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43rd out of 227 books
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274 voters
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Island of the Aunts
by
Eva Ibbotson
Kidnapped by three kind but eccentric women who live on an uncharted island, Minette and Fabio realize that they actually prefer their new lives and enjoy participating in the elderly sisters' efforts to rescue creatures in distress. Illustrations.
Paperback, 281 pages
Published
September 10th 2001
by Puffin Books
(first published 1999)
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I'm still not entirely sure what I thought of this book... part of me really liked it, and part of me didn't. I suppose if half stars were allowed, I’d award this 3 and a half, but since there aren’t, I’ll err on the plus side.
First of all, I very much enjoyed Ibboston's style of writing. She definitely has a flare for words and a wonderful way with unique descriptions. She's also able to give one a feeling of a character in just a few phrases, something it seems few authors are a...more
First of all, I very much enjoyed Ibboston's style of writing. She definitely has a flare for words and a wonderful way with unique descriptions. She's also able to give one a feeling of a character in just a few phrases, something it seems few authors are a...more
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Blessing
rated it
Recommends it for:
Easy read and fun to imagine it being real today.
Recommended to Blessing by:
I got it from my mom's house
I got this book at mom's house when she was letting us pick 5 books out.
This is a real story - meaning not fantasy, but it actually has some things that wouldn't be classified as "real". It has mermaids that have been in an oil spill and selkie seals that when you look in their eyes you can see a human spirit. There is also the Kraken....you have to read the book to find out why this Kraken is so beautifully created by the author.
Taking place from England, there are 3...more
This is a real story - meaning not fantasy, but it actually has some things that wouldn't be classified as "real". It has mermaids that have been in an oil spill and selkie seals that when you look in their eyes you can see a human spirit. There is also the Kraken....you have to read the book to find out why this Kraken is so beautifully created by the author.
Taking place from England, there are 3...more
Island Of The Aunts is Eva Ibbotson's magical, sea-side fantasy with an environmental message.
Three oddball aunts; Etta, Coral and Myrtle live on a secret island.....caring for a wide variety of animals ranging from ordinary chickens to mystical creatures like selkies, boobries and even a family of abandoned, oil-slick mermaids. But managing the ever-increasing menagerie is a full-time job and the aunts aren’t getting any younger.
So the best option see...more
Three oddball aunts; Etta, Coral and Myrtle live on a secret island.....caring for a wide variety of animals ranging from ordinary chickens to mystical creatures like selkies, boobries and even a family of abandoned, oil-slick mermaids. But managing the ever-increasing menagerie is a full-time job and the aunts aren’t getting any younger.
So the best option see...more
Sisters Etta, Cora, and Myrtle are getting older and they know that they're going to need some help taking care of the creatures that reside on their island. What they need are a couple of strong, open-minded children. Children nobody seems to want. Children who will grow up on the island and learn to love and care for the creatures that come there for help. There doesn't seem to be any other way to get such children except to kidnap them. So that's what the sisters decide to do.
When...more
When...more
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What do you do when you are getting older and have no relatives to take over your life's work? Why kidnap some children, of course! So begins this fantastic tale of Dickensian children living in a Roald Dahl world. Three eccentric aunts live on a secret island and nurture the unusual creatures that come to them for refuge: a family of Mermaids living in sinks and tubs, a giant nesting Boobrie who must be kept fed, and an enormous hypochondriac worm who mopes about the place. When the aunts real...more
"Island of the Aunts" is a fabulous story of an island filled with the most extraordinary creatures. Selkies, mermaids, stoorworms, and broobies are just the beginning. Two children are kidnapped and taken to the island, but they soon love the island as much as the aunts do. They help to defend the island against the outside world and they don't want to leave their new special friends. Eva Ibbotson (the author) has created a children's paradise as she describes the island: "T...more
I see a lot of objections in the reviews of this book to the "kidnapping" device of the story. Adults are having a big problem with the concept of kidnapping - but not the fantasy. I think we often stint on giving credit to children's intelligence. You only have to look at the cover of this book (with the giant eye of the Kraken and the mermaid) to see this is a book of fantasy. The first sentence tells you what you already know, that kidnapping children is not a good idea. Nor, I...more
Once again I find myself in a "startlingly small" minority about a book. I find myself wondering if it's something generational here? Now, my children are all grown, but given the opportunity, I'd probably not have read this one to them... (but to quote on of the Aunts in the book "you know how men are." Really? What would be the reaction if I said "you know how women are"? That's a phrase we don't use anymore because it's deemed to be demeaning. Apparently "me...more
"Aunts" Etta, Coral and Mytle live in a secret island with Captain Harper who loves to tell stories again and again and again.... For the sake of the island and for those who live there, the three aunts must kidnap children: a boy and a girl. Minette and Fabio become the "chosen" children and, yes, also Lambert gets kidnapped by a mistake.
