And the Arm, the Eye, The Ear

How do you suppose you would handle being taken from a safe, protected, and coddled environment into a dangerous, crazy, and completely foreign one? That's exactly what happened to Tendai, Rita, and Kuda in the book The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm, by Nacy Farmer. tendai,the eldest child, wanted to earn an explorers Badge by walking through the city with Rita, his younger sister, and Kuda, his youngest brother.
They didn't get far before they met the blue monkey. This is when their adventure begins. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda were first carried of to Dead's Man Vlei, where they meet the she Elepant. meanwhile thier parents realized thier children were missing. Tendai's father, who is a General, had his own plan to get the kids back, but Mrs. Matsika had other plans. She called The Ear, The eye, and The Arm Detective Agency.
The children go through a bizarre and unusual adventure, and all three show great strengh and groth, esecially Tendai, who grow from a boy to a man.

Although this book is named for three extremely unusual detectives, this in now mystery. This was probably the biggest shock when i started to read this book. This book takes place in the twenty second century in Zimbabwe, which has just ended a war on crime. The general of the paramilitary police, General Matsika, has three children who disappear after trying to work a scouting merit badge. The General tries to discover the wereabouts of his children, but finds his military task force is too large for any undercover missions. He is forced to call upon three detectives, the last of their kind in Zimbabwe. And if you couldn't guess, they are called the ear the eye and the arm. Now this may sound like a mystery, except it keeps on switching back to the kidnapped kids view, which although ands adventure to an otherwise boring book, defeats the purpose of the mystery. Over all a good read, it's strengths cover it's faults

Imagine a life in the future, completely enclosed in your own house, and robots control your life. Would you like to live here? Wouldn't you want to leave? Well, in The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm Tendai, Rita, and Kuda want to leave their home enclosure and be free. Tendai and Rita need their explorer's badge, but there isn't much to explore in the grounds of their house where not even a fly could get in undetected, ruling out their chances of escape. Since having a mellower who didn't care what happened, it was easy to get passcards for getting in and out of the house. Join Tendai, Rita, and Kuda as they come face to face with genetically engineered monkeys, enter the old toxic dump of Dead Man's Vlei, and get kidnapped by the worst of all gangs and the only one left, the Masks. So, if you are one of those oh-so-serious readers you will be reading only under pure pressure, but if you love science-fiction and adventures this will be the perfect story for you.

It is the year 2194 in Zimbabwe. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, General Matsika's children, sneak out on an adventure. The problem is that the children have never been outside and as soon as they go out they get kidnapped. Their parents contact three detectives, the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. Ear, Eye, and Arm have very special abilities like super eye sight, super hearing, and being able to feel other people's feelings. They go searching everywhere and get into all sorts of trouble.
The Masks, the only gang that the general didn't separate, were looking for young kids to train as their gang. They would love to get their hands on the general's kids! And to add more trouble to that, it would soon be Tendai's fourteenth birthday! Will the children be able to escape the terrible Masks? Will they be able to come home in time for Tendai's birthday? Will they even see their parents or their home again? Well these questions are for you to answer while you are reading.

...place- Harare, Zimbabwe
time-2194
It was the troubled time of the Masks, the only gang General Matsika had not yet wiped out.But little did he know that greater trouble was to come when his children vanished and ended up in some of the worst parts of the city, som even unknown.But when they do, he has no choice but to call in three of the strangest people in Harare. One has the power to see anything, one has the gift to hear anything(with his enormous and expandable ears) and one is not only psychic but also elastic!
So he puts what little faith he has left in the three freaks who call themselves detectives, yet he is stunned when they are hot on his kid's trail. But things get very dangerous when some politicians turn out to be part of the Masks. Can the detectives save the lives of the Matsika children and their own on top of a mile-high building? Find out...

