The Secret of Platform 13

by Eva Ibbotson

Book Overview

A forgotten door on an abandoned railway platform is the entrance to a magical kingdom--an island where humans live happily with mermaids, ogres, and other wonderful creatures. Carefully hidden from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0141302860
• ISBN13: 9780141302867
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

The Secret of Platform 13 Book Review

At first glance, readers might think the secret Island is perfect; blue water, brilliant sun, it's got it all. Except... a prince. As the rescuers from the secret Island pass through the entrance called the gump, they are determined to bring back the prince who has been stolen for nine years. This novel is extremely delightful to read, and the characters in this book are completely made from imagination. In The Secret of Platform 13, there is not only one main character, but many. There is one character who seems to stand out. Odge Gribble is a hag, who has unusual and unique features. She has a blue tooth, and one eye is brown, the other green. When describing the characters, I could distinctly tell what each character looked like, and the personality of the character. Certain parts of the book were hysterical because certain characters said funny things. In this book, Ibbotson's created a whole new and exciting world, with extraordinary animals with special talents. Teamwork and courage is clearly a theme in The Secret of Platform Thirteen. When all the rescuers come up with a plan to capture the prince, they all work together. I think it took courage for Odge to join the group of rescuers at such a young age, and for the servant boy Ben to try to rescue the mist maker from the Island. By making such a strong and recognizable theme to her book, Ibbotson really made the story more entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read fantasy. If you like action-packed and thrilling books, this may not be the book for you. In The Secret of Platform 13, Ibbotson really takes fantasy to its highest level.

A Magical Novel That Is A Must-Read!

This book has plenty of good, solid fantasy. It mainly takes place on a magical island which you can access for nine days every nine years through a portal in an abandoned train station(the portal is called a gump,for future reference). The island is ruled by a King and Queen, who have a son a while into their reign. Unfortunately, the Prince's nannies decide to take him to the portal so they can glimpse the outside world they came from. They go out into the nearby city after a fish and chips smell comes that reminds them of their childhood. While outside, the child is kidnapped, which the nannies don't discover until just as the gump is closing. Nine years later, a rescue party is sent to bring back the Prince quickly, the members being a wizard, a giant(who is made invisible for security purposes), and a fey, a human who has a magical knack for growing plants. At the last minute, a hag is allowed to go as well. I've left out a lot, but the plot is so complex and interesting that you'll have to read the book yourself. Just for the record, though, this is definitely one of my Top Ten Favorite Books.

Funny, lively and imaginative

Platform 13 of King's Cross Railway Station has a doorway that leads to a magical island harmoniously inhabited by a diverse assortment of beings, including humans, hags, feys, mermaids, and furry little creatures called mistmakers. The kingdom's prince was kidnapped as an infant during a visit to London. Nine years later, when the portal between worlds reopens, four rescuers -- Cornelius, an elderly wizard who used to be a university professor in our world; Odge, a young and remarkably unhaglike hag; Gurkintrude, a fey who is sort of a goddess of agricultural plenty; and Hans, a kindly one-eyed ogre from the Alps who yodels and tends goats -- are sent by the king and queen to bring him home. The story is full of eccentric characters, mostly likable, a few definitely not: sundry ghosts who help the rescuers; Melisande, a water nymph who wants it known that she has feet and is not a mermaid; the hilariously obnoxious Mrs. Trottle and her equally unpleasant son; some horrifically amusing and ghastly harpies who have permanent waves and carry handbags; and Ben, a delightful kitchen boy of unknown parentage. The whole thing is very humorous, lively and imaginative, and fans of Diana Wynne Jones and J.K. Rowling most likely will enjoy it immensely. Also well worth reading are Ms. Ibbotson's extremely funny ghost books, obtainable in British paperback editions.

Hogwarts or the Island?

Well, I'm eighteen years old, and I still was enthralled by this book. It moves quickly, and the action is good. I figured out the ending well before the end of the book, but then, I'm six years older than the top of the suggested reading ages. Regarding it being compared to Harry Potter.....I love Harry, and would never insult the Potter books, but this one is less scary. I mean, in Harry Potter, there's he-who-cannot-be-named, and the dementors and such, whereas here, the scariest thing is a woman with some REALLY sharp knitting needles. Neither book is better than the other. They are different, but both fabulous...Read them BOTH!

A delightful fantasy in the best of the British style!

Desperate because you've read all the Harry Potter books? Try THE SECRET OF PLATFORM 13. This is the kind of charming, funny fantasy that the British seem to do so well.