In the island they meet the strangest creatures one can never imagine. Queenie and Oona, the twin mermaids; Herbert the Silkie (S...more
In the island they meet the strangest creatures one can never imagine. Queenie and Oona, the twin mermaids; Herbert the Silkie (S...more
I am wavering between 3 and 4 stars. I really like Eva Ibbotson's writing, so I would like to give it 4 stars. But I just wasn't that excited about the book. I think the thing that bothered me most was that the aunts kidnapped children. Sure, I know why they did it. But I still didn't like it. And I didn't feel particularly tied to any of the characters, which is disappointing. The aunts were the best-developed characters, but they were also kidnappers, so I couldn't get too emotionally a...more
Island of the Aunts came in a boxed set with Which Witch, which I had read as a child and wanted to re-read. While I thoroughly enjoyed Which Witch?, it's a rather predictable story geared toward relatively young readers. Island of the Aunts features a higher reading level and a more complicated plot. In it, three aging women who care for an island of magical creatures realize that they have to find and train someone to care for the island after they die. Unable to come up with a better plan, th...more
This was a very different and imaginative book. I must say I enjoyed the writer's style. She incorporated quite a bit of humor into the story, and I was surprised how funny some situations turned out to be. The only part I didn't care for was that a ship captain in search of his kidnapped son comes to an island where everyone is nude (a nudist colony). It was written that way for humor, and it is kind of funny, but I would be embarrassed reading that part aloud to my son. I think maybe someo...more
Ruby Hollyberry
is currently reading it
Read about half of this at someone else's house. Not a very good writing style or plot technique. Gives a feeling of being awkwardly contrived. On the other hand, some rather nice things happen and there are some nice characters - I like the idea of the book despite the execution. There are multiple problems with the style that I won't otherwise go into, but my main objection is that it dispenses with any mystery or foreshadowing and has none of the tantalizing glimpses of the "beyond"...more
Well I'm in Chapter 2 right now. Island of the Aunts is a funny, interesting, curious, intriging, wonderful, and creative.This book makes you turn the page to find what is going to happen next. There's 3 aunts in this book that think that kiddnaping is good and allows lonely kids that aren't likeable by their parents come to them and live at this magical and faraway island that nobody knows about.The aunts are Aunt Etta, Aunt Coral and Aunt Mirtle.They want have this kids in their island because...more
Aunt Etta, Aunt Coral and Aunt Myrtle are getting old and can no longer keep up with all of the creatures of they're island like they used to - after all, mermaids, selkies, and boobries take a lot of work. However, they know that they cannot trust other adults to take care of the island the way they do. So they decide that they need some children. There is only one problem - they don't have any. Eventually the aunts decide that the only way to get some kids is kidnapping. After all, some child...more
Unlike some of Ibbotson's children's books, this one is not just for fun. There is an important message about how we treat the oceans underneath the imaginative plot and unusual characters. I couldn't see how Ibbotson was going to make everything come out right in this one, especially since the plot hinges on the kidnapping of several children, but she does.
One of my daughter's favourites when she was 10-12. I think that she has reread it numerous times.
She is passionate about ...more
One of my daughter's favourites when she was 10-12. I think that she has reread it numerous times.
She is passionate about ...more
I haven't figured how I'm going to rate children's books, so I won't star this yet. I'm reading children's lit. to help find good books for my girls, which will heavily influence my ratings.
That being said, I found this book absolutely delightful! My youngest daughter, who likes all things quirky, should really get into this book.
It's the tale of 2 "kidnapped" children who find their captors' digs way better than their torturous life in London. There are merm...more
That being said, I found this book absolutely delightful! My youngest daughter, who likes all things quirky, should really get into this book.
It's the tale of 2 "kidnapped" children who find their captors' digs way better than their torturous life in London. There are merm...more
Suna
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone in need of a comfort read
Shelves:
eva-ibbotson
Wonderful. In the most literal sense of the word.
Three children get kidnapped out of their ordinary lives to help three aging aunts, who run a forgotten island for wounded sea creatures.
These creatures vary from oil-slicked gulls to oil-slicked mermaids, and two of the children very quickly come to realize that their presumed kidnapping has been the best thing that's ever happened to them.
The third kid is a spoilt, screeching nightmare who ends up betraying the island and...more
Three children get kidnapped out of their ordinary lives to help three aging aunts, who run a forgotten island for wounded sea creatures.
These creatures vary from oil-slicked gulls to oil-slicked mermaids, and two of the children very quickly come to realize that their presumed kidnapping has been the best thing that's ever happened to them.
