A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim - a modern-day
Robinson Crusoe She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb
tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass. So she ' s
not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for
three days, leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it ' s not
as if no one ' s looking after her - she ' s got a sea lion to
mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an
interesting new e-mail pal. But when her father ' s cell-phone
calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to be stronger
and braver than she ' s ever been before.
And she ' ll need all her friends to help her.
Wendy Orr wrote her very first draft of Nim’s Island at age nine. An action-packed sequel, Nim at Sea, brings Nim to an even bigger island, when the intrepid island girl stows away on a cruise ship bound for Manhattan. Wendy Orr is also the author of Peeling the Onion, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
"There is real humor and a gentle magic in Nim's Island which will easily make it a favorite for children--and their parents! One not to miss." -- Cairns Post (Australia).
Gr 2-5-Nim lives on the most beautiful island in the world (its location is a closely guarded secret) with a marine iguana, a sea lion, and her scientist dad, Jack. When he goes off to explore the world of plankton, the child occupies herself with typical Swiss Family Robinson-like chores and keeping her dad's batteries charged so she can check his e-mail on the laptop computer. When his boat becomes disabled, Nim's link to humanity becomes Alex Rover, the author of the novel she's reading, who has e-mailed Jack with some scientific questions. They correspond frequently, Nim giving Alex advice on building a raft out of coconuts, and Alex uncannily picturing spots on the island in her current book. A violent storm and volcanic eruption toward the end result in Nim saving the day, and the three characters set up life together on their paradise. And all of this occurs amid a clever plan to divert evil tourists from ever finding the island. If readers can suspend belief long enough to accept this plot, they will have a great time with this modern survival/adventure story. Children will love this unshakable, strong female character and the zany things that happen to her. They'll also enjoy the way adults seem to bungle everything. There are plenty of sketches to add visuals to this wild tale, which never loses its momentum. Teachers can springboard many geographic or scientific studies off this novel as they read it aloud, but kids can just enjoy the fun.-Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
"There is real humor and a gentle magic in Nim's Island which will easily make it a favorite for children--and their parents! One not to miss." -- Cairns Post (Australia).
![]() |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
![]() |