A madcap adventure story portrays a terribly shy orphan who is given a chance to transform himself, fall in love, and defeat a gang of ruffian pirates with the help of tingleberry ice cream and other unusual objects.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
As zippy-and often as alliterative-as its title, Mahy's most recent rowdy romp takes place on Breakfast Island, where painfully shy (but, he proves, ultimately brave) Saracen Hobday lives with his spry granny, a retired "detective inspector." When she learns that the pirate Grudge-Gallows has escaped from prison, she hies herself to Antarctica to round up her age-old nemesis, leaving Saracen to fend for himself. After Granny sends him a "peculiar plant in a plastic bag," the boy soon discovers the magic of the tingleberry, which thrives when its roots are buried in ice cream-and which manages to bring true love into Saracen's life. This thread of the plot will hold less appeal to many kids than the theatrical arrival of Grudge-Gallows (he has "the voice of someone who had been eating gritty gravel mixed with gravy") and his clamorous crew, who attempt to steal Saracen's diamond-studded, solid-gold telephone. But it all adds up to fun, at times frivolous farce. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-Saracen Hobday, a painfully shy and reclusive boy, lives with his grandmother on lonely Breakfast Island. He spends his days gardening and listening to the bossy woman tell about the great days when she was a detective inspector. When Granny is called back into service to catch the evil pirate Grudge-Gallows, Saracen stays on and fends for himself. Then one day, she sends him a rare tingleberry plant that changes his life. He discovers that to care for it properly, he must make contact with the world. From the moment he picks up the phone, Saracen finds excitement, fortune, and love in a series of madcap events that lead to his soaring self-esteem and the villain's capture. In this 20th-century pirate yarn, Mahy pokes gentle fun at the trappings and treasures of the modern world. Her nonstop, zany plot is filled with lively language punctuated by metaphors, puns, wordplay, and poetry. Staermose's pen-and-ink drawings match Mahy's tone and extend the humor and action of the text. While the piratical cover and undemanding format will attract beginning chapter-book readers, the story's language, pacing, and humor will also make it a terrific read-aloud.?Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tingleberries a Hit with 5th Graders,
By
This review is from: Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a 5th grade teacher and I just finished reading this book aloud to my class. They could hardly stand for me to stop reading each day. It was a valuable resource for asking the students to predict what the next chapter would hold, for reviewing previous events, and for introducing them to figurative language. The chapter titles are great discussion starters as well. Humorous characters, interesting vocabulary and just a plain good story with a few suprises make this a great book to use at 4th, 5th grade levels. We are hoping the author will write a sequel!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yum!,
This review is from: Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones (Mass Market Paperback)
Gran is an ex-policewoman who captured the infamous Blackbeard the pirate. Blackbeard escapes from prison and it's Gran to the rescue! Who would think that Blackbeard would come to their house to steal Tingleberries, a kind of plant that produces ice-cream and grows big when refrigerated. Gran and her grandson make lots of money which lures Blackbeard over. Discover the ending by ordering it over Amazon.com!
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