Genres
Description
Twins Joe and Nancy were raised in a circus but on their eleventh birthday they learn their parents are still alive and need their help, so they set out on an quest filled with many extraordinary beings and adventures. Consists of twenty-seven episodes by nineteen authors and pictures by five illustrators.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
276 p.; 21 cm
Publication
Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2011.
Pages
276
ISBN
9780763657734
Library's review
It starts out very promising, and I greatly enjoyed the first few chapters, but quickly devolves into rather boring episodic nonsense as a new author enters with every chapter. Some of the later chapters do, however, make an admirable effort at bringing it all together. By the end, it's been a
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mostly bland reading experience, but the occasional funny moment helps, as does the fact that it is all tied up neatly at the end. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member ECraine
Having never read an online book before I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be. While I did miss the physical aspect of a “real book” I enjoyed the “turning” of the pages, and the format was very clear and simple. I especially liked the optional audio version; I think many readers
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(especially beginners) will enjoy listening and reading along with it. As this book is written by several different authors, I wasn’t sure the tone and language would flow well, and that it may seem like a disjointed narrative. However, the author changes for the most part are not offensively noticeable. There are subtle callbacks to previous chapters, and continuity is apparent in words and phrases. The major complaint is that the story can get rather repetitive (ie. numerous episodes end with a threatening, mysterious, disembodied voice), and the plot often seems patched together. The downside to different authors is that they don’t know the trajectory of the plot, and often have to write situations in ways to make it easy for the next author to follow. Overall an interesting experimental story. Show Less
LibraryThing member hsollom
Personal Response:
The e-book format, with one chapter release at a time, is what it must have felt like to wait for, say, a Charles Dickens piece in the past. The changes in style and tone are to be expected, with all the different authors. I could not help but compare one to the next, with Lemony
Programming or curricular connections:
Analysis of style
Kids could write their own exquisite corpse story, either adding a chapter to the Exquisite Corpse Adventure, or working together on a wholly new story.
The e-book format, with one chapter release at a time, is what it must have felt like to wait for, say, a Charles Dickens piece in the past. The changes in style and tone are to be expected, with all the different authors. I could not help but compare one to the next, with Lemony
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Snicket standing out from the bunch (particularly with his meta-narrative highlighting the disjointed nature of the story).Programming or curricular connections:
Analysis of style
Kids could write their own exquisite corpse story, either adding a chapter to the Exquisite Corpse Adventure, or working together on a wholly new story.
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LibraryThing member LibraryGirl11
A completely bizarre and somewhat disjointed account of the adventures of Nancy and Joe, twins left at the circus as babies when their parents open a portal into another dimension, as they search for the pieces of the exquisite corpse robot that will help them to rescue their parents. A modern-day
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take on the Victorian parlor game, the Exquisite Corpse is written by some of the best-known children's authors writing today. Not my favorite book, but an entertaining read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Narrated by Phil Gigante. Sixteen children’s authors contribute episodes in this progressive story about circus kids Nancy and Joe Sloppy who receive a card on their 11th birthday directing them to save the parents they believed were dead by piecing together a robot. They must run a gamut of
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motley villains and friends to accomplish their mission before time runs out! Gigante’s vocal work is skillfully dextrous, with an amazing ability to stretch, push and pull as each character demands. An entertaining job, but with so many wacky developments and characters involved in the progressive story format it does take some effort to track the storyline. Show Less