Opening this book is like opening the door onto a crazy party in full swing. The plot centers on a family with three children in urban Zimbabwe, 2194. The family has a technologically complex life: house robots, flying cars, holophones. But the children feel constrained; led by young Tendai, they seek adventure. But as in today's Harare, the city's crowded streets are dangerous ("robots and traffic, crime and drugs"); the children are soon kidnapped and forced to slave in a toxic-waste dump, sifting for plastic, which has become rare. Meanwhile, their parents hire mutant detectives: the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. With no help from these marginally effective characters, the children escape the mine, but not back to their home. Instead, they end up in a parallel universe called Resthaven, which is essentially a Zimbabwean cattle-raising village of the past. The story bounces between the kids and the detectives.

Thus, the plot and setting are both bifurcated, sometimes to confusing effect. The pages brim over with invented technology, African words, odd characters with crazy names, mythological allusions, and richly described settings. It's as if the author wanted to capture everything she experienced in her almost two decades living in Zimbabwe. She seems unsure whether this is a comedy or a mystery, and the result is an overstuffed hodge-podge. There are simply too many notes; one thinks wistfully of Aristotle's unities of time, place, and action. The characters are mere ciphers. We never really get to know Tendai, and most of the others are just names (Trashman, She-Elephant, Arm).

Novels set in the future are often dystopias, and this one is no exception. It is often compared to Lois Lowry's The Giver, but it does not have that book's clarity and focus. The Giver tells a simple story with profound implications; this book tells a complex story with unclear implications. The Giver is thought-provoking; this book is just provoking. Praise often centers on the Resthaven section, which is the book's most coherent part. But teachers wanting to introduce students to African settings would do better to use Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Achebe writes about pastoral villages in his native land with spare deftness and sympathy, and no robots.

For upper middle school or high school readers. Notes and glossary appended.

The year is 2194, in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Chief of security of Zimbabwe, Amadeus Matsika, has 4 curious children. For all their life's, these children have only known, a guarded world, free of problems and violence. They have never been beyond their families estates walls. There house is guarded by cameras, robots and guards!

One day all four children decide to escape and visit the city. This is only the beginning of an incredible adventure that these children will take. When these children get lost over night, there cautious parents will get the Ear, the Eye and the Arm involved!

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm by Nancy farmer is a great science fiction book! This author's style of writing is for the person that likes an exciting, fast moving style of writing. I enjoyed this book because it combines mystery with futuristic science fiction.

I am currently enrolled in an adolescent literature class. This book was suggested to me by my local librarian. I did not know what to expect, because she only told me that she enjoyed reading it. I was not able to put it down.

The storyline was different but it was a good read and I think most adults who reads it will enjoy it, as well as the youth.

Tendai, Ruth and Kuda were positive, brave and smart. I loved Trashman and the Mellower. THe detectives sounded like something out of Star Wars or Star Trek. I could picture each of them vividly in my mind. I would love to have visited Resthaven. It sounds so natural and real.

I especially enjoyed the glossary and the appendix. I spent a lot of time flipping back to get the meaning of a word or find out more about the area, etc. I will definately look forward to reading more of Ms. Farmers work and findong out more about her.

The general of Zimbawe has lost his three children wo have escaped the house to recive a scout badge. On the journey they dissapear. The genral hiers the most unusual detectives in Africa. They are The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. They are probably the most unusual detec tives in the world. They have one objective only to which is to get the children bac safley. The children's adventures teac them the diffrent cultures outside of their enclosed home. The children manage to keep just out of range from the three detectives. The high tech stuff of their year 2194 and the evils of the past Zimbawe haunt them on their journey. there are a bunch of criminals who hate the genral's guts, and what a better way than to keep the genrals children as ransome for his life. Will the children escape evrey thing that's going on around their adventurous journey? Read and find out.

This world has only one gang. The dreaded Masks. But crime is still a problem. Would you choose to go out there or would you stay behind a heavily guarded wall like the characters in this book are. Tendai and his sister Rita and his brother Kuda are the children of the powerful General Mastika. Their life is like a prison with luxuries. The children want an adventure but to get out of the houseis impossible. It is like a prison and a palace both. Tendai and his siblings have never seen the outside world but yearn to. If they go out they will have to face the dangers and obstacles that come with it. When they are kidnapped, the children are going to finally have a real adventure! Tendai has to find a way to escape but he is not prepared. With an inexperienced brother and sister will they escape or will they be slaves forever?

