Uncle Terrible: More Adventures of Anatole

The Anatole Trilogy #3

by Nancy Willard

Anatole is faced with the formidable task of retrieving the thread of death from the wizard Arcimboldo.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1985

About the author

NANCY WILLARD was an award-winning children's author, poet, and essayist who received the Newbery Medal in 1982 for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She wrote dozens of volumes of children's fiction and poetry, including The Flying Bed, Sweep Dreams, and Cinderella's Dress. She also authored two novels for adults, Things Invisible to See and Sister Water, and twelve books of poetry, including Swimming Lessons: New and Selected Poems. She lived with her husband, photographer Eric Lindbloom, and taught at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Reviews

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncle Terrible is a friend of the family. He teaches high school Latin, collects comic books and movie memorabilia, and is called Uncle Terrible because he’s so terribly nice. Anatole goes to visit Uncle Terrible in his New York apartment, little suspecting that he will soon be shrinking to the size of a cockroach, meeting Mother Nature, traveling with a skeletal mule, and playing a life-and-death game of checkers with an evil wizard to save his friends.

Uncle Terrible is an incredibly imaginative story; it is reminiscent of the best of George MacDonald, E. Nesbit, and Lewis Carroll. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a children’s fantasy book like I have Uncle Terrible, and I recommend it highly as a quick read for children and adults.

5/5 stars

[Pamela Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting magical story, with lots of animals, twelve golden knitting needles, a roof garden, and a Latin teacher so "terribly nice" he's called Uncle Terrible.

A boy who admits he's scared stiff has to go on a quest and become a hero.

What's not to like?

Now I want to buy the first two books in the Anatole trilogy.

[Kellaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for the thousandth time. Still perfect.