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88th out of 657 books
—
227 voters
Nightbirds on Nantucket (The Wolves Chronicles #3)
by
Joan Aiken
Having had enough of life on board the ship that saved her from a watery grave, Dido Twite wants nothing more than to sail home to England. Instead, Captain Casket's ship lands in Nantucket, where Dido and the captain's daughter, Dutiful Penitence, are left in the care of Dutiful's sinister Aunt Tribulation. In Tribulation's farmhouse, life is unbearable. When mysterious m...more
Paperback, 218 pages
Published
October 25th 1999
by Sandpiper
(first published 1966)
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Apr 16, 2010
Abigail
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Victorian Melodrama, Joan Aiken fans, Lemony Snicket Readers...
Review Temporarily Removed.
Sep 07, 2010
Mariel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like ripping good yarns
Recommended to Mariel by:
twigging my lay
Man, I love these books. The Wolves of Willoughby chase is really good, and deservedly a classic, but where's the love for Dido Twite? Most people I know don't realize that this was a series (the connection to 'Wolves' is a loose one). I love the little spitfire. Anyway, these were so much fun that I skipped a bunch of classes to read them. Good times. Not that I'm condoning truancy, I'm merely condoning reading these books (stay in school!). Not all of the Dido books are as good as this one, ho...more
Reading this to my nieces. I read this so many times as a child but it is obvious to me now that Aiken had read a lot of Georgette Heyer - Dido uses a lot of slang that I have encountered nowhere else. I think that I as a child figured out all these expressions by context and it is interesting to see that the younger niece does that automatically and the 7th grader wants instant explanations. It will be nice when we reach the Twite books I never read.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts...more
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts...more
Oh boy! This may be my favorite of all the Joan Aiken books. Dido Twite is simply one of the greatest characters I've ever read. I wonder if anyone writing today could handle the challenge of a story with an adult Dido as protagonist?
some book-learnin':
"At the beginning, Dido is an eccentric, somewhat snappy child, with little to endear her. It is not long, however, before Simon and the reader begin to see something attractive in the ‘‘brat’’ (p. 23). Initially it is her ‘‘forlorn, neglected air...more
some book-learnin':
"At the beginning, Dido is an eccentric, somewhat snappy child, with little to endear her. It is not long, however, before Simon and the reader begin to see something attractive in the ‘‘brat’’ (p. 23). Initially it is her ‘‘forlorn, neglected air...more
If anyone didn't like Dido Twite before, they certainly would after reading this! When she talked back to Aunt Tribulation, I wanted to cheer! This is a book I would have LOVED when I was younger. There were some parts that required a bit of suspension of disbelief, but in a good way. There were bits that made me think of Moby-Dick, but in a good way - the whale here is pink! There were also bits that reminded me of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, which also has a whale. Overall, I enjoyed this...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This is an old book with a fun little story that was engaging and quick to read. Essentially about a whaling family who spends time searching for a pink whale, rescues a girl from the ocean, and destroys and evil plot to another nation. I won't give more details but I just found it fun and delightful to read. That said, I wouldn't bother buying it out but if you get a chance to borrow it then go for it.
I had no intention of running into that name Slighcarp. It really brings a thrill to have Dido Twite into the story. Sleeping for over ten months and she grew six inches. In the opening part of the book it showed a picture of Dido. I had no intention of them cutting her hair. Or dressing her up as a boy.
The understanding of Aunt Tribulation was another thing that went wild. Not Aunt Tribulation, but Ms. Slighcarp. Also, if little Deutiful Penitance was locked into a closet, and they tell what t...more
The understanding of Aunt Tribulation was another thing that went wild. Not Aunt Tribulation, but Ms. Slighcarp. Also, if little Deutiful Penitance was locked into a closet, and they tell what t...more
Aug 27, 2009
eve
added it
Dutiful Pentitence Casket... "Croopus... whoever tied that handle to you musta been dicked in the knob, and I'm not going to lay my tongue round it every time."
Super fun for anyone who has ever had an instinct for defying authority. Plus, Dido's language becomes her own. Worth reading for that alone.
