Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World

By: Katherine Hannigan

Narrated by: Lili Taylor

Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Ida B. Applewood is a fourth grader like no other, living a life like no other, with a voice like no other, and a family like no other, and her story will resonate long after this audiobook has ended. How does Ida B. cope when outside forces, life, really, attempt to derail her and her family and her future? She enters her Black Period, and it is not pretty. But then, with the help of a patient teacher, a loyal cat and dog, her beloved apple trees, and parents who believe in the same things she does (even if they sometimes act as though they don't), the resilience that is the very essence of Ida B. triumphs...and Ida B. Applewood takes the hand that is extended and starts to grow up.

This first novel is both very funny and extraordinarily moving, and it introduces two shining stars, author Katherine Hannigan and Ida B. Applewood.

©2004 Katherine Hannigan (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"Ida B. is a true character in every sense of the word. Through a masterful use of voice, Hannigan's first-person narration captures an unforgettable heroine with intelligence, spirit, and a unique imagination....This book begs to be read aloud." (School Library Journal)
"Hannigan gets it down brilliantly." (Booklist)

Captures Youthfulness

makes me love living. reminds me of Anne of Green Gables and Secret Garden. I want more.

Ida B. is a handful!

This story is about a highly imaginative, spunky little girl whose works gets flipped upside down when her mama gets cancer. She does her darnedest to make everything worse, while seemingly trying make it better. You will love the ups and downs and candid thoughts of this unusual little girl and her wild heart and mind.

I LOVE Ida B!!!!

What about Lili Taylor’s performance did you like?

I have read this one before to my 3rd graders and she sounded exactly like I imagined!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both! It is one of my all-time favorites!

Beautiful story, beautifully read

We fell in love with Ida B. Excellent narrator, too. Will look for more by this author/narrator.

Ida B - what a charmer!

I loved this story! Ida B is a 4th grader with a unique and imaginative view of her perfect world. But perfect doesn't last and Ida B must learn to cope with big changes. The author lets us inside Ida B's head and what a delightful view it is. A story not to be missed!

Family favorite

I love this book. It’s been a family favorite since my children were about 8-10 years old. I just downloaded at age 56 and enjoyed listening to it again. Great narration!

Beautiful Story that makes me laugh and cry

Would you consider the audio edition of Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World to be better than the print version?

Lili Taylor does such a fantastic job of narrating that it is hard to imagine reading it at this point. I laugh and I cry at this book. I have heard it 3 or 4 times. We will listen to it when we are doing a road trip. Right now my 5 year old and I are listening to it on our 1/2 hour drive to school in the mornings. A lot of the nuances are lost on my daughter who is only 5, but she loves the independence and imagination that Ida B shares. I find myself driving with tears running down my cheeks and I try not to look back at my daughter so that she doesn't see me with "Joys of tears" as she likes to say.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World?

I love the slow melting of Ida B's hardend heart by her grade school teacher over the course of a number of months. It makes me appreciate what a great teacher can bring to a child going through hard times.

Not quite all I wanted

Oh, Ida B., you were fun to read but perhaps not everything I hoped for regarding a middle-grade book on cancer.

Ida B., the character, is awesome, she has a fondness for all things not school-related. She has named all the trees on her family's property, has a great relationship with the brook on the edge of their farm, and loves her parents. But when Ida B. must go to school, everything changes.

I wanted to read this book for two reasons; the first was I wanted to see how other writers wrote for middle-grade, and the second was I wanted to see how an author would write a middle-grade book incorporating cancer into the plot. That is where the book fell short for me.

When Ida B.'s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ida B. turns sullen (understandable), but the vast majority of her energy (and the story) revolves around school and how because of her mother's diagnosis, Ida B. must attend traditional school rather than remain homeschooled. I wanted more "meat" regarding the cancer, regarding the child's feelings toward the cancer (not having to go to school because of her mother's cancer).

This is a good story, one not to shy away from, just don't read it with the thought you, or your child will get much, if anything, about children watching a cancer diagnosis play out. If you want a fun story about a fun character with a sprinkling of sadness, this is a wonderful option.