The Adventure Is Now
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- Create Date：2021-06-10 06:51:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jess Redman
- ISBN：0374314713
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A middle grade novel about a boy who learns about protecting the environment， finding real friends， and living in the now while spending the summer on a remote island。
Sometimes it's hard to be Milton P。 Greene。 He says all the wrong things， his family is falling apart， and everyone at school avoids him because of the very embarrassing Bird Brain Incident。 But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild， he becomes someone else--Sea Hawk， the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who conquers danger at every turn。
Then Milton's parents ship him off to the remote Lone Island for the summer， where his uncle Evan is an environmentalist researcher。 The island is chock-full of spectacular species， and Milton realizes this is his chance to become the brave and brilliant naturalist he's always wanted to be--and even meet some fellow explorers！
But as it turns out， the future of the Lone Island is in some pretty serious peril， and the only thing that can save it is a field guide full of cryptic clues。 If Milton and his unexpected new friends are going to protect the island， they'll have to trust each other， discover new truths， and embark on a wild and wondrous adventure all their own。
Sometimes it's hard to be Milton P。 Greene。 He says all the wrong things， his family is falling apart， and everyone at school avoids him because of the very embarrassing Bird Brain Incident。 But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild， he becomes someone else--Sea Hawk， the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who conquers danger at every turn。
Then Milton's parents ship him off to the remote Lone Island for the summer， where his uncle Evan is an environmentalist researcher。 The island is chock-full of spectacular species， and Milton realizes this is his chance to become the brave and brilliant naturalist he's always wanted to be--and even meet some fellow explorers！
But as it turns out， the future of the Lone Island is in some pretty serious peril， and the only thing that can save it is a field guide full of cryptic clues。 If Milton and his unexpected new friends are going to protect the island， they'll have to trust each other， discover new truths， and embark on a wild and wondrous adventure all their own。
Reviews
Leigh
，
Thank。 you to the publisher for the e-ARC of this one。Milton P。 "Sea Hawk" Greene is a great protagonist， and I can already think of a number of readers who will devour this adventure-fantasy。 Milton's friendship with Fig， and subsequently with Raffi and Gabe is very well done， but I think the real allure of this book is their trek through the jungle。 I can't wait for this book to make it's way into classroom libraries。 Thank。 you to the publisher for the e-ARC of this one。Milton P。 "Sea Hawk" Greene is a great protagonist， and I can already think of a number of readers who will devour this adventure-fantasy。 Milton's friendship with Fig， and subsequently with Raffi and Gabe is very well done， but I think the real allure of this book is their trek through the jungle。 I can't wait for this book to make it's way into classroom libraries。 。。。more
Shaye Miller
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Milton P。 Greene is having the Most Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously Rotten Year of All Time。 He appears to have lost his best friend， he’s being bullied at school， his parents are getting a divorce， and now Milton must go spend the summer with his Uncle Evan， an environmentalist researcher， on a deserted island WITHOUT any electricity。 If only he could only play his trusty video game， Isle of Wild， then all his problems might drift to the peripheral and allow him to have some fun。Facing o Milton P。 Greene is having the Most Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously Rotten Year of All Time。 He appears to have lost his best friend， he’s being bullied at school， his parents are getting a divorce， and now Milton must go spend the summer with his Uncle Evan， an environmentalist researcher， on a deserted island WITHOUT any electricity。 If only he could only play his trusty video game， Isle of Wild， then all his problems might drift to the peripheral and allow him to have some fun。Facing obvious anxiety， once Milton arrives at the remote Lone Island he decides to become someone else as a coping mechanism。 The other kids totally buy that his real name is Sea Hawk and he capitalizes on his naturalist skills， using what he’s learned playing his favorite video game。 But between him and the other three children living there， will they have the connection， intelligence， and wisdom needed to uncover the secrets of the Lone Island and prevent it from from falling into corrupt hands？This was a FANTASTIC book from start to finish – the awkward friendship interactions， the struggle to be honest and vulnerable， the vivid and elaborate description of the adventurous island – this exciting story is BEGGING to be read aloud！ In fact， I kept thinking what a wonderfully whimsical movie it would make with all these highly imaginative creatures and the unique island environment。 Additionally， I just love that cover AND the book includes the field guide from the story， which was fun to read with the story。 My thanks to Netgalley， Jess Redman， and Farrar， Straus and Giroux for allowing me an advanced reader’s copy so that I could provide my honest review。 I highly recommend The Adventure Is Now for the home， the classroom， and for children’s libraries everywhere！ 。。。more
