Directed by Kaspar Snit
- Publisher
- Tundra
- Initial publish date
- Feb 2007
- Category
- General, Fantasy & Magic, New Experience
- Recommended Age
- 8 to 12
- Recommended Grade
- 3 to 7
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780887767531
- Publish Date
- Feb 2007
- List Price
- $12.99
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Fresh from their victory over the nasty Kaspar Snit, — who was last seen trying to steal the fountains of Rome in The Fortress of Kaspar Snit — the Blande family have certainly earned a rest. They’re not actually an average family (what average family has the power to fly?), but they like to relax in front of the TV like everyone else.
Their favorite show (except for Dad) is the hugely popular hit, “The Zoomers.” When it’s Zoomer time, mom makes a batch of popcorn, Solly settles his rat GW on his shoulder, and Eleanor watches avidly as the Zoomer family of superheroes set off on their weekly adventure. But Eleanor’s noticed an odd detail: the director is one I. M. Partankiss. And that’s none other than Kaspar Snit. Surely he must have reformed? After all, he is planning to donate a million dollars to his beloved native land, Verulia. Problem is, “The Zoomers” won’t be seen on TV until a million dollars has been raised.
The Blande parents are off to a romantic vacation in Tuscany and Eleanor and Solly are left in the care of their new, extraordinary nanny, Mrs. Leer, and so the fun begins. The adventures they embark on are much more exciting than anything they’ve seen on “The Zoomers.”
The thousands of readers who made The Fortress of Kaspar Snit such a success will welcome Cary Fagan’s laugh-out-loud sequel. Not only does this book stand alone as a hilarious story, but it also introduces the most memorable nanny since Mary Poppins.
About the author
Cary Fagan is the author of eight previous novels and five books of short stories, including The Student, Great Adventures for the Faint of Heart, and A Bird's Eye. He has been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Writers' Trust Fiction Award, the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction, and has won the Toronto Book Award and the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Fiction. He is also an acclaimed writer of books for children, having won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the IODE Jean Throop Book Award, a Mr. Christie Silver Medal, the Joan Betty Stuchner—Oy Vey!—Funniest Children's Book Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. Fagan's work has been translated into French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan, Turkish, Russian, Polish, Chinese, Korean and Persian. He still lives in his hometown of Toronto.
Editorial Reviews
“Superheroes, supervillain, superbook! This is an amazing and funny story.****”
-OWL Magazine, youth reviewer
“Fans of the first book, The Fortress of Kaspar Snit, will be delighted with this humorous, action- packed sequel. Snappy dialogue and a fast-paced plot keep the story moving. While some readers will be reminded of The Incredibles…the Blandes seem truly real in ways that count: flawed and very human, they never lose sight of the emotional ties that bind them together. …readers will love this satisfying sequel and beg for further adventures.”
—Quill & Quire
Praise for The Fortress of Kaspar Snit:
“…Fagan has a gift for the rhythm of story, and his sly humor is always unexpected and entertaining.”
— The Toronto Star
Praise for Daughter of the Great Zandini:
“Fagan proves himself a wonderful writer with a rare comic gift.”
— Publishers Weekly
“…a wonderfully whimsical and … heart-warming, story….”
— Times-Colonist
Librarian Reviews
Directed by Kaspar Snit
Fagan’s new adventure novel, Directed by Kaspar Snit, is the anxiously awaited sequel to the popular The Fortress of Kaspar Snit, which was highly acclaimed by Queenston School’s students (aged 8 to12), who pronounced it, “a funny, action-paced, and can’t-wait-to-turnthe- page success!” Yes, the children who sighed with pleasure over the restoration of the fountains of Rome and the capture of the evil genius Kaspar Snit all knew that Solly and Eleanor Blande would eventually fly into their classrooms and library with more adventures.The Blande family’s ability to fly (with the exception of the father) is their secret gift. This extraordinary talent is coveted by Snit, their consistently clever adversary. Having escaped from an Italian prison, he disguised himself and became I. M. Partankiss, the successful director of the Blande family’s favourite televsion show, The Zoomers. This show about a family able to fly strikes a familiar chord with Eleanor and uncovering the anagram that protects his identity allows her to plan an investigation into his campaign to re-build Verulia. Just as she is making progress, her brother Solly is captured and she is forced to call upon her amazing caregiver, Mrs Leer, for help. The plot thickens when Kaspar announces he wants vengeance, but even more he wants to fly like Eleanor. Will she teach him? How can she when Mrs. Leer holds her mother’s secret silver amulet? Is there another way for Eleanor to succeed? The characters are clever, their dialogue both witty and entertaining, and the adventure first rate.
Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Spring 2007. Vol.30 No.2.
Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Best Books for Kids & Teens. 2008.
