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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
May 2004, 288 pages
Paperback:
Sep 2005, 288 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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This book promises suspense! Intrigue! Mystery! Fairies fall out of books! Birds turn into dogs! Nuns turn into lampposts! So I have no idea why you're still lingering here. . . . Start reading! (Ages 9+)
What if I were to TELL you that this is an all-true story, every word?
You see, once there was a VERY REAL girl named Fern who found out that she'd been swapped at birth. This might disturb some people, but it made Fern happy because she'd never felt at home with her tragically dull parents, the Drudgers. Fern finds out about the mix-up when the Bone (er, her father) and his "son," Howard, show up at Fern's front door. Now both families decide to UNSWAP the kids for the summer, and Fern heads off with the Bone on a wild adventure into a world inhabited by the Miser, a sinister fellow; and the Great Realdo, a true hero, to name just two.
This book promises suspense! Intrigue! Mystery! Fairies fall out of books! Birds turn into dogs! Nuns turn into lampposts! So I have no idea why you're still lingering here. . . . Start reading!
PART 1: THE SWAP AND UNSWAP
1.
A Flustered Nurse
Fern Drudger knew that her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Drudger, were dull.
Ridiculously dull.
Incredibly, tragically dull.
Mr. Drudger enjoyed discussing sod and lawn treatments. Mrs. Drudger collected advertising fliers that came in the mail, bargains on oil changes and mattress clearance sales. They gave Fern birthday gifts like a set of toothpicks or instruction manuals on how to build filing cabinets. They liked only dull things such as toasters (4), sponges (127), and refrigerator magnets (226)—and not those cute bunny shapes and such, but informative freebies from the plumber, the electrician and many from the firm where they worked, Beige & Beige. The Drudgers were both accountants. They didn’t like to take vacations from Beige & Beige, but didn’t want to cause a stir by not taking them either. So they loaded up the station wagon each summer and went to a place called Lost Lake. There was no lake, ...
The Anybodies is undoubtedly a fun read. Think of it as a children's version of Jasper Fforde's 'Thursday Next' novels.....[with] the cast extended to include hobbits, fairies, and many other characters that reasonably well-read children will recognize. Those who enjoy books by Cornelia Funke (such as Inkheart) and Lemony Snicket will most likely appreciate The Anybodies...continued
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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
The sequel to The Anybodies, The Nobodies, was published a few weeks ago in hardcover. Now reunited with her real family, eleven-year-old Fern goes to a camp to learn to practice the Anybody magic, where she unexpectedly faces the evil Mole, who has imprisoned the mysterious Nobodies in his factory basement. Kirkus Reviews says, 'Inserting parenthetical descriptions of a jealous Creative Writing teacher's murder attempts, the pseudonymous "Bode" dishes up a confection that may disorient readers unfamiliar with the previous outing, but is nonetheless rich in mystery, action and self discovery-along with plenty of literary references for well-read audiences to pick up, and occasional urbane ...
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