Beth Jen
，
I really enjoyed reading this book。 I really liked :1） That the main character was basically unplugged from his video game （= a bit of an addiction and a way to escape from his problems） and forced to work through stuff through outdoor adventuring in a new environment with new people。2） The very specific fictitious flora and fauna the author created to establish the children's challenges during their quest。3） That I was able to relate to the characters and their decisions on the island more easi I really enjoyed reading this book。 I really liked :1） That the main character was basically unplugged from his video game （= a bit of an addiction and a way to escape from his problems） and forced to work through stuff through outdoor adventuring in a new environment with new people。2） The very specific fictitious flora and fauna the author created to establish the children's challenges during their quest。3） That I was able to relate to the characters and their decisions on the island more easily than some other middle grade novels I've read as an adult。 Sometimes I read a more recent middle grade or middle school novels and think， "those decisions don't seem like decisions I could have made or related to as a middle grade / middle school child。" Even when the children went beyond what I would've done as a kid （such as leaving the designated tree house campsite to investigate clues about the island's true nature）， the children's decision-making-process and concerns stayed close enough to my values （both my kid-me values and my adult-me values） that I still enjoyed the book。 。。。more
Stephanie Lucianovic
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A delight。
Sheila R
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Milton has a had a rough year and now he is sent to Lone Island to spend the summer with his uncle。 He sees this as an opportunity to restart who he is and what people see in him。 Milton and the other children on the island begin a journey to save the island and along the way we meet unique plants and animals described only in the journal of the deceased Dr。 Paradis。 A fun and exciting story guaranteed to keep you curious and wondering。
Katie Proctor
，
I loved this so much。 I will read anything Jess Redman writes ever— she manages to make real issues that kids face so accessible and nuanced。 Loved。
Stephen Chase
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Funny and original！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！
Amy
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the review copy of this book。 At this point， Jess Redman could write anything， and I would be on board to read it。 The Miraculous and Quintessence were such marvelous books， I was very excited to see she had a new book coming out。 The Adventure is Now brings a wonderful new cast of splendid characters。 I love it when authors can put such a complete voice into each character， and Jess Redman is a master at this。 I love Milton an Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the review copy of this book。 At this point， Jess Redman could write anything， and I would be on board to read it。 The Miraculous and Quintessence were such marvelous books， I was very excited to see she had a new book coming out。 The Adventure is Now brings a wonderful new cast of splendid characters。 I love it when authors can put such a complete voice into each character， and Jess Redman is a master at this。 I love Milton and Fig especially， but Rafi and Gabe are also great！ Milton has spent the last school year on the sidelines。 He has no more friends， his parents are separated， and he escapes into his survival video game。 During the summer， his parents send him to live with his uncle on Lone Island， where he cannot charge his video game。 Will he survive？ There are three other children living on the island， will he make friends？ Jess Redman builds a fantastical world in the Lone Island。 I trust her wholeheartedly with my reading life！ 。。。more
Emilee （emileereadsbooks）
，
Thanks to Netgalley and Mac Kids for a free digital copy。This is a whimsical romp through a fantastical island that has remained a mystery to most people for years and years。 Milton reluctantly shows up on the isolated island for the summer after a terrible year to visit his uncle who is a researcher。 Throughout the summer he learns to be honest with himself， what friendship looks like， and has a big adventure along the way。 This book balances emotional vulnerability， wonderful storytelling， hum Thanks to Netgalley and Mac Kids for a free digital copy。This is a whimsical romp through a fantastical island that has remained a mystery to most people for years and years。 Milton reluctantly shows up on the isolated island for the summer after a terrible year to visit his uncle who is a researcher。 Throughout the summer he learns to be honest with himself， what friendship looks like， and has a big adventure along the way。 This book balances emotional vulnerability， wonderful storytelling， humorous circumstances， and exciting events so wonderfully。 So much is packed into this story that you won't want to stop turning the pages。Note， as with most middle grade books， the parents are not stunning role models and are more than a little oblivious to what is happening in Milton's life。For fans of the new Jumanji movies and the Magic School Bus。Content Warning: Divorce， Bullying 。。。more
