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104th out of 252 books
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925 voters
Remarkable
A wonderfully whimsical debut that proves ordinary people can do extraordinary things
In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just plain extraordinary. Everyone, that is, except Jane Doe, the most average ten-year-old who ever lived. But everything changes when the mischievous, downright criminal Grimlet twins enr...more
In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just plain extraordinary. Everyone, that is, except Jane Doe, the most average ten-year-old who ever lived. But everything changes when the mischievous, downright criminal Grimlet twins enr...more
Kindle Edition, 334 pages
Published
April 12th 2012
by Dial
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May 16, 2012
Renee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
kids-books
**This book was provided to me free-of-charge through a First Reads Goodreads giveaway.**
This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 9) and 2. My review (the Mom). These are excerts. For the full review, please visit us at our website http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com
DAUGHTER SAYS:
What I liked and disliked about it:
I liked that some people weren’t really who they were and they were actually somebody else. That made the story more interesting. I liked the Lake Monster na...more
This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 9) and 2. My review (the Mom). These are excerts. For the full review, please visit us at our website http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com
DAUGHTER SAYS:
What I liked and disliked about it:
I liked that some people weren’t really who they were and they were actually somebody else. That made the story more interesting. I liked the Lake Monster na...more
4 stars... A quick and hilarious read! The story of a town called Remarkable where everything is remarkably remarkable except for one girl, Jane Doe, who turns out to be quite ordinary. In this book you will encounter a lake monster, a town squabble over jelly, a multitude of pirates, a few cases of secret identity, a set of mischievous twins and many other exciting adventures and delightful characters. The book is divided into 42 short chapters. A whimsical read for adults and children (8+) ali...more
This book is cute and clever -- lots to laugh about and much to enjoy, if you share the author's sense of humor (which I do).
The premise of this tall tale is that an ordinary girl named Jane Doe (naturally) grows up in a town in which every one and every thing is remarkable -- except Jane and her grandpa named John Doe (naturally). Add to the mix a lochness-like sea monster, pirates, and evil twins -- and you've got yourself an entertaining read.
However, the authoros only intention isn't to en...more
The premise of this tall tale is that an ordinary girl named Jane Doe (naturally) grows up in a town in which every one and every thing is remarkable -- except Jane and her grandpa named John Doe (naturally). Add to the mix a lochness-like sea monster, pirates, and evil twins -- and you've got yourself an entertaining read.
However, the authoros only intention isn't to en...more
Nov 18, 2012
Lisa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
tag-nominees-2012-13,
ya-2012
From the back cover: 5 remarkably good reasons to read Remarkable:
1. There are evil twins in it, and those are always fun.
2. There's even a pirate with two peg legs who learns to ride a bike. (Now, that's remarkable!)
3. Where else are you going to find a sea monster who loves fig bars? (Nobody loves fig bars.)
4. Maybe you've dreamed about being something or someone different--a singer, a pirate, or a dentist?
5. Or just maybe you've wondered if there's something remarkable about you that nobody h...more
1. There are evil twins in it, and those are always fun.
2. There's even a pirate with two peg legs who learns to ride a bike. (Now, that's remarkable!)
3. Where else are you going to find a sea monster who loves fig bars? (Nobody loves fig bars.)
4. Maybe you've dreamed about being something or someone different--a singer, a pirate, or a dentist?
5. Or just maybe you've wondered if there's something remarkable about you that nobody h...more
This is an odd little book about an extremely odd little town. In the town of Remarkable, everyone is exceptional at something. Even the monster in the lake is the biggest and most secretive in the world, being both larger and better at hiding than Nessie.
