Lynne JonellBesprekingen

L lost steam about halfway through so we stopped.

This is the first audio book I've listened to that had a bunch of different actors playing the characters. I didn't like it very much, particularly the guy that the did the voice of the Rat. Maybe I'm just used to a single narrator, but the overall effect was that the bad actors stood out in a cringe-inducing way.

On to the book itself: I've long admired the cover of this one, but never had the chance to read it. Anyway, it circulates very well at the library without me having to recommend it. So I expected to really like it, but my feelings were just lukewarm. I'm going to say that the guy doing the voice of the Rat was so unpleasant that it tainted the entire book, but I was also bothered (as I often am) by the one-dimensional villain, Ms. Barmy, and a couple very convenient plot devices that rang a little hollow.

So, not an awesome book, but pretty fun. Emmy is a sympathetic heroine, Joe a good sidekick, the magic rats a little weird but lovable. Rich people are portrayed as being mostly selfish and shallow, which is tantamount to saying all poor people are lazy and stupid, but the point of the book is more that kids should stand up for themselves instead of just doing what their evil nannies tell them to do.

Highly entertaining, especially for cat lovers.

Emmy used to live with her loving parents in a small apartment over a bookstore, but when they inherited a big house and a lot of money, and Miss Jane Barmy became Emmy's nanny, her parents started to travel to far-flung places - without Emmy. And no one in Emmy's new school notices her - it's like she's not even there. But when Emmy frees the class pet, a rat, her life gets much more interesting...

With flavors of The Mysterious Benedict Society (narcolepsy), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (clever rodent societies), The Witches (shrinking to rat-size), and Bruce Coville's Magic Shop books, EMMY is incredibly imaginative and clever.

Quotes

"It's the meanest thing in the world," said Emmy severely, to ignore someone. It makes a person feel like she doesn't even exist." (17)

What was the use of trying to do everything she was supposed to when nobody ever cared anyway? (27)

"Suddenly, money meant nothing to them, except for the good it could do. They no longer cared about trying to make people envy them - they thought about making people feel valued instead." (Professor Capybara, 275)

She'd always thought it would be wonderful to be a grown-up - but not all at once. Not if she had to miss everything in between. (281)

*I got this book for review for my honest thoughts*

I really did like this middle grade read. I really did love the dynamics between the siblings made the book such a fun read. I also loved how she crafted time travel overall. The plot was sometimes hard to follow and I sometimes was confused about what time period we were in but overall it was super fun adventure story that pulled a lot from real history that I really enjoyed. I found the book plot to be not as smooth as want and wanted it do more direct but I did grow to love the characters and I adored the settings in this read.

*I got this book for review for my honest thoughts*

I really did like this middle grade read. I really did love the dynamics between the siblings made the book such a fun read. I also loved how she crafted time travel overall. The plot was sometimes hard to follow and I sometimes was confused about what time period we were in but overall it was super fun adventure story that pulled a lot from real history that I really enjoyed. I found the book plot to be not as smooth as want and wanted it do more direct but I did grow to love the characters and I adored the settings in this read.

3.5 stars
This was a fun, cute book. Lots of magical elements, some mystery and cute friendship.

This book I think is awesome!

Funny and weird. Reminded me of Jennifer Murdlys Toad by Bruce Coville.

A little boy taunts his father into a bout of horseplay and Daddy complies with a little mischief making of his on. A great book for children to read with fathers.

Cute book, but I think that the series could have ended with two books. Similar story line as books one and two, but it was still enjoyable overall.

A cute sequel to Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. I enjoyed the new characters that were introduced and the same villain from the original story.

I found this book to be quite entertaining. The premise was light and yet there was a "villian" in it as well. I liked the idea of rodents (which many people do not like) to be nice and easy-going throughout the book. I would recommend this to younger readers.

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One of the ways I can figure out the correct rating for a book is how effectively it puts me to sleep. Books that completely fail to put me to sleep get 5 stars. So if you have trouble sleeping, look for my books with low ratings.

Unfortunately, this book started at a 5 and ended at a 2. That's a major fail. So let's walk through what happened. I loved the beginning. The rat talks. He's an annoying, bossy, know-it-all rat. Great character. Emmy basically has no personality. Nothing memorable about her at all. That's ok because we have Rat picking up the slack. Miss Barmy, the nanny, is quite interesting. Everything you don't want in a nanny. Joe is interesting as a regular sized kid, but contributes nothing once he's shrunk. Mr. Vole starts out interesting as he tries desperately to capture Rat, but by the end he's a blubbering idiot with the sole focus of attracting Miss Barmy's attention. Rat’s wonderfully grumpy personality falls by the wayside by the end when all he cares about is becoming famous.

