Press enter after choosing selection

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Riggs, Ransom. Book - 2011 Teen Fiction / Riggs, Ransom None on shelf 1 request on 1 copy Community Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Cover image for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Sign in to request

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Downtown Teen, 1st Floor
4-week checkout
Teen Fiction / Riggs, Ransom 4-week checkout On Hold Shelf

After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Young Adult Mystery submitted by crazypockets on June 16, 2012, 3:00pm I think my expectations for this book were a little high. I picked it up thinking it'd be a great young adult horror book, but it really wasn't scary at all. And the storyline wasn't all that original. Luckily the originality of the idea of incorporating the vintage photographs was a good distraction from the lack of interest in the story. I did enjoy the descriptions of the Welsh island, though. I think this would make a great movie, but I hope Tim Burton doesn't wind up doing it if only for his refusal to use real-life locations. You would lose so much of this story by not filming it on an actual Welsh island. In any case, it looks like the author's setting up to make this into a series, but I don't know if I'd be into it enough to continue reading. We'll see....

Started out good but got too unbelievable submitted by tmccullough on June 21, 2012, 1:11pm I loved the use of the strange vintage photographs. I also liked a lot of the peculiar children. I didn't like the "monsters" and found them unbelievable. I would not read a second book if the author decides to write a sequel.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children submitted by emjane on July 14, 2012, 7:36pm Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, though marketed to teens, has found well-deserved popularity among adults as well.

The story, by Ransom Riggs, follows Jacob, a 16-year-old kid who’s unsure how he feels about just about everything. One thing he does love, though, is his grandfather and the stories he shares. When Jacob was a child, he believed the tales of the monsters who went after his grandfather and the island where he found safety. As a teen, though, Jacob can see that the photographs of the islands other inhabitants have been doctored, and he suspects the monsters his grandfather speaks of are really the Nazis.

Things change, though, when Jacob’s grandfather suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances– Jacob begins to wonder whether or not there are aspects of truth in his grandfather’s stories. He talks his father into traveling with him to the island where his grandfather had found refuge so that he can investigate and determine the truth.

The pages of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children are strewn with the photographs Jacob’s grandfather shared. The images, which are actual antique photographs that Riggs gathered from collectors, help add to the story’s creepy ambiance.

I recommend the book for anyone interested in a twist on the typical adventure story. It’s a bit slow-going at first, but by page 100, the story picks up, and you can’t put it down.

Good submitted by Nicole Auerbach on August 19, 2012, 4:09pm I liked it. I liked the way Ransom Riggs put the photographs in the book. It wasn't too beleivable, though. It seems like it will be part of a series. The monsters were supposed to be scary, but they didn't really seem real, and it didn't seem like much of a horror story to me. I still liked it anyways.

Waiting for the sequel submitted by Allison B on August 2, 2013, 2:59pm I love how this book turned the stereotypical "oh, there's monsters/magic/special abilities, but really they're just made up due to trauma" thing completely around. I would absolutely read the sequel.

Something different submitted by camismom2 on April 28, 2014, 5:45pm I read this cover to cover in one night. I found it enjoyable. I have the sequel on hold and can't wait to read it!

Awesome Photos submitted by ijweintraub on June 17, 2016, 12:02pm This was really good. I loved how the author put in the photos. It added great visual effect to the story.

Yes! submitted by kzheng on July 9, 2016, 4:59pm This was actually my favorite one out of the series. I never would have though such a interesting story could form out of some creepy santa pictures.

highly recommend! submitted by 21621031390949 on August 24, 2016, 1:16pm What an original, unique book! I'd seen it on the bestseller lists for weeks, and then I stumbled upon a copy in my neighborhood's Little Free Library. Yes, it's a book for kids - middle school and up - but it's also clever and imaginative and quite fun for adults. The incorporation of the old, very peculiar photographs is just spectacular! I loved reading the authors notes and interview, telling about how he found the photographs.

Highly recommend for all teens, and for older folks who want to be amused by something offbeat

Great book submitted by yenkong on July 3, 2017, 11:16am Highly recommend. Great book.

