The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes

By Kelly Easton

Book Overview

Liberty Aimes has spent all of her ten years captive in her parents' crooked old house on Gooch Street. Her spry father, Mal Aimes, is a crook who sells insurance, while her overweight mother sits at home in front of the TV, demanding that Liberty cook nonstop, everything from fried clams and fried hot dogs to ice cream sundaes. Liberty's only knowledge of the outside world comes from the secret stash of children's books and fairy tales she discovered beneath the floorboards. One day, Liberty works up the courage to enter her father's forbidden basement laboratory. There she discovers a world of talking animals and magic potions. With the aid of one such potion, Liberty escapes into the world--and learns that she can talk to animals. She decides her destiny is to find the renowned Sullivan School, where she can live and get an education. Along the way, she meets a wacky cast of characters--some become true friends, but others want to kidnap her.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375837728
• ISBN13: 9780375837722
• Release Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Rh Childrens Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Excellent

A zany, fantastic, witty tale reminiscent of Dahl. Easton triumphs again. Superb and as uplifting as lifting soda. Easton's versatility is amazing - very different from her The Life History of A Staras possible, another wonderful book.

Fantastic, Fun and Smart!

"The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes" is a fantastic, fun, smart book. It should be in everyone's library, young or old. Liberty Aimes has the makings of a classic, sitting alongside Lemony Snicket and Dr. Seuss. If this isn't made into a movie, I'll be very surprised because the characters are so alive and vibrantly leaping out of the book. Greg Swearingen has done a marvelous job with the illustrations, adding another layer of warmth and depth to the whimsical adventure. The story is engaging and exciting and a lot of it is laugh out loud funny but there are also many themes running through the book that provide opportunities for intelligent conversation: "In Eastern philosophy, breathing is the key to enlightenment. For the next half hour, Libby was very unenlightened: She was holding her breath." These opportunities are so sensitively written that it never feels like a lesson, only a new word or concept. The above phrase is almost a puzzle with the laugh at the end being the prize for working it out. I need to find a kid to read it with because it's just too good not to share.

Find enchanment and laughter with your child

Not since Alice in Wonderland, has a book so delighted my son. A whimsical and funny story, full of imagination had us talking for days about the adventures of one daring and smart young girl and her goofy and strange parents. Liberty's journey is full of fun and fear. My son learned a lot about values and ethics wihtout preaching as we followed Liberty's journey. Phenonemonal drawings kept us entranced