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Platform 13 #1
The Secret of Platform 13
Under Platform 13 at King's Cross Station there is a secret door that leads to a magical island . . .It appears only once every nine years. And when it opens, four mysterious figures step into the streets of London. A wizard, an ogre, a fey and a young hag have come to find the prince of their kingdom, stolen as a baby nine years before.But the prince has become a horrible rich boy called Raymond Trottle, who doesn't understand magic and is determined not to be rescued.Shortlisted for the Smarties Prize, The Secret of Platform 13 is an exciting magical adventure from Eva Ibbotson, the award-winning author of Journey to the River Sea.'This kind of fun will never fail to delight' Philip Pullman
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 1994
256 people are currently reading
8592 people want to read
About the author
Eva Ibbotson
79 books2,357 followersEva Ibbotson (Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,102 reviews
February 22, 2022
when they hear the words "secret magic door to a fantastical land on a british train platform," most people think of harry potter.
what a sad life most people lead.
eva ibbotson over jk rowling any damn day of the week.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago and am constantly belligerent
what a sad life most people lead.
eva ibbotson over jk rowling any damn day of the week.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago and am constantly belligerent
October 31, 2015
A really fun, simple and magical read. It reminded me a lot of Harry Potter, what with platform 13 being like platform 9 and 3/4's, and Raymond/Ben were just like Dudley/Harry, and Mrs Trottle was sort of like Mrs Dursley.
October 16, 2013
This book has magic flowing throughout every word- I can't stress enough how much I love it. I still have the old copy from when I was very small, with my name shakily written on the inside cover. When we were asked at school what we thought heaven would be like, I simply read out Ibbotson's description of 'the island', an island with curving beaches, mermaids, hags and the all-important mistmakers. It manages to include everything a child would need to know about being good and kind, about how people are different (and there's no need to shout about it), and about how people and nature are worth more than gold or toys.
I'm 20 now and in university, and whenever I'm missing home or feeling horrible, I reread this book and immediately feel better. I'd like to thank Eva Ibbotson for giving this important part of my childhood.
Also, when this edition gets to be 19 years old, the pages go a lovely shade of yellow and it smells really, really good.
I'm 20 now and in university, and whenever I'm missing home or feeling horrible, I reread this book and immediately feel better. I'd like to thank Eva Ibbotson for giving this important part of my childhood.
Also, when this edition gets to be 19 years old, the pages go a lovely shade of yellow and it smells really, really good.
October 15, 2019
A nice little book that i have read together with my 10 year old son, he did not like it at all.... he was struck by the fact that you can steal children and grow them up as if they were your own..( nothing managed to change his mind despite having explained that it was only a story...) Nothing to do, he was impressed and nothing else in the plot softened him a bit in his vision.
I liked it, but nothing so special, the characters are little developed and too much meat on the fire. Just to remember, this is the famous book whose Rowling has risked to be denounced for plagiarism...( Many embryonic aspects then are found in the Harry 's books); and at the end Ibbotson judged Rowling a true genius and she said that there was only to be happy to have given her ideas for the writing of Harry Potter. 🤷♂️
Un libro simpatico letto insieme a mio figlio di 9 anni, a lui nn è piaciuto per niente.... è rimasto colpito dal fatto che si possano rubare bambini e crescere cosi come se fossero propri..( nulla è riuscito a farlo ricredere nonostante abbia spiegato che fosse solo una storia...) Niente da fare, ne è rimasto impressionato e null'altro della trama lo ha un po' ammorbidito nella sua visione...
A me è piaciuto, ma nulla di così particolare, i personaggi poco sviluppati e troppa carne sul fuoco. Giusto x ricordare, questo è il famoso libro la cui Rowling ha rischiato di brutto di venire denunciata x plagio...( Tantissimi aspetti embrionali poi si ritrovano nella saga di Harry) fortuna avuto che la Ibbotson abbia giudicato la Rowling un vero genio e vi era solo da essere felici di averle dato spunti x la scrittura di Harry Potter
I liked it, but nothing so special, the characters are little developed and too much meat on the fire. Just to remember, this is the famous book whose Rowling has risked to be denounced for plagiarism...( Many embryonic aspects then are found in the Harry 's books); and at the end Ibbotson judged Rowling a true genius and she said that there was only to be happy to have given her ideas for the writing of Harry Potter. 🤷♂️
Un libro simpatico letto insieme a mio figlio di 9 anni, a lui nn è piaciuto per niente.... è rimasto colpito dal fatto che si possano rubare bambini e crescere cosi come se fossero propri..( nulla è riuscito a farlo ricredere nonostante abbia spiegato che fosse solo una storia...) Niente da fare, ne è rimasto impressionato e null'altro della trama lo ha un po' ammorbidito nella sua visione...
A me è piaciuto, ma nulla di così particolare, i personaggi poco sviluppati e troppa carne sul fuoco. Giusto x ricordare, questo è il famoso libro la cui Rowling ha rischiato di brutto di venire denunciata x plagio...( Tantissimi aspetti embrionali poi si ritrovano nella saga di Harry) fortuna avuto che la Ibbotson abbia giudicato la Rowling un vero genio e vi era solo da essere felici di averle dato spunti x la scrittura di Harry Potter
October 16, 2014
One of my kids brought this book home from the school library several years ago and (true to form) I swiped it when they were done and read it.* I think younger Harry Potter fans would enjoy this book. As in the HP books, there's a platform at London's Kings Cross Station that leads to a different, magical world.** This magical porthole opens only once every nine years, for a nine-day period. Nine years ago, the baby prince of this magical land was kidnapped while visiting our world. And now that the porthole has finally opened again, it's time to mount a rescue expedition! (consisting of a giant, a fey, a wizard and a rather ordinary-looking hag).
