Remarkable [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Foley (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 12, 2012 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 950L (What's this?)

A wonderfully whimsical debut that proves ordinary people can do extraordinary things

In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just plain extraordinary. Everyone, that is, except Jane Doe, the most average ten-year-old who ever lived. But everything changes when the mischievous, downright criminal Grimlet twins enroll in Jane's school and a strange pirate captain appears in town.

Thus begins a series of adventures that put some of Remarkable's most infamous inhabitants and their long-held secrets in danger. It's up to Jane, in her own modest style, to come to the rescue and prove that she is capable of some rather exceptional things.

With a page-turning mystery and larger-than-life cast of characters, Lizzie K. Foley's debut is nothing short of remarkable.

Editorial Reviews

Review

STARRED REVIEW - KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A rich, unforgettable story that's quite simply - amazing." 

REVIEW - THE NEW YORK TIMES 

"...a lot of outlandish entertainment." 

STARRED REVIEW - BOOKLIST

"Filled with clever word play, wholly unique situations, outlandish characters...and short, plot-propelling chapters, Foley's novel is a remarkable, middle-grade gem." 

SUMMER READING RECOMMENDATION - THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE

"... the plot swirls together many strands with lots of characters, bringing it all together in a nicely controlled yet humorous fashion...The funny details sprinkled throughout and the clever wordplay and rhythmic prose make this a great choice for reading aloud."  

About the Author

Lizzie K. Foley (lizziekfoley.com) has an MA in education from Harvard and has taught women's studies at Northeastern University. She has also worked in story development in the film industry in LA. She currently lives in Montclair, NJ, with her husband and son and four poorly trained dogs.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 338 pages
• Publisher: Dial (April 12, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803737068
• ISBN-13: 978-0803737068
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter and I agree! It's "Remarkable"! May 16, 2012

By Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Format:Hardcover

This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 9) and 2. My review (the Mom). These are excerts. For the full review, please visit us at our website. **This book was provided to us free-of-charge through a First Reads Goodreads giveaway.**

DAUGHTER SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:

I liked that some people weren't really who they were and they were actually somebody else. That made the story more interesting. I liked the Lake Monster named Lucky because she was cute and it was cool that only some people could see her. I wouldn't like to be in Jane's family because everybody was always too busy and they all pretty much ignore her.

Even if it was a long book, it was not too hard to read it. I didn't like that Jane's Grandpa had to go to jail - that part of the story made me sad.

My bottom line:

I loved, loved, loved this book. I think girls and boys my age and older would also love, love, love this book.

MOM SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:

I knew once I read the preface to the book, that I was going to really enjoy reading it. In fact, I would say that the preface is necessary in setting the tone for the book: wry, quirky, and whimsical. Foley's descriptions of the people in Remarkable, their inner thought processes, and the dialogue between characters had me laughing out loud.

Outside of Jane who is largely ordinary, each of the characters is so over-the-top outrageous but Foley describes them in such a way that you can imagine the people in your life having those same characteristics in real life - only in this book, it would multiplied by 100. For example, her busy architect Mom writes family-related action items as reminders to herself: Action Item #27: Demonstrate interest in Jane's life by asking her about school.

Even the way that the characters boast about their remarkableness is hilarious. Here is Jane's Dad offering to drive the parrot to Grandmama's house: "I could take a little break as a reward for all of the brilliant writing I've been doing on my novel today." They all talk in a similar way and talk down to Jane: Jane's sister Penelope Hope to Jane: "Maybe...you could convince Mom and Dad that you're gifted at being unremarkable. Maybe they'd let you go to the gifted school then."

But the real beauty of the book is watching the debacles of the "remarkable" citizens of Remarkable and seeing the triumph of the ordinary citizens, Jane and her Grandfather. You'll find yourself shaking your head and rolling your eyes at the "remarkables" and rooting for Jane and her Grandfather throughout.

My bottom line:

This book was such a delight to read - loved it. It is aimed at 8+ (I believe). My daughter read it just after she turned 9 and really enjoyed it. It is quite lengthy and challenging for an 8/9 year old but such a great read!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HILARIOUS. April 30, 2012

By Neal B. Magaziner

Format:Hardcover

This book was marvelous! Honestly: the best middle grade book I've read all year, and one of my new all-time favorites. It was funny, adventurous, playful, whimsical, clever, and well-written. REMARKABLE has many different story threads, and all were original, compelling, and downright hilarious. If you think you'd love a band of no-mannered pirates who venture into town, horrific singing from a love-struck teenaged boy, the Grimlet twins' dastardly deeds, a fig-loving Lake Monster, a repressed teacher, a mystery involving a missing musician, and a war between towns over a dentist, then this book is for you. I positively cackled while reading! While I'd never actually want to live in Remarkable (too much to live up to), I am so glad I got to take a vacation there by reading this book. This is definitely one that I'm going to read over and over and over again!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirates! Sea monsters! Not-so-evil twins! Welcome to the world of Remarkable.... June 6, 2012

By nomdeplume

Format:Hardcover

Everyone loves an underdog story, where the good if overlooked character triumphs over all the shallow more flashy characters. (See: Ugly Duckling vs. Swan) Lizzie Foley has written a lively, quirky, affectionate middle grade book (I promise in this review not to overuse the word remarkable) teeming with colorful characters with wonderful names (e.g.: Ludwig von Savage, Lucinda Wilhelmena Hinojosa, Anderson Brigby Bright, Captain Rojo Herring, Mrs. Zenforia Devorah Ffyff-Smithington) who all live in that rarified town known as Remarkable. Yes, Remarkable is the type of town where everyone answers to at least three names.

Our heroine has the misfortune of being an, on the surface, average girl born into a highly above average family, that lives in a town full of brilliant over-achievers...along with a few scallywags and math whizzes. "Now all babies are beautiful, but some babies are less beautiful than others, and then there are some babies who are just beautifully plain." Enter Jane Doe, a girl whose only crime is that she is average. In that town, Jane might as well be invisible, her only claim to fame being that she might be an authority on mediocrity, a condition no one else could possibly know anything about. Jane's grandpa is also under-degreed and un-sparkly, so they are fast friends and cohorts, strange allies who move through their days virtually invisible UNTIL suddenly they both find themselves up rubbing elbows with pirates, getting thrown in jail, (Grandpa John a real jail, Jane a birdcage) keeping secrets, and having something to do with a weather machine. The book is great fun and the dialogue a joy, where people say things like : "How dare you! As a prizewinning novelist, I order you to take those cuffs off immediately!" And of course there is a lot of entertaining pirate-speak. As Grandpa says: "It's the problem with Remarkable, you know. Everyone is so busy being talented, or special, or gifted, or wonderful at something that sometimes they forget to be happy." But don't worry, Remarkable is also a place where there are only happy endings.