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The Spanish Kidnapping Disaster
Twelve-year-old Felix is fascinated. She has never met a woman like Grace -- beautiful, mysterious, and a citizen of the world. If it weren't for Grace, the family's trip to Spain might have been pretty dull. The trouble started when Felix and her stepsister Amy got lost in the middle of Spain, and Grace came to their rescue. Grace not only helped them find the rest of the family, but volunteered to show Felix, Amy, and her brother castles and windmills and Grace's car, bouncing down a dusty back road, when Felix realizes something is very wrong. Grace is not her friend...and they're headed for the most dangerous and terrifying experience of their lives!
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
4 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Mary Downing Hahn
71 books4,378 followersI grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.
Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.
When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.
In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.
By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.
Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 10, 2017
I JUST REMEMBERED THIS BOOK!
Is that not the most amazing feeling? When you suddenly remember a book from your childhood with complete clarity?
I literally read the cover off my paperback of this. I also remember desperately wanting to go to Spain! Which I did 10 years later, and I didn't get kidnapped. So clearly I absorbed something from this.
Is that not the most amazing feeling? When you suddenly remember a book from your childhood with complete clarity?
I literally read the cover off my paperback of this. I also remember desperately wanting to go to Spain! Which I did 10 years later, and I didn't get kidnapped. So clearly I absorbed something from this.
June 9, 2018
Whoa, Nelly. This is not up to Mary Downing Hahn’s usual caliber of writing. First, it glorifies what basically boils down to Stockholm syndrome. Second, I don’t care how desperate for alone time newlyweds are, they wouldn’t let their children go off with a stranger in a foreign country. And even if you suspend the disbelief over THAT, the characters are caricatures. It’s like bad Nancy Drew meets a 1960s Hayley Mills movie. To be frank, I like Nancy Drew AND Hayley Mills, and still was not a fan of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2008
This was never my favorite Mary Downing Hahn, but I always wanted to like it more than I did, because I was so intrigued by the woman in it. She's really cool. ... well, aside from being a kidnapper. But she is a "citizen of the world." Except for the whole kidnapping thing, I wanted to be just like her.
May 15, 2012
I gave this book a 3 star rating because I thought it wasn't a good book but it was still an ok kind of book. I don't think that I would ever read this book again. The title is a different title like, like I have never really though about reading a book like this but a friend told me to read it so i did.
September 8, 2015
Fun for what it is. (Personally, I love the cover). The kids parents are terrible. I mean, what parents let a stranger take their kids in a car to see some windmills? This isn't my favorite Mary Downing Hahn book, but I did enjoy it.
July 22, 2008
don't talk to strangers.
January 11, 2012
The characters in this were unbelievable, the situations contrived. Not one of Hahn's best.
October 24, 2019
The greatest and the most wonderful short story that maybe you read and maybe you will read in one of the days that wrote by the brilliant author Mary Downing Hahi.
The story talking about a Family that formed recently, when the mother of Felix married Amy's and Phillip's father. The story starts when the new family were in Spain for the honeymoon of the new couple, when the children were lost in Toledo Spain, they meet a woman who is called Grace she was a beautiful, mysterious, and a citizen of the world. Grace helped the kids to go back to their parents and also she volunteered to show the girls and Phillip the castles and the windmills that the normal tourists never see, when they were so far away in Grace's car, driving down a dusty back road, Felix noticed that something wrong is happening, she realized that Grace isn't a good and friendly woman, and from this moment, the most dangerous and frightening experience in their lives has begun.
In the story there are many characters but there is one character that I loved more than the other characters, and there is another character that I disliked. The character that I liked was Grace, she was the one who planned for the kidnapping disaster, it the same time, she was protecting the kids who she and her friends kidnapped. Also the main aims of her behaviors were charity, and we can see this in the in the story when she Contributed to kidnap the kids to take financial ransom to help the poor kids in other countries and without taking any amount for herself. And the most character that I disliked in the story is Charles because his role in the story was all the time the wicked one, and because that he was very bad person and his treatment were bad with the small kids. And he tried more than one time to change the plan that he and Grace and Orlando had potted from helping the poor kids to apportionment the ransom money between them.
So I would like to say that the thing that makes me mad more than anything else is the more than necessary love between Mom and Don, which was of the many reasons that led to the Spanish kidnapping disaster. We can see that in the first event in the story even in the first page when Felix said: " I think I went with her because I was tired of walking behind Mom, ignored and forgotten while she held hands with Don." And we can see that it the end of the first obstacle in the story when the children were lost in the middle of Spain, and when they came back to their parents safe. Felix said to her mother: "and you've hardly looked at me once. The only person you see is Don, Don, Don." And the worst part that was really depressing is when Felix was talking with her mom about this, something happened about what the girl and her mother were talking about, and we can understand this event from Felix's narrative of the story when she said: "then Don joined us, and Mom forgot all about me. Letting him take her hand, she strolled toward the shops in the square." And from these quotes we conclude that the overwhelming love and their selfishness, while they just think who to have a private and romantic time, make them neglect their sons which led to a huge disaster.