This was a charming and humorous MG/YA book.
*Personally, I think I deserve major mom points for reading most of what my kids are reading. (The fact that I probably want to read most of these books anyway should not result in a deduction from my points.)
**Side note #2: This book actually was published 3 years before the first Harry Potter book, which has resulted in some raised eyebrows, but Ibbotson says she holds no grudges against Rowling.
This was a charming and humorous MG/YA book.
*Personally, I think I deserve major mom points for reading most of what my kids are reading. (The fact that I probably want to read most of these books anyway should not result in a deduction from my points.)
**Side note #2: This book actually was published 3 years before the first Harry Potter book, which has resulted in some raised eyebrows, but Ibbotson says she holds no grudges against Rowling.
January 30, 2024
The audio of this was delightful! This is a lovely beginning fantasy novel with lots of funny/weird creatures with delightful names and quirks and an endearing story of a lost prince that brought tears to my eyes at the end. Some of the names are too funny. My favorites are Odge the Hag and Gherkintrude. (Gherkins like pickles instead of Gertrude 😂)
December 6, 2020
Am I worried that I dove into a kids book all by myself? Nope. Does it matter that I'm not a kid? Also - nope!
It might be weird that I dove into The Secret of Platform 13 while I'm in the middle of re-reading Harry Potter though. Mostly because I was looking at the reviews before I decided to write mine and many people mentioned Harry Potter lovers loving this book. So, yeah, it might be a coincidence.. or I might just be weird for randomly finding this book to read for a certain challenge.
In the end, all that matters is that I enjoyed the book. It honestly didn't faze me that people could steal children and then raise them as their own. I mean.. we live in this real world where that does happen. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing since I just went with it all. Then again, it is a book.
Back to the book though. Right from the very start, things start happening. We get introduced to a world where it didn't matter what magical creature was taking care of a baby. They just were. So every nine years, for about nine days, a doorway is open. The adventure this time around is to save the prince and trust me, it was a lot of fun to read about.
In the end, can I take a quick vacation to this wonderful island?
It might be weird that I dove into The Secret of Platform 13 while I'm in the middle of re-reading Harry Potter though. Mostly because I was looking at the reviews before I decided to write mine and many people mentioned Harry Potter lovers loving this book. So, yeah, it might be a coincidence.. or I might just be weird for randomly finding this book to read for a certain challenge.
In the end, all that matters is that I enjoyed the book. It honestly didn't faze me that people could steal children and then raise them as their own. I mean.. we live in this real world where that does happen. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing since I just went with it all. Then again, it is a book.
Back to the book though. Right from the very start, things start happening. We get introduced to a world where it didn't matter what magical creature was taking care of a baby. They just were. So every nine years, for about nine days, a doorway is open. The adventure this time around is to save the prince and trust me, it was a lot of fun to read about.
In the end, can I take a quick vacation to this wonderful island?
March 16, 2017
I haven't read this since I was very, very small, and an adult re-read didn't disappoint. I can definitely see moments referenced in Harry Potter - the bratty, spoiled child in a delicious incident with a Knickerbocker Glory, to say the least - but as the Ibbotson herself has said she would "like to shake [J.K Rowling] by the hand. I think we all borrow from each other as writers." I can hardly take umbrage. Both books are fantastic, both authors equally so.
November 10, 2015
Wow...I'll never look at knitting needles the same way again. Thanks a lot, Soft Parts Doreen.
Seriously, though, why isn't this book a well-known classic? It was so charming and funny and addicting. It was like Roald Dahl with a bit of Narnia and Harry Potter thrown in. I loved the writing style, the characters, the plot, everything! What is it with the British and their children's books? They write kids' classics better than anyone else.
Every time I read a new middle grade, I'm hoping that it will be just like this...a new favorite.
Seriously, though, why isn't this book a well-known classic? It was so charming and funny and addicting. It was like Roald Dahl with a bit of Narnia and Harry Potter thrown in. I loved the writing style, the characters, the plot, everything! What is it with the British and their children's books? They write kids' classics better than anyone else.
Every time I read a new middle grade, I'm hoping that it will be just like this...a new favorite.
August 26, 2020
Ho voluto rileggere questo romanzo della mia fanciullezza dopo aver saputo recentemente che "parrebbe" che da questo libro J. K. Rowling abbia "tratto ispirazione" per il suo Harry Potter. Quando lo lessi da ragazzo, tra l'altro a poca distanza dal primo volume della celebre saga, non mi accorsi di queste assonanze e devo dire che, se si esclude il fatto che nel libro della Ibbotson il protagonista è un ragazzino senza genitori che, prima di scoprire di essere -ovviamente- speciale, viene continuamente maltrattato dalla famiglia cafona (con tanto di figliolo grasso, stupido e viziatissimo) presso cui dimora; che anche qui c'è un passaggio segreto alla stazione di King's Cross di Londra che porta ad un mondo magico parallelo al nostro, con meravigliose creature ed animali fantastici; escludendo tutto ciò, dicevo, non vedo proprio cosa possano avere in comune i due libri!
Detto ciò, il romanzo era e rimane una lettura incantevole.
Detto ciò, il romanzo era e rimane una lettura incantevole.
October 9, 2019
I have a 7 year old granddaughter who is a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I think she would love this book. She (Meredith) has a birthday next month, and this will definately be one of her gifts.
Note: The parallels between The Secret of Platform 13 and Harry Potter are inescapable. This book actually was published 3 years before the first Harry Potter book. I appreciate the fact that it is not nearly as dark as the Harry Potter series.
Update: I gave this to Mere for her 8th birthday - March 25.
Note: The parallels between The Secret of Platform 13 and Harry Potter are inescapable. This book actually was published 3 years before the first Harry Potter book. I appreciate the fact that it is not nearly as dark as the Harry Potter series.
