Dolphin Luck [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Hilary McKay (Author), Judy Bennett (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

It's a miserable holiday. Mrs Robinson is ill, and so is Old Blanket. While Beany and Sun Dance stay with Mrs Brogan, Ant and Perry are shipped off to visit mad Aunty Mabel. It seems as though things can't get any worse. But whether capturing burglars, searching out the lucky dolphin sword, or adopting stray animals, the Robinson children still manage to surprise everyone. Including themselves...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-The Robinson family has been having a run of bad luck as Hilary McKay's novel begins (McElderry Books, 1999). Mrs. Robinson is feeling under the weather, the family dog has died, and Perry and his brother Sun Dance aren't getting along. When their parents leave for a holiday, the four children are split up and sent to stay with friends and family. The twins, Ant and Perry, take the train to their Mad Aunt Mabel's house. Beany and Sun Dance stay next door in Porridge Hall with Mrs. Brogan and her son. Luck begins to change for the Robinsons when Mrs. Brogan tells the children a story about a mysterious Viking sword with a dolphin-shaped hilt that grants wishes. Beany sets out to find the sword and solve her family's problems, while Sun Dance decides to trap a burglar, and Ant and Perry settle in with their slightly crazy Aunt. This hilarious family story is narrated by Judy Bennett with a pleasing British accent and an appropriate tone of voice to match each character. Her pace keeps the story moving back and forth easily between Porridge Hall and Hemingford North. Listeners will laugh at Sun Dance's attempts to build a perfect burglar trap, at the exhumation of a beloved pet, and at the twins' extraordinary journeys on the train. Filled with quirky children, loving families, and silly adventures, this audiobook is a good choice for school and public libraries. Listeners will want to seek out McKay's other books, Dog Friday and The Amber Cat, which feature many of the same characters.
Casey Rondini, Westerly Public Library, RI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Mistaken identity, a wish-granting sword, and a too-successful burglar trap all figure into this family story about some very unusual and perceptive children who take on the world with joie de vivre. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754064026
• ISBN-13: 978-0754064022
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,475,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny!, October 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dolphin Luck (Paperback)

Dog Friday, the first book in this series, had one of the funniest scenes ever written; Dolphin Luck has even more hysterical parts. Yes, it's a bit far-fetched, but not impossible, and that's part of the fun, and all the bits fit together at the end. If you like books about kids who just can't seem to stay out of trouble, you'll like Dolphin Luck.

5.0 out of 5 stars I really liked this book., June 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dolphin Luck (Paperback)

It's about a little girl named Beany. She hears a story about a dolphin sword that can grant wishes, and then she figures out that the person that owned the sword lived in Porridge Hall, which is where she lives. And she goes up in the attic and she finds the dolphin sword, and it grants her wishes. Her mother is really sick, so she wishes that her mother would be better.

I liked it because it was a very good book. It kept leaving me on cliffhangers, so I couldn't put it down.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dolphin Luck - a good story, but hard to follow, October 14, 2000

By 

Jenni "jenni35" (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dolphin Luck (Hardcover)

The underlying story of Dolphin Luck is good, but I found it a bit hard to follow. If the story had been told from one character's point of view or if the story would have focused mainly on one character, it would have been easier, I believe, to really understand this book. Instead, the narrator jumps back and forth, following four characters, brothers and sisters, over the course of a few weeks. It was hard to remember which character I was reading about, much less care about the characters, who were not well-rounded. While I am a McKay fan, I had great difficulty when deciding whether or not to continue this book.