Jane and her grandfather seem to be exceptions, but in fact Jane's grandfather is so unexceptional that people forget about him when he isn't there. I found that rather remarkable, in its own way. That kind of forgetability isn't easy to achiev...more
Jane and her grandfather seem to be exceptions, but in fact Jane's grandfather is so unexceptional that people forget about him when he isn't there. I found that rather remarkable, in its own way. That kind of forgetability isn't easy to achiev...more
Aug 27, 2012
Becky
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grades,
summer-2012
"Welcome to the town of Remarkable where every day in this remarkable place filled with remarkable people is positively remarkable for absolutely everyone*....*except Jane"
This is what the cover says and is a great intro to the tone of the writing of the story. This book is JUST PLAIN FUN! Jane lives in Remarkable (a town that came to be named such because all of the tourists remarked that the town was remarkable). She is the only student at the regular public school because all of the other chi...more
This is what the cover says and is a great intro to the tone of the writing of the story. This book is JUST PLAIN FUN! Jane lives in Remarkable (a town that came to be named such because all of the tourists remarked that the town was remarkable). She is the only student at the regular public school because all of the other chi...more
Jane Doe is a perfectly ordinary girl living in a town full of remarkable, gifted people. Her mother, a fabulous architect, is designing the town bell tower and her brother is in hopelessly love with a girl obsessed with finding a lost, famous musician. The quirky town characters keep things interesting and remarkable, all the while ignoring Jane's unremarkable ways. Jane's ordinary but lonely life is shaken up when the Grimlet twins join her 5th grade class of one and her teacher adopts a pirat...more
This is a rather plodding book. It reads like something for children but there’s very little to captivate a child of any age and adults would be bored stiff. The people in the town of Remarkable are all gifted in one fashion or another, in a way that makes you grit your teeth. They all sound so special, so perfect, so absolutely wonderful and the town reflects this perfection in a way that makes you wish a hurricane or some other natural disaster would hit it. (Ask and ye shall receive…)
The pros...more
The pros...more
The actual title of this book is Welcome to the Town of Remarkable Where Every Day in this Remarkable Place filled with Remarkable People is Positively Remarkable for Absolutely Everyone Except Jane. Do you see why I shortened it? Anyway, this book is by Lizzie K. Foley, and tells the story of Jane Doe, an ordinary girl living in a town filled to the brim with extraordinary (should I say remarkable?) people. Her mother (Angelina Mona Linda Doe) is an extremely famous architect, her father (Ander...more
It isn't easy being the only ordinary person in a family of high achievers who live in a town filled with high achievers, a place so remarkable that it comes to be called Remarkable, and ten-year-old Jane finds companionship only with her grandfather since her sister is a brilliant mathematician and her brother creates incredible works of art. For her, living in this remarkable place isn't all that remarkable when all she really wants is a friend. My heart kind of broke when Jane and her grandfa...more
If Remarkable sounds a bit silly and fun and lesson-y, it is the first two things. Lizzie K Foley has a flawless style: the writing is clean and the reading effortless; the setting and the characters are beautifully rendered and humorously imagined. Seemingly disparate actions/lines smoothly come together in a enjoyable conclusion where lessons are learned but not obnoxiously served.
Natalya’s teacher mentioned her a time or two to his wife. His wife finished Remarkable and thought N would very m...more
Natalya’s teacher mentioned her a time or two to his wife. His wife finished Remarkable and thought N would very m...more
I really, really, absolutely loved this book. Even though there is significantly less gluppity glup and whisper-ma-phones, I still want to say it's a Seuss-ish book for bigger people. It must be that "whimsy" so many people mentioned.
When I first started reading this book, I was afraid I would get tired of the very descriptive and long winded paragraphs about everyone. I was able to get over that because it was just FUN! The lazy pirates, the unfulfilled dentist, and the diabolical twins all mad...more
When I first started reading this book, I was afraid I would get tired of the very descriptive and long winded paragraphs about everyone. I was able to get over that because it was just FUN! The lazy pirates, the unfulfilled dentist, and the diabolical twins all mad...more
Great story about a girl who is ordinary in a town full of extraordinary people. Everyone but Jane has a talent that they are great at. She feels left out, lonely, invisible; she is an ordinary 10 year old. The town characters keep things interesting but somewhat predictable. Enter a few smelly pirates, a few secrets, and a mystery and things start to get more interesting. Jane makes friends with the Grimlet twins (who are always getting into and causing trouble) and gets to know a few of her fa...more
In a town populated with beautiful, talented people, Jane is often overlooked. As the only student at the public school she is often lonely, but all of that changes when the mischievous Grimlet twins enroll and when pirate with a sweet tooth comes to town.
Many, many mysteries plague the residents of Remarkable including: where the famous composer Ysquibel is, why are there so many pirates in town, who would sabotage the new bell tower with its 57 perfectly tuned bells, is there a sea monster liv...more
Many, many mysteries plague the residents of Remarkable including: where the famous composer Ysquibel is, why are there so many pirates in town, who would sabotage the new bell tower with its 57 perfectly tuned bells, is there a sea monster liv...more
The title of this book is “Remarkable.” This wonderful realistic fiction book is written by Lizzie K. Foley.