Update: I gave this to Mere for her 8th birthday - March 25.
April 17, 2024
The first thing you’ll read on the back of this book is that this is the book that inspired Harry Potter and to be honest I didn’t think too much about it.
There are probably a lot of books out there that claim to be THE book before Harry Potter or something, but as soon as I started it I was just so shocked because there are WAY too many parallels between the two to be coincidences.
Ben IS basically Harry and the Trouts the Durselys and even King’s Cross plays an important, almost similar role in both. Like, is it just me or is it really obvious that Rowling basically copy-pasted a lot?
So for a good 20 pages I was completely baffled but once I was into the story, I loved it.
There is just something so incredibly entertaining about “older” children's books, where the authors brought such a lot of their own personalities into their books and especially Eva Ibottson, who is one of my favorite middle-grade authors of all time, does that a lot.
But it’s not just that that makes her books so special to me; I just love how magical all of her stories are. They are unique, funny, well written and who doesn’t love a good underdog story?
There are probably a lot of books out there that claim to be THE book before Harry Potter or something, but as soon as I started it I was just so shocked because there are WAY too many parallels between the two to be coincidences.
Ben IS basically Harry and the Trouts the Durselys and even King’s Cross plays an important, almost similar role in both. Like, is it just me or is it really obvious that Rowling basically copy-pasted a lot?
So for a good 20 pages I was completely baffled but once I was into the story, I loved it.
There is just something so incredibly entertaining about “older” children's books, where the authors brought such a lot of their own personalities into their books and especially Eva Ibottson, who is one of my favorite middle-grade authors of all time, does that a lot.
But it’s not just that that makes her books so special to me; I just love how magical all of her stories are. They are unique, funny, well written and who doesn’t love a good underdog story?
February 19, 2012
Oh, oh, oh, my love for Eva Ibbotson utterly continues.
The Secret of Platform 13 is furiously magical and madly inventive. It's the story of a hidden island, wrapped away from the 'everyday' by magic and mists (mists made, fyi, by the *most* amazing creation ever - mistmakers, seal-like creatures who produce mist every time they hear beautiful music). The island is accessible through a secret door on Platform 13, Kings Cross which opens briefly every nine years.
The island is desperately missing their Prince, kidnapped when the island last opened, and now they're going to get him back. It's a rescue mission, haphazard and chaotic and dizzily funny, and it doesn't run smoothly!
Ibbotson's beautiful skills with magical and mysterious creatures remains ineffable. She writes with a loving, brilliantly inventive touch and isn't afraid to inject darker overtones (the Harpies, for example, are amazingly unnerving).
I love Ibbotson, and if you've not discovered her before, this is an excellent starting point. The parallels between The Secret of Platform 13 and Harry Potter are inescapable (Platform 13 was printed first, fyi) and I'd reccommend The Secret of Platform 13 for readers who are searching to discover the 'new' Harry Potter series. There's a lot of life in the old dog yet.
The Secret of Platform 13 is furiously magical and madly inventive. It's the story of a hidden island, wrapped away from the 'everyday' by magic and mists (mists made, fyi, by the *most* amazing creation ever - mistmakers, seal-like creatures who produce mist every time they hear beautiful music). The island is accessible through a secret door on Platform 13, Kings Cross which opens briefly every nine years.
The island is desperately missing their Prince, kidnapped when the island last opened, and now they're going to get him back. It's a rescue mission, haphazard and chaotic and dizzily funny, and it doesn't run smoothly!
Ibbotson's beautiful skills with magical and mysterious creatures remains ineffable. She writes with a loving, brilliantly inventive touch and isn't afraid to inject darker overtones (the Harpies, for example, are amazingly unnerving).
I love Ibbotson, and if you've not discovered her before, this is an excellent starting point. The parallels between The Secret of Platform 13 and Harry Potter are inescapable (Platform 13 was printed first, fyi) and I'd reccommend The Secret of Platform 13 for readers who are searching to discover the 'new' Harry Potter series. There's a lot of life in the old dog yet.
April 14, 2017
Vom Bahnsteig 13, des bekannten Bahnhofs Kings Cross, führt alle neun Jahre ein Weg zu der Insel Gügel. Es ist ein wundervolles Land angefüllt mit Nixen, Hexen, Riesen und anderen Wesen, die uns sonst nur in Märchen und Fantasybüchern begegnen. Regiert wird die Insel von einem liebenswerten Königspaar, dass nach Jahren ein kleiner Prinz geboren wird. Leider währt die Freude nicht lange, da der Prinz in London entführt wird und der Zugang zum Gügel sich erst in neun Jahren wieder öffnet...
Diese Geschichte soll J.K. Rowling zu Harry Potter inspiriert haben und es gibt da schon einige Parallelen. Ich mochte die Charaktere sehr gerne, besonders der Nebling hat es mir angetan. Mir hat es so gut gefallen, dass ich es unbedingt auch als Print im Regal stehen haben möchte. (Ilona)
Diese Geschichte soll J.K. Rowling zu Harry Potter inspiriert haben und es gibt da schon einige Parallelen. Ich mochte die Charaktere sehr gerne, besonders der Nebling hat es mir angetan. Mir hat es so gut gefallen, dass ich es unbedingt auch als Print im Regal stehen haben möchte. (Ilona)
October 15, 2020
Hace tiempo leí varios comentarios que comentaban que J. K. Rowling había copiado su historia de este libro y, por supuesto, me entró la curiosidad.
