Island of the Aunts

Before I review this book, I wanted to comment on something. As you may have read from other reviewers, this book is identical in text/content to "Monster Mission" from the same author. Please don't blame the author for this, as the problem lies with two different publishers both owning rights to print the book. (Puffin, and Macmillan) The book by one publisher has a different title and different cover art but it is the same book, word for word. This happened to another Ibbotson book "The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood" and "The Haunting of Granite Falls", are identical as well. To make it more confusing, I bought a book before these US releases, "The Haunting of Hiram" in Canada, and it is also the same book with yet another cover and title. As long as you know BEFORE you buy, it's OK since you can pick which cover art you prefer. I happen to like the Macmillan cover more than the Puffin cover on both books myself, but at least I could choose. The down side of all this, is that I think that buyers are hesitant to rush to buy a new Ibbotson book until they learn more about is, as they are afraid it may duplicate a book they have. This gets harder when you are buying for someone else. Now, the book that is for sale on this page "Island of the Aunts", is a great story. It is about three aunts that live on a magical island, whose mission is to care for the magic and mythical creatures of the world, mending them when they are hurt and that sort of thing. As they are getting up in years, they decide they need someone to take their place and it will take some time to train them. They know that it must be children, as they could understand the magic better and believe what they are seeing. So these kind gentle souls decide the best way to get them to the island is to kidnap them! They travel to London to take their time studying different kids to find those that have the right tempemperment and the best chance of success... they need good kind-hearted, smart kids. They find some but, also accidentaly steal another kid who is a beastly mean brat. To make matters worse a ship has arrived to pollute the island and exploit the creatures. This story is sweet and hilarious, dripping with suspense, full of imagination and memorable characters.

As you may have read from other reviewers, this book is identical in text/content to "The Island of the Aunts" from the same author. Please don't blame the author for this, as the problem lies with two different publishers both owning rights to print the book. (Puffin, and Macmillan) The book by one publisher has a different title and different cover art but it is the same book, word for word. This happened to another Ibbotson book "The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood" and "The Haunting of Granite Falls", are identical as well. To make it more confusing, I bought a book before these US releases, "The Haunting of Hiram" in Canada, and it is also the same book with yet another cover and title. As long as you know BEFORE you buy, it's OK since you can pick which cover art you prefer. I happen to like the Macmillan cover more than the Puffin cover on both books myself, but at least I could choose. The down side of all this, is that I think that buyers are hesitant to rush to buy a new Ibbotson book until they learn more about is, as they are afraid it may duplicate a book they have. This gets harder when you are buying for someone else. Now, the book that is for sale on this page "Monster Mission", is a great story. It is about three aunts that live on a magical island, whose mission is to care for the magic and mythical creatures of the world, mending them when they are hurt and that sort of thing. As they are getting up in years, they decide they need someone to take their place and it will take some time to train them. They know that it must be children, as they could understand the magic better and believe what they are seeing. So these kind gentle souls decide the best way to get them to the island is to kidnap them! They travel to London to take their time studying different kids to find those that have the right tempemperment and the best chance of success... they need good kind-hearted, smart kids. They find some but, also accidentaly steal another kid who is a beastly mean brat. To make matters worse a ship has arrived to pollute the island and exploit the creatures. This story is sweet and hilarious, dripping with suspense, full of imagination and memorable characters.

This was such a fantastic book, that if you decided not to read it, you would be missing a great treat. From the minute that I picked up this book, I could not set it down! It is so well written, and there are some hilarious parts that will make you cry with laughter. The author describes each character so well, and each one's personality comes across perfectly. Ibbotson creates a mystical world of mermaids, talking seals, large whales ("krakens"), huge birds, friendly giant swamp worms, and a great assortment of other creatures. If you like Harry Potter, this book is just for you, and if you don't like Harry Potter, you should try reading this book anyway. I bet you'll like it! You should also try reading "Which Witch" and "The Secret of Platform 13" by the same author.

Ibbotson, Eva. Island of the Aunts 2000. 281p. illus. Dutton Children's Books. $15.99. ISBN-0-525-46484-0 Gr.3-5 In Eva Ibbotson's third novel, Island of the Aunts, three elderly ladies, Aunt Etta, Aunt Myrtle, and Aunt Coral are living on a remote tropical island with only two other humans, but a menagerie of beasts. The Aunts, as they call themselves, are the caretakers of the inhabitants of the island, which range from a two-year-old merman to a 500 ft. "wingless dragon" that talks. They find themselves growing old and realize that someday they will die, so they decide to kidnap helpers. The results are Minette, Fabio, and Lambert. Minette and Fabio are a dream come true for the Aunts but Lambert is a nightmare. Looking upon animals in disgust he is locked in his room and of no use, but don't forget him! After a day of introduction the children get to work de-oiling mermaids and (Ahem) mermen and feeding everyone else. It looks as if things can only go uphill . . . This incredible novel is masterfully written and takes on the some magical build as The Secret of Platform 13 and Which Witch. So Harry Potter fans come this way Eva Ibbotson is the author for you!

Island of the Aunts is an imaginative story of an Island that not only is the habitat for normal gulls, seals and dolphins, but also selkies, mermaids and wingless dragons, not to mention a couple of ghosts. There are five aunts who originally cared for these creatures, but one of them went to foreign countries to stop people from eating rare animals, and the other was a snotty stuck-up sister who went and got filthy rich by marrying a man with three types of toilet refreshener in his bathroom. Now there are only three aunts still remaining on the island and if you want to know what happens to these aunts on the endless journey to keep the island a secret and find worthy children to watch over the island when the aunts die, read this beautifully written story Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson.If you have read this book already and enjoyed it then two other books similar to this one also by Eva Ibbotson are Which Witch and The Secret of Platform Thirteen.