THE NOBODIES
by N.E. Bode
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0060557400
ISBN-13: 9780060557409
Ages 10-13
304 pages

• Read an Excerpt

Fearless eleven-year-old heroine Fern Drudger returns in THE NOBODIES, a sequel to THE ANYBODIES by N.E. Bode. Both readers and Fern have learned in the first book that "Things aren't always what they seem, are they?" Most importantly, Fern found out that she was switched at birth. Her real parents are Anybodies. An Anybody is "a person who by nature or training (concentration and sometimes hypnosis) can transform objects into reality (for example, there once was a girl who reached into a painting of a fishpond to pet the fish) and who can transform themselves into other shapes (a nun into a lamppost, a bad guy into a bull)."

Fern has a whole new life. She no longer is living with the boring Drudger family, but instead is with her father, a washed up Anybody named the Bone, and her grandmother, who also happens to be one of the greatest Anybodies of all time. They live in her grandmother's wonderful boardinghouse, which is essentially a world of books. It's even built from books! The house is also filled with creatures that have been shaken from books. (Anybodies have the power to shake things from the very pages of books!) The house is described as having "Borrowers in the walls, hobbits in the yard, Indians in the cupboards. It's situated where the sidewalk ends, beside a peach tree with the most enormous, one might say giant peach."

At the beginning of THE NOBODIES, Fern is preparing to embark on another adventure. Fern and Howard (the boy she was switched at birth with) are going away to camp. This is not just an ordinary camp, of course, despite Howard's desire to go to math camp. They are going to Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times, which is actually a camp for young Anybodies. Fern can't wait to learn more about her magical skills.

On the day they are about to leave, however, strange things start to happen. First, Fern accidentally shakes Diet Fizzy Lime Drink bottles out of a book. After investigating, Fern realizes that the bottles have notes inside that say things like, "Help us! Trust no one, especially grown-ups. We need you!" and "Fern, we know you have the powers to defeat him. Please find us!" Then, Fern witnesses a strange scene in her grandmother's basement. When Fern and Howard arrive at camp, it is anything but what they expected. The counselors are mean, there's a vicious mole attacking people, and Fern continues to shake out pleas for help from Diet Fizzy Lime bottles. Could these be notes from the lost people called the Nobodies?

N.E. Bode (or is it Julianna Baggot, "the trusted friend" noted on the dust jacket?) delivers yet another fun adventure with THE NOBODIES. Similar to THE ANYBODIES, the author continues to write in first person to tell the tale and mixes in quirky anecdotes. This technique is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's writing style. Here, Bode is still complaining about her evil writing teacher who she claims is insanely jealous and is out to get her.

Again, like the first book, THE NOBODIES is filled with elements of mystery that make it a page-turner from start to finish. Bode's writing style is quirky, funny and enjoyable all around. Readers will love learning more about the art of being an Anybody, as Fern learns more about her skills. The NOBODIES is so full of life that, as it comes to an end, this reader found it abrupt and almost too soon.

Is this the last we'll see of Fern, and the Anybodies and Nobodies? I doubt it!

   --- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

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