Entiendo el por qué lo dijeron, aunque no comparto la idea. Hay algún dato parecido: King's Cross, un niño mimado y uno explotado... Pero ahí se termina la similitud. Esta novela es infantil y trata sobre un mundo mágico que 9 días cada 9 años puede pasar a Londres. Una de esas veces que la puerta se abre ocurre un suceso muy triste y 9 años después tienen que intentar remediarlo.
Yo he disfrutado de ella, pese (o también porque 😜) a estar enfocado a niños de... ¿9-12 años?. Me ha recordado un poco al estilo de Roald Dahl y mejor piropo que ese no le puedo echar.
Entiendo el por qué lo dijeron, aunque no comparto la idea. Hay algún dato parecido: King's Cross, un niño mimado y uno explotado... Pero ahí se termina la similitud. Esta novela es infantil y trata sobre un mundo mágico que 9 días cada 9 años puede pasar a Londres. Una de esas veces que la puerta se abre ocurre un suceso muy triste y 9 años después tienen que intentar remediarlo.
Yo he disfrutado de ella, pese (o también porque 😜) a estar enfocado a niños de... ¿9-12 años?. Me ha recordado un poco al estilo de Roald Dahl y mejor piropo que ese no le puedo echar.
November 22, 2021
Not as cute as the dog book, but it was fun.
This book is a rescue mission to find the missing child of magical land. Several magical creatures set out on their mission, but when they locate who they think the prince is, they don't know if they'll be able to convince him to come back and time is running out.
I liked this overall, but it was pretty predictable. I didn't like that Raymond was such a little asshole, though there are definitely kids like that. I wish we got to explore the magical island more, that would've been more fun.
Rep: white rich fat male MC, white poor orphaned male MC, various magical creatures.
CWs: Bullying, Kidnapping.
This book is a rescue mission to find the missing child of magical land. Several magical creatures set out on their mission, but when they locate who they think the prince is, they don't know if they'll be able to convince him to come back and time is running out.
I liked this overall, but it was pretty predictable. I didn't like that Raymond was such a little asshole, though there are definitely kids like that. I wish we got to explore the magical island more, that would've been more fun.
Rep: white rich fat male MC, white poor orphaned male MC, various magical creatures.
CWs: Bullying, Kidnapping.
October 11, 2022
Potter vibes. 💖✨
4⭐
4⭐
November 15, 2020
--- The Secret of Platform 13 ---
Plot: Inidongeng cerita anak, jadi...
Penokohan: Ok.
Gaya bercerita: Sudut pandang orang ketiga.
Novel ini saya beli bersamaan Penyihir Mencari Istri! Jadi inilah karya kedua dari Eva Ibbotson yang saya baca.
Kesimpulanya?
Tentu saja seperti bintang-bintang goodreads yang bertengger di atas review ini XD.
Oke.Mari mulai dengan basa-basi paling tidak penting, biar reviewnya nampak panjang //lho. Kalau melihat update baca saya pada novel ini... kalian akan sadar kalau saya menyampingkan novel ini dalam waktu cukup lama. Mungkin karena saya agak malas membaca buku "Baru" (baca: buku yang tidak pernah diselesaikan sebelumnya) dan saya terlalu sibuk bermain game.
...
.......Err, iya, maaf alasanya begitu.
...//acho!
Nah, tapi! Untungnya game Arknights yang lagi saya mainkan adalah tipe game sampingan yang punya auto deploy, sehingga saat auto deploy-nya berjalan dengan strategi acakadut milik saya, saya jadi agak bosan dan meraih buku terdekat...... The Secret of Platform 13! “ψ(｀∇´)ψ
Baca sinopsis langsung, ya^^.
Jauh. Jaaaaaaaaauuuhhhh sekali bedanya bagaimana candaan buku ini berhasil bikin saya ngakak-ngakak dibandingkan Which Witch. Penceritaannya terasa lebih solid. Dunianya unik dan imajinatif, sekaligus simpel dan mudah dibayangkan. Tokoh-tokohnya pun lebih lovable.
Saya suka tatanan plotnya. Tentu saja, kau akan tahu plot twist macam apa yang disimpan penulisnya. Tetapi semuanya terasa menyenangkan sekalipun kau sudah tahu garis besar apa yang akan terjadi. Mungkin ini karena interaksi tokoh-tokohnya juga sangat mudah dibayangkan dan sangat pas. Beberapa bisa bikin saya "awwwwww ヽ(*´з｀*)ﾉ" //heh.
Apalagi tokoh Odge dan Ben. Alamaaaak, Odge sepertinya benar-benar jatuh hati dengan dedikasi super tinggi (meski dia mungkin tidak begitu sadar juga) pada Ben. Bwahahahaha! XD
Mereka berdua manis sekali. Bagi saya, keduanya bagai gif dibawah ini....
Duh! Rasanya mau menulis lagi, tapi takut terlalu cerewet dan menghancurkan esensi bukunya. Pokoknya... begitulah! Ini benar-benar cangkirku^^.
[9.6/10]
Plot: Ini
Penokohan: Ok.
Gaya bercerita: Sudut pandang orang ketiga.
Novel ini saya beli bersamaan Penyihir Mencari Istri! Jadi inilah karya kedua dari Eva Ibbotson yang saya baca.
Kesimpulanya?
Tentu saja seperti bintang-bintang goodreads yang bertengger di atas review ini XD.
Oke.
...
.......Err, iya, maaf alasanya begitu.
...//acho!
Nah, tapi! Untungnya game Arknights yang lagi saya mainkan adalah tipe game sampingan yang punya auto deploy, sehingga saat auto deploy-nya berjalan dengan strategi acakadut milik saya, saya jadi agak bosan dan meraih buku terdekat...... The Secret of Platform 13! “ψ(｀∇´)ψ
"Kau ikut dengan kami, tentu saja," begitu kata Odge. "Kau ikut ke Pulau."
