The Great Piratical Rumbustification: And the Librarian and the Robbers [Hardcover]

Margaret Mahy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1986 | Age Level: 8 and up

Wild and wonderful, these stories will appeal to all readers of fine children's literature, and Blake's illustrations, full of spirit and exuberance, are the perfect accompaniment of Mahy's vigorous tales.

The Great Piratical Rumbustification introduces us to Alpha, Oliver, and Omega Terrapin, alone for an evening of devilish fun and none other than Orpheus Clinker, a reformed pirate cleverly transformed into a respectable babysitter. Or has he reformed? Before you can say "Yo Ho Ho" the Terrapin household has become headquarters of the century's biggest pirate party.

The Librarian and the Robbers is an equally tickling tale of a band of wicked robbers who one day carry off Serena Leburnum, a beautiful librarian. Follow what happens as the lovely and learned Miss L. not only outwits the robbers, turning them into outstanding citizens, but also teaches them the everlasting pleasures of the Dewey Decimal System.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 Available in the U.K. since 1978, this is a well-balanced pair of humorous pieces, one a novella, the other a short story. In The Great Piratical Rumbustification , the boys of the Terrapin family find themselves with a pirate babysitter who wants to use their house for a long-delayed pirate party. In The Librarian and the Robbers , Serena Laburnum, the beautiful librarian, is kidnapped and held for ransom by a gang of ill-read robbers. How she achieves her own rescue, then rescues the Robber Chief, is enough to delight the hearts of young readers and of librarians everywhere. The pirate party, too, is a great success, and not just for the participants. Both stories clamor to be read aloud and will be just the answer to the Friday afternoon doldrums. Blake's illustrations are right in keeping with the general zaniness yet perfect logic of the texts. Barbara Hutcheson, Greater Victoria Public Library, Canada

Copyright 1987 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Quentin Blake is one of the UK's living cultural treasures. He has written and illustrated dozens of books and provided pictures for hundreds more, including the children's novels of Roald Dahl. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: David R Godine Pub; 1St Edition edition (August 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879236299
• ISBN-13: 978-0879236298
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,235,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Mahy lives in New Zealand and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding children's writers today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which have received England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of An Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she received the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mahy doing what Mahy does best, January 21, 2004

By 

cammykitty "cammykitty" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Piratical Rumbustification & the Librarian and the Robbers (Paperback)

It's kind of sad that the lack of reviews here makes it look like no one has looked at this funny book on this site since 1998. It's very funny and just the kind of book a young boy would make any adult read to him over and over. And girls will like it too.

If you had put your hand over my eyes and read the first paragraph of the first story to me, with main characters Alpha, Oliver and Omega, I would have known who wrote it right away. It has Mahy's rhythm, her humor that comes from the sound of the words, the alliteration she loves. This is a book made to be read aloud. It sounds funny, and it means funny too. The plot of these two stories twist in ways that, even having read a lot of Mahy, I never could have predicted. Everytime I encounter one of her stories, I wonder how that kind of twist came to her. I wish I could do it myself.

The first story is about three boys who have recently moved into a house. In the apartment, whenever the boys tried to do something adventuresome, they were told to wait until they were in a big house. Then they'd have space enough to have an adventure. Well, they were in the new house, and nothing was happening... until a pirate decides their house is the perfect place to "steal" a party.

In the second story, a bunch of atypical robbers kidnap an orphaned librarian reasoning that her "parents" would be the city, and they would have to come up with ransom in order to open the library again. But of course, the librarian always wins. Mahy was herself a librarian for many years.

Perfect read-aloud book. Lots of fun. And the illustrations are an extra (goofy) plus. They are done by Quentin Blake, the illustrator who worked on Roald Dahl's books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, BFG, The Witches etc. You'll recognize his style when you see it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An hilarious easy to follow story, March 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Piratical Rumbustification & the Librarian and the Robbers (Paperback)

This book was read to me by a teacher as a way to learn to write a story outline, and with this book I found it extremely easy. The Librarian and the Robbers was hilarious and easy to follow.

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book even more than my children!, March 20, 2011

By 

earthymama (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Great Piratical Rumbustification & the Librarian and the Robbers (Paperback)

First: If you haven't read The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate by the same author, then stop now and buy and read that book. We have read that dozens of times and love it every time. After discovering the author, however, I had to find more, and this has quickly become very popular in our household as well. And how fabulous is it when a three year old says rumbustification! It's also a great baby shower book for the favorite librarians in your life as the 2nd story has a librarian heroine.