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Fabulous Fantoras #1
Family Files
Daily observations recorded by the family cat Ozymandias--the keeper of the Fantora family files--details the strange yet delightful family members, including Grandmother Filomena who sees the future in her knitting, mother Rosamund who makes potions, and Aunty Varvara--a vegetarian vampire. Reprint.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Adèle Geras
190 books137 followersAdèle Geras FRSL (born 15 March 1944) is an English writer for young children, teens and adults. Her husband was the Marxist academic Norman Geras and their daughter Sophie Hannah is also a novelist and poet.
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
Geras was born in Jerusalem, British Mandatory Palestine. Her father was in the Colonial Service and she had a varied childhood, living in countries such as Nigeria, Cyprus, Tanzania, Gambia and British North Borneo in a short span of time. She attended Roedean School in Brighton and then graduated from St Hilda's College, Oxford with a degree in Modern Languages. She was known for her stage and vocal talents, but decided instead to become a full-time writer.
Geras's first book was Tea at Mrs Manderby's, which was published in 1976. Her first full-length novel was The Girls in the Velvet Frame. She has written more than 95 books for children, young adults, and adults. Her best-known books are Troy (shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize and Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal) Ithaka, Happy Ever After (previously published as the Egerton Hall Trilogy), Silent Snow, Secret Snow, and A Thousand Yards of Sea.
Her novels for adults include: Facing the Light, Hester's Story, Made in Heaven, and A Hidden Life.
Geras won two prizes in the United States, one the Sydney Taylor Book Award for the My Grandmother's Stories and the National Jewish Book Award for Golden Windows. She has also won prizes for her poetry and was a joint winner of the Smith Doorstop Poetry Pamphlet Award, offered by the publisher of that name.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 4, 2018
Well, this was a trip down memory lane. Surprisingly it was fun to read even as an adult.
This book was translated into Italian when I was a kid and I loved it. Compared to this edition, mine had way more illustrations and I still have fond memories of them.
It's not a single story: they are short stories with an overall arch. The Fantora family is quite peculiar, since every member has a special power. There's who can turn invisible, who can grow anything, and there's even a granny who can predict the future by knitting. This is what I loved as a child and, as an adult, it's still something that tickle my interest.
I wish Geras wrote more than two books about the Fantoras.
This book was translated into Italian when I was a kid and I loved it. Compared to this edition, mine had way more illustrations and I still have fond memories of them.
It's not a single story: they are short stories with an overall arch. The Fantora family is quite peculiar, since every member has a special power. There's who can turn invisible, who can grow anything, and there's even a granny who can predict the future by knitting. This is what I loved as a child and, as an adult, it's still something that tickle my interest.
I wish Geras wrote more than two books about the Fantoras.
August 12, 2020
A cute story my 9 year old read to me.
It's a good quick read (123 pages or so), brilliant for confident independent readers. The family are fun and whacky (a vegetarian vampire?) and the idea of it being narrated by the family cat really appealed to my daughter.
Will have to check out the rest of the series!
It's a good quick read (123 pages or so), brilliant for confident independent readers. The family are fun and whacky (a vegetarian vampire?) and the idea of it being narrated by the family cat really appealed to my daughter.
Will have to check out the rest of the series!
November 21, 2022
I have read many many books, popular and unpopular, and i have never given one 5 stars before but I think this book deserves it, I first read this when i was 10 and to this day it is the best book i have ever read, i have always said i can never watch or read something more than once but this book is the one exception, if i could only read one thing for the rest of my life it would be this book.
July 25, 2020
Un simpatico libricino per bambini con personaggi allegri, colorati, buffi poteri e piccoli eventi quotidiani.
October 13, 2023
Humorous enjoyable short sketches about a peculiar family with certain powers. Best of all, narrated by a cat! I hope to read more about Auntie Varvara in the sequel.
July 16, 2012
Ozzy, the keeper of The Fantora Family Files, provides a winning mixture of family story, magic, and cat narrator. While its brevity (123-page paperback) will prove alluring to fans of the compact, the writing is literate and buoyant, and the family, each of whom possesses different magical powers, are both wacky and endearingly sensible.
"What were you doing," said Filomena, "if you weren't bathing?"
"I was writing a poem."
"But why the bathroom?" said Eddie. "Not to mention why the bath?"
"It's easily the best place to be when there's moving [house] going on. No one comes in and out with bits of furniture. There's nothing to arrange once the towels and toothbrushes are out. And it's quite comfy lying in the bath. Even without water. I've had a very quiet day. Is supper ready?"
"What were you doing," said Filomena, "if you weren't bathing?"
"I was writing a poem."
"But why the bathroom?" said Eddie. "Not to mention why the bath?"
"It's easily the best place to be when there's moving [house] going on. No one comes in and out with bits of furniture. There's nothing to arrange once the towels and toothbrushes are out. And it's quite comfy lying in the bath. Even without water. I've had a very quiet day. Is supper ready?"
October 5, 2013
Cute story about a family of "special" people. Grandmother foretells the future in her knitting, Dad can raise any plant that exists--and a few that have never existed, Biance can bring anything to life, Francesca can control the weather, Mum can make any potion needed and Marco can turn invisible. Oh, and the Keeper of the Files? The family Cat, Ozymandias.
November 8, 2024
I read this when I was 9 and loved it. It reminds me of the Addams Family.
The book follows observations recorded by the Fantora's family cat, Ozy. Each member of the family has a power; grandmother Filomena who can see the future in her knitting, Rosamund who can make potions, Marco who can turn invisible etc
The book follows observations recorded by the Fantora's family cat, Ozy. Each member of the family has a power; grandmother Filomena who can see the future in her knitting, Rosamund who can make potions, Marco who can turn invisible etc
April 18, 2015
I put this audiobook on in the car when a 6 hour drive was called for. It kept the kids quiet & occupied for a good 2.5 hours. It was requested for the return journey too
October 26, 2012
An enjoyable story about a VERY unusual family that I read with Master 7. He thought it was great and loved the bit about the bullies getting some of their own medicine back.
July 30, 2016
Molto carina la storia di questa famiglia fuori dall'ordinario e la cosa più bella è che è il gatto di casa a fare il narratore :-)
November 2, 2014
This was my favourite childhood book. A family with weird and wonderful powers.. what's not to love? Brilliant, fun, endearing.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews