Is Anybody There? (Paperback)

by Eve Bunting (Author) "It was the week before Christmas when I first got the idea that someone was watching our house..." (more)
Key Phrases: oleander hedge, blackthorn stick, paying tenant, Miss Sarah, Miss Coriander, Anjelica Trotter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Latchkey kid Michael is 13 and independent. Even though junior high school is no picnic, and his widowed mother seems to be getting awfully chummy with their tenant, Nick, Michael is pretty happy. Then, just before Christmas, he has the creepy sensation that someone is watching him. His key is missing for a while, and he keeps hearing suspicious noises in the house when he's there alone. In discovering the culpritNick's son (abducted by his mother after a bitter divorce years before)Michael realizes that he is lucky to have his mother, and potentially a decent stepfather. This well-crafted, high interest/low reading level novel promisesand deliversa first-rate story. Bunting's characterizations are strong and believable, and her attention to detail, like the descriptions of Michael's home-built bike and school friends, makes the book thoroughly satisfying. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8 A mildly scary story about a 14-year-old latchkey boy who discovers that someone is using his hidden house key. Tension builds as Marcus finds objects missing that negate common robberya clock, food, a sleeping bag. While the mystery takes center stage, two subplots involve Marcus' concern about his widowed mother's growing relationship with Nick, the man who lives upstairs, and Anjelica, a girl in his class who is interested in him. Characters are well drawn, particularly the mother and Nick, both of whom are well-meaning, caring people who obviously like and respect kids. Bunting does an admirable job of showing how time drags while Marcus waits in the empty house, as well as of developing Marcus' conflicting feelings about Nick and Anjelica. With its easy sentence structure and vocabulary and attention-getting first chapter, this is likely to have appeal to reluctant readers as well as non-demanding mystery fans. Trev Jones, ``School Library Journal''
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 25, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064403475
• ISBN-13: 978-0064403474
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #326,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious Story, January 2, 2000

By	KimmieK (Olympia, Washington) - See all my reviews

This book is about a boy named Marcus that lives in California. His dad had passed away a couple of years ago. Marcus and his mom now have a paying tenant named Nick living in the room above the garage. When it gets close to Christmas things start missing like a key, food, flashlight, and a sleeping bag but nothing really expensive and no money was missing. Marcus jumps to blame Nick. Marcus doesn't like Nick because he likes Marcus's mom. The author drops clues and hints everywhere in the book. I often thought it was Nick but things just kept telling me it wasn't. I thought it was odd how Marcus's mom thought that he had gotten up in the middle of the night and she saw the bathroom light on, but Marcus did get up but had not been in the bathroom. I was really shocked when I found out who it was. I think this is one of the best books I've ever read. It has adventure, mystery, and some of it is funny. I highly recomend this book to people who love a good mystery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, April 20, 2000

By A Customer

I work with Middle School students. I got this book from our library, and read it in just two days. It was wonderful! I was not bored for one minute! This was one of the best books I have ever read in my life! There is never a dull moment. The book makes you feel good all over. Kids will love it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Strange Book, March 2, 2002

By A Customer

...This story is about a kid (Marcus) and his mom. His mom rented the apartment on top of the garage out to a guy named Nick. Marcus's dad died awhile back, so it was just him and his mom. Nick and Marcus's mom were getting close, and Marcus didn't want another dad. Marcus found out that Nick had a son (Blake), but Nick hadn't seen Blake for years. Nick's x-wife got custody and disappeared with him. It is a surprising end and I didn't think that the book would end the way it did.

The language in this story was pretty descriptive (Robbie plunked back down). The story is not very efficient and it drags on and on, it keeps talking about one matter and keeps going on about it.

I would recommend this book to kid's that like short fast stories, but if you like long and very involved books don't pick this one.