The Mary Rodgers Treasury

Andrews Family

by Mary Rodgers

With the publication of Freaky Friday in 1972, Mary Rodgers captured the hearts of young readers as easily as she did with her acclaimed musical scores during her long career on Broadway. Called "unputdownable," Freaky Friday was followed by two more novels chronicling the madcap adventures of the Andrews family. Now, for the first, all three hilarious books are together in one volume. In Freaky Friday, Annabel Andrews wakes up one morning to find that she has turned into her mother. That is, her mind is in her mother's body. What could possibly be worse than having to wear her mother's clothes, take care of the house, and wear rollers in your hair every night? Plenty! But if Annabel thought that experience was weird, she is in for a bigger surprise when her brother, Ape Face, starts predicting the future in A Billion For Boris. It's all because of The Box – a strange machine that Annabel thinks will help mankind. Boris, her boyfriend, thinks it will make him a fortune. Ape Face has other plans altogether. Summer Switch completes the circle as Ape Face trades bodies with his father. It's bad enough finding yourself in your father's body, on your way to the most important business meeting of his life, but it's worse to realize that your father is now you, and about to ruin your reputation forever. Readers will laugh out loud as they follow the Andrews family from one time-boggling adventure to another.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Mary Rodgers was an accomplished author, screenwriter and composer. Her first book--Freaky Friday--won several prizes, and was cited on the ALA Notable Book list. She composed many musicals, and had also amassed credits in television and radio. She had served as Chairman of the Board of the Julliard School and on the Board of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Reviews

[Jennifer Hoey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all three stories although, there is some racism in here and homophobia but the characters spouting it are portrayed as racist pigs and homophobists so I don't think the author was advocating these viewpoints but I don't want people to be offended by it. I bought this book because I wanted to read the book behind the Freaky Friday movies and it does differ slightly but thankfully the movies stayed closer to the book which in this case made for a better movie. It doesn't explain why the switches happened or what happened in the second story but each book has a great ending despite that. In leaving the how out, the author invites us to make up our own explanations which can be entertaining. I would recommend it but because of those remarks in the book, I would be careful with it around kids.

[Jamelia Triola · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I just finished this oldie but goodie. I thoroughly enjoyed all three stories. I have a favorite, but none of them was a waste of time. I loved the vocabulary, the personalities, and the highlighted time period. My favorite - when I told my 11 year old about the book, she’d already read Freaky Friday. We shared lots of laughs about many parts of that story. If you haven’t read these books, put them in your list.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for Freaky Friday, 3 stars for Billions for Boris, 1 star for Summer Switch

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the books included in this compilation are just wonderful; they made me laugh when I read them as a teenager and I still laugh thinking about them now; I'm a sucker for body switching - I think I read every one of the Help I'm Trapped in Whoever's Body books - and that's the basic plot for 2 of these 3. They're charming, hilarious, and some of my very favorites.

[sedge · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were favorites when I was a kid, and I scored a remaindered copy of this collection before leaving New York. Annabelle Andrews will always be one of my heroes.