Clancy's Cabin - Hardcover

Mahy, Margaret

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0879515929 ISBN 13: 9780879515928

Publisher: Amulet Books, 1995

Synopsis

While mom and dad attend to newborn twins, the three older Harrington children go on a camping trip to a farm cabin where Skip, the eldest, discovers a treasure map in a rusty can hidden up in the eaves.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Written in 1975 and now published for the first time in the U.S., this buoyant caper set in rural New Zealand is simpler and less substantial than Mahy's recent The Other Side of Silence (reviewed Oct. 9). With four children the Harrington household is a boisterous one, but the birth of twins makes things noisier than ever. Jovial Mr. Harrington (who is "remarkably pleased with life") spruces up a neglected cabin owned by an old friend and announces that the three oldest children, Skip, Marina and Timothy, can use it for an extended camping trip. The siblings are thrilled, portentously thinking of the cabin "as an Aladdin's cave that might hold bright treasure." What they find is even better: an old map that in fact leads them to treasure-and to a warm-hearted elderly woman who enticingly brings their family's past alive. Never mind the unlikelihood of parents letting kids aged eight, 10 and 11 stay alone (and cook with fire) for days on end-this credibility lapse only adds to the kid-appeal of Mahy's high-spirited adventure. Ages 8-12.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 3-5--Skip, Marina, and Timothy have the opportunity to set up housekeeping in a cabin for the summer while their parents are busy at home with newborn twins. Dad arranges for Clancy, his old friend and owner of the cabin, to check on them periodically and provide fresh provisions. Skip finds a map hidden in the rafters and, thinking that their prankster father planned a ``hunt'' for them, the children trek through the New Zealand countryside locating funny landmarks and figuring out double-meaning word clues. They discover an abandoned house and meet a wonderful, but eccentric old lady who helps them find the treasure with clues from stories from long ago. The children learn about the great-grandfather they never knew, which is just as important as the treasure itself. The plot is fast moving, and Mahy's characters are developed just enough to make them believable people. Steadman's attractive line drawings provide just the right detail. A worthy purchase.

Charlyn Lyons, Wichita Public Library, KS

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Amulet Books
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0879515929
• ISBN 13: 9780879515928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96