Cassie Thomas
，
I knew from the beginning that Milton P。 Greene was going to be a character， both literally and figuratively。 Milton had struggled significantly with this year as his parents divorce was finalizing， his best friend abandoned him， and his realization that he was alone， well except for his game Isle of Wild。 After a forced trip to his Uncle’s for the summer on a remote island， Milton starts to discover a lot more than just nature。 More of himself， what he labels a RESTART。 I love how this book is I knew from the beginning that Milton P。 Greene was going to be a character， both literally and figuratively。 Milton had struggled significantly with this year as his parents divorce was finalizing， his best friend abandoned him， and his realization that he was alone， well except for his game Isle of Wild。 After a forced trip to his Uncle’s for the summer on a remote island， Milton starts to discover a lot more than just nature。 More of himself， what he labels a RESTART。 I love how this book is full of science。 It is so important for those students who love science to see themselves in things they read。 Nature is huge， and Jess does a great job hitting a love of nature without making you feel like an outsider for enjoying time spent outdoors exploring。 （A past time I enjoyed as a kid that I feel is far too avoided anymore）。 I am also a huge fan of short chapters for middle grade books。 My mind just believes that I’m reading so much more and so much faster - even though it’s not the case， but I love how short the chapters are throughout the entire book。 Themes/topics: Nature， science， friendships/relationships， divorce， character development， emotional understanding。 There are great vocabulary lessons engrained in the story and wordplay！ 。。。more
Jessica Vitalis
，
This might be my favorite of the author's stories！ The main character， Milton， spends most of his time playing a video game to escape the traumas of middle school bullies （and the Bird Brain incident） and his parent's impending divorce。 When they decide to ship him off to a remote island， he's less than excited but a spur-of-the-moment decision leads him to establish a new identity for himself––Sea Hawk， the fearless character in his beloved video game。 As he gets to know the island's inhabitant This might be my favorite of the author's stories！ The main character， Milton， spends most of his time playing a video game to escape the traumas of middle school bullies （and the Bird Brain incident） and his parent's impending divorce。 When they decide to ship him off to a remote island， he's less than excited but a spur-of-the-moment decision leads him to establish a new identity for himself––Sea Hawk， the fearless character in his beloved video game。 As he gets to know the island's inhabitants and reveals more about himself， he learns more about the island--including the secrets its hiding behind a magical set of vines。 This book is truly an adventure––one that entertains even as it takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as the main character learns he doesn't have to be someone else to find true friendship （and maybe even save the island）。 。。。more
Amy Ayan
，
Thank you， Netgalley and Jess Redman， for the ARC of this book。What a fantastic and delightful middle-grade read。 Milton P。 Green was having a terrible year with his parents about to get divorced， and the Bird Brain incident made him lose all his friends。 He spent most of his time playing the video game Isle of Wild， pretending to be Sea Hawk， who goes on quests to save the world。 When Milton’s parents send him to spend the summer with Uncle Evan on remote Lone Island， he wasn’t thrilled at firs Thank you， Netgalley and Jess Redman， for the ARC of this book。What a fantastic and delightful middle-grade read。 Milton P。 Green was having a terrible year with his parents about to get divorced， and the Bird Brain incident made him lose all his friends。 He spent most of his time playing the video game Isle of Wild， pretending to be Sea Hawk， who goes on quests to save the world。 When Milton’s parents send him to spend the summer with Uncle Evan on remote Lone Island， he wasn’t thrilled at first， but soon he feels that he can actually be like Sea Hawk and save the world。 He even introduces himself as Sea Hawk to a few children。 Can Milton make friends？ Can he cope with his family situations？ Read this adventurous book to find out。Milton is funny， and most middle-graders will relate to difficulties at home and at school。 The mysteries in the flora and fauna of this land are very intriguing and will capture the minds of young readers。This book will make a great read-aloud at home or in a classroom， and children will immediately fall in love with Milton like we did。It’s an easy 5/5 stars for us。 。。。more
Erin
，
Our school was lucky to have Jess Redman speak with us on World Read Aloud day。 We learned she has a new book coming out - and let me tell you that I've never seen the cover of a new book excite 4th and 5th grade readers quite the way this one does！ I love the cover and the title resonates with me every day， because for better or worse the adventure always IS now。 My students are envious that I was able to read an eARC of the book。 It is pre-ordered for our school library and I can't wait for th Our school was lucky to have Jess Redman speak with us on World Read Aloud day。 We learned she has a new book coming out - and let me tell you that I've never seen the cover of a new book excite 4th and 5th grade readers quite the way this one does！ I love the cover and the title resonates with me every day， because for better or worse the adventure always IS now。 My students are envious that I was able to read an eARC of the book。 It is pre-ordered for our school library and I can't wait for them to experience the incredible Lone Island with Milton， Fig， Rafi and Gabe！ 。。。more