In the town of Remarkable, everyone has extreme talents, like perfect pitch, perfect dentistry, and other wild talents. Everybody that is, except Jane. Jane is a very normal person, or as everybody in the town calls is “Very ‘unremarkable.’” But lucky for Jane, she is not the only “unremarkable” person there, her grandfather is unremarkable too!
But Jane feels very out of place. Everybody...more
In the town of Remarkable, everyone has extreme talents, like perfect pitch, perfect dentistry, and other wild talents. Everybody that is, except Jane. Jane is a very normal person, or as everybody in the town calls is “Very ‘unremarkable.’” But lucky for Jane, she is not the only “unremarkable” person there, her grandfather is unremarkable too!
But Jane feels very out of place. Everybody...more
It's hard to be average when other people are exceptional. That's not only the subject of Remarkable, Lizzie K. Foley's debut novel, but also the reaction that I had to the book when I'd finished reading it.
Remarkable is a town in which everything and everyone is outstanding in one way or another. Well, everyone except Jane Doe, a ten-year-old with no distinguished traits of any kind, unless you want to count being the only student in town not enrolled at the School for the Remarkably Gifted. B...more
Remarkable is a town in which everything and everyone is outstanding in one way or another. Well, everyone except Jane Doe, a ten-year-old with no distinguished traits of any kind, unless you want to count being the only student in town not enrolled at the School for the Remarkably Gifted. B...more
Remarkable is the story of a very ordinary girl living in a very extraordinary town where everyone has a gift except for Jane (Doe)-could you get more generic?? While Jane spends most of her time being forgotten or overlooked, amazing things are happening in the town of Remarkable like the construction of a world-class bell tower, an invasion of pirates, and the hard documentation of the lake monster who could rival the Loch Ness Monster.
Readers who like Roald Dahl or A Series of Unfortunate Eve...more
Readers who like Roald Dahl or A Series of Unfortunate Eve...more
REMARKABLE isn't just a story, it's an EVENT with the feel of an instant classic. Everything about it from Jane, the evil Grimlet twins and the pirates, not to mention all the other quirky characters, makes for a delightful adventure that kept me eager to turn every page. The sign of great kid's lit is a book that grown-ups can enjoy as much as children and REMARKABLE exceeds that mark. In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just pla...more
The town of Remarkable is called this because everything there is indeed, remarkable. Exceptional weather, talented people, outstanding organic jelly, and a thriving school for the gifted all can be found here. Jane Doe, however, is unremarkable, even though her prize winning novelist father and architect mother and uber-talented brother and sister fit perfectly into the town's profile. No one remembers her, so plain and ordinary is she. But events are stirring that will shake things up, and the...more
Jun 14, 2012
Destinee Sutton
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
funny
If you're tired of reading books about a hero who is unbelievably special and gifted (Harry Potter, I'm looking at you), then I've got the antidote. The new book Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley is about a ten-year-old girl named Jane Doe who is unremarkable in every way. She has no special talents or abilities. She's just a completely ordinary kid.
Unfortunately for our plain Jane, she lives in a town called Remarkable that's chock full of extremely talented people. Her brother, Anderson Brigby Bri...more
Unfortunately for our plain Jane, she lives in a town called Remarkable that's chock full of extremely talented people. Her brother, Anderson Brigby Bri...more
Sometimes I get sucked into reading books based on their cover. Remarkable by Lizzy K. Foley was one of those books for me. It was an adorable read that seemed a bit like a combo of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Mysterious Benedict Society. I really enjoyed this book!
Some of my favorite quotes:
- ...dreams are funny things. Sometimes even the most impractical and irresponsible dreams just won't be ignored. And sometimes when you don't follow your dreams, your dreams come looking for you...more
Some of my favorite quotes:
- ...dreams are funny things. Sometimes even the most impractical and irresponsible dreams just won't be ignored. And sometimes when you don't follow your dreams, your dreams come looking for you...more
Remarkable is the best realistic fiction book I've read. The book has different sides of the people in Remarkable all coming together in one story. The whole book is a mystery that is making you guess in till the end. It takes place in Remarkable which is full of remarkable people and perfect weather. Remarkable is about a girl named Jane who is anything but remarkable. When a pirate comes to town the whole place gets turned over. The evil twins insist on being pirates, which reveal secrets from...more
I tore through REMARKABLE in a couple of days and found myself laughing out loud constantly. I think that anyone who likes clever, quirky, funny middle-grade will love this book!
