Isle of Misfits 1: First Class

Isle of Misfits #1

by Jamie Mae, Freya Hartas (Illustrator)

In the first book of the Isle of Misfits series, a gargoyle that can't sit still at his post is invited to live on an island full of other restless magical creatures!

Gibbon is a gargoyle who has been unable to sit still for hundreds of years. One day, he leaves his post from the castle he was meant to be guarding, and a person sees Gibbon, he panics and runs away. As Gibbon is sadly walking back, he meets three gargoyles who bring him to an island filled with other mythical creatures. There, he goes to a special academy that will train him to go on missions to protect all sorts of mythical creatures who are in trouble.

Excited to go and happy that he won't be lonely anymore, Gibbon is also nervous to go some place where he doesn't know anyone. Will he be able to make friends in this new place? Find out in this new and exciting creature-filled series, complete with a hilarious cast of characters such as a clumsy dragon, an ill-tempered fairy, a griffin with poor flying skills, and a yeti with a manbun!

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute first book in a series but I don't know if we'll continue. We start by meeting a gargoyle who is bored with his life guarding a castle. He always tries to get the other gargoyles to play pranks with him, but they wont. Then he's whisked off to the Isle of Misfits and he meets a bunch of mythical creatures and they participate in an obstacle course. My complaint is that there were just a ton of holes. He goes to a school-- but why are they all there? How? Is it a permanent place? What are these creatures and what are their abilities? My daughter had so many questions and things that I guess we're supposed to assume or already know, but we didn't. I'm sure we'd get some of those answers as the series goes on but I don't know if we''re interested enough.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations about this book, but I felt this book was the set up for the rest of the series. It was still good.

Gibbons is a "young" gargoyle with one broken horn. He views activity from the roof and wants to take part in activities. He gets in trouble and it taken to the Isle of Misfits where he has to be a proper monster. Rule Numero Uno- Never be seen by humans. He is put on a team and learns to work together. There next mission is about a Leprechaun in Ireland.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for elementary school library: I enjoyed this book and think the students will, too. The story is about a lonely, young gargoyle who ends up at the Isle of Misfits - a place where other young creatures learn to behave like creatures. The pace of the story is perfect for first and second grade students - not too quick but the story moves along nicely. The theme - learning how to make friends and to be a friend - is great. I enjoyed the pictures but some of the pictures of the monsters can be scary. As a librarian, I look for good sentence structure and proper spelling and this book hits the mark. Variety of creatures will be enjoyable for students and an introduction to the different type of mythological creatures is fantastic.


I was bothered in Chapter 6 when Gashsnarl talks about an upcoming obstacle course "at the end of the week" but yet a few pages later it was the "end of the month". (I did put this up as a question.)

[Linz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm torn on this one. I have a kiddo that likes an element of creepy but some of the pictures were a complete turn off to her and required me to persuade her to try it and just not look at the pictures. I had scanned it beforehand and saw that the story was actually pretty cute. However, some of these gargoyle illustrations are downright scary and demonic looking. I'm not sure how they managed such a huge miss for their target audience. Like another reviewer said, I also didn't appreciate using the term "losers" for a group that lost the race. All in all, I'd fire the artist and reword it a bit. Even though by the end we were interested in continuing the story I'm not sure I'd actually spend money on this series again when there are so many others to choose from without all these shortcomings.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up hoping it could be my next read aloud. I don’t think it was exciting enough to be a read aloud, but it would be a great addition to a classroom library. There are some good themes in here, and nothing inappropriate. They say the word loser once (when someone actually lost), and there is nothing scary in this book, excluding the creature glossary at the end where it says a ghoul “robs graves and feeds on dead bodies”.

The story is about a little gargoyle who doesn’t fit in and goes off to the Isle of Misfits in hopes of making friends.

There are pictures on every page, and I’d recommend it for 1st-3rd graders. if I were to guess, I’d say it’s between a level 28-34 DRA. I’m sure some of my second graders will enjoy this book.

[Inara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is your favorite character and why?
The griffin because she likes books. I like books too, we are alike.

What surprised you most? Fiona ,Ebony, Yuri and Alistar became friends with Gibbon. Gibbon
was sorry because he did the obstacle course by himself.

Would you change the ending? Why/why not? I do not want to change the ending because Santa is in it and everybody is happy.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gibbon the gargoyle leaves his castle perch and is whisked away to the Isle of Misfits, where he meets other creatures, like dragons, fairies, yetis, and gremlins. He just wants to find some friends and a place where he belongs.

A bit too didactic at the end for me, but it’s fine. Not my first choice of a recommendation, but I’ve read much worse. Lots of pictures.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isle of Misfits: First Class sets up a dynamic team of misfit creatures who each have their “hidden” skills revealed through an obstacle course. It makes for a fun read on just what teamwork can accomplish.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were having a hard time finding another series to keep our 6 year old interested in reading. This series did the trick! He loves them! Great artwork and the writing is well done. I don't mind reading them to him at all. Very cute. Highly recommended.

[Amanda Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transitional chapter book for grades 2/3. Gibbon is a gargoyle who desires to escape his lonely job. Finds friends at an academy for those who don’t seem to belong anywhere. Loved the characters and story.

[Kandis Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for teaching my son about being a team player. I couldn’t have planned the timing any better. Haha.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice early chapter fantasy book for kids. Delightful illustrations and also liked the story focusing on being part of a team.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think some of my younger readers will enjoy. And it's a series, so that's a bonus.

[Erin Quarterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 1st & 2nd graders LOVED this book (which is why it got so many stars). They’ve requested that we read the whole series.

[Dest · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say I enjoyed this. I think it's only redeemed by the illustrations.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on recommendation by The Wee Dragons 🖤🐲

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. I liked this book and want to read the next one.

[Amy M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

[Jenna McNicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book for my 4 year old. Lot of plot holes but moved quickly, held her attention, and set some great examples for friendship and how to treat others. Read it in one sitting.

[Katherine]

cute book about working as a team.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with a group of kids as a 2nd book in a series of books and art project we were doing. I have to say, this book did not impress me or the kids. We started this book right on the heels of Eerie Elementary and the kids became quite bored quite fast. It's a book with good morals, but beyond the "lessons learned" aspect, there's nothing really exciting and captivating when it comes to grabbing a child's attention. That being said, it is a great book for kids to sit and read on their own. If it's a kid who does "20 min reading time" for homework, this book may be a quick read for them to say they completed their daily duty.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and wispy early chapter book that swept me and my early-literacy kindergartener away into a gothic/renaissance setting that was peppered with characters with character personalities my son could readily recognize and connect with. Created good conversations about adventure, teamwork, loyalty, and self-confidence.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun early chapter book series about a motley crew of mythological creatures. In the first installment, a small gargoyles meets new friends and enemies in a school where they have to learn about teamwork in order to go on future adventures.

[Jaymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Cute. Typical new kid story - making new friends, dealing with bullies, etc. - with mythical creatures.