A coming of age story involving dinosaurs, secret island nations, shipwrecks, dolphin rides, and characters who get to ride on the backs of pterodactyls!

This book is short, yet it deals with some pretty interesting subjects. I can relate to Hugh a lot, and in some ways to Raymond and Windchaser, as well. Accepting the way things are, even if at first they're scary, is a big lesson to learn. So is learning to move on and find your own place in the world, even when moving on means confronting pain and fear and loss. And what happens when you stagnate and lose confidence in yourself.

I think it deals with those subjects very well, a lot better than I was expecting actually. The adventures are also pretty riveting! I think there's something for everyone in this book and I think I'd recommend it to just about anyone.

I wasn't too sure what to make of the way the Dinotopians introduce themselves, though. I don't quite get the lineage or why it's important to state that when you first meet someone. But, maybe the answer to that lies in some of the other books. :) It's not a thing that happens too often in the book and I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it when it wasn't currently happening so it didn't make it difficult to understand the book. ( )

A wonderful, fantastic series. The authors do a good job to keep their writing and voice congruous throughout the various books. ( )