Take a second and just think. Think about what it would be like if you were living 193 years from now in the year 2194. Imagine a world where robots do almost all of the work. Add in one military type father,one scientific mother,three children in a wide range of of ages who are not allowed to go out side the house walls. Throw in a mellower,Some one who praises you all the time, and some people who would love to do harm to the children. set the whole thing in a place that used to be a third world contry of Zimbabwe and, WALLA! you have THE EAR THE EYE AND THE ARM. this is a story with adventures, diffrent lifestyles from the beginning of time to the setting of the book, charicters comming so fast you forget their names, and last but not laest, an action-packed ending with the maening of be careful for what you wish for.

General Matasika's theree children went out of their house where they have never went wanting it to be an adventure but instead they where kidnapped. The leader of this kidnapping is a lady called the She Elephant. She want's to sell them to the las gang the general hasn't got. Luclkily they escaped but they go to an even worse place called Resthaven. That place is not part of Zimbabwe. That place is where there are only old religions and people who belive in monsters. All kinds of diseases and sicknesses are there too. but they also escape from that place. After that a lady called Mrs. Horsepool wants to have a reward because the cildren came to her. She keeps the children in the house and has a party and the She Elephant breaks in and kidnaps the children again. Will the children ever get out of this nightmare??????????

Tendai, Rita and Kuda live in the year 2194, where everything in their home depends on technology. Tendai is a scout and wants to earn his last badge. In order to do so he must travel across the large city of Harare, Zimbabwe. Rita and Kuda talk him into taking them with him. As they leave their safe environment, they determine not everyone can be trusted. They are soon kidnapped. Tendai realizes that this is only the beginning of a long journey, which he hopes will take them back home.
General Masika and his wife are distraut because the Mellower has tricked them into giving their children permission to leave their safe home. They are afraid that the Mask will get the children and hold them for ransom. Mrs. Masika hires the Ear, Eye and Arm detectives to find the children. As the detectives search they are always one step behind the children.
The detectives reveal to the Masikas that the children were kidnapped and escape. Then they become kidnapped again. By who? I'll not tell. If you want to know what happens next read the book.
If you like sci-fi books, you will love The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. The title alone is what intrigued me to choose this book to read for a college course. The author does an excellent job of creating a plot that keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, IT DOESN'T. The setting is always changing and the plot is ongoing. I just love the characters from Kudo, the little brother to the waiter in the Mile High Restaurant. This story is full of emotions from sorrow to anger and excitement. I would definitely recommend this book to young adults that enjoy sci-fi, action books.

Think of a world with robots running your life,would you like it here? The story takes place in 21 century Zimbabwe.I thought this book was #1 and best of all the books I ever read. With the crime on the streets Kuda, Rita, and Tandai have to fight their way through the city. Kuda, Rita, and Tandai are General Matsika's Children. The children wanted to search the city to get exploration badges, but all they find is a gang of criminals raging fear to the streets of Zimbabwe. This gang is the only gang left on the streets. Ear, Eye, and Arm are detectives hired by the general to find his kids. Each detective has special abilities isn't it obvious what these abilities might be. If you don't know then I suggest you read this book. The thing about my review is that I left out the best parts inn the book. SO READ IT!

This book is taken place in Zimbabwe in 2194. General Matiska hs three children, Tendai, Rita, and Kuda. They are not allowed to leave the house because their father's brothers were killed in front of his eyes and he dosn't want the same to happen to them. The mellower hypnotizes the mother, Mrs Matiska, and father, Mr. Matiska, allowing the children to escape in the outside world. When they leave the house they get into adventures good and bad. During the adventures they get captured my Knife and Fist and are taken to Dead mans Vlei where the she Elephant is. They soon escape with Trashman and go to Resthaven. If one enters Rusthaven they can't leave. With difficulty they find a way to escape. They end p getting caught by the worst gang. The MASKS!!!! The masks are meanest and the only gang left in Zimbabwe that General Matiska hasn't killed. When the parents find the children are gone the contact the Ear the Eye the Arm for help. They are detectives with powers. they get invovled finding the children. Will the children be found and be able to escape? Will the children get home? Read to find out!

