Molly Moon und der Verwandlungszauber

Molly Moon #5

by Georgia Byng

Molly Moon can morph into any living thing.

Can you imagine what it is like to find yourself in the body of a ladybug or your mom or your dad . . . or your teacher?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Adventure, Science Fiction, Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Lady Georgia Mary Caroline Byng, (b. 1965), is a British author of children's books and a former actress. Her first writing was for a comic strip, and her first published book was The Sock Monsters. Byng's best known work is Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism and its sequels, about a girl who finds a book about hypnotism and learns how to hypnotize people. Georgia's first published item was a comic strip for kids from the age of five to seven.

Reviews

[Amreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying that the Molly Moon series is one of my absolute favorites. I'm aware that it's directed at a bit of younger audience but I still find the books to be thoroughly enjoyable. Molly Moon never fails to be entertaining. I found myself laughing, applauding, and loving every thing this story had to offer. 

They have a lot of potential and I think these books should have been a bigger hit. They're kinda recent, this is the 5th installment in the series and it was first published in 2012. I believe there is one final book still to be published, or maybe it is published already? Not sure but I heard it's something about her being able to play instruments. Anywho back to the 5th one. 

There were a lot of new characters introduced, Mr.Black, Miss.Hurone and her gang, Lily, AH2 aka Malcolm, Todson, and more! The old characters including Rocky, the kids from the orphanage, Lucy Logan, Primo Cell, Forest, all of them didn't really play a part in this book at all. They were in about two scenes which were featured in the first 5 chapters or so. Though Micky, Molly's twin was involved and we got to learn a bit more about him and I love that he's a total nerd and knows the definitions to all these big fancy words :P He's pretty cool. Of course Petula the pug also plays a part and then you have Molly. The rest of the characters featured are fresh shiny new. 

I think that's all I have to say really, I didn't really find any big critiques for the writing. Mainly because I love Molly moon so much I don't either care or notice the mistakes as I'm so caught up with the story.

One of my all time favorite series. Super enjoyable, 5 stars! 

Side note* I had misplaced this book and couldn't find it for hours. I had been reading it and then put it somewhere and ate or something and I forgot where I put it. So I then turned my house inside out to find it. My dad ended up seeing that it had fallen under my bed. I was all like WAHHH I checked there (I had actually) but I didn't see it. Yeah that's all. No one probably cares anyways lol but it ended up being worth the time spent looking for it because it was a really good book and I wouldn't want to lose it, plus it was the library's... :P 

Rating: 5 Stars

[Nora Suntken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Moon is SO fucking back. This installment’s plot wasn’t the strongest by any means—after all, the sheer suspension of disbelief to even accept the most basic premise of this book requires an astronomical amount of effort—but it was full of the earnestness and humor that I love so much about this series. The love between Molly and Petula made me tear up a bit especially when they were able to have their first conversation ever(!) and also faced death together. Also, Micky finally felt like a real character here and seeing his and Molly’s friendship develop was so sweet. I also do really appreciate Georgia Byng’s commitment to spreading the climate change agenda through children’s fiction. Like the amount of times and different ways she has managed to weasel in some ecology and woke agenda is impressive and I fully applaud her for it. The whole alien hunter plot was also unbelievably camp. Like there was a whole ass man with a fully cooked brain utterly CONVINCED Molly was an alien, and when he found out she wasn’t, he was still immediately ride or die for this eleven year old with a dream. Iconic. Molly also learned to truly love herself here while still being so empathetic to all the creatures around her, from ladybugs to pigeons, from termites to the Queen. I was initially turned off by this one with its slow and weird start that seemed to be lacking any amount of heart, but by the end, I was sold (even if there still was the… questionable comment throughout and the utter lack of some of my favorite characters *cough* Rocky).

[smoreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

although i am still enamored with molly et al., in my opinion this was the weakest of the molly moon novels. i was disturbed by how often petula was knocked unconscious or injured, i hoped for some sort of twist involving lily that never came (otherwise, i really don't see what she added to the plot), and i really, really wished that molly, as the termite queen, had kicked some serious Hunroe arse w/the help of THOUSANDS of her masticating minions.

it was still good, but don't judge the entire series on this latest installment!

[Sydis0n]

I loved this book as a kid!