I was impressed with how many distinct characters populated the world of Remarkable and how many different subplots the author was able to keep rolling at once. I also really enjoyed the satire inherent in situations like the great rivalry between Remarkable's boutique organic jelly company and the nearby town's mass-pr...more
I was impressed with how many distinct characters populated the world of Remarkable and how many different subplots the author was able to keep rolling at once. I also really enjoyed the satire inherent in situations like the great rivalry between Remarkable's boutique organic jelly company and the nearby town's mass-pr...more
What a gem of a book. 10-year-old Jane Doe is an ordinary girl in a town where everyone is gifted and talented, or at least highly competent. Jane goes unnoticed most of the time, even within her own brilliant family, and longs to accomplish something noteworthy and be noticed. She gets her chance when the criminally-minded Grimlet twins suddenly transfer from the School for the Remarkably Gifted into the public school Jane attends (bringing the public school enrollment up to three). Throw in so...more
If you enjoy Roald Dahl's quirky sense of humor, you might quite possibly enjoy this book. The author's tongue-in-cheek jabs at anything Remarkable, especially compared with the quite unremarkable Jane Doe, are delightful. There are pirates (3 smelly, 1 nice-and-tidy), remarkable children with impossibly long names, two very different dentists, a clever detective, a crazy green parrot, evil twins intent on wreaking havoc with their weather machine, and a host of other unusual characters in the t...more
Everyone in the town of Remarkable is remarkable (that's why it's named that way -- no one remembers what the name used to be) . . . . except Jane. Jane Doe, the middle child in a remarkable family. Her little sister, Penelope Hope, is a math genius and her brother, Anderson Brigby Bright, paints amazing photorealistic paintings. Her mother is a renowned architect and her father a brilliant, if absent-minded writer. Fortunately Jane's grandfather, John, is quite ordinary as well (people keep for...more
I am on page 108 and I think this book is funny and I love it what I have read so far is that.jane is a sister to her little sister and brother.Her sister and bother both go to remarkable the place for the most remarkable students in the world.But Jane has nothing remarkable about her to go to this school at all.What I have just got done reading is that Anderson brigby had asked out Lucinda out and she said yes.Jane visited a pirate which is loony in the head.In the town of remarkable they make...more
Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley is a middle grade book set in a town called Remarkable, where everything is beautiful and everyone is talented and everything is extraordinary…except for our main character, fifth grader Jane Doe, who is completely average. Suddenly, strange things start happening all around her and she has some adventures.
I enjoyed how quirky this book was, and I liked all of the silly characters and details (pirates, jelly, dentists, and lake monsters, to name a few), and I did g...more
I enjoyed how quirky this book was, and I liked all of the silly characters and details (pirates, jelly, dentists, and lake monsters, to name a few), and I did g...more
2012 Debut Author Challenge: Pirates. Jelly. Elusive lake monsters and bell towers. Dentists and psychic pizza-parlor owners. This book is "jam"-packed with remarkably weird characters and events, yet somehow it all just works. At the heart of all this weirdness, is ordinary, plain Jane Doe. She is our host on this trip though the fantastic. She and her grandfather are the only ordinary, average citizens in a town filled with remarkable people. But as interesting as pirate schoolteachers, psychi...more
Mar 11, 2013
Ali Reader-Ducky
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
humorous-books
Very funny.. imaginative... I recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh and fantasy, and a little hint of imagination. Please note that there is no adventure in this book, but there are pirates, just saying... and that doesn't quite come close enough to adventure, for they stay in Remarkable for the whole story, but people that are not the main characters tend to leave Remarkable, and tell a story of how their adventure was when they come back. And how Remarkable is much better than whatever plac...more
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Lizzie K. Foley has an MA in Education from Harvard and has taught Women’s Studies at Northeastern University, but this novel was inspired by her experience as the unremarkable little sister of two exceptionally remarkable big sisters. Lizzie didn’t have her oldest sister’s photographic memory or the coolness of her middle sister, who was a model, but, in her own words, she “made it through junior...more
More about Lizzie K. Foley...
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“I'm afraid your literary prizes don't give you any jurisdiction in this particular instance, sir.”
—
1 person liked it
“Don't you ever get in trouble for things like that at the school for the Incredibly gifted?" Jane asked. "No," Merissa said sadly. "Our talent is mischief, so whenever we do something bad they just encourage us to try harder.”
—
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Nov 26, 2012 06:52am