Have you ever dreamed about having big ears and being able to hear extremely well or having very extraordinary eye sight or even having extremely long arms and being able to feel the mood of what you want and read the thoughts of someone? You don't have to wonder what it's like. All you have to do is read this book.The Ear, The Eye , and The Arm is a far-out book filled with marvelous and unusual creatures. Have you ever been put in a position of life or death? These three children in the book have and it all started from a brain less mellower giving them a ticket out of the house for a day.The adventure winds up with meeting a blue monkey and working for food and entering into a very holy land. If you like to read imaginative books this is a book for you.

Imagine a world where everybody lives in the future mining plastic for remains of our days. Now imagine a city in the middle of all this living in the past with no future medicine, nothing. Three kids set out on what started as a journey to get a Boy Scout badge but ended in a disaster. General Matsika-a general that has wiped out all but one gang-loses his three children-who never gone out of their house for safety reasons- to the enemy of his life. Will their luck take them back home with one of the children being only four years old? Will their luck get them to the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm; the three detectives hired to find the children but aren't having any luck. Not even their special abilities can help them so what will. Read and find out!

Imagine a world where everybody lives in the future mining plastic for remains of our days. Now imagine a city in the middle of all this living in the past with no future medicine, nothing. Three kids set out on what started as a journey to get a Boy Scout badge but ended in a disaster. General Matsika-a general that has wiped out all but one gang-loses his three children-who never gone out of their house for safety reasons- to the enemy of his life. Will their luck take them back home with one of the children being only four years old? Will their luck get them to the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm; the three detectives hired to find the children but aren't having any luck. Not even their special abilities can help them so what will. Read and find out!

This was the first Nancy Farmer book I ever read. I'm not a science fiction fan, so I must admit that I found parts of this book very strange. But at no time did I lose the story line and at no time did I lose interest in the characters. What I liked most about this book was that the author set the story in the future and constructed a plot that is provocative -- it makes the reader think, and what it makes the reader think about specifically is the abyss between the rich and the poor, an abyss that grows "abyssier" every day. I liked this book well enough that I've since read other Nancy Farmer books.

Imagine yourself at the age of four doing five push-ups every time you do someting against your father's wish.Tendai the main character in, THE EAR, THE EYE , AND THE ARM written by Nancy Farmer, Tendai had that type of dad.
Tendai lives in Zimbabwe in the year 2914, when the use of plastic material was something ancient, and valuable. He goes on a forbidden adventure with his sister Rita, and his brother Kuda. For the first time they leave their house without knowing that many people want to hurt their father,and what a perfect way than through his kids.
Tendai has to come up with an idea of how to destroy the evil powers that have gotten into the peoples' heads, and make Zimbabwe a harmonious place again.

Imagine you live in a walled fortress called home. Far away from the excitements of the outside world, and you are only surrounded by robot servants and robot dogs. Wouldn't that be boring? That is why thirteen- year- old Tendai, his sister Rita, and little brother Kuda ran way into the heart of Zimbabwe.
The three kids escaped with no knowledge of how to ride a bus, train, or subway. This worried their parents so much that they contacted the three unusual detetives The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. But unfortunately these detectives are always just one step behind the children. During the kid's escape, they face many problems, like being captured, lost and even the worst thing had happened to them; they were sold to the evil gang of Zimbabwe The Masks.
Who are these Masks? Will they escape from the Masks? Will they make it back home? Will they face any more problems? Read The Ear, The Eye, And The Arm to find out.
"DON"T LOOK BEIND A MASK"

General Matsika's three children - Tendai, Rita, and Kuda - are kept inside the house until one day with the help of the Mellower they trick their parents and get out of the house and into danger. Along the way on their forbidden adventure they are captured and meet evil villains beyond what anyone else could possibly imagine. as soon as Their escape is discovered by their parents The Ear, The Eye, The Arm detective agency is summonedto find them, and even with their special abilities the children always manage to stay just out of Ear, Eye, and Arm"s reach. THE EAR, THE EYE, AND THE ARM is an incredible fun-filled, action-packed adventure just waiting to be read by children and adults of all ages.

