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273 ratings, 4.02 average rating, 64 reviews
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published
September 1st 2005
by HarperTrophy
binding
Paperback, 288 pages
isbn
0060557370
(isbn13: 9780060557379)
description
"Potter–style magic meets Snicket–y irreverence." – People Magazine
Fern discovers that she was swapped at birth...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 346)
Took me a while to get into it but I ended up really liking it - - a very original story and I like the references to all the books. Here's the review from Amazon.com:
Grade 5-8–This inventive novel has elements of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (Scholastic, 2003) and Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (HarperCollins). Fern Drudger, an imaginative misfit in her extraordinarily boring family, discovers that she and Howard Bone were switched at birth. The adults decide tha...more
Grade 5-8–This inventive novel has elements of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (Scholastic, 2003) and Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" (HarperCollins). Fern Drudger, an imaginative misfit in her extraordinarily boring family, discovers that she and Howard Bone were switched at birth. The adults decide tha...more
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Read in March, 2008
What a fun book! I've never had a book dedicated to me, so I started the book with a smile on my face. I loved the author's commentary as the story went along - although sometimes the transition between story and commentary was a little abrupt. As I was reading, I thought I would be giving the book 4 stars - until the house made of books! I want to live there!
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Read in July, 2007
The author of this book is hysterical. Every now and then he stops the story to explain that his English teacher would have been disappointed that he used a certain word. Or, he will stop and tell the reader that he promises the book will get better if we can just hang in there a little longer.
Anyway, the story is about a girl who ends up going home with the wrong family at birth. Then the family she really belongs to ends up with the wrong child as well. So, the families finally end up swa...more
Anyway, the story is about a girl who ends up going home with the wrong family at birth. Then the family she really belongs to ends up with the wrong child as well. So, the families finally end up swa...more
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This book was a good book to read. I really liked it event though it was fantasy. It was about a girl named Fern Drudger who thought she didn't fit with her family. She had orange hair and big eyes which was nothing like her parents. Her parents were dull they didn't like anything that had a lot of colors on it. They were the most boring parents in the history of boring parents.They were a really plain family. Then she started realizing weird stuff happenenig to her like frogs and things like th...more
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Fern Drudger has just about the most boring parents in the history of boring parents. Her mother cooks scentless, tasteless food while her father sits in their completely beige living room. But Fern’s life is a bit more exciting than her parent’s. She’s seen bats turn into marbles, nuns turn into lampposts, and has shaken crickets out of books. She also has puffy hair and big eyes – completely unlike her parents.
Then, one day, a man named the Bone and his son, Howard make an unexpec...more
Then, one day, a man named the Bone and his son, Howard make an unexpec...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Girls
This book was good to me because I am into the mystical stuff that could never happen in real life. I liked the parts where the stuff that was happening was so made-up that it sounded crazy if it happened in the real world.
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Read in March, 2008
This book would have been a lot better if there weren't interjections by the author saying "what a good student" you probably were, and how you were "smart for your age" and your teacher might not know it. I realize that this is a kid's book, but supposedly so is Harry Potter and that never felt childlike at all to me. It probably isn't fair to compare this book to Potter, but the synopsis of it does, which leads the reader to believe that anyone of any age could read it. ...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
This was a spectacularly interesting book. It's by the same author as Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, and since I enjoyed that movie so well I looked for other books written by the same author. I was not disappointed. The path the plot took was not something I saw coming, and every detail in it was enjoyable. There were several references to other books which was lovely (maybe because I knew them all) and I plan on buying it and reading it to my children. It is a book that will bring their ...more
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Read in September, 2008
This book is delightful!!! I echo what Luann said, that if this book existed while I was growing up it would have been one of my favorites.
It has funny, off-beat comments from the author like with Lemony Snicket. It has allusions to many beloved children's books, including Harry Potter. It has uplifting themes, like the value of honesty and the power of real love.
