The Secret Life of Dilly McBean - Softcover

Dorothy Haas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0590411691 ISBN 13: 9780590411691

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., 1988

Synopsis

1988 First Scholastic Print

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6 Orphaned Dilly is rich and has a secret power: he can make himself magnetic when he chooses. After he attends a succession of private boarding schools, one of his guardians arranges for him to attend public school in a rural town. He acquires a dog, whose disobedience provides comic relief. The guardian, who knows his secret, arranges for a famous physicist to help Dilly experiment with his power. Meanwhile, a mad scientist plots to kidnap Dilly for ransom. Dilly foils the villain by magnetizing his computer, just as his school friends break into the bad guys' hideout to rescue Dilly. The loss of his parents and the need to keep his power a secret add dimension to Dilly's character, which is otherwise awfully sweet. In these qualities he will appeal to readers who like Alexander Key's Escape to Witch Mountain (Westminster, 1968). While the book moves slowly to the all-too-quickly-resolved climax, it does sustain interest. So much science fantasy for this age group has such rapid-fire pacing and pyrotechnics that this book stands out by its willingness to take time with the story and keep the super powers low-key. While not a great book, it does have more substance than many. Carolyn Caywood, Virginia Beach Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Dilly shouldn't have a care in the worldhe's a millionairebut mad scientists and spies creep into his life, and he's the only one who can foil them all. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0590411691
• ISBN 13: 9780590411691
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 202