The plot starts out great. Emmy frees the talking rat from her classroom and discovers a shop with talented rodents. When I say talented I mean on the magical end of the spectrum. Miss Barmy is a frequent customer of this shop and she's using rodent potions to control the people around her. All of this is fine and dandy, but eventually the tight weave begins to stretch. People are shrinking and growing. Rodents and their potions are coming at you left and right. Biting and kissing is happening so frequently I can’t keep it straight. Chipmunks are suddenly the nicest animals in the rodent world opening their homes to all manner of man and beast.

It felt like I was in a rat maze with one goal. Getting out. But I give major applause for the cute rat that falls from the tree when you quickly thumb the pages.

Cute story.

Emmaline Augusta Addison is a good girl who tries to do everything right, but no one notices her. Her teacher doesn't seem to remember her name and her classmates ignore her. At home her parents are rarely home. Even when they do stop in, between trips to Paris, Salamanca, the Isle of Bugaloo or anywhere else in the world, they never seem to have the time or interest to spend time with her.

Her nanny, Miss Barmy, tells her that it may be that she doesn't try hard enough. Emmy has won tons of awards, earns top grades in school, takes ballet, French, gymnastics, pottery and more! What more can she do? She drinks, eats and puts up with the potions that Miss Barmy give her, that are to make her better and healthier. She even visits Dr. Leander, the psychiatrist, twice a month per Miss Barmy's orders.

It wasn't anything like this before, when she and her parents lived over the bookstore they owned. The three of them spent time doing things together. They were a real family.

After they inherited the castle of a house they lived in and buckets of money that allowed them to do whatever, her parents were constantly on the go, leaving Emmy in the hands of Miss Barmy and the rest of the house staff.

When Emmy finds that she can talk to the classroom rat, a whole new world opens up. Rat also gives her some ideas that lead her to the Antique Rat; a strange shop that specializes in rodents and is run by the strange and scary Professor Vole. Emmy also finds new friends that will stand by her in the various rodents she meets. She also discovers the dark side about her nanny and how it has been affecting her life.

Fantasy, mystery and humour in good dollops are found in this book. It is a book for middle grades, but adults can get some good enjoyment out of it too.

Duncan McKay lives with his mother on the island of Arvidia and knows how to speak and understand the language of cats. His fearful mother is full of secrets, including information about his deceased father and mysteriously does not want him to excel at anything. In addition to Duncan’s questions about his identity, kittens on the island are disappearing, the king is seriously ill, and the successor to the throne, princess Lydia, is missing which means the evil earl could become king. Drugged and tricked, Duncan finds himself on a dangerous sea voyage uncovering facts about himself, his father, the missing kittens, and the plight of his island home. This rousing, thoroughly enjoyable, adventurous romp, told in wonderful prose, will have older tweens, cat lovers, and others wishing this book had many more chapters.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

Narrated by Lynne Jonell and cast. Emmy does her best to be good at home and school but no one seems to notice her. The teacher and kids at school look right through her, and her parents are always off traveling. Only her nanny Miss Barmy notices her and it's mainly to ply her with nutrition shakes and special lotions to maintain Emmy's delicate nutritional balance. The class rat notices Emmy, too; for whatever reason Emmy has always been able to hear and understand the rat's speech. When she frees the rat from his cage, the action sets off an adventure involving animals with special powers and Miss Barmy's greedy intentions. And at last, Emmy has friends. The full cast of voices brings this amusing adventure story to life.

The ultimate child's fantasy: When adults are villainous, greedy, incompetent or otherwise useless, it's the kids who set the world right. Christina, who's been overly protected by her scientist father (she's never left the grounds of her home), leads a troop of abused and neglected orphans who have been forced to mine a lucrative energy substance called zoom. The story is quick-paced and engaging and almost every chapter ends in a cliff-hanger. A great book for gifted readers, reluctant readers, and fans of orphan-exploitation fiction. (Lemony Snicket, anyone?)

I loved this story about a boy named Duncan who feels restricted by his mother's rules. He is hoping that he can be someone special, he can talk to cats after all. There are big themes of treachery and loyalty, communication and manners, and coming of age. Awesome story!

When Emmy's parents inherit a lot of money, things begin to get really strange for Emmy. Her parents don't seem to be interested in her anymore although they once were attentive to her. A suspicious nanny, Miss Barmy, is now in control of Emmy's life. When Emmy is bitten by the classroom rat, she can suddenly understand what he is saying. When her classmate is bitten twice, he shrinks to the size of a rat. Emmy soon finds out the evil plans of MIss Barmy and must try to stop her. A great read for students in 4-6th grades. It was a fast-paced, fun mystery/adventure. Loved it.

This is a story about this little boy who switches the role with his mom. The boy's mom shrinks into a small size, and the boy becomes the one who takes care of his mother.
This is a very creative book. This can be a great story for mothers day.
This is a good book for 1st graders to 3rd graders

Mommy Go Away! is about a boy who doesn't like being told what to do so he shrinks his mom and puts her on a boat and takes care of her instead.

I liked this book because it shows that there are two sides to a story and to put yourself in someone elses shoes.

The ages/grade levels I would use this for are 2-6/preschool-1st grade.