Dan Ben berkata, "Tidak bisa, Odge."
Hag itu marah sekali. "Tentu saja bisa. Kalau kau mencemaskan Raymond yang menyebalkan itu, jangan khawatir, karena jika dia tidak membaik setelah besar nanti, aku akan melakukan revolusi dan memenggal kepalanya. Kau lihat saja!"
Eva Ibbotson / The Secret of Platform 13 (hal 129)
Baca sinopsis langsung, ya^^.
Jauh. Jaaaaaaaaauuuhhhh sekali bedanya bagaimana candaan buku ini berhasil bikin saya ngakak-ngakak dibandingkan Which Witch. Penceritaannya terasa lebih solid. Dunianya unik dan imajinatif, sekaligus simpel dan mudah dibayangkan. Tokoh-tokohnya pun lebih lovable.
Ilustrasinya benar-benar menambah cita rasa membaca! Marvelous! (♥ó㉨ò)ﾉ♡
Saya suka tatanan plotnya. Tentu saja, kau akan tahu plot twist macam apa yang disimpan penulisnya. Tetapi semuanya terasa menyenangkan sekalipun kau sudah tahu garis besar apa yang akan terjadi. Mungkin ini karena interaksi tokoh-tokohnya juga sangat mudah dibayangkan dan sangat pas. Beberapa bisa bikin saya "awwwwww ヽ(*´з｀*)ﾉ" //heh.
Apalagi tokoh Odge dan Ben. Alamaaaak, Odge sepertinya benar-benar jatuh hati dengan dedikasi super tinggi (meski dia mungkin tidak begitu sadar juga) pada Ben. Bwahahahaha! XD
Mereka berdua manis sekali. Bagi saya, keduanya bagai gif dibawah ini....
(((DAN TENTU SAJA ODGE IBARAT SI RAMBUT UNGU ITU XDD /dur!)))
Duh! Rasanya mau menulis lagi, tapi takut terlalu cerewet dan menghancurkan esensi bukunya. Pokoknya... begitulah! Ini benar-benar cangkirku^^.
[9.6/10]
November 9, 2008
Chapter book - fantasy
For grades 2-7
An ogre, a wizard, a fey and a hag are sent to our world to rescue a young prince who was stolen as a baby in this humorous, low-fantasy adventure.
Every nine years, for nine days, a doorway is open between our world and the Island, which is inhabited by all manner of fantastical creatures; when four of these magical people come through to rescue their prince, the mix-ups and adventure that ensue are more than enough to keep any young fantasy fan entertained. Ibbotson's writing is chatty and her world is full of endearing and quirky characters, from the young hag Odge who wishes she could cough up frogs like her sister, to the friendly Ben who everyone wishes were the prince, instead of the unpleasant Raymond. While the fairly simple plot may appeal more to slightly younger readers, the pace, humor and characters would make this a great read-aloud for older children as well. It would also make a good read-alike for Harry Potter fans, particularly those who enjoy the atmosphere, fantastical creatures, and the humorous elements of the stories.
The Publisher's Weekly review focuses on description before managing to finally comment on the predictability, "well-drawn characters" and amusing qualities. School Library Journal has a more appealing description of the set-up, calling it a "lively fantasy" and commenting on similarities to Roald Dahl, another good read-alike suggestion.
For grades 2-7
An ogre, a wizard, a fey and a hag are sent to our world to rescue a young prince who was stolen as a baby in this humorous, low-fantasy adventure.
Every nine years, for nine days, a doorway is open between our world and the Island, which is inhabited by all manner of fantastical creatures; when four of these magical people come through to rescue their prince, the mix-ups and adventure that ensue are more than enough to keep any young fantasy fan entertained. Ibbotson's writing is chatty and her world is full of endearing and quirky characters, from the young hag Odge who wishes she could cough up frogs like her sister, to the friendly Ben who everyone wishes were the prince, instead of the unpleasant Raymond. While the fairly simple plot may appeal more to slightly younger readers, the pace, humor and characters would make this a great read-aloud for older children as well. It would also make a good read-alike for Harry Potter fans, particularly those who enjoy the atmosphere, fantastical creatures, and the humorous elements of the stories.
The Publisher's Weekly review focuses on description before managing to finally comment on the predictability, "well-drawn characters" and amusing qualities. School Library Journal has a more appealing description of the set-up, calling it a "lively fantasy" and commenting on similarities to Roald Dahl, another good read-alike suggestion.
November 13, 2022
When I was little I think I may have read The Secret of Platform 13 for the first time even before I read Harry Potter. I'm happy to see it still holds up today.
I think I've always liked the way good prevails in this one, especially in the way the characters are not always what you would expect. It's honestly super cute, and as an adult, I think we need to reread this kind of thing to remind ourselves how good people can be. I know I don't see a lot of ways that good always prevails in adult literature, and even less in adult life, so it's very comforting to revisit books like The Secret of Platform 13 once in a while.
The Secret of Platform 13 is easily my favorite of the older children's fantasy in the genre that I've been rereading lately. Definitely will feature in my future classroom. I'll post more about it's uses in my classroom on my other account.
I think I've always liked the way good prevails in this one, especially in the way the characters are not always what you would expect. It's honestly super cute, and as an adult, I think we need to reread this kind of thing to remind ourselves how good people can be. I know I don't see a lot of ways that good always prevails in adult literature, and even less in adult life, so it's very comforting to revisit books like The Secret of Platform 13 once in a while.
The Secret of Platform 13 is easily my favorite of the older children's fantasy in the genre that I've been rereading lately. Definitely will feature in my future classroom. I'll post more about it's uses in my classroom on my other account.
August 11, 2020
This wasn't my favorite though I'm not exactly the age for this book. I'm sure kids would enjoy it. To me, it felt too overwhelming and too much of everything, and the characters felt not sufficiently developed too.