Darla
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Milton P。 Greene is stuck with the nickname Bird Brain after an unfortunate event involving his favorite teacher and the taunting that follows。 His hero is Sea Hawk， the protagonist in Into the Wild， the video game that is Milton's current obsession。 When Milton's parents send him to spend the summer with Uncle Evan on remote Lone Island， Milton decides to reinvent himself in an effort to impress the handful of island inhabitants。 What Milton may discover is that the best version of himself is s Milton P。 Greene is stuck with the nickname Bird Brain after an unfortunate event involving his favorite teacher and the taunting that follows。 His hero is Sea Hawk， the protagonist in Into the Wild， the video game that is Milton's current obsession。 When Milton's parents send him to spend the summer with Uncle Evan on remote Lone Island， Milton decides to reinvent himself in an effort to impress the handful of island inhabitants。 What Milton may discover is that the best version of himself is somewhere in between the reviled Bird Brain and the revered Sea Hawk。 The island is chock full of exotic flora and fauna （like being immersed in a video game） and a guide with ink illustrations is included in the back of the book。 May inspire kids to put down the controller and explore their own backyard。Thank you to Farrar， Straus and Giroux and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Yapha
，
Milton P。 Greene has had a horrible year。 His parents are getting divorced， his best friend deserted him， and he is the laughing stock of his school。 His only comfort is in playing the video game Isle of Wild。 When his parents decide to send him off to his uncle on a remote island for the summer， Milton has mixed emotions。 On the one hand， he loves his uncle and went through a big naturalist phase a couple years back。 On the other， he wishes everyone would just leave him alone and let him play h Milton P。 Greene has had a horrible year。 His parents are getting divorced， his best friend deserted him， and he is the laughing stock of his school。 His only comfort is in playing the video game Isle of Wild。 When his parents decide to send him off to his uncle on a remote island for the summer， Milton has mixed emotions。 On the one hand， he loves his uncle and went through a big naturalist phase a couple years back。 On the other， he wishes everyone would just leave him alone and let him play his game。 When he gets to the island， it is nothing like he expected。 He channels his inner Sea Hawk （the main character of the video game） to explore the island， possibly make new friends， and maybe even save the day。 This was a really fun read with some fantastic new species。 Recommended for grades 3 & up。eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley 。。。more
Julie
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With thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an early copy in return for an honest review。The Adventure is Now definitely has an appropriate title as this book is filled with adventure and mystery！ Milton P。 Greene has had an absolutely awful year and he does anything he can to hide out from his current reality。 And then he travels to visit his uncle on a remote island。 Once there he discovers something of a treasure map and so begins a summer filled with adventure。。。an With thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an early copy in return for an honest review。The Adventure is Now definitely has an appropriate title as this book is filled with adventure and mystery！ Milton P。 Greene has had an absolutely awful year and he does anything he can to hide out from his current reality。 And then he travels to visit his uncle on a remote island。 Once there he discovers something of a treasure map and so begins a summer filled with adventure。。。and a few mishaps along the way！I also think kids will really enjoy seeing the various plants and animals of the book in the Field Guide at the back of the book。 。。。more
Emily Bush
，
The Adventure is Now is definitely an adventure！ Through fabulous storytelling， Jess Redman tells the story of Milton P。 Greene。 Milton is looking to escape his parent's divorce， so he agrees to spend the summer on an island where his uncle is doing research。 Not being very social or popular， making friends is hard for Milton， so the island seems like the perfect place to avoid all of that。 When he discovers a letter from the island’s founder talking about unlocking the secrets of the island， Mi The Adventure is Now is definitely an adventure！ Through fabulous storytelling， Jess Redman tells the story of Milton P。 Greene。 Milton is looking to escape his parent's divorce， so he agrees to spend the summer on an island where his uncle is doing research。 Not being very social or popular， making friends is hard for Milton， so the island seems like the perfect place to avoid all of that。 When he discovers a letter from the island’s founder talking about unlocking the secrets of the island， Milton sets out on an adventure he will never forget and learning things about himself he might never have known otherwise。 This was a fun， magical story that any kid （or adult） would love to experience。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