Imagine living in a place with a mile-high hotel, talking monkeys, flying cars, and a place where everyone lives in the past. Think of all that and not being able to go outside your backyard for all your life. Then you decide to go on an adventure with your brother and sister to get a boy scout badge. That is exactly what Tendai, Rita, and Kuda do then, after about 15 minutes they are kidnapped by a blue monkey and its owner. They travel to the other side of Zimbabwe from their house and get kicked out and escape many places. There are also three detective with special powers who are called upon to find the children. Will the children ever get home alive? Find out in The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm.

In Zimbabwae, 2194, General Matsika, head of the Zimbabwean military, has three children, which he coops up in his house. Why? He doesn't wan't them to get captured. The children, however, want to see the outside world so they escape...and are captured. Mr. Matsika hires three mutant detectives, Ear, Eye and Arm. Ear can hear very well, Eye has very good vision, and Arm has very long arms and legs and can read people's minds. The children are enslaved in a plastic mine, accused of witchcraft, and captured by a spiritual gang, the Masks. It will take the special abilities of the detectives and the help of the spirit of Zimbabwe to rescue the children and put their captors behind bars.

This is a book you'll never regret reading. Although The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm first appeared to me as a book that would drag throughout the entire story, I couldn't have been more wrong. If it wasn't the best sounding of books on a required reading list for a Jr. High class I took, I may have never picked it up, but I don't want you to make the same mistake.

The book is set in Zimbabwe in the year 2194. The cars fly, the pantries are automated, and even some of the families have household robots to take care of all the pesky everyday tasks. This is the world that Tendai, Kuda, and Rita live in. As children of the very powerful and wealthy general Matsika, they have everything a kid could ask for. Pets, a great lawn to play on, a care-free Mellower to sweep all their worries aside and let them do as they please while Mother and Father are away. Yes, they have everything a kid could ask for, except freedom. They are bound to stay locked up inside of their home, not allowed to go through their own garden gate. With a gang like the Masks lurking around in the outside world, though, a gang that General Matsika has been fighting all of his life, is it such a bad thing the General wants to keep such a close look on his children? Although the strict father doesn't believe so, his children do, and on a day that the Mellower is left in charge of the children, he also takes the side of Tendai, Kuda, and Rita, letting them go for what he thought would only be a day's adventure in the outside world. Little did he know all the trouble they'd be getting themselves into, starting with a blue monkey, and ending with people like the She-Elephant and the bitter Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham, not to mention the most evil underground gang, the Masks.

For all of you out there who have already read a book called Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, this book is similar in many ways. It gives a great insight to two different religions unlike most that you'll find in places that most of you are bound to visit. Although I myself did enjoy Achebe's great work, I found that most of the characters seemed very two dimensional throughout the story. In The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, on the other hand, all the characters are put into very great depth, and you actually feel for each one of them. If you ever plan on reading just one of these two books, I would strongly recommend that you choose Nancy Farmer's story or Achebe's, but that's not to say that if you have the time you shouldn't read Things Fall Apart, either. Farmer's book is much more enjoyable for younger readers, and Achebe's book may be easy to loose interest in and put down for the less determined reader.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a great book for all ages. It's very well written and easy to read, it's a very good story in itself, and it even has some good morals if you look close enough. It actually makes me want to make my range of books to read a little broader. I highly suggest reading it.

General Matsika's three children feel as though they are locked up in their house too much and that their father is over protective. When the Mellower sets the children free, General Matsika sets the best detectives, the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, out to search for them. As the detectives search, they are always one step behind the children. I don't like books that have a long beginning and this book has one, but with all the adventure and mystery that happens, it hooked me into what is happening and I don't want to put this book down. I recommend this book for 6th graders and up. Also in this book you learn about African tribal life.

