The Exiles [Paperback]

Hilary McKay (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Nothing ever happened in the Conroy family, and when something finally does, the four sisters, Ruth, Naomi, Rachel, and Phoebe, are sent where they can't disrupt their parents' plans--to their grandmother's for the summer. Big Grandma gives orders like a drill sargeant. But by summer's end, the girls and Big Grandma have come to a new understanding.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW compared this uproarious first novel, about four unruly girls "exiled" to the country with their no-nonsense grandmother, to the writings of Beverly Cleary and Lois Lowry. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-The four Conroy sisters are the most original bunch of siblings to come along since Helen Cresswell's Bagthorpes. They share common traits of impulsive, imaginative, and often imprudent behavior, but each one has a purely original and distinct personality. Then there's Big Grandma, their summer caretaker, who is at once frustrated, entertained, and bewildered by the bizarre antics of her young relations. Anti-Summer Reading Award: Big Grandma hides most of her library away from her four book-crazy grandchildren, leaving them "stuck" with The Annotated Shakespeare and "a heap of cookery books."
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689805926
• ISBN-13: 978-0689805929
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,847,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really funny!, December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Exiles (Paperback)

This hilarious book is great for cheering anyone up. Ruth, Naomi, Rachel and Phoebe are the best characters in any book I have read. I have read The Exiles, The Exiles at Home and The Exiles in Love over and over again. I recommend this book to anyone who anyone with a sense of humour and fun, as it's one the most enjoyable boos I have ever read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, March 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Exiles (Hardcover)

This is probably one of my favourite books and I've read it over and over again. It was really, really funny - especially Rachel, who's my favourite character. The Exiles at Home was also excellent! I just hope that Hilary McKay writes lots more stories about the Conroy girls!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four wacky sisters exiled to an even wackier Grandma survive, September 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Exiles (Hardcover)

The four Conroy sisters are all bright, silly, oblivious, friendly, impatient, in other words, they're people. Like the people we really know, the girls are upset when their parents decided to pack them off to their fearsome Big Grandma after an unexpected financial windfall allows their parents to improve the home. It's not so much their eccentric grandma the girls object to, its the unfairness of their parenets in not sharing the money! Sent to the northern English coast they manage to survive their vacation without the emotional traumas required of most current childrens books. There is plenty of adventure with fire, water, falls, the locals and the continuing search for reading material. Big Grandma considers her granddaughters to be far too self-centered and only permits them to bring two books a piece to her home. The continuing battle of wills provides amusement and horror to those who won't consider going out-of-town without three novels and a magazine.