The Nobodies [Hardcover]

N. E. Bode (Author), Peter Ferguson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

THE NOBODIES

Fern Drudger's quirky adventures continue in this delightful sequel to The Anybodies. She goes to Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times and is bombarded by desperate messages from people who call themselves the Nobodies. But who are the Nobodies, and what do they want from Fern?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8- This sequel to The Anybodies (HarperCollins, 2004) is written in the same vein, with strange talking animals and weird goings-on. The prologue features the "author," N. E. Bode, addressing readers in a distinctly Lemony Snicket-esque tone, even to the extent of repeatedly mentioning attempts on his life due to his knowledge of the events in the two books. Fern briefly summarizes events from the first book, but those who have not read it will still be somewhat confused. Fern is an Anybody, who can transform objects into reality. Her grandmother lives in a house made of books and populated by characters that have fallen out of the pages of these volumes. Howard and Fern, both 11 and uneasily starting a friendship, are to spend the summer at an Anybodies camp called Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times. Of course, a camp with that moniker is bound to be anything but fun. Its administrators seem quite sinister, and include an extremely unpleasant and evil mole. The counselors are obnoxious to the kids during the day but at night are trapped in animal form and try to protect the children from frightening and mysterious events. Will the evil Mole successfully steal Fern's precious book, The Art of Being Anybody, thereby giving him access to all the secrets therein? And what is the significance of the fizzy drinks that the counselors incessantly drink? The book ends somewhat abruptly, with all questions answered. An enjoyable choice for fans of the first one.-B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. The chatty narrator of The Anybodies (2004) is back, reporting the latest misadventures of Fern and Howard, swapped at birth, then "unswapped." Here the children are at a summer camp for shape-shifting Anybodies. Though Fern is excited about learning Anybody skills, Howard loathes the idea, and Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times is even worse than he imagined: a blind bus driver-handyman; moldy, spider-infested cabins; mean, creepy counselors; a vicious mole who wants something Fern has; and terrified campers who shun Fern. There are also strange soda-pop bottles containing messages demanding that Fern save someone. It's a dangerous, miserable puzzle, but Bode neatly and cleverly ties up loose ends and, on the last page, produces a nifty surprise that will have readers clamoring for another sequel. Suggest this to teachers looking for an off-the-wall read-aloud or as an excellent example of voice in writing. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060557389
• ISBN-13: 978-0060557386
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #609,947 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 Stupendous, magnificent and wonderful henceforthwith!!, August 25, 2007

By 

CookieBooky (www.CookieBooky.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nobodies (Paperback)

The Nobodies is a fantastic surreal adventure that had me on the edge of my seat for the whole ride. This sequel to The Anybodies allows us to revisit Fern and her 'brother' Howard. Howard and Fern were switched at birth. Howard was supposed to be raised by the ever-boring Drudgers, while Fern missed an upbringing by her very unusual father, the Bone.

The Bone is unusual because he is an Anybody. An Anybody is a person with a special ability to transform themselves or things. One of Fern's abilities is that she can shake items out of books. But nowadays she can only shake out Diet Lime Fizzy bottles with messages in them. Fern's grandmother (the ultimate Anybody) believes it is time for Fern to go to Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times to meet other Anybodies and to learn more about her powers.

But when Fern gets there (with Howard by her side), they find that Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times is not at all what they expected. Something is amiss. The counselors are mean, the campers are scared and no one has that Happy Sunshine Good Times feeling about being an Anybody. Fern has to find out what is wrong and, at the same time, she has to find out how she can save the Nobodies (it turns out that they're the ones who have been sending her the messages in the Diet Lime Fizzy bottles.)

In so many carefully crafted "jujitsu-style" twists, the author tells a wonderful tale about Fern and her brother, the Hermit and the mole, Holmquist and the campers. I loved every turn that it took and recommend this book to everyone. Great story, great writing. A real winner!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS AUTHOR HAS TERRIFIC IMAGINATION!, August 23, 2005

By 

Betty L. Dravis "BETTY DRAVIS, author/reviewer" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nobodies (Hardcover)

What an imagination this author has!

In this sequel to ANYBODIES, fearless Fern, our heroine, has some frightening, fearful adventures, but nothing she can't solve ... with a little help from the amusing, magical characters in this book.

Fern no longer lives with the boring DRUDGER family who were ANYBODIES in the first book. She now lives with her real father who is a NOBODY, and is having even more exciting adventures, if that's possible.

I cracked up when she finds notes in soda bottles, like in fortune cookies! And WHERE she found them ... well, read for yourself. I promise you a fun time!

In fact, this book is fun from start to finish, but I recommend you read ANYBODIES first.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the first...., January 14, 2012

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Nobodies (The Anybodies trilogy) (Kindle Edition)

My personal favorite was The Anybodies and this book was just ok. Fern and Howard (her sort of brother) are sent off to a summer camp that was once glamorous. Fern, Howard, and a few fellow campers must turn around the camp before its too late. Be sure to read The Anybodies first!!