This is one of the most entertaining and original science fiction books I have ever read, not to mention one of the best children's books I have ever read. Taking place in a futuristic Zimbabwe in the year 2194, this tale of detectives, genetically engineered blue monkeys, and terrorists is a true edge-of-your-seat delight that will entertain both teenagers and adults.
Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, the General Matsika's three children, are tired of their technologically controlled home and their overprotective parents. They want an adventure and sneak out of the house one morning for a day of exploring only to be kidnapped! Now it's up three very special detectives: The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm, to find them. But will they succeed?

Breath-taking fantasy story that takes place in Zimbabwe 2194. When the head of security's children go off to try to earn a boyscout patch. They get kidnapped many times and their father is worried about the most dangerous gang called the Masks kidnapped them. Will they return home safely? The children's parents get a detective agency called the Ear, the Eye, the Arm. The Ear can hear a mouse in a basement, Eye can see a flea on a tiger, and Arm can tell the feelings of anyone and express them anywhere. So if your crying in a street then Arm will begin to cry with you. Will they ever find the kids? Read and find out in the Ear the Eye the Arm.

You want your fortune to be told about the future and how it's going to be? Can you brace for the beautiful world you know today turned around by thugs? Then this books for you! A carefully written novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Helpless kids trapped in a city with gangs such as the deadly Masks. Their only hopes are three detectives with wierd powers. The kids ( knowing nothing of the city)get trapped in a city in wich they cannot get out of.Then the children get held for ransom by a nice looking lady with a wierd son. These three detectives are the Ear the Eye and the Arm. Will the children survive or will they become known criminals?

I thought that this book by Nancy Farmer was very well-written, yet hard to follow at some points, and vague in others. This book had many hidden meanings, which I am still trying to decipher. This book is a challenging read for people my age. Before I bought this product, I would have liked a more detailed overview on the back of the book. I found that the back flap only covered the first few pages. In this case, the author, Nancy Farmer, might have been trying to save parts of the book as a surprise, but some parts like the Masks and spirit presences might have been good information.

Ever wonder what the future is like?Robots that work, flying cars and blue monkeys. Zimbabwe is in trouble, gangs walk freely a round the streets, only one man can do something about it, General Matsika. After getting rid of most gangs his kids wander away and are kidnapped. In fear that the masks-the only gang left-will get a hold of them he calls in the mysterious detectives Ear,Eye, and Erm each of them has there own powers. The detectives vow to retreve the children, but they are always just out of reach. Filled with action suspence-and for me frequent frustration-this is a great book for a young reader.

The best futuristic sci-fi tale for children set in Zimbabwe I've ever read. Which is unfair backhanded praise for a book that, in my opinion, should've been awarded the Newberry Award without question. Sometimes I like to pretend that I'm at a party and a savvy Hollywood producer comes up to me and asks for the number one children's book that should be optioned for a movie. Batta bing, I recommend this book. In it, you have a well-developed plot containing characters of amazing depth. No two-dimensional stick figures for this children's novel. The setting is more than unique. It is unparalleled. Farmer's ingenuity has created a book that speaks volumes. Not only is it an enjoyable edge-of-your-seat mystery, but there's a distinctly moral core to the book. It's the rare story that can make a person actually enjoy a section on (believe it or not) "courage". If your children can read, give them this book. If your children cannot read, give them this book anyway and teach them to do so with it. There is no higher praise I can give.

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm combines traditional story elements with a far-flung sci-fi, futuristic fantasy in a way that no other children's book has before it. Nancy Farmer does a wonderful job of putting the story front and center, and then surrounding the 3 children of the story with fantastic, yet not cliche, elements. There is a Blue Monkey, a She Elephant, and 3 strange to the sight genetically mutated detectives. Some have compared the Ear, the Eye and the Arm to the Wizard of Oz, and in a sense they are correct. Both books have unique worlds and creatures wrapped in a good story. This is a must read for lover's of children's fiction, and for book lovers in general.

