By: Eva Ibbotson Publisher: Puffin Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Puffin Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 304 Publication Date: September 10, 2001 Reading Level: Ages 9-12 Release Date: September 10, 2001
Product Description: When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can't be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret-a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.) Don't miss this wildly inventive and funny read from master storyteller Eva Ibbotson.
"Readers will not be able to put [Island of the Aunts] down! A fine choice for fantasy lovers." (School Library Journal, starred review)
"Eva Ibbotson does magic, humor, and fantasy for ages 8 to 88+, and you'll wish her books were never-ending, so enchanting are her characters and fiendishly funny her plots!" (Book Sense)
Absolutely unique My normally quiet, self-contained ten-year-old niece called me one night to tell me that I absolutely had to read this book to my students because it was the best thing she had ever read in her entire life. Curious (because she is a very particular reader), I got it from the library the next day - and couldn't put it down. I've since read several of Ibbotson's other novels, but none of them match this one for depth, character development, message, or just plain fun. It's one of the most original young people's stories that I've ever read. (I grant the Roald Dahl comparison, but the tone is quite different - witty and pungent, but without the underlying nastiness.)
I've now read the book to fourth or fifth graders for four years, and it's a hit every time. They hang onto every word, groan when we stop each day, and howl at the "pink people." (Wonder when I'll get in trouble for reading about nudists in the classroom?) In fact, I recently found out that some of last year's students told the current group at the beginning of the year that they were lucky to have me because I would read this FABULOUS book about kidnapping aunts...
Great book! This author has some great books out! I always read my daughter's books and this one is very enjoyable. We have almost all of her whimsical books and love them. My daughter keeps looking for ones we don't have!
4 1/2 I first read "Island of the Aunts" when I was in elementary school, the perfect age to read this book. My first read made me grin. My second read made me laugh. My third read made me think, and then my fourth brought laughter back.
There's a lot of humor in this book, but there's a lot more too. It deals with family issues, the environment, but on the whole keeps a light, fun tone to it all. Even kidnapped children can grow up to be important people, taking care of everyone and realizing that perhaps their captors have a point. But, of course, they've got to do some incredibly silly things along the way.
Aspects of this book, upon reflection, are less than amazing. As an older reader and looking back, some concepts are a bit strange - kidnapping, for starters. But for younger children, there's not much here aside from a fun adventure, some hilarious moments, and the most ridiculous things a young reader could find. So on the whole it's a fun read.
It may not be the greatest children's book in the world (far from it). But it's very readable, immensely enjoyable, and an all over humorous ride that will amuse readers of any age.
Neat Concept, a Bit Slow Reading Aunt Etta, Aunt Coral and Aunt Myrtle live together on a secret island. There they care for animals both common and strange, and they love their lives. They are worried, though, that they are growing older and they won't always be around to take care of things on the island. They need to bring in some new and trustworthy people who will be able to take over if they die. The problem is in finding the right people. The aunts decide that they need children who will be willing to work hard and who will do things the right way, but it is difficult to find such children whose parents will let them go live far away on an island. The only solution is kidnapping.
After some searching around London and meeting many horrible children, they end up with Minette, Fabio, and Lambert. The first two children quickly grow accustomed to life on the island, and they love it there. Lambert is another story, though. He starts off whiny and selfish, and ends up putting life on the island in jeopardy.
I liked the idea of a place like this existing where people care for strange wildlife. I also liked that Minette and Fabio, who were both so miserable at the beginning of this story, were able to find such happiness with the aunts.
This book sometimes dragged with descriptions of what was going on. It was sometimes hard for me to stay focused. I also would have liked to have had a better idea of what the children were thinking in this story. I didn't feel like I really got into their heads much.
Criminals who save endangered species are still criminals There is lots of good stuff in this book. However, it glorifies unacceptable behavior. One of the 3 kidnapped children, Fabio, probably did need to be extracted from an abusive situation. But the book makes it seem ok that Minette is kidnapped. Her parents may be flaky, but still they must have been horrified when she went missing.
The worst part of the book is when Fabio beats up Lambert because Lambert refuses to do slave labor. I can understand why Fabio did that. But it was not ok for Ibbotson to imply that he did the right thing.
The book is really about the Stockholm syndrome, in which hostages become loyal to their captors and start to agree with the captor's crazy ideas. Not a funny topic.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