[Kenneth · Rating 1 out of 5]

*spoilers*
Horrible. Just horrible. And it all starts with the underlined theme, which is:
don't judge a person by their outward appearance.
And yet....
Miss Hunroe and her friends are paint-by-the-numbers evil from Chapter 2. I was waiting for some kind of twist which, unfortunately, never occurred. Miss Hunroe and her female friends are cruel and heartless, no questions asked, no humanity given, no ifs, ands, or buts. Just pure stereotypical evil. (And naming an Asian woman Miss Teriyaki seems a bit... racist.) Why do the women want to destroy billions of people by controlling the weather? Do they not realize they also live on the same planet Earth and will be affected as well? The bad women's intentions, actions, and motives were incredibly unrealistic. The novel's action of systematically villinaizing most females who aren't named Molly Moon contradicts the idea of "don't judge a person by his/her outward appearance" because it is the millionth children's novel I've read that treats grown women like squabbling, competitive birds out to tear the throats of each other and anyone who opposes their actions. This is like Professor Umbridge from "Order of the Phoenix" times ten. The sexism reached an unbearable level approximately halfway thorugh the novel with Mr Black's "surprise" revelation that I, honestly, saw coming 100 pages before it happened; Mr Black, initially assumed to be the book's villain, reveals himself to be as innocent as newborn babe.
Sigh....
AH2, a character who should have been deleted in the novel's first draft, was also another Mr. goody-two-shoes (Byng assumes readers will forget the countless times AH2 figuratively patted himself on the back and fanticized how he would be rich and famous by stalking a preteen girl... whatever...) Byng's narrow-minded view towards her own women characters and her undying fondness for her men was annoying; I wanted to slam the book shut and pitch it into a furnace on more than one occasion.
The description of the numerous morphing scenes was, admittedly, done fairly well, as Byng described in detail the psychological methods one changes from person to animal (or person to person.) This morphing did not feel standardized like, for example, the transfigation scenes in "Harry Potter." For this reason, (as well as the inclusion of a cute pug named Petula,) I give this novel 1 1/2 stars instead of zero which it deserves for lack of characterization and plot development. I know this is *just* a kids book, and kids are not tough critics, but they deserve better. I will never read the rest of this series.

[Brujaxa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Años después de haberme leído la saga, decidí volver al mundo de Molly Moon.
En primer lugar, las tramas son, sin duda, lo mejor de los libros de Georgia Byng. Siempre consigue mantener mi interés y crear aventuras muy diferentes entre sí. Aunque hemos llegado a un punto en el que la protagonista tiene demasiados poderes. Dentro de poco, ¡la veremos en Marvel!
A continuación, he de mencionar que leer este libro como adulta me ha hecho darme cuenta de los estereotipos (especialmente de raza o país) que perpetúan en esta saga. Hubo un par de escenas que creo que no hubieran pasado el corte en 2024 (y menos mal).
En definitiva, fue un viaje entretenido por nostalgia; pero mi favorito siempre será el primero.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Molly Moon and the Morphing Mystery , Molly and Mickey are sent by a group of women to retrieve the second book on hypnotism from a man who, presumably, is going to use the book for evil. Partway through their quest, the twins learn how to morph--jumping into the bodies of insects, birds, and even people! While they hunt down the book, a strange man is also hunting Molly, whom he believes to be an alien. However, nobody is who they seem (especially when someone may be coinhabiting their body!).

I was not impressed with this book. Granted, the last time I picked up a book in this series was when I was 13, and this is aimed for preteens. However, I remember absolutely loving the adventures of Molly Moon. In fact, one of Georgia Byng's author blurbs at the back inspired me to write my first novel* using a point-form plotting technique.

Malcolm, also known as AH2 earlier in the story, doesn't seem to have a good purpose as a character. He's interesting enough, I suppose, for thinking Molly is an alien, but his true purpose seems to be so he can fly Molly, Micky and Lily during the storm. His involvement earlier in the story seems contrived.

I have mixed feelings about the morphing. On one hand, I thought it was super cool (as would most kids--I mean, who wouldn't want to be an animal for a little bit!). On the other hand, it was really testing the limits of my suspension of disbelief. I mean, this is pretty serious hypnotism we're talking about. Also, I loved the termite scene.

Petula is the most awesome pug next to Frank (Men in Black). Loved her and what she did. Ever seen a dog hitchhike or try to understand Cockney English?

Overall, even with my older perspective being considered, I don't think this book is quite up to par with the others in the series. I still think a middle-grade child would enjoy it, especially if he or she enjoyed the earlier books.