Both Compelling and Slow submitted by Meginator on July 8, 2017, 10:30pm I really liked the premise of this novel, which felt original even in a crowded market for YA fantasy/paranormal stories- and this book will appeal to an adult audience, as well. Nothing here completely reinvents the wheel, but Ransom Riggs takes several familiar concepts (boarding schools, superpowers, and time travel among them) and tweaks them just enough so they feel fresh here. The characters are a bit on the bland, predictable side once you get past their peculiarities, but the setting and plot are depicted so well that this doesn't bog the novel down. The integration of old photographs is brilliant and seamless; they are both a part of and apart from the story in a way that I haven't seen before. Perhaps because of this, but also likely because of the efficient prose, I could absolutely picture the events happening in my head; I almost feel like I've been to the (apparently fictional?) island of Cairnholm. That said, the plot itself was formulaic enough to produce the strange dual effects of me wanting to turn the pages as quickly as possible to find out what would happen and also feeling like the reading experience was a bit of a slog; it was very strange, indeed. The book also suffers from a bit of set-up syndrome, insofar as it's clear that Riggs spends a lot of time setting the stage for a larger story, rather than creating a particularly taut single-book arc. The book does have a fitting conclusion and directly sets up the sequel, yet I felt that something was missing, even though I can't quite put my finger on it. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot but something in its technical construction felt a bit, shall we say, peculiar to me.

Liked submitted by kathscot on August 22, 2017, 3:15pm I liked this book and looking at the old photos. I hope the library has the sequel.

Just-- read it submitted by charbutcool on June 18, 2018, 12:17am This book is, to say, absolutely amazing. The incorporation of photographs occasionally add to the feel, being something I haven't seen often in novels personally. All in all, it's not shivers-down-your-spine horrifying, but follows more of an adventure plotline. Definitely a read worth your time!

As expected submitted by steveiew on June 22, 2018, 11:11am I put off reading this book despite hearing good things. I wasn't sure it would live up to the hype. I was right. It's a good book for a young teen but overall not too exciting. I won't be reading the sequel.

Highly recommend! submitted by priscilladu on July 4, 2018, 2:35pm This book, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is about a young boy named Jacob who idolizes his grandfather who tells him stories and shows him photos of peculiar children for example strong girls, invisible boys, and people with mouths in the backs of their heads. When Jacob is 15 years old, a strange monster kills his grandfather. Jacob's psychiatrist tells him to go to the island where his grandfather was raised to uncover the mysterious past. During his search, Jacob meets Emma Bloom and an invisible boy named Millard Nillings. They take him to Miss Peregrine's orphanage where Jacob meets many peculiar children with strange powers. He also discovers something mysterious about himself and his grandfather's past. I highly recommend this book because it was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot.

Okay submitted by zmclaugh on July 26, 2018, 12:25pm This was fun, but nothing special. It relies on a lot of tropes that you've seen before and doesn't really do anything new with them. I also didn't find myself very emotionally invested.

Great submitted by jagadees on August 4, 2018, 5:11pm One of my favorite books

Terrible submitted by maria.wyche on August 18, 2018, 3:10pm I read the graphic novel version and couldn’t get past the first few pages. It was so scary it gave me bad dreams for a month. A terrible read for younger children.

Pretty Good submitted by c_zhang on June 27, 2019, 12:33am At some points, it was a bit hard to get through, but overall an ok read.

Love the photos submitted by O'Eily on July 24, 2019, 2:39pm This is a great read, with exciting action and a wonderful mystery. The photos in here added to it were really cool as well.

Good book submitted by jasonc1177 on July 31, 2019, 7:36pm One of my favorite books

Book submitted by Clown81 on August 31, 2019, 4:20pm Tragic.

Very Good! submitted by saanvi2008 on August 9, 2021, 12:14pm I really like it

Favorite series submitted by Mairead Seyfarth on June 18, 2022, 11:21am This was one of the first series I read all the way through. Great world-building and an interesting approach to historical fantasy.

Too weird for me submitted by smgop on June 13, 2023, 11:03pm I had heard a lot of hype about this book. Not for me.

Amazing book, would recommend! submitted by dnkwalsh on June 18, 2023, 2:06pm This is a great book for anybody that enjoys fantasy. It is written really creatively, with descriptions based off of old photos found in thrift stores of donated by photographers. I am picky about books so I was very happy when I learned that this is a 6 book series. Has a magical take on true WW2 history.

Incredible Book submitted by MikkiMoscara on June 21, 2023, 9:32am I loved this book. I borrowed it from my daughter. Of course the book has more details than the movie. It also does a great job with helping illuminate the metaphors. It doesn't seem as literal in the descriptions, making it more real. I truly enjoyed the book. It's a beautiful story.

Cover image for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

SERIES
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
1.



PUBLISHED
Philadelphia, PA : Quirk Books, 2011.
Year Published: 2011
Description: 352 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

READING LEVEL
Lexile: 890

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9781594744761
1594744769
1594746036

SUBJECTS
Orphanages -- Fiction.
Islands -- Fiction.
Mystery and detective stories.