Andréa
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Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss。
Laurie Hnatiuk
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Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher Farrar， Straus and Giroux for a digital ARC of this title to read。 Jess Redman's previous two books （The Miraculous and Quintessence） used magic to add to her stories， and her latest book， The Adventure is Now， is no different but instead， the magic is more playful。Milton P。 Greene。 is dealing with things that many middle-grade individuals go through; his parents are not getting along contemplating divorce。 There are issues at school， especially after th Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher Farrar， Straus and Giroux for a digital ARC of this title to read。 Jess Redman's previous two books （The Miraculous and Quintessence） used magic to add to her stories， and her latest book， The Adventure is Now， is no different but instead， the magic is more playful。Milton P。 Greene。 is dealing with things that many middle-grade individuals go through; his parents are not getting along contemplating divorce。 There are issues at school， especially after the Bird Brain incident， and he is trying to figure out who he is and find out how he can fit in。 And like many middle-grade kids， Milton is fascinated with a video game， the Isle of Wild， where the main character Sea Hawk goes on various ecological quests to save the world。 His parents decide to send Milton to a remote island where his uncle is doing environmental research based on the work of Dr。 Ada Paradis。 Dr。 Paradis discovered many new species of plant and animal life。 She was the reason Milton's uncle went to the island。 Although not thrilled， Milton thinks this could be his chance to become like his video game hero Sea Hawk。 Upon arrival， Milton can see that one of these new plant species， the Truth-Will Out Vine covers the entire island。 Also， his uncle is depressed because he has not found any evidence of all the other new species Dr。 Paradis shared in her guide because of this vine。 Determined to create an adventure， Milton introduces himself as Sea Hawk to the other three kids on the island。 Getting off on the wrong start with two brothers， he manages to befriend Fig， a girl his age。 When he finds a box left from Dr。 Paradis with clues to search for the new species， he and Fig go searching for the elusive species and guide that reveals how and where to find all the living specimens on the island。 It turns out finding these species now takes on a more imperative role as the island is now up for sale and has a potential buyer。 Now unless they can share evidence the island is unique， a corporation will own and develop it， and the race is on。I had read somewhere （unfortunately， I have forgotten where） that The Adventure is Now is very Roald Dahl-Esq， and I would agree with this statement。 The story is very imaginative with lots of creative species （all described in a handy field guide in the back） that I know will appeal to many readers。 I can see this being an excellent read-aloud for anyone studying habitats and thinking about ways plants and animals adapt。 I know many teachers in grade four in our province have students create a species and can see some fun ways to compare and contrast。Also appealing will be the characters， especially Milton。 Readers will connect with trying to fit in and worried about perceptions after an incident they have had。 I also know the video game will also be an easy connection for students and liked how Ms。 Redman used an ecologically-based game。 Dr。 Rudine Sims Bishop talks about books being mirrors and windows so everyone can see themselves in a story， and I loved how Milton may seem a bit different than your typical main character but allows readers to see themselves。Released May 4， this will be a captivating read for those students who love adventures and exploring with the bonus of using their imagination to become acquainted with new friends， both human and otherwise。 。。。more
Rebecca Balcárcel
，
Considering bullies， loss of his only friend， and parents on the verge of divorce， you might think that 12-year-old Milton would jump at the chance to explore a wild island for the summer。 Instead， he wants to escape into his video game and ignore how monumentally terrible this year has been。 But a mystery and a set of unlikely friends replaces his virtual adventure with a real one， and as the wild island comes under threat， only an expedition into its fabulous depths can save it。 Redman gives u Considering bullies， loss of his only friend， and parents on the verge of divorce， you might think that 12-year-old Milton would jump at the chance to explore a wild island for the summer。 Instead， he wants to escape into his video game and ignore how monumentally terrible this year has been。 But a mystery and a set of unlikely friends replaces his virtual adventure with a real one， and as the wild island comes under threat， only an expedition into its fabulous depths can save it。 Redman gives us a plucky， well-spoken middle-grader whose pure heart is as important as his binoculars in his mission to save the island。 Part ecology， part fantasy， this story will keep you rooting for Milton and flying through the pages。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Kathie
