We’re also looking forward to the sequel, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard which comes out April 2016.I got an ARC of this book through NetGalley(dot)com it just sounded like such a fun novel I had to give it a read. I took the long route more than once so we could listen longer. We listened to it in the car, and my kids (and I) were spellbound. I also highly recommend the audiobook version of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes read by Michael Page. If you want your kids reading well-written books, this one belongs on the list. The foreshadowing he skillfully employs throughout the book will have your kids trying to guess what’s going on before Peter can. His descriptions are exquisite and his word-smithery is spot on. Jonathan Auxier’s writing is, dare I say, Fantastic! He doesn’t shy away from vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to his readers.Peter Nimble shows bravery, values people, and does what is right even when it will cost him. And I believe these kinds of stories can give our kids the emotional impetus to push through difficult situations without giving up.

It may not look like a blind boy trying to save a vanished kingdom, but it will feel just as intense. Because they will face those situations in their lives, however much we wish we could protect them.

Kids need books that show them what it means to be a hero, what it means to do the right thing in the midst of an impossible situation.

Even though he deserved it, this seemed unnecessarily cruel.

My main issue with this story is that one of the good guys (not Peter) kills the villain when he is defenseless.

However, his skills as a thief are actually necessary for him to be victorious as the hero! Here’s why I decided I was ok with Peter being a thief: 1) he was an orphan and not taught any better 2) he was taken advantage of and forced to be a thief (rather like a child slave) 3) he actually dislikes stealing from people and instinctively knows it’s wrong.

I had some trouble with the hero being a thief.

There are also some monstrous creatures and some battles.

There are some grisly descriptions in the book such as Peter being found as a baby with his eyes presumably plucked out by a raven.

He finds friends, his true identity, and his home. But Peter finds much more than the chance to become a hero.

Their only weapons are their wits and Peter’s magical, fantastic eyes. He is given the opportunity to go on a quest, with his new friend Sir Tode, to find and save the Vanished Kingdom. But when Peter happens to steal a mysterious box of eyes, his life changes forever. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the story of Peter, a blind orphan forced into a life of thievery by the cruel Mr. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes had my kids (and me) hooked from the first pages (or, rather, the first few minutes as we listened to the audiobook).

Peter nimble audiobook