Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam

From the Publisher

Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are part of a group of 50 British Young Conservationists on their way to a wildlife conservation station deep in the rain forests of Ecuador. After a terrifying mid-air disaster and subsequent crash, these three are the sole survivors, stranded together on a deserted tropical island. Or so they think. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie stumble into the hands of Dr. Franklin, a mad scientist who’s been waiting for them, eager to use them as specimens for his experiments in genetic engineering.


From the Hardcover edition.

Publishers Weekly

A plane crash strands three survivors on a remote island where a mad scientist and his terrified employees plan to start performing trans-species genetic-engineering experiments on the trio. PW wrote in a starred review, "A nightmarish thriller of white-knuckle intensity." Ages 12-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT

To quote the hardcover review in KLIATT, July 2002: When their plane crashes somewhere off the coast of South America, three teenage science students on the way to a wildlife conservation station are stranded on a tropical island. Semi, a shy and frightened girl, tells of their struggle to survive as resourceful, upbeat Miranda takes the lead and obnoxious Arnie teases both of them. They believe the atoll to be deserted, but then Arnie disappears-and in searching for him, they stumble across the other inhabitants of the island, and their ordeal turns into a nightmare. They are all captured by a mad scientist named Dr. Franklin, who plans to create a new race of creatures with both human and animal traits-and intends that the teenagers become his first trial subjects. Under his transgenic treatment, Semi is transformed into a manta ray and Miranda into a bird, while Arnie, appropriately, is a snake. The three teenagers can communicate telepathically, but are they starting to lose their humanity? And will they ever be able to escape and regain their human forms? This thrilling horror story "was inspired partly by H.G. Wells's story The Island of Dr. Moreau," according to the author, who writes adult SF and fantasy (under the name Gwyneth Jones) as well as books for children. It's an imaginative and absorbing tale that fans of fantasy and horror tales will greatly enjoy. The many sensory details, like Halam's evocations of the joys of being a fish, help make this riveting and memorable, and the close friendship of Semi and Miranda gives the story some emotional depth, too. The spooky cover will help attract an audience. (Note: See also the audiobook version reviewed in this issue.)KLIATT Codes: JS-Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2002, Random House, Dell, Laurel-Leaf, 245p., Ages 12 to 18.

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-Taking off from H.G. Wells's classic story, The Island of Dr. Moreau, British author Ann Halam adds genetic engineering, environmental activism, and an air of disaster to this terrifying science fiction adventure involving three teens. Narrator Emilia Fox's rather delicate but edgy British-accented voice captures the personalities of the three English characters as she lends a flat, American cadence to the voice of Dr. Franklin. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Reading Group Guide
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Reading Group Guide

1. At the start of the book, Semirah Garson (Semi) looks around at the people she is about to spend three weeks with in the Ecuadorian rain forest and on the Galápagos Islands. She makes judgments based on the way they look, and she stereotypes them. In your experience, how accurate are first impressions?

2. After the crash, the group tries to piece together exactly what happened. They soon find, though, that their stories do not match up. Semi says, “Miranda, who had been sitting next to me, did not remember what I had remembered. It seemed as if we’d been in two different plane crashes” (p. 15). What do the variations among Semi’s, Arnie’s, and Miranda’s recollections say about the reliability of eyewitness accounts? Talk about a time at school when you shared an experience with another student and each of you was sure your own description of the event was true–but your descriptions were totally different.

3. As they try to get their bearings after the crash, Miranda and Arnie argue about how to proceed. He wants to explore and look for help, while she insists that they set up camp and stay close to the wreck so Search and Rescue can find them. Who do you think has the correct approach? Miranda possesses many wilderness survival skills. What skills do you have? Would you have been able to survive on the island?

4. Referring to transgenic experiments, Dr. Skinner says, “We’ve had plenty of losses. And some survive in very twisted forms. But our goal is to take humanity beyond all the limits. Of course there’s a price to pay” (p. 72). What is the price Dr. Skinner refers to? Contemporary scientistscontinually debate the ethics of experimental research. How do we decide what is moral and immoral when it comes to scientific experimentation? Discuss human cloning and other scientific possibilities you’ve heard about.

5. Animal rights advocates have assailed drug companies for using animals in the development of new pharmaceuticals. They claim that subjecting animals to the pain and suffering that testing can cause is cruel. The drug companies contend that it is necessary for the betterment of mankind. What do you think? Is experimenting on animals an acceptable price to pay if it may lead to a drug that can cure a disease?

6. Dr. Skinner tells Semi and Miranda that Dr. Franklin is “a genius. He’s crazy, but he is a genius” (p. 75). The character of the mad scientist has been seen often in literature. How do you view scientists? Do you trust them? Do you see them the same way that Semi sees Dr. Franklin? Are there real-life Dr. Franklins?

7. Semi, Miranda, and Arnie are three very different people. Could any of them be your friend? With which one(s) would you like to be stranded on a desert island? Why?

8. “So, which do you want to be?” she whispered. “Fish or bird? . . . Do you want the freedom of the ocean? Or the sky?”
. . .“I’d rather be the fish, if I have to be one or the other.”
“Good,” said Miranda cheerfully. “Because I’ve always wanted to be able to fly. . . . I think I fancy being a hyacinth macaw.”
. . . “I want to be a shark,” I said firmly. “A great big great white shark, and I’ll bite Skinner’s bum.” (p. 92).
If you were in their situation, what animal would you want to be?

9. Once they are transformed physically, Miranda and Semi begin to change psychologically. How do they change? Are you surprised by how happy they are?

10. Friendship is one of the themes of Dr. Franklin’s Island. Semi and Miranda might never have become friends if not for the plane crash. And it isn’t until their morale is at its lowest and they feel utterly defeated that they become true friends, rather than just allies. Talk about the way Semi and Miranda’s relationship develops. Does it resemble any of your friendships?

11. “I know that we can transform again. I believe it will happen, some way, somehow” (p. 247). When you read this coda, do you foresee a sequel to the story? What do you think would happen in a sequel?

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