Nim's Island
Illustrated by Kerry Millard
first published: 1999
publisher: Allen & Unwin, Australia
age group: 9 to 12 years
length: 120 pages
ISBN: 1-86448-843-3
Excerpt:
In a palm tree, on an island, in the middle of the wide blue sea, was a
girl.
Nim's hair was wild, her eyes were bright, and around her neck she wore
three cords. One was for a spyglass, one for a whirly, whistling shell and
the other a fat red pocket knife in a sheath.
With the spyglass at her eye, she watched her father's boat. It sailed out
through the reef to the deeper dark ocean and Jack turned to wave, and Nim
waved back though she knew he couldn't see. read more
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Description:
Nim lives on an island in the middle of the wide blue sea with her
father, Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, a
turtle called Chica and a satellite dish for her e-mail. No one else in
the world lives quite like Nim, and she wouldn't swap places with
anyone.
But when Jack disappears in his sailing boat, and disaster threatens
her home, Nim must be braver than she's ever been before. And she
needs help from her friends, old and new.
Reviews:
"A fantasy tale as welcome as a breath of fresh tropical air." (Starred
review in Publishers Weekly, USA, Feb 19, 2001)
"Appealingly offbeat tale... Nim, with her unusual associates and
just-right mix of self-reliance and vulnerability, makes a character young readers won't soon tire of." (Kirkus Reviews, USA, Dec 15, 2000)
"Teachers can springboard many geographic or scientific studies off this
novel as they read it aloud, but kids can just enjoy the fun." (School
Library Journal, USA, Feb 2001)
"Wendy Orr tweaks coincidence to create a refreshing fantasy tale... With ample doses of suspense and comedy and a pleasingly sappy happily-ever-after ending, the tale portrays the improbable so cleverly that readers will want to believe everything about the likable Nim and her idyllic isle." (Los Angeles Times, December 2001)
Purchasing Information:
Nim's Island is currently in various editions and can be found in bookshops in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA and Canada, Italy and Germany.
Or you can purchase it online:
in Australia at The Well
in the USA at Amazon
in the UK at Amazon UK
in Germany at Amazon.de
in Japan at Amazon.co.jp
Awards:
Named one of the Best Books for Children of 2001 by the L.A. Times.
Shortlisted, The West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) 2001
Families Just Like Us: The One Parent Families good book guide, UK, 2000
New York Public Library's "Children's Books, 2001 – 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"
 Editions and Translations:
Published in the UK by Allen & Unwin, 2000, ISBN 1-86448-843-3
Published in the USA by Random House/Knopf, 2001, ISBN 0-375-81123-0
Published in Italy in ITALIAN as L'Isolo di Nim by Adriano Salani Editore, 2001, ISBN 88-7782-987-7
Published in Germany in GERMAN as Wie versteckt man eine Insel? by DTV Junior, 2002, ISBN 3423706953
To be published in Spain in SPANISH by Rambla Catluña (coming in 2003)
Wendy's Recommendations:
If you liked Nim's Island, I think you'll also enjoy these books:
Bad Martha
Ark in the Park
And by other authors:
Sweetie May Overboard by Lisa Shanahan
The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden
More About This Book:
Q and A for Nim's Island
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