Corby Flood is a children’s book by Paul Stewart
and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It is the second book in the Far-Flung
Adventures series. After her father’s terrible disappointment, eight-year-old Corby Flood and
her family sail on the S.S. Euphonia for Harbor Heights where she and her
siblings will attend a new school. But when Corby hears a strange, sad song,
and overhears the Brotherhood of Clowns scheming, she must figure out how to
stop them from enacting their evil plan all while escaping their attempts to
harm her.
I loved the illustrations by Chris Riddell. I picked this
book out while I was at the library was because I recognized the art style on
the front cover, and I have read Chris Riddell’s Ottoline books. I like Paul
Stuart’s writing style. There are beautiful and humorous similes.
I liked the sense of mystery the book has throughout the
story. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a small excerpt that starts
from another character’s point of view. There are hints that it is an animal,
but there is no way of knowing what creature this character is until later in
the book. I liked how the creature’s speech and worldview are different from a
person’s because it sells the idea that this is indeed an animal, and it makes
this character feel more real. For example, the creature mistakes marshmallows
for flower petals.
There are also clues sprinkled throughout the book that play
a bigger role later in the story. Some of these hints I overlooked, and I was
greatly surprised by how they connected together at the end of the story.
I enjoyed the events that happened in the story, as they
were interesting, funny, and exciting.
Corby is a likeable character, though I felt like I could’ve
learned more about her. She is smart, selfless, and brave. I also liked the
other characters in the story, like Corby’s sister, Captain Belvedere, the man
from Cabin 21, Jon-Jolyon, and Arthur. They are colorful characters that added
more interest, character, and sometimes mystery to the book.
One thing I didn’t like was that at times, it felt like things just happened out of the blue. I guess that’s why the book series is called Far-Flung
Adventures. Corby didn’t feel as real to me as other characters in other books.
Maybe if there was more time with her character she would have. However, she
was still an enjoyable protagonist. The book ended on a cliffhanger of sorts, so I’m a bit
disappointed. Maybe there will be answers in the Hugo Pepper book.
One lesson to take away from the story is that you must do
what is right. Corby does the right thing even though it’s hard and it may
inconvenience her. Children of God must do the same thing for His glory.
Galatians 6:8-10 says “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap
corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting
life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall
reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good
to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” By doing what
is good before God we sow to the Spirit and glorify and honor God. This can
help improve our relationship with Him, which is the most important thing to
do.
There are also messages of forgiveness and not closing
yourself off from the world because of regret. 2 Corinthians 7: 10 says, “For
godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be
regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Regret from sinning
that causes repentance and leads to salvation is godly sorrow, whereas worldly
regret that causes us to be miserable and constantly reminds us of mistakes or
even events that were not even in our control is worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow
shouldn’t control our lives. Instead, if we sin, we must repent and keep
walking in the way God wants us to go.
Another lesson that can be learned is that parents should
make time to listen to their children’s concerns and take them seriously. Corby
tries to tell her parents about what’s going on, but they are either too busy
to listen or too naïve to take what she says seriously. This causes Corby more
problems, and unfortunately, that can be a real-life scenario for kids.
Children need to know that their parents are there to listen and help them when
they need them. They can’t know that if parents are too occupied or dismissive
of what they say. Parents have to listen to their kids.
I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to young readers about eight to twelve years old who
like Paul Stewart’s and Chris Riddell’s work, and who like stories
with adventure.
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