I can't tell that I enjoyed it. It was pretty boring, to be honest. Though now after reading this book it's clear where the inspiration for the first part of the Harry Potter first book and some of its characters came from.
I can't tell that I enjoyed it. It was pretty boring, to be honest. Though now after reading this book it's clear where the inspiration for the first part of the Harry Potter first book and some of its characters came from.
September 9, 2023
Eva Ibbotson is one of my favorite authors ever, right up there with Eva IbbotsonC.S. Lewis, Rowling J.K., Elizabeth Peters and others because they combine good writing with a sense of humor and wit.
Ibbotson has a quirky writing style and it really flows in The Secret of Platform 13. I listened to the audio this time so I don't have any quotes to give, but on more than one occasion I just laughed out loud. My favorite quote of all times is from A Company of Swans and the description of the horrible Aunt, aunt who has a box in her room labeled “Louise Morton ....kept in her bedroom a labeled "String too short to tie."
Here we have a lost prince in London stolen from a magic island. This story is what happens with an ogre, a troll, a few and hag come to the rescue.
Ig you like Harry Potter there will be than a few similarities. This one came first. I do have to say that Raymond Throttle out-Dursleys the Dursleys.
Highly recommend for fantasy lovers, Harry Potter fans, children literature, and simply good writing. The audio was very well done as well.
Ibbotson has a quirky writing style and it really flows in The Secret of Platform 13. I listened to the audio this time so I don't have any quotes to give, but on more than one occasion I just laughed out loud. My favorite quote of all times is from A Company of Swans and the description of the horrible Aunt, aunt who has a box in her room labeled “Louise Morton ....kept in her bedroom a labeled "String too short to tie."
Here we have a lost prince in London stolen from a magic island. This story is what happens with an ogre, a troll, a few and hag come to the rescue.
Ig you like Harry Potter there will be than a few similarities. This one came first. I do have to say that Raymond Throttle out-Dursleys the Dursleys.
Highly recommend for fantasy lovers, Harry Potter fans, children literature, and simply good writing. The audio was very well done as well.
July 29, 2021
If you went to school nowadays and said to the children: 'what is a gump?' you would probably get some very silly answers…"
The Secret of Platform 13 is filled from top to bottom with a mixture of wit and humour and surprising ends to each chapter making the reader cling onto each page, desperately wanting to read more. So I was not surprised when I read that it was shortlisted for the Smarties prize.
Even the things that a child like I would quite happily skip downstairs for like your mother calling "dinner" or "time to watch a movie" seems like an unnecessary interruption. Without this book with merely a hundred and ninety pages, the world seems a distant and daunting place.
The whole story starts in "the Island" which is a mythical paradise with a mixture of non-magical and magical people; from the royal family to mistmakers and nymphs. Unfortunately the atmosphere isn't as fabulous as you'd imagine. As much as the whole Island would like to be happy, they also feel that their royalty should be an example to how they should live. And that is where the problem lies (what happens when your royal prince is abducted?).
In a disused platform (yes, you've guessed it, number 13) in Kings Cross Station is a hidden gump (basically a doorway but just with a much cooler name) that opens every nine years and is only accessible for nine days.
Shortly before the gump opens, the Queen gives birth to a baby boy. The three nurses, who are non-magical but live in the Island, are filled with homesickness and wish to visit London when the gump re-opens. They're given permission to do so but under the condition that they bring the prince with them.
As the plot unravels, disaster strikes and the Island's baby prince is stolen in the busy streets of London by a beastly woman named Mrs. Trottle who longs for a child.
Now the nine years have passed and a rescue party led by a wizard (with a eclectic gang of unlikely characters e.g. Hans, a slightly kooky fey, Gurkintrude, a wizard, Cornelius, better known as Cor, and a young hag named Odge, who joined because she was the same age as the prince would be and felt a sense of kinship to him) has been given the task of returning the prince to his Island.
In the limited time of two hundred and sixteen hours (nine days, I decided to do the maths) the rescue party use their wits and a little information to track down the location of the Trottle's. But time is running out and with the help of Ben, the Trottle's servant, who is loving, gentle and believes in magic, the party discovers the new identity of their prince.
His name is Raymond Trottle and he is fat, spoilt and doesn't believe in magic! Could life with an incredibly wealthy family in London totally change the prince? Or is something else at play – family secrets shared by Mrs Trottle and her Nanny, who cares for Ben so well? The rescue party's plans muddled?
I guess the reason that I love this book so much is that it has a wide variety of emotions and feeling packed inside. It shows that even the 'ugliest' of people can be the ones with the hearts that are a million times kinder than those who are 'pretty'.
Its humour relies on a fast pace, play on words and intelligent, young characters who are completely oblivious to how mature they sound. Sometimes I wanted to laugh, sometimes I wanted to cry, sometimes I wanted to get up and scream because who the characters were looking for was right in front of them!
Before I end my review, I just wanted to warn you that the ending has many surprises and you simply won't be able to predict them all…
In case you're wondering, as this novel was published in 1994, it was supposed to have been the inspiration for Harry Potter's journey to Hogwart's via King's Cross platform 9 ¾.
Finally, a big thanks to Eva Ibbotson (albeit post-humously) for saving our new generation from becoming a "distant and daunting place" by writing this fabulous novel, The Secret of Platform 13.
The Secret of Platform 13 is filled from top to bottom with a mixture of wit and humour and surprising ends to each chapter making the reader cling onto each page, desperately wanting to read more. So I was not surprised when I read that it was shortlisted for the Smarties prize.
Even the things that a child like I would quite happily skip downstairs for like your mother calling "dinner" or "time to watch a movie" seems like an unnecessary interruption. Without this book with merely a hundred and ninety pages, the world seems a distant and daunting place.
