Island of Mad Scientists, The: Being an Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experimental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a ... Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones) [Hardcover]

Howard Whitehouse (Author), Bill Slavin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones (Book 3)

Aviatrix Emmaline Cayley, test pilot Rubberbones and the rest of their wacky household face a new adventure in the wilds of Scotland in this third installment in the Mad Misadventures series. On the run, the friends decide to rendezvous on the Scottish island of Urgghh, a place devoted to scientific experimentation where they believe they will find refuge. Unfortunately, not only are the scientists mad - the island is anything but safe. A villain known as the Collector, who devotes his time to kidnapping inventors, lives next-door. Journey with our friends to the Island of Mad Scientists, where Emmaline and Rubberbones catapult into the middle of the Collector's devious schemes. Drunken pirates, a kilt-wearing mechanical man and Queen Victoria come to their aid! Squabbling scientists, a bungling ex-jewel thief and other nefarious fellows hinder them!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–7—This installment finds the eccentric characters still in flight. Princess Purnah continues to be pursued by sinister men intent on returning her to St. Grimelda's School for Young Ladies. Minions of the Collector, a spidery, creepy villain who collects scientists, are now pursuing Emmaline, a 14-year-old budding aviatrix, and Rubberbones, an indestructible boy. On the advice of Sherlock Holmes, Aunt Lucy decides to take the crew on "holiday" to Urrgghh, a cold and damp island off the Scottish coast where lunatic inventors and their lunatic inventions reside. The book follows their misadventures as they attempt to get to Urrgghh. Nothing goes as planned—not even close, but, with the help of a kilt-clad automaton, a surly parrot, and even Queen Victoria, the six manage to elude inebriated pirates, thieves, and other nefarious thugs. The book's wit and humor, often black and tongue-in-cheek, are perfectly captured in Slavin's intricate pen-and-ink drawings. Purnah's cluelessness about the English language and customs, along with her bloodthirsty upbringing, makes for some laugh-out-loud scenes. A wacky, implausible romp for readers who enjoyed the first two installments and who like rapid-fire plots and zany characters.—Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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Review

A wacky, implausible romp for readers who enjoyed the first two installments and who like rapid-fire plots and zany characters.

Rollicking, raucous, madcap, crazy fun best describes this conclusion of the Mad Adventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones ... With Slavin’s fabulous pen-and-ink lines to complement the action, this title is pure unadulterated fun; readers will mourn the end of the trilogy.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press, Ltd. (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554532361
• ISBN-13: 978-1554532360
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,900,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love these books!, September 19, 2009

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T. Davis - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Island of Mad Scientists, The: Being an Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experimental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a ... Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones) (Paperback)

You can tell by the title of these books that they are going to be silly. But they also are very adventurous and quite unique. Not predictable at all. I love the robot in this one! I hope there will be more.