In general, the story was great because it has a lot of hidden messages to conclude and learn. There is a big lesson we can learn from each one of these messages, the message behind the story, and the author's message, is that we shouldn't trust our first impression of people, and we should not trust them the first moment we meet them. And we don’t have to believe everything that they say to us and we can see this especially in the first meeting of Felix and Grace in Toledo when Felix just was telling lies about her rich family and what she got. In addition, Felix believed that Grace is her friend while Grace just thinks to kidnap her to get financial ransom to help others. And I liked how that the author arranges the events in an exciting way and who she was giving some hints to guess and give you some chances to expect what might happen in the main event of the story. So I will say that it's an amazing and an interesting story.
The story talking about a Family that formed recently, when the mother of Felix married Amy's and Phillip's father. The story starts when the new family were in Spain for the honeymoon of the new couple, when the children were lost in Toledo Spain, they meet a woman who is called Grace she was a beautiful, mysterious, and a citizen of the world. Grace helped the kids to go back to their parents and also she volunteered to show the girls and Phillip the castles and the windmills that the normal tourists never see, when they were so far away in Grace's car, driving down a dusty back road, Felix noticed that something wrong is happening, she realized that Grace isn't a good and friendly woman, and from this moment, the most dangerous and frightening experience in their lives has begun.
In the story there are many characters but there is one character that I loved more than the other characters, and there is another character that I disliked. The character that I liked was Grace, she was the one who planned for the kidnapping disaster, it the same time, she was protecting the kids who she and her friends kidnapped. Also the main aims of her behaviors were charity, and we can see this in the in the story when she Contributed to kidnap the kids to take financial ransom to help the poor kids in other countries and without taking any amount for herself. And the most character that I disliked in the story is Charles because his role in the story was all the time the wicked one, and because that he was very bad person and his treatment were bad with the small kids. And he tried more than one time to change the plan that he and Grace and Orlando had potted from helping the poor kids to apportionment the ransom money between them.
So I would like to say that the thing that makes me mad more than anything else is the more than necessary love between Mom and Don, which was of the many reasons that led to the Spanish kidnapping disaster. We can see that in the first event in the story even in the first page when Felix said: " I think I went with her because I was tired of walking behind Mom, ignored and forgotten while she held hands with Don." And we can see that it the end of the first obstacle in the story when the children were lost in the middle of Spain, and when they came back to their parents safe. Felix said to her mother: "and you've hardly looked at me once. The only person you see is Don, Don, Don." And the worst part that was really depressing is when Felix was talking with her mom about this, something happened about what the girl and her mother were talking about, and we can understand this event from Felix's narrative of the story when she said: "then Don joined us, and Mom forgot all about me. Letting him take her hand, she strolled toward the shops in the square." And from these quotes we conclude that the overwhelming love and their selfishness, while they just think who to have a private and romantic time, make them neglect their sons which led to a huge disaster.
In general, the story was great because it has a lot of hidden messages to conclude and learn. There is a big lesson we can learn from each one of these messages, the message behind the story, and the author's message, is that we shouldn't trust our first impression of people, and we should not trust them the first moment we meet them. And we don’t have to believe everything that they say to us and we can see this especially in the first meeting of Felix and Grace in Toledo when Felix just was telling lies about her rich family and what she got. In addition, Felix believed that Grace is her friend while Grace just thinks to kidnap her to get financial ransom to help others. And I liked how that the author arranges the events in an exciting way and who she was giving some hints to guess and give you some chances to expect what might happen in the main event of the story. So I will say that it's an amazing and an interesting story.
December 25, 2022
This story is all about trust, strangers, and the importance of family. The story begins with a "mixed" family on a honeymoon, which none of the kids want to be on. Step-siblings Amy, Philip, and Felicia (named Felix) can't seem to get along. It takes kidnapping, danger, and rescue to bring the three step-siblings together. Finally, Amy and Felix decide that "having a sister might not be so bad after all." The book was an easy read, not taking more than half an hour to read. Although the storyline was intriguing, especially for a Spanish learner like me, I wasn't fully entertained with the story. But I didn't entirely dislike it either. I appreciated how things were 'corrected' apologized for, and solved in the end. I'm not sure if I would recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
Mary Downing Hahn has a way with suspense. This book had me on the edge of my seat.
I'm impressed how she manages to get two families to come together as one through a disaster. I couldn't imagine being a kid in a foreign country and being kidnapped and then finding my way out of it with very little knowledge of their language. These kids had to make some very important decisions to get back to their parents safely.
