Lev Grossman's first foray into children's literature, The Silver Arrow, has all the warmth and joy of classic children's books like those of L'Engle and Lewis, along with a modern take on awareness about climate and our responsibility to our planet. Siblings Kate and Tom are leading boring lives with their boring (read: consumed with work) parents. Kate finally decides that she needs something to look forward to for her eleventh birthday and boldly asks her Uncle Herbert to give her a gift. When he shows up with a steam engine named The Silver Arrow Kate and Tom are shocked but also intrigued. (Their parents are outraged.) But Kate and Tom are even more surprised when the engine comes alive and starts instructing them how to operate the engine. The next thing they know they have a fifteen car train with a collection of exotic talking animals from all over the world. How!? Why!? It's the adventure of a lifetime (well, honestly, maybe more accurately the first adventure) and Kate and Tom have their work cut out for them.

This is just a delightful children's book with a positive message about our responsibility as humans to maintain this beautiful planet.

The audiobook, voiced by the incomparable Simon Vance, is truly fabulous. A great listen to enjoy with your child.

I received a digital audiobook edition of this novel from Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely little children's story! I admire Lev Grossman and his ability to create real, fleshed-out characters and magical worlds while also adding in references all our favorite fantasy novels. Throwing in environmental education to this magical adventure was a lovely touch. The narrator was also spectacular and made the book that much more enjoyable. I look forward to more of Grossman's book in the future.

The Silver Arrow is a middle-grade novel written by Lev Grossman.

Summary: Kate leads an ordinary life. In an ordinary family. And, to be honest, she’s kind of bored with the whole thing.

Looking to change things up, she writes a letter to her Uncle Herbert asking for a birthday present. She’s never met him before, but surely, SURELY that will spice things up-won’t it?

What she doesn’t expect, is Uncle Herbert at her door the very next day with a full-size steam engine train as a present. And little does she know-but this present will change her life forever.

My Thoughts: This is a wonderfully fun story. A magic train, talking animals, humor, imagination, and even some very important life lessons about caring and responsibility are all woven into a fantastic adventure that kids (and even adults) will enjoy.

The narrator, Simon Vance, was a good choice for this audio book as well. He has a wonderful cadence to his reading, and a good sense of timing-especially during the humorous sections. I also enjoyed the various voices he used for the different animals.

This would be the perfect car trip audio book, or even just one kids will enjoy curling up to listen to at night. I really liked it, and would like to listen to it again. This time with a couple of kids tucked in close.

I would like to thank Hachette Audio for providing me with a free digital audio book in exchange for my review. Thank you!!

I grabbed this audiobook as I read this author before (The Magicians series).

I think it's the perfect read for 7-10 years old. Magic adventure is something I enjoyed as a child. I loved the message the story brings about not giving up and doing your best. As well as learning about animals and an imprint of humans on the ecology of the world.

I received an Advance Listening Copy of The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman. As a HUGE fan of The Magicians series by Lev Grossman, I was excited to listen to his take on a children’s story. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
I gave it a listen while I was just laying on the couch. I was feeling a bit under the weather and this was a great listen for a few hours. It was fun and reminded me of the childish wonder that I had reading fantasy stories as a child.
The narrator was perfect for the story. His accent and his voice were very pleasant and calming, and perfectly captured the tone of the story. I think this is a great book to read if you need something that is fun and full of magic. I will definitely be buying a hard copy for me, but also one for my nephew’s library so that he can read it when he gets older!

Cute story that my kids enjoyed a lot. It held my 6 year old daughter’s attention and she enjoyed it a lot. The audio was very well done and did voices to help my kids Know who was talking. Very well done and something I recommend for others.

A short, whimsical tale with some positive themes (including wildlife conservation, responsibility, learning, and living in the moment). Simon Vance, the narrator, was a joy, bringing the various characters to life with his ever-changing voice! Recommended.

The narrator for this audiobook was amazing. I loved his various accents and how he portrayed all the different characters. The story is fairly simple, and was a pleasure to listen to.

When Karen gets a train engine from her uncle for her birthday she has no idea the adventure she is about to go on. That night her brother and her investigate the now running engine which soon takes them on a journey all around the world with many animal passengers. But why? Where are they going and can Karen and Tom do what they must?
This was a cute book - some funny moments and a good message overall.

I listened to this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. Its description was for someone who enjoyed the Narnia series and Ronald Dahl. I enjoyed them both and so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s actually not a bad description without giving away any of the plot.

Kate is turning 11 and she writes to her Uncle Herbert, who is she has never met and her parents consider to be lazy but also extremely wealthy, asking for a birthday present. Uncle Herbert shows up with a full-size steam train engine called The Silver Arrow.

After a bit of a fuss, Kate and her brother, Tom, take off on the train. They add extra cars such as a sleeper car, 2 dining cars, a candy car, and a few others. Kate learns that she’s the conductor of the train. As they come to different stops they are picking up exotic animals, who can talk, and taking them to new places. She ends up forming a close relationship with four of the animals. The animals end up helping her understand what is going on and why it is necessary.

I think this book would be great fun to read along with your 6 to 10 year-old. As a family, you could look up the different types of animals mentioned and learn more about them and their habitats. The book definitely has a message of trying to help save endangered species and that would be something good to help instill into your children. Some of the places that the train stops would be interesting to look up on maps.

Also, at a point in the story where a child might get anxious for our heroine, the narrator shares how Kate will look back and remembers this time later in her life, so you know she makes it through just fine.

The author does a good job of laying the problems with the environment and the killing off of species at the feet of humans but balances it out with the fact that humans can actually also fix the problems they have caused. I believe the author is trying to encourage responsibility for taking care of our planet and all the creatures we share it with. So really the book is a mix of Narnia, Ronald Dahl, and Fern Gully.

