Dido and Pa [School & Library Binding]

J. Aiken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Dido becomes embroiled with villainous plotters against the king, including her own wicked father.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8 Aiken's tales of Dido Twite are among her rollicking best, and Dido and Pa is no exception. Reunited at long last with Simon (whom readers first met in The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Doubleday, 1962), Dido has just begun to describe her adventures when her Pa, having decoyed Simon, kidnaps his daughter and returns with her to London. The evil Eisengrim , head of the Hanoverians with whom Mr. Twite has long been involved, is plotting to overthrow King Richard and install his own puppet, a look-alike whom Pa expects Dido to prepare for his role as royal imposter. In an operatic plot filled with shifting scenes and shifty characters, complications are presented, compounded, and finally undone, with nearly all of the right people in the right places at the end. Mr. Twite, however, is absent from the final curtain call; and Dido, although painfully aware that her pa is bad beyond helping, recognizes the worth of his music and knows that without him, her life will lack some of its rich color. Aiken's talent for language and dialogue gives voice to the vigorous London street life she portrays: the children of poverty, the sellers of foodstuffs, the laborers. Building one subplot upon another, she moves from scene to scene with the ease of a skilled dramatist, creating entanglements that, like a cat's cradle, all come neatly together at the end of the tale. Satisfying. Dudley B. Carlson, Princeton Public Library, N.J.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Joan Aiken, daughter of the American writer Conrad Aiken, was born in Rye, Sussex, England, and has written more than sixty books for children, including The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: Topeka Bindery (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613575032
• ISBN-13: 978-0613575034
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,096,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joan Aiken (1924-2004) was the daughter of Pulitzer prize winning poet Conrad Aiken and started writing herself from the age of five. During her lifetime she published over one hundred books for children and adults, including the acclaimed Wolves of Willoughby Chase series. In the UK she received an MBE from the Queen for her services to Children's Literature.

This year sees the publication of a brand NEW story collection - The Monkey's Wedding - with previously unpublished material that shows Aiken on top form. This collection of funny, spooky, unexpected but classic Aiken stories has received wonderful reviews and will delight her readers. See below for details.

Her work continues to be adapted for film and television; she is established as a consummate storyteller,and recognized as one of the best loved authors of the twentieth century.

"The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken" is at www.joanaiken.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joan Aiken is a genius, June 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: DIDO AND PA (Paperback)

Firstly, a previous reader was incorrect in stating that Is was Penelope's daughter; she is, in fact, Penny and Dido's half-sister, their father's child by another woman.

I also disagree with that reviewer's assertion that Dido and Pa was formulaic and stale; it is, in fact, my favorite novel in the series of nine, and, tragically, the only one out of print. Dido *finally* reunites with Simon, older, wiser, and worldly. The two are very happy to be together again at last, although their joyous reunion, in typical Aiken fashion, does not last long.

Aiken's plots are water-tight and well-developed, interesting, lively, and full of skilled foreshadowing. If this is a formula, oh that it were one all writers followed!

I'm hoping beyond hope that Ms. Aiken will resolve Simon and Dido's fate in a new novel-she focuses on every character except my two favorites!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dido Twite: Role model, August 18, 2004

By 

Rebecca Crawford - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dido and Pa (Paperback)

I read these books when I was much younger, and re-read them every time I come back to my parents' house. They are incredibly well written; characters, plot, and dialogue are all wonderfully done.

Dido is possibly one of the best female children's characters ever written, and I'd even argue that she's one of the best female characters ever, forget children's books. She is resourceful, irreverent, intelligent, moral, funny, and completely unsanitized. I love all of the books in this series, but this one is my favorite.

The only reason that these could be called "children's" books is that there's no sex. They absolutely do not underestimate the intelligence of the reader. Joan Aiken writes young adult novels in the style of Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander -- these books are terrifying, beautiful, chilling, funny and intelligent in a way that children's books no longer are and *should* be. Joan Aiken will be sorely missed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dido strikes again, July 28, 2003

By 

"stardust86490" (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dido and Pa (Paperback)

This is a lovely adventurous book that will suck you right into the story. I must say however that after the Auther finished writing the other books in the series I think she sort of ran out of ideas. This book brings back Dido Twite the heroine from three of the previous books. She is back in England and meets up with her infamous father once with him she stumbles on a hanoravian plot(again!) that is trying to dispose of the King. Held prisoner by her father and the other hanoravians Dido must find a way to escape and save the day. Helped along by some old friends and a host of new charecters you can be sure Dido will, through wit and daring once again becomes Englands youngest hero. I gave this book four stars because it is a very exciting and enjoyable read. Even more so if you have not read the others in the series that star Dido. For those of you that have well all I can say is read this book fully expecting a similiar plot to several of the others and enjoy it for its interesting new charecters and to be able to reconnect with some of the interesting old ones.