The whole story starts in "the Island" which is a mythical paradise with a mixture of non-magical and magical people; from the royal family to mistmakers and nymphs. Unfortunately the atmosphere isn't as fabulous as you'd imagine. As much as the whole Island would like to be happy, they also feel that their royalty should be an example to how they should live. And that is where the problem lies (what happens when your royal prince is abducted?).
In a disused platform (yes, you've guessed it, number 13) in Kings Cross Station is a hidden gump (basically a doorway but just with a much cooler name) that opens every nine years and is only accessible for nine days.
Shortly before the gump opens, the Queen gives birth to a baby boy. The three nurses, who are non-magical but live in the Island, are filled with homesickness and wish to visit London when the gump re-opens. They're given permission to do so but under the condition that they bring the prince with them.
As the plot unravels, disaster strikes and the Island's baby prince is stolen in the busy streets of London by a beastly woman named Mrs. Trottle who longs for a child.
Now the nine years have passed and a rescue party led by a wizard (with a eclectic gang of unlikely characters e.g. Hans, a slightly kooky fey, Gurkintrude, a wizard, Cornelius, better known as Cor, and a young hag named Odge, who joined because she was the same age as the prince would be and felt a sense of kinship to him) has been given the task of returning the prince to his Island.
In the limited time of two hundred and sixteen hours (nine days, I decided to do the maths) the rescue party use their wits and a little information to track down the location of the Trottle's. But time is running out and with the help of Ben, the Trottle's servant, who is loving, gentle and believes in magic, the party discovers the new identity of their prince.
His name is Raymond Trottle and he is fat, spoilt and doesn't believe in magic! Could life with an incredibly wealthy family in London totally change the prince? Or is something else at play – family secrets shared by Mrs Trottle and her Nanny, who cares for Ben so well? The rescue party's plans muddled?
I guess the reason that I love this book so much is that it has a wide variety of emotions and feeling packed inside. It shows that even the 'ugliest' of people can be the ones with the hearts that are a million times kinder than those who are 'pretty'.
Its humour relies on a fast pace, play on words and intelligent, young characters who are completely oblivious to how mature they sound. Sometimes I wanted to laugh, sometimes I wanted to cry, sometimes I wanted to get up and scream because who the characters were looking for was right in front of them!
Before I end my review, I just wanted to warn you that the ending has many surprises and you simply won't be able to predict them all…
In case you're wondering, as this novel was published in 1994, it was supposed to have been the inspiration for Harry Potter's journey to Hogwart's via King's Cross platform 9 ¾.
Finally, a big thanks to Eva Ibbotson (albeit post-humously) for saving our new generation from becoming a "distant and daunting place" by writing this fabulous novel, The Secret of Platform 13.
February 1, 2016
Under Platform 13 in the London railway station is a door between the world above and a fantasy Island inhabited by both human and magical creatures. Every 9 years for 9 days the door opens and people can pass between. The King and Queen of the Island are human but believe in all the magical creatures. They have a 3 month old son at the time of the opening. His 3 nurses being nostalgic about their old home above decide to visit for a few hours and take the baby along. But due to unfortunate circumstances the child is kidnapped and they can't find him before the door closes. The Kingdom is in sorrow and then 9 years later when the door opens again a rescue party is sent to find the Prince. The party is an old wizard, a garden fairy, a one-eyed giant, and a child hag. Their misadventures and the approaching deadline form the basis of the rest of the story. Great children's fantasy.
December 27, 2017
There was a lot to like about this book, but unfortunately, I found a lot to dislike too. The extremely fatphobic descriptions of the Dudley Dursley-esque character and his mother were deeply off-putting, and the description of the harpies might be the most misogynistic two pages I've read in a long while. I was really disappointed, as Eva Ibbotson's A Countess Below Stairs is one of my favorite books of all time, and her descriptive power is top notch - although now I worry that a reread might reveal similar attitudes in those character descriptions as well.
I almost gave this three stars, because I really did enjoy most of this book, until I realized that I really can't recommend this book to anyone, least of all a young reader whose worldview is still forming. A book that can't be enjoyed without lowering the bar for empathy can never rate highly with me.
I almost gave this three stars, because I really did enjoy most of this book, until I realized that I really can't recommend this book to anyone, least of all a young reader whose worldview is still forming. A book that can't be enjoyed without lowering the bar for empathy can never rate highly with me.
September 9, 2017
I read this because I had heard that it may have inspired JK Rowling to write Harry Potter. It is a very cute fantasy story, but meant for a young audience. Maybe third or fourth grade.
April 3, 2024
Read so long ago (pre-Harry Potter days), but I remember distinctly that this book taught me the word "hag."
July 28, 2021
Hands down, my favourite character is the lady who is always knitting - even in crowded restaurants - and acts like something of an assassin with her knitting needles...
June 5, 2019
A quest to find a missing prince. A portal that opens for a few days every nine years. A rescue mission by a hand-picked team. Obstacles to be overcome -- or else disaster follows. Eva Ibbotson writes a witty narrative that combines a comedy of errors with incipient tragedy, likeable protagonists with a dastardly antagonist, familiar landmarks with an insular fairyland straight out of legend.
Forget cranky critics who archly suggest J K Rowling ripped off ideas from this fantasy for her Boy Who Lived series: bar an access to a magical world via a platform on Kings Cross Station in London -- Platform 13 as opposed to Nine & Three Quarters -- and a boy rudely separated from his parents (and forced to sleep in a cupboard) there is little else that they share ... apart from the usual staples of witches and wizards, fantastic beasts and non-magic users.
