in them.

5.The ending is very scarcely, but interesting. Kee is very intelligent, I think. We should preserve old things. Not only new things but also old things are good.

[Momoka Yamaguchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Oxford level1
2. 6/14=40minutes. 6/17=40minutes
3. Voodoo- graveyard-an old man-strange things-protect-spirits-died
4. "But perhaps he is happy here."
An old man said that. I feel scary. I don't know that the old man is good person or not.
5. I was interested in this book story. However I don't know about the old man. I think there are some opinion about the old man,so I would like to talk about him with someone.