Emily's Fortune

"Emily's Fortune" by Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds, published by Random House Children's Books. Emily Wiggins is poor and timid, without a drop of self-confidence. When unexpectedly orphaned, she is left all alone except for her turtle, Rufus. What in blinkin' bloomers should Emily do? Emily's neighbors, Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire, have the answer. Emily must travel by stagecoach to honorable Aunt Hilda. What a hootin', tootin' grand idea! But Miss Catchum of the Catchum Child-Catching Services will get a big bonus for making Emily live with her next of kin, vicious Uncle Victor. How in ding dong dickens will Emily escape Miss Catchum? It will take all the gumption and cunning of fellow orphan and traveler, Jackson, to help Emily find her confidence, conniving spirit, and the truth behind why Uncle Victor wants to claim her. But how in flippin' flapjacks will Emily outsmart Uncle Victor? From School Library Journal Starred Review. Grade 36When timid, eight-year-old Emily Wiggins is suddenly orphaned, her neighborsMrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fireare about to put her on the next train to live with kindly Aunt Hilda, her father's sister-in-law. Then Miss Catchum of the Catchum Child-Catching Services shows up, intent on collecting a "super-duper-dinger-zinger" bonus for depositing Emily with her closest next of kin, reprehensible Uncle Victor, who is fixated on finding Emily. With just her pet turtle for company, Emily embarks on an adventure through the Wild West, complete with dastardly villains and gold-digging distant relatives. She soon meets fellow orphan Jackson, and she has to decide whether or not to trust him to help her escape from (hot on the trail) Miss Catchum and Uncle Victor. The story is a real humdinger of a page-turner and will keep reluctant readers engrossed, eager to see if Emily arrives at Aunt Hilda's safely. And what will become of poor Jackson, who has yet to find a loving home? The local vernacular is lively and fun and the characters are well developed. Cliff-hangers between chapters are written in large boldface to keep readers hooked. "But how in the ding-dong dickens could she really trust him?" Simple, black-and-white illustrations complement the unfolding story. A rip-roaring good time that will be devoured by both boys and girls. Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Newbery Award winner Naylor claims that she tries to never write the same kind of book twice, and although she has written westerns before, including Walker's Crossing (1999), this could be seen as her first of the rootin'-tootin' variety. When her mother and the wealthy woman she works for are killed in a carriage accident, meek Emily sets out to find her loving aunt. Trouble is, the wealthy woman left a considerable fortune to Emily, and her villainous uncle Victor would sure like to get his hands on all that cash. Most of the story takes place on a stagecoach out west as Emily and fellow orphan Jackson muster all their cunning and pluck to outwit Victor, and a good deal of the appeal comes from Naylor's feisty chapter cliff-hangers: What in shootin' shivers would Emily do now? It all makes for a fun, bouncy ride, though one might wish for a few more of Collins' scene-stealing pencil sketches. As there simply aren't many westerns for young girls, this happily plugs a hole in the genre. Grades 3-5. --Ian Chipman Book details: published 2010. Order now on BookShops.in with fast, reliable delivery across India.