Kensuke's Kingdom
by Michael Morpurgo
★ Top 25 book of 1999 · #17 on Best Books of 1999
After being washed overboard during a storm on a family sailing trip, Michael lands on a remote island and finds he is not alone. He befriends Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier, whose difficult choice tests their bond.
Best for: Young readers who love island survival tales and moving friendships between unlikely companions
Kensuke's Kingdom is #17 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar.
What Kensuke's Kingdom is about
Michael's parents buy a yacht and set off to sail around the world, taking him with them. Then a fierce storm washes him overboard, and he finds himself on the shore of a remote island. He soon finds he is not alone there.
Kensuke is a former Japanese soldier who survived the war, though his family did not live through the bombing of Hiroshima. Between the lost boy and the solitary man an extraordinary bond grows. Michael Morpurgo's gentle, reflective adventure is about survival, friendship across cultures and the long shadow of war. It also asks what a man might give up, including a hidden life he has made his own, to help a boy find his way back to his parents.
Kensuke's Kingdom on the Best Books of 1999
Kensuke's Kingdom came out in 1999. Of the 52 books first published in 1999 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #17 on our Best Books of 1999 list.
Why it made the list: 356 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (17 ratings); 20 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1999 list
- Monster Walter Dean Myers, #15
- Hearts in Atlantis Stephen King, #16
- The Reptile Room Lemony Snicket, #18
- Gardens of the Moon Steven Erikson, #19
See all Best Books of 1999 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1998 Best Books of 2000.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 317 want to read it, 20 are reading it now and 18 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 from 17 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 63 | 55% |
| Reader love | 44 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 77 | 20% |
Questions about Kensuke's Kingdom
When was Kensuke's Kingdom published?
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo was first published in 1999.
Was Kensuke's Kingdom one of the best books of 1999?
Kensuke's Kingdom is #17 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar. 356 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (17 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
Why is Kensuke's Kingdom on the Best Books of 1999 list?
356 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (17 ratings); 20 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 1999
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling, #1
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, #2
- Wings of Fire A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, #3
- On Writing Stephen King, #4
- The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket, #5
- The Coldest Winter Ever Sister Souljah, #6
See the full Best Books of 1999, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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