*It wasn't a great novel, but it was 80 000 words and I was only in Grade 7 at the time, so that's a mean feat

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. My 8-11 year old friends are way more into this than I am. Maybe if I could time travel to my younger self (at the targeted audience age) and easily rank this 5 stars. ?? I don't care for the morphing bit at all. I love the idea of Hypnotism Volume 2 now in the picture.

[Citybones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me costó un poco volver a adentrarme en este mundillo tantos años más tarde. Con cada nueva entrega los poderes de Molly se vuelven más rocanvolescos y sus aventuras más increíbles y no en el buen sentido. Este estuvo entretenido e incluso emocionante en las partes de acción pero los comportamientos de los personajes fueron muy estranbóticos. Y los poderes para controlar el tiempo atmosférico sacados de la manga en la última mitad y sin ninguna relación en absoluto con el hipnotismo. Un poco decepción, Rocky queda aparcado para que el nuevo hermano tenga protagonismo, parece que la autora no puede manejar escribir varios personajes a la vez. El final totalmente apresurado olvidándose de personejes que deja atrásy sinceramente me parece que se sacó toda la trama del clima a medio libro sin estar planeado nada.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok.
Hold on.
THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!

I loved it so, so, so, so, so much! It had action, morphing, mind reading, and hypnotism. What more do you need? And the morphing was so fun! I loved seeing the different people Molly and Micky morphed into. Molly even morphed into a dog and talked to Petula! Rocky didn't make as much as an appearance as the first four, but that's ok. I loved it, and there are as many plot twists as usual. READ IT!!!

[Laura AP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was OK. I loved the first two in the series when I was a kid, and the 3rd and 4th one were also good (but not great). I feel like they've been just going downhill from there, but hey. Molly is still a fun character with an amazing set of powers and Petula is still the best. The book was just a little too long-winded for an MG, and there were some parts that felt unnecessary.

[Shelby]

I love that Petula and Molly finally got to talk to each other--so sweet. I liked these least of the 5, but it did have some of the best action as soon as Molly and the gang head to Ecuador and skydive into a torrential storm.

[Stella Schaefer-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the morphing was cooler than the mind reading. Still don’t love the weird and absurd energy. I also don’t quite get how Micky, who is basically a walking dictionary all book, didn’t know what imperative meant.

[marlise · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is actually the best book EVER! I COMPLETLY FORGOT ABOUT IT BUT WOW THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!

[Nessa Haugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This book was fantastic to read. It is full of adventure and wonder. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Moo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining and petula is a hilarious dog 😂

[Sini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tämä on hyvä kirja xD !!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute.

[Blue Cardial · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Molly Moon book that convinced me to read more from this series and you'll be glad to know that the author has never disappointed me-all of her books are as awesome as the previous.

[Madison Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book until around chapter 21, it felt rushed after that. I love Molly moon, love anything she does, always a fan, but I was disappointed in the ending of this one:/

[Adriana Ugarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it !! The adventure is quite good for young people.

[Nuria · Rating 4 out of 5]

En mi opinión este libro tiene de fondo una enseñanza muy importante con respecto al cambio climático y, me parece bastante bien explicado para el público objetivo al que va dirigido el libro

[Tazca · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The beginning of Eternity, the end of space, the beginning of every end and the end of every place. What am I?”
Tazca Levitt
Molly Moon and the Morphing Mystery
By: Byng, Georgia
408 pages


I loved this book number one because it has a pug in it, but number two because Georgia writes beautifully and knows how a child feels. Sometimes some adults just write books about kids and how they feel like if they were adults. She writes like if she were Molly, and Micky and the other children. I also think that she knows how to write in a way that children understand easily.

This is one my favorite books because it has one of my favorite genres which is fantasy/fiction/realistic fiction. Molly and her co. have a pretty cool life, and I would like to be accompanying her. When I read what Byng wrote, I completely fell in love with the book and read it in a day. Probably the reason that I read it so fast was that Georgia wrote it such a detailed way that it was just like a good song that kept on going and going with no repeats.

The book is about Molly and her twin brother Micky and they start private classes with this tutor they think is quite odd. But they keep going in their life and keep noticing clues about her. Then they get sent on a mission to find who stole this very important book. By the time they get there, they notice they have been tricked and who they are trying to get the book from is not who they think it is.