What a great adventure story. It also informs readers about some aspects of the culture and history of one area of Africa. The author makes very good use of suspense to keep the reader going. I've read this to two fourth grade classes, and they couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to the three children next. The final part of the book may be a little too suspenseful or frightening for some young readers. I warn my kids it gets pretty scary toward the end. Give this well written book to kids who like scary stories. The reading level is probably good 5th grade.

I liked this book for many reasons but there were some things about it i didndt like. what id di like was that it was so descriptive. thats only the beginning of what i liked about the book was that it had eevrything from action to drama. such as when they escaped form the Dead Man's Vlei to when their mother saw them for the first time in about three forths of a year. That part made me sad. there was also some comedy included in this book, like how trash man talks to the yongest of the tree kids liek he is one of his best friends. When i thought about that i found it kind of ironic, but on the other hend there are people out there who have a disability like that. There was a couple things about this book i didnt like. one of them was that Tendia didn't die at the end. i eman there has got to be somebooks out there that doesnt have a completely good ending. Another thing i dindt like about this book was that three kids that have never been anywhere but their house could survive about eight months with out a guardian other than a mentally retarded person. But I guess what kind of book would this be where the kids die close to the beginning. So that is my outlook on the book.

This is a wonderful children's story, woven with myths and legends from Africa. It is a tale of a secret walled garden, three special children, a man-child, a holy innocent who helps to guide them, and three detectives Ear, Arm and Eye who help to track the children down.

It is the story of becoming, and of belonging, and of finding your place and purpose in the world. Incredibly well-written, it will keep most non-readers glued to the pages.

(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)

General Matsika is a Famous general in Zimbabwe and his three children are missing. His wife hired detectives to find them. The Ear, Eye,and Arm Detective Agency. It's the year 2194 so don't be surprised if the houses are run by robots or if the buses, Taxies and cars fly. Find out how much truble it is to go home after you ran away from home, get kidnapped and you don't know your way around even if you did escape. I think this is a wonderful book with a lot of action and adventure. I recomend this book for everybod sixth grade and above.

Imagine a world where your house was being protected from robotic dobermans with machine guns and electric fences and you were not allowed to leave the house, it would stink would'nt it? You would have to run away or do something about it. In Nancy Farmers The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm that's exactly what the Matiska children do. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda break out of their house on a forbidden adventure and disappear. Their parents call Africa's most odd detectives: Ear, Eye, and Arm. Their mission takes them from Zimbabwe to the most unusual places you would never imagine. The three kids get kidnapped on their adventure and find the most weird places and people on earth.

Rinnnnnnnnnnnnnng! "Hello, Ear, Eye, Arm detective agnecy, you lose em' we find em". ZIMBABWE 2194! General Matsika's children run away on a journey never imagined. They mysteriously disappear. His wife hires three special-ability detectives to find and bring back her long lost kids. Since there are gangs, thieves, and kidnappers around, will the three be able to get home? Will they survive? See it all in the future! Thrills, adventure and exitement all in this marvelous book; The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer.

This book is about three children and three detectives.
The three detectives have unusual powers: one can see very
well, one can hear very well, and the other you'll have to
find out for yourself! It takes place in Zimbabwe in the
future; it's very high-tech and there is no such thing as
regular cars, they're all flying cars. It's a mystery and
adventure book and it teaches you about old Zimbabwe's
beliefs. I think it's one of the best books I ever read;
children from 9 and above would really enjoy this book.