I would recommend this book to middle schoolers.
I'm impressed how she manages to get two families to come together as one through a disaster. I couldn't imagine being a kid in a foreign country and being kidnapped and then finding my way out of it with very little knowledge of their language. These kids had to make some very important decisions to get back to their parents safely.
I would recommend this book to middle schoolers.
June 8, 2023
The 19th Hahn book I read and this one is by far the most unbearable and I’ve liked most of the others, but this one just feels forced, tired, and don’t get me started on the cultural bias and poorly conjugated translations.
February 19, 2024
Weak outing by Mary Downing Hahn. Didn't like it in childhood and still find it contrived, though I remain enamored of the cover and it will make you want to travel to Spain, kidnappers aside.
Her other stuff is wonderful, though!
Her other stuff is wonderful, though!
May 21, 2021
I love it
June 18, 2013
This had some of the elements of my favorite type stories- adventure in a foreign country. Written in the first person and narrated by 12 year-old Felix (Felicia), she is in Spain accompanying her mother on her honeymoon. Don, the new husband is okay but with him came a stepsister, 12 year-old Amy, and a younger stepbrother, Phillip, whom Felix describes as a sniveling brat. Felix and Amy do not get along at all. Felix is fascinated when they meet beautiful Grace, who describes herself as a "citizen of the world" and wants to be just like her. She can't help herself bragging about all they own back home in America, even though most of it is exaggeration. Amy is disdainful. The parents, wanting to be alone, agree to allow the three children to go off with Grace in her battered car to see windmills. Yep, they're kidnapped by two ruthless men, who are demanding a huge ransom for the three children. Their plight is pretty scary and both Felix and Amy grow up a lot before they finally get back to their parents.
September 30, 2014
4 STARS
"Twelve-year-old Felix is fascinated. She has never met a woman like Grace -- beautiful, mysterious, and a citizen of the world. If it weren't for Grace, the family's trip to Spain might have been pretty dull.The trouble started when Felix and her stepsister Amy got lost in the middle of Spain, and Grace came to their rescue. Grace not only helped them find the rest of the family, but volunteered to show Felix, Amy, and her brother castles and windmills and Grace's car, bouncing down a dusty back road, when Felix realizes something is very wrong. Grace is not her friend...and they're headed for the most dangerous and terrifying experience of their lives!" (From Amazon)
A fabulous suspenseful story for preteen and teens. I love Downing Hahn as a kid and would reread them most summers.
"Twelve-year-old Felix is fascinated. She has never met a woman like Grace -- beautiful, mysterious, and a citizen of the world. If it weren't for Grace, the family's trip to Spain might have been pretty dull.The trouble started when Felix and her stepsister Amy got lost in the middle of Spain, and Grace came to their rescue. Grace not only helped them find the rest of the family, but volunteered to show Felix, Amy, and her brother castles and windmills and Grace's car, bouncing down a dusty back road, when Felix realizes something is very wrong. Grace is not her friend...and they're headed for the most dangerous and terrifying experience of their lives!" (From Amazon)
A fabulous suspenseful story for preteen and teens. I love Downing Hahn as a kid and would reread them most summers.
July 30, 2013
I loved this book when I first read it in middle school and I have read it MANY times since then!!!! Would have to say this is my single favorite book of all time that wasnt a series, which I have an obsession over. Its a book whose title I will always remember that I love and the story is so much fun to read!
December 16, 2011
I gave this book five stars because it was suspenseful and kept me reading. I would reckamend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful books. It was really suprising and I didn't expect what happened to happen. The charactors did risky things to escape and I think they were very brave.
March 13, 2008
I have faint memories of this book but I do recall it was one of my favorites by her.I'm planning on re-reading them if I can find them.^^
April 30, 2008
Ste-siblings are kidnapped by a seemingly benevolent, free-spirited character, Grace, and must band together to survive. Perhaps a bit quaint, but it has it's twists and turns.
Read
April 9, 2010I don't remember much about this book beyond reading it in grade school along with all the other Mary Downing Hahn and Willo Davis Roberts. Staples of my childhood reading.
January 20, 2011
I love this book :)
June 3, 2012
A very suspenseful novel! I can get away to Spain without booking a flight! (:
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
June 10, 2012
I liked this one. I may have been biased from my live of Spain . Easy read. Will recommend.
January 7, 2024
How is this children's literature...but I sure as hell loved it back in the day.
Want to read
March 4, 2015Listed as Q3 = A good story with some faults, P3 = A booktalk on this title will excite most people’s interest
May 10, 2015
22/25
5 original
4 good topic
5 fast read
4 plot
4 opinion
5 original
4 good topic
5 fast read
4 plot
4 opinion
December 1, 2010
My fav book of 4th grade!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews