Ottoline va al colegio

Ottoline #2

by Chris Riddell, Elena Gallo Krahe (Translator)

Ottoline es una niña inteligente y curiosa que vive en Gran Ciudad junto a su amigo el Sr. Munroe. Ambos llevarán a cabo varias investigaciones y resolverán misterios que se les presentarán. ¿Idearán algún plan brillante? Libros llenos de humor, con un texto muy original y con dobles e ingeniosas lecturas que hacen cómplice al lector. Unas divertidas ilustraciones, caricaturescas y plagadas de detalles, completan estos títulos.

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Humor

170 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Chris Riddell was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where his father was an Anglican priest and a member of the ANC. The family moved to England in 1963, when Riddell was one year old, and he spent his childhood in a number of different locations, as his father moved between parishes. Both of Riddell's parents continued to be active in the anti-apartheid movement.

Chris Riddell is an internationally acclaimed writer and illustrator whose many awards include the Nestlé Gold Award and two Kate Greenaway Medals—the most prestigious prize for illustration in the UK. He is the creator of more than one hundred books for all ages, including the immensely popular series the Edge Chronicles and his latest chapter book series, starring the irrepressible Ottoline Brown, which School Library Journal called "exceptional." Chris lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and three children where he invents his amazing characters in a very tidy shed in his yard.

Reviews

[Anja Karenjina]

Obožavam Krisove ilustracije, baš se vratih u detinjstvo😍

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks))]

A quick, fun read. The illustrations in this book are something else and really make the story. Ottoline is a strong MC, with her trusty sidekick Mr Munroe. In this installation, they go away to a unique boarding school and must solve the mystery of a ghost. Themes of friendship and family. This is a fun and different middle grade series.

[Anastasiaadamov]

Beautifuly illustrated and amazingly written. Watchfull readers will have fun with finding new interesting details in the illustrations. Characters were especially endearing

[Dragana]

Roditelji, poklanjajte pažnju svoji deci...inače im mogu pasti svakakve luckaste ideje na pamet. 😆
Još jedna simpatična knjižica, malo zabavnija od prošle. Ilustracije savršene 😍

[Bill]

I needed something light with which to start off my morning and Ottoline Goes to School, the 2nd Ottoline YA story, by Chris Riddell was perfect. Ottoline lives in The City, basically on her own, cared for by her companion Mr. Munroe, while her parents are off exploring. She is cared for by a group of people, food preparers, door knob shiners, pillow plumpers, etc. She lives in the Pepperpot building, called thusly because it looks like a pepperpot.

In this story, Ottoline and Munroe meet a young girl Cecily Forbes-Lawrence III an her Patagonian pony, while the duo are visiting the Pettigrew Park and Ornamental Gardens to feed the turtles. Ottoline is instantly enthralled with Cecily (who doesn't seem all that nice to Munroe) and when Cecily tells her that she will be attending the Alice B. Smith school Ottoline sends a letter to her parents asking that she be permitted to attend as well.

Thus begins Ottoline and Munroe's adventure at the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted and, of course, there is a mystery as well. Who is stealing objects from people and who is making the mysterious clomping noises? And who seems to be getting Munroe into trouble and why does Cecily think he's a dog!

It's all well written, excellently drawn (great pictures and sneaky little inserts) and just a fun story and you know it'll all end up ending pleasantly and satisfactorily. Most enjoyable. Thanks for starting off my day so happily. (3.5 stars) And now to get Ottoline at Sea!

[fredi]

childhood

[Ophilia Adler]

I think I do prefer the first book a bit more but that doesnt mean this isnt a good one. I enjoyed it alot and especially the illustrations.

[plavizec]

3.6*

[Izzati]

I picked up this book because I love Chris Riddell's interpretation of The Graveyard Book. I didn't expect this story to be colorful, but it was. The illustrations are amazing and the story reminded me of Enid Blyton's Malory Towers. He even included a bit of Frankenstein (the only classics I truly love) in it.

Yet the best part for me? The fact that he mentioned three different states in Malaysia in it. I noticed Penang (where I was born), then Sarawak and Pahang. See, Malaysia hardly gets any mention in books by non-Malaysians, so this is a big deal. Even though he didn't even name the Sulatana of Pahang...

As a bonus, Riddell "hid" some ghosts that he listed on the last page. Made me go back through the pages to look for them.

[Deb]

I like the illustrations and the style of this author. I plan to read all the Ottoline books.

[theresa]

loved the illustrations and the story!definitely want to read more about Ottoline 🖤

[Emmie]

Read this in high school and was fascinated by the style of illustrations. Chris Riddell is truly talented.

[Reetta Saine]

Mauri joutuu mustasukkaisuuden kouriin, kun Ottilia saa toisenkin ystävän. Yhdessä lähdetään hyvin erityislaatuiseen kouluun, jossa on *lemmikeille* oma siipi.

Brittilastenkirjallisuudestakin alkaa löytää sellaisia toistuvia trendejä ja hauskuusteemoja, kun näitä työkseen lukee. Kotimaisten kanssa välillä toivoisi, että niitä "peruskivoja" salapoliisi-perhe-hassu-juttuja olisi vähän vähemmän, angloilla taas Outous (?) on selvästi jotain niin pelottavaa, että sen kanssa pitää leikkiä kirjassa jos toisessakin. Onneksi Riddell on sieltä paremmasta päästä.

[Raven]

Another cute little read.

I liked the minor mystery, even though I could pretty much guess who was behind it. Though, let's be fair I'm an adult, a younger child might not get it right away, so it's pretty well thought out for a middle-grade book. I felt a little bad for Mr. Monroe in this book, but other then that I enjoyed it.

It was a nice and easy book to read in between longer more challenging books. (in the sense that I'll be frustrated while reading it.)

[Flavia]

Point-less :v

Yeah no, I honestly erased this from my memory...

The protagonist never address that her newly made friend (Cecily) is exceptionally rude to her best friend. The main plot twist is obvious and absent parents are the core problem of it all :v Yet, still, Cecily's misbehaving is not fully brought up. What's the point!!!! The idea of school for differently gifted was fun (even though the name makes me shiver).
Overall — messy and not in the way I like it!

3/10 at best

[Juwita]

Ottoline Brown is such an adorable character. Together with her best friend Mr Munroe, Ottoline goes to school, makes new friends, and find her special gift. Riddell’s illustrations are my favourite. There’s always something new to see and discover.

[Uni-Uni]

Otolina nakon razgovora sa prijateljicom piše pismo roditeljima da bi išla u školu za djecu sa posebnim darom nakon toga se svati da je škola ukleta (to je njezina prijateljica izmislila zato što je htjela ići kući). Zanimljiva priča (pogotovo za djevojčice). Ali je jedan dio malo strašn.

[Serhiy]

Захотілося, щоб рік почався з прочитання книжки. Ідеальна для читання першого січня. Мало тексту, на всю книжку - 20 хвилин і море задоволення. Той випадок, коли малюнки значно оригінальніші і цікавіші за літературну частину.

[Albie Seymour]

Slightly creepy but I love mystery books!

[Jelka]

3.5*

Love Mr Munroe!

[Caroline]

Not as good as the first book, but I liked the setting and the characters. Incredibly detailed illustrations. Loved the hidden ghosts, I didn't even notice them!

[Maya Campbell]

Cutie pies! I love friendship! NYPL does not have books 3&4 so unreal mega KF if u have access to them and can hook me up 🙏

[Samia]

The illustrations in this are just so so gorgeous I could stare at them for hours

[Natasa]

Absolutely delightful! Chris Riddell is a treasure!

[adifii]

Ottoline Is one of my favorites from this book, Cecilia and her horse are really funny characters to me. But what I love most is how the animals planned out (and Ottoline) that smart plan to catch the "ghost". Also that Alice. B. Smith (the principal/head master) thinks that Wednesday's are a myth! 😆

[Daisy May Johnson]

It's very easy for somebody who reads a lot of books to miss an author. And yet, equally, it's also very easy to have a consciousness of who and what that author is and how they do what they do. This is where I stood with Chris Riddell; conscious that I hadn't really read much of his work, but conscious that his work was good. And I'd come to that decision for a variety of reasons, not just for the quality of his art work which burns from his books like fire, but also because of the children I knew who pretty much swallowed each and everything he'd published. Sometimes the biggest thing for me, as an adult who's involved in children's literature, is to step back and recognise my position as a guest in this space. And if an author's work is devoured, furiously, hungrily, then that's an important thing to take note of.