I liked the story. The narrator was really good! The moral of the story is spot on. However, I did finish it feeling a little sad, despite a mostly happy ending and the promise of sequels.

I was really looking forward to this book because Lev Grossman is the author of one of my favorite book series, The Magicians Trilogy. I had the pleasure of getting to listen to this as an audio book from NetGalley and Hachette Audio before it's publication date. This is Grossman's first middle grade novel and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! First and foremost the reader, Simon Vance, is absolutely delightful. He does all the different accents of the animal justice without going overboard and occasionally speaks straight to the listener. The story is cute and light with a dash of very important social commentary. We don't see much of Kate's brother Tom but when we do it's just the right time. Between the talking animals and Kate's thirst for knowledge, this book was a great mix of fun and information, and sets the scene for, hopefully, more adventures to come.

This review will be available on my blog closer to the pub. date

Kate and her little brother are bored. Their parents are boring. They are sensible to the point of being just plain dull. Who isn't dull? Uncle Herbert. Apparently he's very irresponsible. Filthy rich, but irresponsible. Kate has never even met him. But, with her 11th birthday approaching, she decides to write him a letter. She's hoping he'll spend some of his riches on a fabulous present for her.

Needless to say, she is completely stunned when he sends her a steam train. Not a toy train, a real train. Her parents are furious, but she needs an adventure.

This is a fun, whimsical book that also has an important message in it. Want to know the message? You'll have to read it.

I really enjoyed the narrator. I think middle grade books really need an engaging narrator given the target audience. I loved the voices for Kate, and the animals.

The audiobook had a couple of chapters mixed up. They somehow played out of order.

This was very interesting and I think that it really has a kit to offer younger readers. What a great story that has such entertaining characters. I also enjoyed narrator

Wonderful little book trying to impart the importance of doing what you can, while you still can in regards to the environment. Would love for my kids to pick this up when they can someday.

The audiobook narration by Simon Vance was masterful as always. Such a great job of grasping the voice of the different animals. Even the picky porcupine from Michigan.

Ehhh... good narration but Lev Grossman clearly is better at adult fantasy than middle grade fantasy. It's the writing style -- it's so mature and doesn't seem kid-friendly, if I'm being honest.

This is the audiobook version of the Silver Arrow, a middle grade children's book by Lev Grossman, narrated by Simon Vance.

This is a wonderful children's story about two kids who have an adventure on a magic train, and the passengers are talking animals! I think young kids will really enjoy this story, which also provides education about animals and the environment.

For myself, I would have liked the author to take the story further. When you have a magic train with a library car and a candy car, there are so many possibilities! The author stayed in the "environmental education" lane, where I would have liked him to make it more of a fantasy adventure. There appears to be many possibilities for a sequel, however, and I would definitely want that audiobook as well.

The narrator, Simon Vance, is amazing. He gets 5 stars. He creates a magical world you want to live in, just like Jim Dale did with Harry Potter. I will definitely be seeking out Vance's other work.

This is a wonderful story that is sure to be a hit with upper elementary and middle school readers. I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed the reader Simon Vance. He was the perfect choice for this. His use of different voices for the many characters made me feel like I was watching the scenes play out.

At first the main characters Kate and Tom seem bored with life around them. For Kate's 11th birthday she decides to write a letter to her "highly irresponsible" (according to her mother) wealthy uncle Herbert, whom she has never met. Kate asks him for a birthday present not really expecting anything at all. The train he gives her seems beyond inappropriate until you meet the train and the critters that board the train for stops in all directions.

I love seeing main characters grow in story lines and was not disappointed. I look forward to this being a series so I can see what comes up next for Kate and Tom.

So there were magical elements, and I especially enjoyed the relationships between the animals (and the kids). However, more then a story about magic, this was a story about protecting endangered animals and being a "good human". There was interesting information woven in about how and why different animals are endangered. There was also a great underlying message about doing your part/your best. Recommend for middle grades/easy chapter book readers.
The audioversion was engaging and entertaining. The book was written 1st person, from Kate's perspective, but the book was read by a male (narrator).
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

The narrator brings the story of Kate and her younger brother Tom as they board The Silver Arrow to life as there are slight differences to each character's voice. This is a great book to listen to and I find that the narrator is great for middle grade.

I thought it was great that through this adventure that Kate and Tom are on they learn about animal migration, endangered species, and invasive species. That was something that I was not expecting in a book that seemed to be about two kids on a great adventure. I thought it was a good way to introduce kids to the harm that humans cause to the environment and how humans need to change their ways to keep others alive.

I loved learning about all of the animals as they board the train and then to see their homes when they get off. I thought learning about each of their homes and the harm that has been done to them or their homes was also interesting. I like that this was done in a way that middle-grade children could understand and connect with.

NetGalley just launched a new Audio book service, and The Silver Arrow is the first book I’m lucky enough to review. I’m happy to say it was a rather pleasant experience. I thought the narrator did a good job. He changed his voice for each character, giving the tale a new dimension. He brought to life the adventurous tale of Kate and her brother on a magical train surrounded by talking animals.

It was fun and vivid. This is a nice read for middle grade children (and all the young at heart), especially those who love The Polar Express and a good adventure on an enchanted train.

From a technical perspective, the NetGalley shelf is nice and user-friendly. However, it is not quite pitch perfect, just yet. The audio play regularly stopped and resumed from the start of the chapter. Also, the final chapters had lots of bugs. It was actually the beginning of the book again, and an extra 26th chapter played when the TOC only displayed 25.