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Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book。I love Jess Redman’s lyrical writing， and it’s the perfect tone to tell the whimsical story of Milton B。 Greene and his adventurous summer on Lone Island。 This light-hearted and humorous story has a secret treasure hunt， mysterious creatures， and incredible scientific discoveries but is rooted in relationships between people and their environment。 This story comes out on May 14th， 2021。Milton’s had a very rough school year。 After Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book。I love Jess Redman’s lyrical writing， and it’s the perfect tone to tell the whimsical story of Milton B。 Greene and his adventurous summer on Lone Island。 This light-hearted and humorous story has a secret treasure hunt， mysterious creatures， and incredible scientific discoveries but is rooted in relationships between people and their environment。 This story comes out on May 14th， 2021。Milton’s had a very rough school year。 After the Bird Brain incident， his best friend no longer speaks to him， and he’s an outcast at school。 Milton’s dad moved out three months ago， and his parents are getting a divorce。 He’s obsessed with his video game called Isle of the Wild， where he can escape reality and spend time with Sea Hawk Ferox， a naturalist and explorer who goes on incredible adventures。 When Milton’s parents decide to send him to spend the summer with his uncle on a small island， he decides to leave Milton P。 Greene behind and embody the brave and outgoing Sea Hawk。 He finds a hidden treasure map with clues to decipher a secret on the island， and he teams up with other young explorers to try and make sense of it。 But they discover that the island is in jeopardy， and time is quickly running out to solve the mystery before a development company takes it over and destroys what hides behind the vines。This story is realistic fiction but feels like it has a magical element。 The vivid descriptions of the jungle and its unusual creatures are as colourful as the landscape itself。 I especially enjoyed the guide at the end of the book with further information about the island’s species。 My favourite part of this story was the character development; I loved watching Milton find people that accepted him and his quirky ways。 We watched him learn to put the past behind him and blossom in an environment where we didn’t have to pretend to be someone else。 I also loved watching his interactions with the other kids on the island and the growth of their relationships。 The story was uplifting and fun， with short chapters， and left you hopeful for the future of the island and its inhabitants。 。。。more
Czechgirl
，
**I read this as a e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **My students have loved both of Jess Redman’s previous book， and I believe they will love this story just as much。 I love the way Redman writes， but also she applies her extended knowledge in biology （plants）。 The adventures that Milton P。 Greene goes is fun， also。 Milton P。 Greene is such a lovable character。
Ben Gartner
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The Lone Island awaits！ What a fun， light-hearted， Seuss-ian adventure。 Milton P。 Greene （aka Sea Hawk） is a character that my grandfather would call a “kick in the pants。” Milton is hilarious with his cheeky， sophisticated diction and animated mannerisms。 He’s easy to root for amid the challenges he faces on the island， and amid his Most Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously Rotten Year of All Time。Young readers will love the imaginative flora and fauna （my personal favorite was the Push-Pull The Lone Island awaits！ What a fun， light-hearted， Seuss-ian adventure。 Milton P。 Greene （aka Sea Hawk） is a character that my grandfather would call a “kick in the pants。” Milton is hilarious with his cheeky， sophisticated diction and animated mannerisms。 He’s easy to root for amid the challenges he faces on the island， and amid his Most Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously Rotten Year of All Time。Young readers will love the imaginative flora and fauna （my personal favorite was the Push-Pull Centopus because the name reminded me of Dr。 Dolittle）， as well as the trials， puzzles， and clues the kids must untangle in order to save the island。 This book would make a terrific read-aloud。 In fact， I often wanted to read it aloud just to myself in order to act out Milton’s royal flair。 Enjoy！ 。。。more
Julie
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*I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*I discovered Jess Redman’s work about a year and a half ago with her book The Miraculous。 I was 9 months out from having lost my best friend grandma， Gorgeous。 Grams was my person and while her passing was expected and welcome at age 93 and after a hard battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia， her death left a ginormous hole in my heart。 I still feel the loss keenly。 I spent a weekend dog sitting for a friend and had been looki *I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*I discovered Jess Redman’s work about a year and a half ago with her book The Miraculous。 I was 9 months out from having lost my best friend grandma， Gorgeous。 