I picked up Ottoline Goes To School after Chris had delivered a charming and annoyingly inspiring lecture at Homerton College. I didn't possess the persistence or elbows to get to the bookshop first and grab the sumptuous Travels with my Sketchbook which I've had my eyes on for a while, but Ottoline Goes To School was an appropriate, and by no means secondary, choice. I was intrigued to see what Riddell did with the school story because they are sort of my thing. And when I got it signed by him, I did my traditional slightly incoherent stare and babble because that too, is also my sort of thing.

This, the second of the Ottoline series, is a delight. Ottoline is off to the Alice. B. Smith School For The Differently Gifted; a boarding school for children with a special an often quite peculiar gift. As she's trying to figure out what her gift might be, a ghost starts to haunt the school...

I was trying to figure out the best way to describe this lovely book and the idea I kept coming back to was cleanliness. That's perhaps a little bit of an odd phrase to use and one, I suspect, which doesn't crop up in children's literature criticism that often so let me explain a bit more about what I mean.

Ottoline Goes To School is one of those books that balances word with image and does so without compromising the integrity of each. In fact, it's so beautifully and carefully balanced, this mediation between the visual and the textual, that every page is a delight. And it's challenging too! Whilst Ottoline is engaged in the complexities of a new school and a Slightly Tremulous New Friendship, Mr Munroe is carefully scouting out the school and trying to figure out what's going on. And that's the cleanliness, right there, that ability to balance and deliver whole, heartfelt, narrative in word and image without compromising or pressing on the space of the other elements within the spread. This book is so clean, so crisp and sharp, that it's a joy.

[Anna]

I wasn't crazy about this book. It's not great and it's not bad either. Ottoline's parents are travelers who are often away but she doesn't seem to mind as she has her best friend Mr. Munroe and lots of grown-ups to look after her. One day she meets Cecily Forbes-Lawerence III in the park by her apartment and they quickly become friends. Cecily goes to Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted and Ottoline soon decides that she would like to attend too. Once Ottoline reaches the boarding school the real adventures begins. There are ghosts lurking about the school doing all sorts of nasty things, with the help of Mr. Munroe Ottoline soon gets to the bottom of the mystery.

The story line is clearly written and obvious enough for early readers to follow. I think the concept of boarding school and a life where parents are rarely around might be enough to interest some children but the overall story isn't terribly exciting. The illustrations however, are very well done and truly what make the book interesting.

Ages: 7-10

[Touloulou]

J'adore les romans d'Apolline / Ottoline de Chris Riddell.
Ca se lit très vite (30 minutes au parc m'ont suffi !), l'histoire est pleine de malice et d'humour, à l'image d'Apolline, et les illustrations dont je suis admirative (depuis que j'ai commencé à lire cet auteur pendant mon adolescence) regorgent de détails qu'on peut passer de longs moments à trouver.
Dans ce roman, Apolline découvre la vie à l'école, en internat, et dans une école pas comme les autres, où chacun recherche son don spécial. Une lecture qui montre aux enfants qu'il est bon de rêver parfois, que chacun a son don unique et nul pareil à ceux des autres et qui en prime distille l'air de rien un joli message sur l'importance de l'amitié...
Seul regret, c'est trop court (pour les grands enfants comme moi !)

[Preili Pipar]

Nii äge, fantastiline ja põnev!!!!! Ja need joonistused. Need on pool lugu vähemalt. Võrratu!

21.04.23
Jätkuvalt tore ja armas raamat. Pean tunnistama, et raamatu sisu ei olnud mul üldse meeles (va joonistused) ja seega oli tegemist väga toreda üle lugemisega. Nii armas oli ka see, kuidas leiti Cecily probleemile lahendus, et vanemad ikkagi leiaksid tema jaoks aega ning pööraksid talle tähelepanu. Ning Ottoline ise on ka nii uskumatult sümpaatne kuju. Kuigi ka tema vanemad reisivad mööda maailma ringi, siis on näha, et ta ei ole vanemate armastusest ilma jäänud, vaid on kõigest hoolimata rõõmus ja eluterve ja kompleksivaba. Üks uudishimulik ja sõbralik tütarlaps.

[Grace]

I actually like this sequel better than 'Ottoline and the Yellow Cat'.
Both are very charming, with a distinct style.
It reminds me a little of the 'Eloise' books by Kay Thompson, and other classic books too.
I see that most reviewers on here prefer the first book, but I actually liked this one better.
I liked that I felt it focused more on Ottoline's character.
The first book focused a lot on the mystery of the Yellow Cat.
This book focused more on Ottoline as a character.
It was an entertaining and cute book!