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Aiken, Joan
16 Reviews
(3)
4-6
The Armitage family has the best of all worlds. Life is generally predictable six days a week, but strange things are prone to happen on Mondays: unicorns arrive, witches threaten, and Furies appear, just to name a few. These twenty-four linked tales featuring Harriet, Mark, their delightfully broad-minded parents, and assorted quirky relatives is a trove of succinct and distinctly British adventures.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(2)
YA
Set in the early nineteenth century, these books chronicle the story of Felix Brooke, a half-Spanish, half-English orphan who runs away from his heartless aristocratic relations to learn about his father. Aiken was a master of plotting, so readers have to be on their toes to follow the ins and outs of whom can be trusted and what dangers lie ahead. Review covers these titles: Bridle the Wind, Go Saddle the Sea, and The Teeth of the Gale.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1988
(2)
YA
Set in the early nineteenth century, these books chronicle the story of Felix Brooke, a half-Spanish, half-English orphan who runs away from his heartless aristocratic relations to learn about his father. Aiken was a master of plotting, so readers have to be on their toes to follow the ins and outs of whom can be trusted and what dangers lie ahead. Review covers these titles: Bridle the Wind, Go Saddle the Sea, and The Teeth of the Gale.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
April, 1978
(2)
YA
Set in the early nineteenth century, these books chronicle the story of Felix Brooke, a half-Spanish, half-English orphan who runs away from his heartless aristocratic relations to learn about his father. Aiken was a master of plotting, so readers have to be on their toes to follow the ins and outs of whom can be trusted and what dangers lie ahead. Review covers these titles: Bridle the Wind, Go Saddle the Sea, and The Teeth of the Gale.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1983
(2)
4-6
The posthumous arrival of Aiken's final Wolves novel is a welcome farewell from this grande dame of children's literature, and it begins in a happily familiar gothic vein, with a dark night, mysterious voices, a foundling--and a witch who lives in a Ladies' Convenience in Scotland. This brief novel is a testament to Aiken's unflagging humor and creative powers.
Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2005
(3)
4-6
King Richard is dying, and several terrifying characters, including a werewolf, are vying for the throne. Dido helps save the kingdom for the rightful heir, her friend Simon. This installment in the Wolves Chronicles has plenty of action, lots of imaginative details, and Dido's usual cool-headed heroism. Fans will appreciate Aiken's rich atmosphere and colorful writing.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(2)
4-6
In this dark, Dickensian tale set in a bleak English mill town, Lucas Bell and Anna-Marie Murgatroyd, heirs to a fortune being gambled away by their guardian Sir Randolph Grimsby, are forced out onto the streets to make a living when their home burns to the ground. Lord Randolph is a study in greed, and the hand-to-mouth existence the orphans experience is vividly drawn.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
August, 1974
(2)
4-6
This latest reissue of one of Aiken's pseudo-historical Wolves Chronicles features the scrappy and indomitable Dido Twite and her repellant father Abednego, who is still plotting to help overthrow King Richard and put Bonnie Prince George on the throne. The action careens along at breakneck speed, the dialogue crackles, and the author creates a cast of unforgettable characters.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 1986
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Pamela Johnson.
This is a handsome new collection of thirteen of Aiken's favorite stories. Whether the story is set long ago and far away or in a contemporary cottage, you can sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing you're in the hands of a master.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Kevin Hawkes.
Newly illustrated, this notable collection is perfect for reading aloud. These eight magical stories are vintage Aiken, filled with rich language and imaginative plots. Hawkes's illustrations, with their nod to Wanda Gág, make this a great book for sharing.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1969
(2)
4-6
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, the first in the Wolves Chronicles, has been reissued by Delacorte in a new hardcover edition. Other titles in the series continue to be reissued by Houghton Mifflin in attractive new editions with cover art by Edward Gorey.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1971
(2)
4-6
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, the first in the Wolves Chronicles, has been reissued by Delacorte in a new hardcover edition. Other titles in the series continue to be reissued by Houghton Mifflin in attractive new editions with cover art by Edward Gorey.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1981
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Pat Marriott.
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, the first in the Wolves Chronicles, has been reissued by Delacorte in a new hardcover edition. Other titles in the series continue to be reissued by Houghton Mifflin in attractive new editions with cover art by Edward Gorey.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
February, 1964
(2)
4-6
New jacket art by Edward Gorey perfectly suits these reissues of Aiken's take-offs on nineteenth-century melodrama.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1966
(2)
4-6
New jacket art by Edward Gorey perfectly suits these reissues of Aiken's take-offs on nineteenth-century melodrama.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
December, 1964
(2)
4-6
The redoubtable Dido Twite is aboard ship again, this time searching for Lord Herodsfoot, who is wanted in London to cheer up King James III with a collection of new games. Loaded with material--the author's famed power of invention is prodigious--the story hurtles by at such a pace that the reader can hardly keep up. However, Dido, ever cheerful and sensible, is, as always, a splendid heroine--"a one-er, and no mistake."
Reviewer: Ann A. Flowers
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 1999
16 reviews
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