The secret of platform 13, revealed in the first few pages, is that there is a kind of wormhole to the Island in the disused Gents toilet on Platform 13, access to which is available only during a narrow window of opportunity. Inhabitants from both worlds can use this 'gump' but actually very few non-magical people are aware of it. When the baby prince's nostalgic nurses make a return visit to London they're devastated when their charge is kidnapped whilst they're buying fish and chips, and the Island's Royal Family have to wait another nine years before an attempt can be made to rescue him.
Thus emerges a case of role reversal: traditionally it's human children who are kidnapped by the fairies, not vice versa. Eventually the grieving parents are able to send a hand-picked team consisting of a wizard, a fey, a cyclops and a young hag called Odge Grimble to locate and retrieve the lost prince before the gump closes again. But the youngster they discover, one Raymond Trottle, turns out to be an appallingly rude, spoilt individual, with a mother whom no one would want to wish on their worst enemy.
Ibbotson's playing with tropes is clever and, beneath the playful whimsy, serious. Many children harbour the daydream that they are in reality adopted, born to inherit an unknown destiny; here, the author expends some care to show the desperation of parents: the King and Queen who have lost their newborn son, and Mrs Trottle who, childless, selfishly resorts to a cruel substitution to adopt a youngster of her own.
As it turns out, the team of Islanders (including young Odge) and the supernatural denizens of London are more enamoured with the ill-treated Ben (the one who lives in a cupboard) than the awful Raymond, setting the stage for an intricate farce before, one hopes, it all comes right in the end.
Nostalgia for a lost life was a strong thread in Eva Ibbotson's fiction, no doubt deriving from her family having to flee Austria in the troubled years leading up to the Second World War; it is certainly present in this novel where the lost prince is concerned. While, as with many fairytales, one hopes for a happy and fair outcome, Ibbotson is skilful in deploying delayed gratification: the course of true justice never did run smooth or novels would all be terribly short.
Though not as celebrated as other fantasy writers of her time (such as Diana Wynne Jones or Joan Aiken) Ibbotson remains known as a writer for younger readers, with Dial a Ghost, Which Witch? and Journey to the River Sea usually cited, but she also wrote adult novels, now repackaged for the YA market. On the basis of these she deserves all the renown her works can garner.
Forget cranky critics who archly suggest J K Rowling ripped off ideas from this fantasy for her Boy Who Lived series: bar an access to a magical world via a platform on Kings Cross Station in London -- Platform 13 as opposed to Nine & Three Quarters -- and a boy rudely separated from his parents (and forced to sleep in a cupboard) there is little else that they share ... apart from the usual staples of witches and wizards, fantastic beasts and non-magic users.
The secret of platform 13, revealed in the first few pages, is that there is a kind of wormhole to the Island in the disused Gents toilet on Platform 13, access to which is available only during a narrow window of opportunity. Inhabitants from both worlds can use this 'gump' but actually very few non-magical people are aware of it. When the baby prince's nostalgic nurses make a return visit to London they're devastated when their charge is kidnapped whilst they're buying fish and chips, and the Island's Royal Family have to wait another nine years before an attempt can be made to rescue him.
Thus emerges a case of role reversal: traditionally it's human children who are kidnapped by the fairies, not vice versa. Eventually the grieving parents are able to send a hand-picked team consisting of a wizard, a fey, a cyclops and a young hag called Odge Grimble to locate and retrieve the lost prince before the gump closes again. But the youngster they discover, one Raymond Trottle, turns out to be an appallingly rude, spoilt individual, with a mother whom no one would want to wish on their worst enemy.
Ibbotson's playing with tropes is clever and, beneath the playful whimsy, serious. Many children harbour the daydream that they are in reality adopted, born to inherit an unknown destiny; here, the author expends some care to show the desperation of parents: the King and Queen who have lost their newborn son, and Mrs Trottle who, childless, selfishly resorts to a cruel substitution to adopt a youngster of her own.
As it turns out, the team of Islanders (including young Odge) and the supernatural denizens of London are more enamoured with the ill-treated Ben (the one who lives in a cupboard) than the awful Raymond, setting the stage for an intricate farce before, one hopes, it all comes right in the end.
Nostalgia for a lost life was a strong thread in Eva Ibbotson's fiction, no doubt deriving from her family having to flee Austria in the troubled years leading up to the Second World War; it is certainly present in this novel where the lost prince is concerned. While, as with many fairytales, one hopes for a happy and fair outcome, Ibbotson is skilful in deploying delayed gratification: the course of true justice never did run smooth or novels would all be terribly short.
Though not as celebrated as other fantasy writers of her time (such as Diana Wynne Jones or Joan Aiken) Ibbotson remains known as a writer for younger readers, with Dial a Ghost, Which Witch? and Journey to the River Sea usually cited, but she also wrote adult novels, now repackaged for the YA market. On the basis of these she deserves all the renown her works can garner.
March 26, 2025
What an absolutely delightful story. If you’ve read through all of Roald Dahl and Norman Juster and have wished for another tale that scratches the same itch as The Witches and Matilda and The Phantom Tollbooth, I can’t recommend The Secret of Platform 13 highly enough. This is especially true for Harry Potter fans. There are an awful lot of similarities between this slim novel and the first Harry Potter book—which came out 3 years after the publication of this book. There is, of course, the train platform linked to a magical world hidden within our own. And then there’s the entire dynamic between Ben and Raymond and Mrs. Trottle, which is very akin to that of Harry Potter and the Dursleys. But the similarities end when it comes to the storytelling style. The tone of this is fun and charming and just absolutely delightful in every way, which is why I was reminded of Dahl and Juster. And it is next to their books I’ll be shelving this story. It’s the kind of book that leaves a smile on your face when you finish the final page. I definitely recommend it, whether to young readers or those who are forever young at heart!
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