Grams was my person and while her passing was expected and welcome at age 93 and after a hard battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia， her death left a ginormous hole in my heart。 I still feel the loss keenly。 I spent a weekend dog sitting for a friend and had been looking forward to spending some down time reading and snuggling a canine pal。 The Miraculous was one of the books I brought with me and I ended up hard core sobbing my way through it。 It is a truly beautiful， soulful， cathartic read about grief and healing and hope and magic。 And I very much needed it in my life。 I instantly became a huge fan of Redman’s。 All that to say， that when the opportunity came up to read this newest book early， I jumped at the chance！ Milton P。 Greene is burrowing deeper and deeper into his handheld video game in order to escape “the Most， Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously Rotten Year of All Time。” With parents divorcing， zero friends at school， and an awful nickname ridiculing him， Milton wants nothing to do with the real world。 But a letter arrives summoning him to The Lone Island。 Milton is about to rediscover the world， and himself。 I absolutely loved this book！ The themes of what it means to be human and how we deal with heart hurt and how we relate to other people are all beautifully on display， as I’ve come to expect from Redman。 This book felt a lot more humorous to me than The Miraculous did。 The clever wordplay and stellar vocabulary of the writing had this word nerd grinning throughout！ It is an ingenious character study and guide for self-reflection。 I can’t recommend this book highly enough！ 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusMilton P。 Green is having a tough time of it。 His parents are in the middle of a divorce， and the Bird Brain incident at school has cost him all of his friends。 His only solace is the video game Isle of Wild， where he pretends to be the main character， Sea Hawk Ferox， a naturalist and explorer who has amazing adventures。 When his parents want him to spend the summer with his Uncle Evan， who is a naturalist on a remote island。 He's studying the work of Dr。 Ada Par E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusMilton P。 Green is having a tough time of it。 His parents are in the middle of a divorce， and the Bird Brain incident at school has cost him all of his friends。 His only solace is the video game Isle of Wild， where he pretends to be the main character， Sea Hawk Ferox， a naturalist and explorer who has amazing adventures。 When his parents want him to spend the summer with his Uncle Evan， who is a naturalist on a remote island。 He's studying the work of Dr。 Ada Paradis， who uncovered flora and fauna such as the Truth-Will Out Vine， Symphonic Cicadas， and the Menu-You Bush。 The uncle， who is working on the island with a couple of other scientists， has only found only found the vine and the cicadas， and the island might be sold to developers， since Dr。 Paradis died intestate and a corporation is very interested in the area。 When Milton arrives to visit， he is alarmed that there is no electricity to charge his game， so he can't take refuge in Isle of Wild。 He does meet Fig， who lives on the island with her scientist mother， as well as Gabe and Rafi。 Milton at first claims to be a very young scientist named Sea Hawk， and is bound and determined to make his own discoveries， but when he finds a box left by Dr。 Paradis， he and Fig try to find her elusive creatures in order to save the island from development。 Will the island let them uncover its secrets in time？Strengths: Middle grade readers will sympathize with Milton's plight of having difficulties at school caused by difficulties at home， and with his dislike of being sent away from both home and video games。 Lone Island is an interesting setting with lots of mystery and adventure， and Fig， Gabe and Rafi are appealing secondary characters。 Dr。 Paradis' discoveries are mysterious and magical， and young readers will be enthralled with the interesting and quirky wildlife like the Menu-You Bush。 Redman's works are very popular with fans of Natalie Lloyd and Ingrid Law。Weaknesses: After the Bird Brain incident， the parents should have smashed the video game and made sure that Milton went to counseling instead of lapsing into Literary Ineffectual MiddleGrade Parenting Syndrome。 （LIMPS）What I really think: My students like outdoor adventure survival books， but tend toward more militaristic ones with dire circumstances， like the work of Will Hobbs， Seiple's Death on the River of Doubt， or Mikaelsen's Jungle of Bones。 Recently， Rebecca Behrens Disaster Days and Alone in the Woods have done very well。 This read a bit like a quirky， elementary version of Boy X。 。。。more
Susan
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The Adventure Is Now by Jess Redmon is aptly titled as the plot is the main driver of the book。 Four young visitors to a most unusual island have a series of dangerous adventures on their way to the center of the island in search of a treasure that can save the island from development。 The creatures they encounter engage the imagination and middle school themes of friendship， fitting in and identity are dealt with along the way。 But the adventure is the main thing and adventure-loving early midd The Adventure Is Now by Jess Redmon is aptly titled as the plot is the main driver of the book。 Four young visitors to a most unusual island have a series of dangerous adventures on their way to the center of the island in search of a treasure that can save the island from development。 The creatures they encounter engage the imagination and middle school themes of friendship， fitting in and identity are dealt with along the way。 But the adventure is the main thing and adventure-loving early middle schoolers will certainly enjoy it。I did receive an advanced reader's copy so that I could review this book。 。。。more
