The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes

June 8, 2009
The life of Liberty “Libby” Aimes is straight out of one of the fairy tales she holds dear. To begin with, her extremely overweight mother, Sal, and rail-thin, scheming father, Mal, keep her locked in their decrepit house like Cinderella, “waiting on her parents hand and foot, dodging their insults like a beleaguered catcher.” Libby dreams of freedom and attending Sullivan (a competitive boarding school). While freeing animals from her father's basement laboratory, she manages to escape by air with a “lifting soda” and see the world on her own. Liberty is a mature 10-year-old and interested in the complete picture of life as a result of her love of reading. Her ability to communicate with everything from pigeons to circus lions (thanks to her father's “comprehension cream”) makes for a full adventure. While Liberty's trust in people and openness often brings trouble, her belief that “destiny wasn't something you accomplished by yourself” carries her through. The plot meanders and the narration is occasionally precious, but Liberty's quirks and warm heart are consistently charming. Playful illustrations top off Easton's (White Magic
) gently humorous, highly imaginative tale. Ages 8–12.

August 1, 2009
Gr 3-6-Ten-year-old Liberty has never been let out of her decrepit house on 33 Gooch Street, and her massively obese mother, Sal, doesn't dare leave either. Only Liberty's dreadful father, Mal, a self-described "friggin' genius," comes and goes. As Liberty discovers one day, he really is a genius (the evil sort) and has invented, among other things, potions for communicating with animals and for levitating. Using these devices to escape, Liberty sets off on a search for what she feels must be heaven on Eartha boarding school called the Sullivan Schoolmeeting friends, dodging scoundrels, and having adventures along the way. Liberty's reactions to the quirky folks and talking animals she meets and the strange situations she finds herself in are naive and full of wonderment, but also commonsensical. While the circumstances are reminiscent of those in Roald Dahl's work, particularly the many intensely nasty grown-ups, the understated humor and friendly, imperturbable tone of the narration bring to mind the fantasies of Eva Ibbotson. The charming illustrations sprinkled throughout add immense appeal to this warm, delightfully odd fantasy."Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2009
Grades 4-6 Libby Aimes 10 years have been rough. She has never been outside her crooked house and is a virtual slave to her overweight mother, Sal, and her sly, smelly father, Mal, who has some sort of mystery going on in the basement. One day Libby steals her fathers key and discovers the secret: talking animals and magical potions, one of which enables her to fly out the door. She is determined to make her way to boarding school and find her destiny, which she imagines to be entwined with her real name, Liberty. Reminiscent of Roald Dahls Matilda, this has many of the elements children lovea feisty heroine, droll animals, lively black-and-white interior art, and beastly parents. In an arch, omniscient third-person narrative, Easton leads Libby on a merry chase as she tries to right wrongs, and the final showdown with her father is worth waiting for. Mals cruelty is sometimes over the top, and the descriptions of Sal as lazy and a blob can be disconcerting, but starting with the delightful cover, kids will enjoy Libertys journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)