The Yggyssey

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Sequel to The Neddiad offers more goofy humor.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is little to be concerned with here: a few brands mentioned and a reference to rolling cigarettes.


What's the story?

Iggy (short for Yggdrasil) Birnbaum lives in a run-down hotel in mid-20th century Hollywood. When she notices that the ghosts who normally inhabit her hotel are disappearing, she discovers that they are all heading for a big party in an alternate plane of existence. So she and her friends Neddy and Seamus follow the ghost of a rabbit and end up in an alternative Old New Hackensack where things are ... peculiar.


Is it any good?

 

Like its predecessor, The Neddiad, whether or not your kids will like this depends entirely on their particular senses of humor. Unlike humorous fantasies from, say, Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, the story won't carry readers through this if they don't get the jokes: there isn't much plot, and what there is doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Author Daniel Pinkwater isn't interested in any character development either -- Iggy and her friends are more or less just oddball blanks to whom odd things happen.

So then, the humor, upon which enjoyment of this hangs. It's not broad, or potty, or slapstick, or humiliation humor -- it's gentle humor, of the polite sort, the jokes of a kind grandfather with a twinkle in his eye. Some of it is wordplay, some arch references, and a lot of the author amusing himself and if you want to go along, fine, he's not bothered either way. From the Book below has a sample, and if your kids find it funny, then they'll probably like this book. If not, you might want to look for something with a little more story and character -- just in case they don't get the jokes.

From the Book:
"We're going with you," Neddie Wentworthstein said.

"To the hootenanny in not-in-New-Jersey Old New Hackensack?" I asked.

"Yes, the hootenanny, or hauntenanny, or walpurgisenanny, or whatever it is. If you're going, we want to go too," Seamus Finn said.

We were sitting on the secret closet stairs to nowhere, drinking Dr. Pedwee's cream soda and sharing a bag of Gypsy Boots's whole-grain cuchifritos.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the numerous literary and
cultural references here. Which ones do you get? Where does the rabbit
come from? The king raven's pianist? The various witches? The crazy
driver who picks them up and then crashes? Who is the bunny's friend,
Elwood?


This review was written by Matt Berman

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This review was written by Matt Berman
Author:Daniel Pinkwater
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Humor
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Children's Books
Publication date:February 1, 2009
Number of pages:245
Hardcover price:$16.00
Publisher's recommended age(s):10 - 14
Read aloud:9
Read alone:10

This review was written by Matt Berman
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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