Super fun for anyone who has ever had an instinct for defying authority. Plus, Dido's language becomes her own. Worth reading for that alone.
Third Wolves series book I've read so far. All are witty and well written. Love the combination of silly plots with realistic descriptions of nature, and of course, the faux history. Good for kids or adults. Read on recommendation from my teenage daughter.
Okay, this is actually the third book in the series. The series goes as follows:
1. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2. Black Hearts in Battersea
3. Nightbirds on Nantucket
4. The Stolen Lake
5. The Cuckoo Tree
6. Dido and Pa
7. Is
8. Cold Shoulder Road
There are more, but these are the best.
You can read them in order, or not (I didn't, and I actually recommend reading Nightbirds on Nantucket first, reading the other two as prequels, and then continuing on in order), but you absolutely must read them, beca...more
1. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2. Black Hearts in Battersea
3. Nightbirds on Nantucket
4. The Stolen Lake
5. The Cuckoo Tree
6. Dido and Pa
7. Is
8. Cold Shoulder Road
There are more, but these are the best.
You can read them in order, or not (I didn't, and I actually recommend reading Nightbirds on Nantucket first, reading the other two as prequels, and then continuing on in order), but you absolutely must read them, beca...more
I picked up this book because I loved
Black Hearts in Battersea
when I was a child, and I enjoyed it again when I re-read it as an adult. I thought that it would be interesting to see how Aiken carried on the story of her characters (even though Dido was never my favorite), but unfortunately Nightbirds did not live up to my expectations.
The plot and intrigue are similar to the tale in its predecessor, but the story as a whole feels more disjoint. Add to this the fact that the crucial plot point...more
The plot and intrigue are similar to the tale in its predecessor, but the story as a whole feels more disjoint. Add to this the fact that the crucial plot point...more
Very entertaining tale of mystery and fanstastic happenings centered on Nantucket, meant for kids but ... Love the heroine's cockney dialogue. The book's focus is on a pink whale and a gun that can hit England from Nantucket.
Another well-told story, as good as the second in the series. The way the author wraps everything up so quickly makes for another satisfying ending. (But The Whispering Mountain is still Joan Aiken's best!)
Read this on my nine year old's recommendation and loved it. A fun and quick read, that left me wanting to read more of Joan Aiken's works. Highly recommended for young and old alike.
Yes, I own two different editions of this. First was the more recent paperback -- but I had to get this one because it had the dramatic cover art that I remembered from my youth.
Aug 13, 2010
Arlene Allen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-favorites
About Simon's friend and helper Dido, who goes on to become the main character in the rest of the series. To me, though, nothing beat the first book.
I bought this because: It had a pink edward gorey cover. featuring a whale. and the word "nantucket". the lightly wacky adventure inside was definitely worthy, for the character names alone.
I am not sure how I got this book, but it was in my house, and I read it. I'm not familiar with the author or with the series, but I found this to be a charming story with some twists.
Violet's 2008-09 reading page: http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/swe...
More meddling kids out to rid the world of more evil Slighcarps (how many exist???), set in Nantucket.
I loved this book. The strong female heroine and the difficult Cape Cod life are wonderfully presented.
After re-reading, and re-loving, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, I decided to give Joan Aiken's other books a visit. While I did enjoy this one. I found it difficult to get into, the beginning was abrupt and confusing and the amount of historically-accurate vernacular didn't help. Once the heroines were off the boat and on Nantucket, I found the pacing picked up and I was drawn to keep reading to the end.
Just as good as I remembered. See Wolves of Willowby review.
Another childhood favorite.....I LOVED Dido Twite!
Drawn to this by the Gorey cover.
Fun, quick read.
Fun, quick read.
One of my favourite childhood authors.
My all-time favorite children's book.
Good little children's lit.
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Joan Delano Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. Her most famous classic, THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE,has been celebrating its 50th Anniversary with the publication of three brand new editions of the book and a new AUDIO recorded by her daughter Lizza.
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Miriam: I've always liked Simon's character, but somehow, he never interested me quite as muc...more
updated Apr 18, 2010 02:58pm
Apr 18, 2010 08:52pm