My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough! :) I think she could have developed the story and characters even a little bit mo...more
It has funny, off-beat comments from the author like with Lemony Snicket. It has allusions to many beloved children's books, including Harry Potter. It has uplifting themes, like the value of honesty and the power of real love.
My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough! :) I think she could have developed the story and characters even a little bit mo...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Anybody
I thought this book was great! It is about a girl named Fern who was swapped at birth. But when her real father comes (the Bone), and meets her, Fern enters a world full of mystery, fantasy, adventure, and the art of being an Anybody! Read this book! A rating of 10! I would recomend this book to anybody who likes fantasy , adventure and mystery. I would recomend this book because I liked the author's style. I hope you do too!
"Things are not always what they seem, are they?"
"Things are not always what they seem, are they?"
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4 comments
recommended to Roxana by:
N.E Bode (get it, nobody, haha)=)
recommends it for: People who love funny and interesting books
recommends it for: People who love funny and interesting books
The Anybodies by N.E. Bode was a very funny book. In this book Fern discovers she was "swapped" at birth. Her real father is named the Bone. She moves to his home in the summer and both kids swap to their real parents. In the end Fern discover her mother is dead and she has powers to turn book and character in books alive. She uncovers the mystery and opens the diary of her mother and realizes how much her mom loved her. (and why she left)
=)
=)
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Read in November, 2007
1st in series. Delightful, thoroughly enjoyed it. The humorous narritive asides alone are worth the price of admission. Looking forward to the second in the series.
The list of well-known children's books refered to throughout the story is extensive. Well read children should enjoy spotting references to other books they've read. Not so well read children may be inspired to read these other books they see mentioned in this story.
The list of well-known children's books refered to throughout the story is extensive. Well read children should enjoy spotting references to other books they've read. Not so well read children may be inspired to read these other books they see mentioned in this story.
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Fern lives with the most boring parents ever. Then one day she finds out that they aren't her real parents - she was switched at birth. Now she and her new dad have a mission - to recover a lost book belonging to Fern's mother.
This book was a lot of fun. It would be a good one to read aloud with kids. I'd love to read the rest of the series.
This book was a lot of fun. It would be a good one to read aloud with kids. I'd love to read the rest of the series.
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Read in March, 2008
Cute book with an intrusive omnipresent narrator who gives you his two-cents' worth about just about everything. It's a book for people who love children's lit--with lots of references to other children's lit. It's also for fans (or kids) who like the kid-swooped-out-of-miserable-surroundings (a la Harry Potter) type of book.
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I was reading this book to see if it was appropriate for my 8 year old "soon to be" step daughter. It's really a great story, sort of like Harry Potter. The subject matter is appropriate for an 8 year old though some of the book references may go over her head. I am hoping that this will move her to read more classics.
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Read in January, 2006
this book and it's sequel "the Nobodies" are incredibly imaginative and well-written. Although you can read them separately, i would recommend starting with "the Anybodies." well-written for adults entertainment that is, there is nothing mushy about them, Fern is a very mature character and a pleasure to follow.
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to Kelsey by:
people who like a little bit of mysteries recommends it for: everyone!
I loved this book it is the best book ever.My favorite part would probably be when everyone could lick off the walls and it would taste exactly like what was on the wall.I learned that some people can be bad even if they act like they were a good person just like the miser.I love this book!
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recommends it for:
younger people
this was a quick and easy read. i liked the concepts, but the writing itself was quite childish. so in all a fun read, but maybe more suitable for a younger audience. could be a very delightful read-aloud books. lots of opportunities for fun voices and dramatic asides.
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![Cici=]](http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1224548998p2/1626312.jpg)
This book ois a great fantasy book and really execises your imagination. It is about a gurl who has the power to bring anyone or anything out of a book. It was very sad when she tried to bring her mother out of her diary. I reccomend this book to EveryONE!!
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currently-reading (on 20 people's shelves)
fantasy (on 6 people's shelves)
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quotes from this book
"Nothing is as it seems."
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