The third kid is a spoilt, screeching nightmare who ends up betraying the island and...more
Kathryn
rated it
Recommends it for:
fantasy fans, those seeking books on protecting the environment or on broken homes
Shelves:
annie-and-katie-bookclub,
fantasy-sci-fi
Having read and loved Ibbotson's The Great Ghost Rescue, I had high hopes for my journey to the Island of the Aunts. And I must now consider myself an Ibbotson fan! I love her style. For me, it is the closet thing to JK Rowling's that I've found in terms of characterization and humor and blending magic with "the real world" but Ibbotson also has her own flare and it just makes me smile to read her work.
That said, I must say I was a little disappointed with "Island o...more
That said, I must say I was a little disappointed with "Island o...more
Children's lit, but total delight to read. Very well written, detail exquisite--never gets "purple" but paints a clear picture of a fabled island. I still have a little problem with the "kidnapping" part, even though for a good cause and bettered the children's lives when they were returned to their families, but it keeps bothering me a bit.
The four aunts aren't individually memorable to me, except I do know Aunt Myrtle is the one who plays her cello to the selki...more
The four aunts aren't individually memorable to me, except I do know Aunt Myrtle is the one who plays her cello to the selki...more
I read this on vacation after Taylor had finished it and I really enjoyed it. A fun novel of an island of spinster aunts that take care of some fantastic creatures and are desperate to find someone to continue their legacy. I loved the way the author wrote the book, with unexpected things happening (and being said) throughout the story. It reminded me of the Ronald Dahl books I loved growing up. Very fun, and very funny. I would reccommend it for probably 4th or 5th grade on up.
Island of the Aunts was a good book. I think it was interesting how the animals on the island were described as nice, sweet, caring creatures. I thought the beginning of this book was a little slow. The beginning of this book did not have much detail. This book was confusing at parts. I liked how all of aunts had good intentions throughout the book. The end of this book was not very surprising and not very exciting. Overall, I thought this was an okay book.
ada sebuah pulau dimana penuh dengan hewan-hewan aneh, kek monster getu. para penjaganya adalah empat kakak beradik yang semuanya perempuan. mereka sebenernya udah kewalahan ngurusin hewan-hewan aneh itu, sampai akhirnya mereka musti cari jalan dengan menculik anak-anak kecil buat bantuin mereka di pulau itu. kebayang hebohnya waktu mereka pura-pura jadi nanny trus nyulik anak-anak kecil buat dibawa ke pulau. di pulau pun anak-anak yg tadinya ga betah jadi kerasan. nah, ada cerita tentang legend...more
This was a hard book for me to rate. I think I would do 3 1/2 stars if I could. As it is, I thought the story was creative and fun and if I was 12, I would probably have given it 5 stars. So for a child reader, this would still be a great book. My 32 year old self was a little disappointed at the flatness of the characters. They are very interesting characters and it took me a long time to figure out what was lacking in the book, but I think it was some depth to the characters and also a li...more
I loved this book. It's adventurous and one of those books every kid wishes would come to life. The kids in the book get kidnapped and have to learn about the island and how to take care of the magical creatures because the aunts that live there are too old to do it themselves. I read this in middle school (when I actually had time to read my own books) and couldn't put it down.
This was a darling tale of eccentric old women and their desire to have someone to take over their duties on their island as they grow older. They have to resort to some devious tricks to bring children to the island. The children grow in strength of character from the experience and it works out quite well in the end. Elizabeth enjoyed the book and ecouraged me to read it.
I really like the non-fantasy stories that Eva Ibbotson writes but like her magical and ghost books much less. This one is about three old women who live on a hidden mysterious island where they take care of magical creatures. Feeling that they're getting old and need younger people to help them carry on, their solution is that maybe they should kidnap some children...
The ideas given in this book will always make me smile. When 3 aunts set out to find rightful heirs to take care of their island after they're gone. They kidnap 2 orphined children, and then must teach them how to take care of their secret island and the animals that come their for refuge, including mermaids and the Kracken. It is a truely loving and funny book for the family, and sends a messsage about our planet in a soft and friendly way.
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| What's The Name o...: mythological creatures on an island and three old sister's who take care of them [s] | 4 | 27 | Jan 25, 2012 06:21am |
Eva Ibbotson (born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner, 1925, Vienna, Austria) was a British novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.
Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler came into power, Ibbotson's family moved to England.
She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, ...more
More about Eva Ibbotson...
Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler came into power, Ibbotson's family moved to England.
She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, ...more
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“one of the sisters started shaving her legs and marrying tax inspectors, so she was no good.”
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