Ruffin
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Fantasy adventure of Milton， who is having the worst year as he experiences bullying and his parents' divorce。 Escaping into his video game is his coping mechanism—till parents send him to stay the summer with ecologist uncle on a remote island with no way to recharge the handheld。 Forced out of the game he finds adventure on the mysterious island with the other three kids。 Loved the authentic voice of his very formal speech， echoed in the internal narration。 Clever creatures and emotional savvy Fantasy adventure of Milton， who is having the worst year as he experiences bullying and his parents' divorce。 Escaping into his video game is his coping mechanism—till parents send him to stay the summer with ecologist uncle on a remote island with no way to recharge the handheld。 Forced out of the game he finds adventure on the mysterious island with the other three kids。 Loved the authentic voice of his very formal speech， echoed in the internal narration。 Clever creatures and emotional savvy。 。。。more
Jennifer Perkins Propes
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It was such a fun adventure that I almost felt as though I had taken a trip on The Magic School Bus！ Milton， the main character， struggles with friendships in a way that will be almost painfully relatable to young readers—yet in a good way。 A way that will make them feel seen and give them hope。 As a child of divorced parents who admits that it absolutely affected me， I like being able to suggest books to my students also going through that at home。 Related to that plot point， I appreciated that It was such a fun adventure that I almost felt as though I had taken a trip on The Magic School Bus！ Milton， the main character， struggles with friendships in a way that will be almost painfully relatable to young readers—yet in a good way。 A way that will make them feel seen and give them hope。 As a child of divorced parents who admits that it absolutely affected me， I like being able to suggest books to my students also going through that at home。 Related to that plot point， I appreciated that it has a happy but “imperfect” ending。 Excellent book that will delight a diverse group of readers thanks to the realistic aspects， adventure， light fantasy， and environmental elements。 All three of Redman’s releases have been highly enjoyable reads that I’ve happily recommended to students。 Her debut is a beautiful one to not miss。 I’m thankful to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Lisa McDonald
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First， I want to say thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of The Adventure Is Now by Jess Redman。 Milton P。 Greene， or Sea Hawk， as he sometimes wishes to be called， is an engaging， fun， quirky character that I just fell in love with！ He was relatable on so many levels。 Earlier this year， Milton did an embarrassing thing， costing him some friends and earning him a nickname of Birdbrain。 On top of that， his parents are getting divorced leading him to title this year the Most Totally， Terribly， First， I want to say thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of The Adventure Is Now by Jess Redman。 Milton P。 Greene， or Sea Hawk， as he sometimes wishes to be called， is an engaging， fun， quirky character that I just fell in love with！ He was relatable on so many levels。 Earlier this year， Milton did an embarrassing thing， costing him some friends and earning him a nickname of Birdbrain。 On top of that， his parents are getting divorced leading him to title this year the Most Totally， Terribly， Horribly， Heinously， Rotten Year of All Time。 So he escapes into a handheld video game titled Isle of Wild pretty much constantly。 Until his parents decide to send him to spend the summer with his Uncle on a remote island that is in danger of being sold to developers。 In his attempts to help his Uncle save the island， Milton has to forge unlikely friendships， face truths about himself， unravel the mystery of the island and experience lots of adventure！To sum it up， if you want a lively， fast-paced， adventure middle grade book with a heart， this book is it。 。。。more
Heather
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The Adventure is Now is the delightful kind of story that you'll read with a huge grin on your face。 Quirky， friendship filled， adventurous， and wondrous！ Everything about this story—from Milton P。 Greene， to the island itself， to the hidden wildlife—is pure fun！ （Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc。） The Adventure is Now is the delightful kind of story that you'll read with a huge grin on your face。 Quirky， friendship filled， adventurous， and wondrous！ Everything about this story—from Milton P。 Greene， to the island itself， to the hidden wildlife—is pure fun！ （Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc。） 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Adventure Is Now
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Adventure Is Now&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Adventure Is Now&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0