Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J FICTION FOL | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J FICTION FOL | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Everyone in Remarkable is remarkable. Everyone except Jane, that is. While the rest of the town is busy being talented, gifted, or just plain extraordinary, she's never been anything but ordinary.
Everyone in Remarkable is remarkable. Everyone except Jane, that is. While the rest of the town is busy being talented, gifted, or just plain extraordinary, she's never been anything but ordinary. Then Jane finds herself in school with the mischievous Grimlet twins, and her life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. And when a strange pirate captain appears in town, setting off a series of adventures that put the whole town in danger, it's up to Jane to save the day. Along the way, she might just find that she can be pretty remarkable after all.
Author Notes
Lizzie K. Foley (www.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 Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband and son and four poorly trained dogs.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Foley's entertaining debut takes a long time to find its focus, but those who wade through the myriad subplots and engage with the host of characters will be rewarded. The town of Remarkable is peopled by precocious children, a psychic pizzeria owner, an "exceptionally proficient" but underutilized dentist, and even an underwater lake creature. It's also "home to the world's two tallest trees, a celebrated science fair, and the best organic jelly that anyone had ever tasted," and its residents are "among the most terribly interesting and talented people in the whole wide world." There are only two ordinary citizens, 10-year-old Jane Doe and her grandfather, John Doe; much of the tale is told from the point of view of Jane, who hopes to someday discover her extraordinary quality. Unusual events are set in motion by the arrival of pirates, as well as by the terrorizing 10-year-old Grimlet twins, who play a major role in tying up the various plot threads. The satisfying ending brings Jane her heart's desire-though not necessarily what readers have been led to expect. Ages 8-12. Agent: Faye Bender, Faye Bender Literary Agency. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In the remarkable town of Remarkable, everyone is especially brilliant and talented, except for Jane, the only child who doesn't attend Remarkable's School for the Remarkably Gifted. Jane doesn't mind her ordinariness, though sometimes it is frustrating trying to get attention from her brilliantly talented family, or anyone else. Life gets more interesting when the ingeniously naughty Grimlet twins manage to get themselves kicked out of the gifted school and join her at the public school where Jane had been the sole student, and even more interesting when pirate Rojo Herring comes to town. Jane has just the right amount of intelligence and gumption, and the plot swirls together many strands with lots of characters, bringing it all together in a nicely controlled yet humorous fashion. Foley has a particular talent for character names, such as her trio of pirates named Jeb, Ebb, and Flotsam, or the dog Asta Magnifica owned by Mrs. Belphonia-Champlain. The funny details sprinkled throughout and the clever wordplay and rhythmic prose make this a great choice for reading aloud. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This whimsical debut takes readers to the town of Remarkable, which is the most perfectly perfect town in the world, filled with extraordinarily talented citizens, the best organic fruit jelly, and amazing weather. And then there is Jane. Plain Jane is 10 years old, of medium height, and rather forgettable: if she were a color, she'd be beige or maybe clear. While the rest of the children in town, including her genius brother (a photorealistic portrait painter) and sister (a mathematician), attend Remarkable's School for the Remarkably Gifted, Jane is the only student enrolled in the public school. But Jane's dull life takes an exciting turn when the devious Grimlet twins wreak havoc and a sweet-toothed pirate named Captain Rojo Herring arrives. Add in a psychic pizza-maker, more stinky pirates, a Loch Ness Monster-type lake dweller, and a search for a missing composer, and you've got one seriously fun romp. With the help of Grandpa John, the only other overlooked member of the family, Jane learns something important: the best things in life are often quite ordinary. Filled with clever wordplay, wholly unique situations, outlandish characters (with names like Penelope Hope Adelaide Catalina), and short, plot-propelling chapters, Foley's novel is a remarkable middle-grade gem.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-The town of Remarkable is, well, remarkable. Everyone has an extraordinary talent-except for 10-year-old Jane Doe. Her family is exceptional, although forgetful of her existence, consisting of a math genius, an artist, an award-winning novelist, and a world-class architect. Jane's mother is designing an exceptional bell tower for the only unremarkable building in town: the post office. The bells are set to play a piece by the most famous composer in the world, who has since disappeared. Unfortunately, Jane's grandfather has stolen all the ropes in the tower. He has an extraordinary secret, though, involving the town's lake monster (of course, more remarkable than the Loch Ness Monster). Side stories of Jane's brother being in love, a pirate captain trying to be something she's not, a composer trying to be a pirate captain, three pirates on a mission, and a jelly crisis with a neighboring town coalesce around the bell tower and are resolved in the end. Jane realizes that she can contribute and that some people do remember her and understand her needs. There is much to chuckle at here. The antics of the Grimlet twins, whose mischief is so wicked that they get expelled from the school for the Remarkably Gifted, and the outlandishness of the residents' talents adds to the comedy, but with so many characters and their backstories, the book reads more like a far-fetched soap opera than a cohesive whole. Jane's coming to grips with her ordinariness and how being average has its advantages is also thrown into the mix. Ultimately, this story ends up being rather unremarkable.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Fiction. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
