Mennyms Alive (Paperback)

by Sylvia Waugh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8. Waugh's eccentric creations come back to life in this fifth volume about a family of rag dolls. Set in a contemporary British town (though the story and characters have an old-fashioned tone), the straightforward presentation makes this fanciful novel oddly believable. The plot follows the Mennyms's efforts to find a safe, secluded new home after being transported to an empty flat above a secondhand shop. The shop's owner, Daisy, believes that the Mennyms are alive but prefers not to have that belief confirmed. Appreciative of her care, the dolls remain still during her Wednesday afternoon visits, but spend the other six days of the week planning their move to a roomier, more remote location where they can be safe from human eyes. Details of the search for a suitable residence are interwoven with occasional forays into the town and interactions (of sorts) with Daisy and her nephew. The low-key action, serious tone, and sophisticated vocabulary combine to make this book most suitable for experienced readers with a taste for British fantasy. Multiple references to characters and events from previous titles suggest that it will be enjoyed most by those already familiar with the Mennyms's quirky personalities and past histories. Although it is not entirely clear, the ending suggests that this may be the final volume in the series. Readers will be reassured, then, to know that the Mennyms have a safe home in which to live happily ever after.?Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"A must read for fantasy lovers." -- Booklist

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (June 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380729431
• ISBN-13: 978-0380729432
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,171,866 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, March 18, 2000

By A Customer

I have read all the Mennym books but espeically liked this one. This is the last book in the series, so to understand what's going on you need to read the books from the begining (starting with The Mennyms) or atleast read the Mennyms Alone before this one.It's about what happens after the Mennyms die. The Mennyms are a family of living, life-sized, rag dolls. They are Sir Magnus, Grandfather, who has 100 pearls of wisdom, Tulip, the Grandmother and skillful buissnesswomen, Joshua, the quiet father, Vinetta, the loving mother, and their five children: Soobie the blue rag doll, his twin Pilbeam, Applebey the redheaded teenager, and the ten-year-old twins, Poopie and Wimpey. And there is also Miss Quigley, the nanny to Googles, Vinetta's baby. In the book before this, the Mennyms mysteriously die, (they mysteriously came alive forty some years ago after their maker, Kate Penshaw died) and this book tells what happens when they come alive again, finding themselves in the care of Daisy Maughan, an old lady who owns an antique shop. I think this book makes a wonderful conclusion to the series-it really leaves you wondering!