Quote: “‘Oh, hi, Lucy.’ Molly couldn't quite get herself to call Lucy Logan ‘Mum’ even though she was her real Mum.”
My favorite character in the book is the main character, Molly because I feel like I learn about her the most in the story. Like she is the one whose feelings I understand and learn about the most. Every time I read about her I feel her frustration, her confidence, her joy and her passion for her missions. I also feel her hurt, her anger, and her fears. I am glad I started reading this book because it made new dreams and adventures up in my head.

I think that when you choose a book that you don’t think is your type, or you don’t think it’s good, you fall in love with it. All those kinds of books you should read also, make sure it’s a part of a series. Once I started reading this book, I fell in love with it. I had read the back before and said that it didn’t sound like an interesting story, but my friend recommended it so strongly to me that I started reading it. At page five I started zooming through the book because it was so interesting. When I finished the book, I was quite disappointed that it was done, the story was over and that I had to move on. But, I was so hurt that I researched about the book and found out about the series, and I started reading the other books. Now I feel pleased with what I’ve read.

[Cathyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a nicely written story about morphing and saving the world from destruction. I liked how Georgia Byng made me think that Theobald Black was a bad guy and Miss Hunroe and her gang as good. But even when I found out with Molly that Miss Hunroe and her gang were evil, I still had the impression that Theobald was evil too. It made me realized that you can't judge people by how they look and how they act by not knowing them further. Also, you can't just make sudden conclusions about other people. The part when Lily, Theobald's daughter, asked Theobald if he was thinking of going with Molly and Micky was hilarious, according to me. Lily was acting like she was the wife of Theobald or the mother of him. At the end, when the queen of Britain came to Molly's house, I found that really cool. Not a great chance of famous people came or would come to your house. I'm glad that the queen is looking forward to meeting the Moon children. Molly is so lucky to have a great life: a queen coming to your house; having adopted siblings; living in a park; having lots of pets; having parents that love her.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Molly Moon and Micky Minus, Molly's twin brother from the future, go on a trip to London with there tutor, Mrs. Hunroe, the twins find out a big mission that Molly and Micky need to do. They have to get a book. But during this whole mission, Micky and Molly find out how to morph into people and animals bodies. But the twins find a secret that Mrs. Hunroe has kept from them. Read this mind-reading book to find out what the secret is.

I loved this book because it made me want to read more. It was like I was going to read non-stop for 24 hours! It had a lot of details and it really got me trying out if I could morph into my dog's body! It didn't work but it would be pretty cool though!

[Luisa Sett]

Esta saga, joder. Esta saga suposo una parte muy importante de mi infancia. Con ella compredí realmente el amor tan intenso que siento hacia la lectura. Recuerdo sumergirme en sus páginas, en las aventuras de Molly, y olvidarme de los problemas... Como he hecho innumerables veces después. Tengo que agradecerle mucho a Georgia Byng por estos libros, pero para que nos vamos a engañar, apenas los recuerdo. Detalles sueltos, escenas concretas, personajes y poco más. Y de verdad me gustaría volver a hacerlo. Pero aún así sé de sobra que la sensación que tuve al leerlos fue increíble.

[Emily W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly is with her twin brother again and all goes well until they find their tutor can morph and hypnotize and wants to rid the world of anyone who does not listen to her orders so she can shop in the "cultured" places of the world, which i find racist. the bad guy is really a good guy who is preventing trying to s whole to stop the tutor from learning how to morph to other humans before the earth is destroyed by a woman who never dropped the bully phase.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I liked this book? Because Molly Moon is so outrageous my granddaughters can't believe it. I told Macy - she's your age, a hypnotist, mind reader, time traveler, and now she can morph into animal and human bodies! And, best of all, her dog is a pug.
Spoiler alert:
Of all her books, this one was a little preachy, although the method of imparting the information was good, it seemed like a bit much. I also was surprised how the author killed off all the "bad guys".

[Trinity Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly and Micky Moon are set off on an adventure discovering new powers and find themselves transporting to different places around the globe. Molly is no ordinary girl but, just an average Moon family member. She soon discovers her new power 'morphing', which allows her to change and transfer herself into another being or object just by looking at them. On this journey she even gets the experience of being the queen of England! This gives you an experience of your own that you won't forget!

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book like I knew I would. This whole series held my attention as soon as I started reading it. I actually read the last book first before I realized it was a series. I didn't have anything like this to read when I was growing up. I would definitely let my kids read these books they would love them. I highly recommend this book as I have all the others. Molly Moon is a great character and a joy to read.