The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Jolly Regina

Written by Kara LaReau

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

In the spirit of A Series of Unfortunate Events and the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters will captivate middle-grade readers looking for humor, hijinks, and a swashbuckling good time. Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. Together, they patiently await the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and have never returned. One day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They're unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their parents. With Roald Dahl-esque wit, this new series is for readers who are looking for an anything-but-bland adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Jan 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781520047225

Kara LaReau

Kara LaReau was an editor at Candlewick Press prior to becoming a full-time writer. She has published many acclaimed picture books for children including Ugly Fish, Rabbit & Squirrel and Otto: The Boy Who Loved Cars. Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her husband and son and their two cats.

Reviews for The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters

[bragan_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a cute kids' book about two sisters who are content in their boring existence (even if they do wonder what happened to their parents), until they are kidnapped by a crew of female pirates. It's fun and amusing, with some charming illustrations, and while it's clearly aimed at kids, there are a few jokes in here for us older folks, too. (For instance, there's a pirate named Captain Ann Tennille. I do not expect there are many children who will get that reference, but I laughed out loud.)The one thing I'm not thrilled about is the part of the adventure involving the fat pirate cook. Come on, can't we have a story about women that doesn't involve harping on their weight? Or giving kids the impression that all one needs to stop being fat is a better attitude? Because there is a bit of that here, and I look askance at it.That aside, though, it's enjoyable, playful, and pleasant.Rating: I'm almost tempted to dock it half a point for the fat pirate thing. But I'll give it a 4/5, anyway.

[thebestemily · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice little package! Like the Series of Unfortunate Events, this book is not as easy as it looks, and between the pirate slang and the old fashioned vocabulary, it might work best as a read aloud. But for precocious young readers, it tells a good yarn with humor, heart, and a touch of feminism. And the pirates illustrations reminded me of Kate Beaton!