Fortune's Magic Farm

by Suzanne Selfors

Book Overview

In the spirit of Roald Dahl, Suzanne Selfors spins a wonderful and weird middle-grade tale filled with friendship and magic--now in an entirely new package Ten-year-old Isabelle lives in Runny Cove... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031601818X
• ISBN13: 9780316018180
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Another Selfors Hit

If you haven't discovered Suzanne Selfors yet, this is a great book to start with. Targeted for middle grade readers, this hilarious, quirky novel was as much fun for me as it was for my children. Isabelle, the plucky and unfortunate heroine, perseveres against eternally surprising bad turns and very UNfortunate luck until a bit of magic and her own sheer determination send her on a risky journey to save her town from its despotic overlord. Selfors' imaginative and surprising storyline--matched by her language and settings--bring classic chidren's literary themes into a new generation with sparkling creativity. You can't miss this book. Best news--she has a string of others for both middle grade and young adult readers, too.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Ten-year-old orphan Isabelle has never seen the sun. Like nearly everyone else who lives in Runny Cove, where the rainfall never stops, she has to work at Runny Cove's Magnificently Supreme Umbrella Factory, the only business in town. Ever since Grandma Maxine fell sick, Isabelle has had to work double shifts to pay their rent at Mama Lu's boarding house, where residents are given two meager meals a day in exchange for leaky rooms and strict rules. Through it all, Isabelle finds scraps of happiness in Grandma Maxine's tales of when Runny Cove saw sunlight and prosperous times, and in the knowledge that she, as the only orphan in Runny Cove to have been left on a doorstep, may indeed turn out to be special and different. While on the beach one day after work, Isabelle is approached by a monster that crawls out of the sea, and leaves her with an item that only the richest in Runny Cove could afford--a single, red apple. Such an extraordinary experience in the dull life of a factory worker could only mean that Isabelle is special after all, and she finds out that this is true ten times over when she's told that the apple marks her as the heir to a magical farm. Isabelle sets off to begin her new, exciting life, but soon finds her loyalties put to the test when she's given a chance to use her new fortune to save her friends and the home that she once knew. This little book absolutely impressed me with its well-written story and deceivingly simple text that stirs up a wealth of emotion in spite of oneself. Reminiscent of novels by storytelling master Roald Dahl, this book draws young readers through steely gray sadness only to come out in a wash of color and happiness at the story's conclusion. Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Taking a green thumb to a new level

What I wouldn't give for a green thumb! Or at least a green pinkie. In the book Fortune's Magic Farm, ten-year-old Isabelle possesses a knack for growing things. She grows lichen in her hair and has mushrooms growing between her toes. Unfortunately, this odd little orphan girl happens to live in a very strange town -- a gloomy, dreary town named Runny Cove where the rain never ceases and the sun never shines. The place perfect for slugs but not for people. All the inhabitants of Runny Cove stay perpetually sick, have translucent skin and grow gray hair, "the color of sadness." Just like all the other inhabitants of Runny Cove, Isabelle works tirelessly at the evil Mr. Supreme's umbrella factory. She lives in a battered boardinghouse with her beloved but sickly Grandma Maxine who found her as a baby abandoned on the doorstep. Without many options, Isabelle goes about her daily work complaining very little and doing her best to eek out a meager living. Then, one special day, out of nowhere a huge sea creature appears, sneezes and shoots a slime-covered apple out of its nose onto Isabelle's lap. Everything changes and she sets off on an adventure with a boy named Sage to find the "nowhere" she came from, a beautiful and magical place called Fortune's Farm. Feeling the sun for the first time and delighting in her newly green hair, she yearns to help her friends back at Runny Cove and turn the dismal place back into the Sunny Cove it once was. Writing with humor and a large dose of creativity, Suzanne Selfors combines all the popular children's book components (an orphan in an unfortunate situation, magic, animals, adventure) and weaves them into a compelling, quirky fantasy. After reading the book you'll never look at a rainy day without thinking of Runny Cove or gaze at a garden without wondering where the Curative Cherry tree is located. Never was there a more likeable character than Isabelle. Her tendency to make up silly little songs and use them as a coping mechanism to deal with difficult situations amuses the heart. On her journey of self-discovery, she demonstrates that she is trustworthy and responsible and, in her own whimsical way, serves as a fun role model for all children. So enjoyable was the book that I'll go out on a limb and say adults (think Allen's Garden Spells combined with Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) will enjoy the leisurely read nearly as much as the 8-12 age group the book is geared toward. Catia Chien's organic illustrations full of dense garden growth, appear at the beginning of each chapter. Like other reviewers, I wish the cover art looked less girlish and more adequately presented the book as appropriate for both girls and boys. Another thing I'd like to add - this marvelous garden read is the perfect happy green fictional escape with Earth Day approaching. Makes you want to get out and tend your own garden.

Good read for a rainy day

Once again Suzanne Selfors puts the reader smack-dab into the middle of a strange and quirky world that is just enough different from our own to be magical, yet remains strikingly familiar. In a gloomy town where it never stops raining we meet Isabelle, a ten-year-old girl with a penchant for making up silly songs to brighten her otherwise monotonous days. Although little Isabelle is burdened with working a dead-end factory job and avoiding the accusing eye of her nosy and miserly landlady, her thoughts are ever occupied with learning the true story of where she came from. Left on a doorstep as a baby, she has no idea of who her parents were and where she belongs. Her past remains shrouded in mystery until one day when a surprise encounter on a beach changes the course of her life forever. Fortune's Magic Farm has at its core a quandary of which we all cope with at some point in life: finding our own identity in a world that often seems unfeeling and uncompromising towards individuality. Underlying themes of destiny, the meaning of family and integrity make this a very personal story and the themes are thoughtfully woven throughout Isabelle's adventures. Surrounding the main story is a delightful collection of creatures and characters that bring this magical world to life in a way that will satisfy hungry readers of all ages. Not to be missed.

Roald Dahlish

Darkly comic and quirky, this is the book that all Roald Dahl fans will love. Isabelle is a charming hero, and her journey to Fortune's Farm is wondrous. My daughter loved this book.