Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones - Softcover

Mahy, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140389733 ISBN 13: 9780140389739

Publisher: Puffin, 1998

Synopsis

A terribly shy orphan living on an island transforms himself, falls in love, and defeats a gang of ruffian pirates with the help of tingleberry ice cream and other unusual objects

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-Saracen Hobday, a painfully shy and reclusive boy, lives with his grandmother on lonely Breakfast Island. He spends his days gardening and listening to the bossy woman tell about the great days when she was a detective inspector. When Granny is called back into service to catch the evil pirate Grudge-Gallows, Saracen stays on and fends for himself. Then one day, she sends him a rare tingleberry plant that changes his life. He discovers that to care for it properly, he must make contact with the world. From the moment he picks up the phone, Saracen finds excitement, fortune, and love in a series of madcap events that lead to his soaring self-esteem and the villain's capture. In this 20th-century pirate yarn, Mahy pokes gentle fun at the trappings and treasures of the modern world. Her nonstop, zany plot is filled with lively language punctuated by metaphors, puns, wordplay, and poetry. Staermose's pen-and-ink drawings match Mahy's tone and extend the humor and action of the text. While the piratical cover and undemanding format will attract beginning chapter-book readers, the story's language, pacing, and humor will also make it a terrific read-aloud.?Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5. Another rollicking adventure from the versatile Mahy, this is filled with zany characters, hilarious situations, and action. It even has a touch of romance. Saracen Hobday is a painfully shy orphan who has lived all his life on a secluded island with his granny, a retired detective. When the villainous pirate Grudge-Gallows escapes from prison, Granny is suddenly called back to active duty. Left on his own, bashful Saracen falls in love, makes a fortune marketing tingleberries, and single-handedly (well, almost) brings down a dastardly gang of pirates, including the notorious Grudge-Gallows. The slapstick plot moves with break-neck speed, and it won't be long before readers find themselves cheering out loud for Saracen, the former introvert who once described himself as "a mere limp lettuce leaf in the great salad of life." Look no further for that next great read-aloud. Lauren Peterson

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0140389733
• ISBN 13: 9780140389739
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96
• Illustrator: Staermose Robert