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, a delightfully entertaining book, is about three children craving for adventure. As they get their wish, and go on a whirlwind episode, you'll find yourself getting more and more caught up in the book. You will find putting it down not even a possibility.
The Matiska family seem unreal, with a General (of Zimbabwe) as a father who gives them daily morning inspections, just to make sure they fit the perfect family image. Their mother is a kind and dear lady, but so often caught up in her own world, as she is a professor at a university. The Matiska children include Tendai, the eldest, a soft- hearted boy by the age of thirteen. Rita is the second of the children, a fiery mathematician, but if she would only use her brains before she spoke! Kuda, the youngest, was thought of as a young warrior, as often remarked by people close to the family.
Tendai, on his thirteenth birrthday, wishes for an adventure, as they have never been out of the massive Matiska mansion. The reason for this is astonishing rule is because their father is frightened for the safety of his children, as the Masks, a well- known and feared gang, just might be on the lookout for the children! But the Masks don't stand a chance of getting them unless the children manage to get out of the manor. With the help of the family's praise- singer (known as the Mellower) the children do just that! But if they only knew what the world had in store for them! A woman who has a tiny colony of people, searching for plastic! A blue monkey who talks, and is part pit bull, part human, and of course, part monkey! This is only an example of the things they discover on their adventure, as they find things deep inside their heart, for even though they live ina lonely house, full of machines, they find themselves missing it and their parents. They learn responsibilty, and most of all understand that everything isn't always what it seems at first glance, and before you do something, think about it.

If it is a mystery book readers want, Nancy Farmer has definately brought a whole new world of adventure for us. This excellent story stretches from the past, present, and future while managing to keep you on the edge of your seat.

This story starts with three children escaping outside the boundaries of their guarded home to find rude monkies, people of the earth, vicious thieves, dishonest mothers, and MUCH more. Every step of this amazing journey comes as a satifing surprise and yet another clue to the main solution. Following the children's every step of the way are Africa's most unusual detectives...the EYE, EAR, and ARM all with phonomenal powers beyond imagination.

Sooooo finally here is a match worthy enough for the Westing Game. Dare to read it at night!

I would love to recommend this lovely book called The Ear, the Eye and the Arm. It's charming characters captivate you in the dangerous tales of Tendai, Rita and Kuda. They live in a beautiful mansion in Zimbabwe with their parents. It's is set in the future about a hundred years from now. Instead of maids and butler people they have robots! now let me introduce you to the characters. First, there is General Matsika a feared and powerful man of Zimbabwe. And the strict father of the children. Then there's Mrs. Matsika she is a soft, quiet lady in the story, playing the simple role of the distraught mother. Then there is The Mellower, a small comforting praise singer who starts this adventure. Then last but not least Tendai (13), Rita (11) and Kuda (4), these three get caught up in a twine of adventures. Now the story begins... The children are Scouts and they want to earn their Exploring Badges, only one thing is wrong. Their father is, well, strict, and since their house surrounding by a huge wall they have to get their father's permission before they go out. So the Mellower Praisesings and charms General Matsika and his wife into giving the children pass keys to get out the gate. The children's parents wake up from the Praise Snger's enchantment and remember nothing of giving their permission, and they go about their business of going to meetings with people with important titles. Then the children are alone. Except for the Mellower, then they pack a few things and go out into the bright city they have never in their lives been into. Then Rita encounters a little rude rat (who bites her even after she fed it!). Then they eat delicious little chili-bites at the chili-bite stand. They meet a rude (needless to say) genetically engineered blue monkey and his (sort of) master. They kidnap the children! Meanwhile General Matsika soon discovers that his children are gone, and have been for a couple of hours in the dangerous city! So he and his wife hire the detectives Ear, Eye and Arm. They have strange yet special abilities (because their mother's drank contaminated water when they were pregnant.) Ear can hear a whisper in another room, Eye can see a raindrop in a storm cloud and Arm can feel peoples feelings, has hunches and rarely but something can read minds. They go through numerous exciting adventures trying to find the children. This book is witty, exciting and has a touching bit, too. hope you enjoy this book as much as I do. Read this if you want to live :-) Phoebe

This novel by Nancy Farmer is an exciting book that catches your attention, and holds it. I would suggest this novel to kids under the age of 17. For people who hate books that stay in one place, then you certainly want to read The Ear, The Eye, and the Arm. The way the children bounce from one place to another makes you want to keep on reading. With twists and surprises behind every turn, you will get so involved with the book that it feels as though you are in it. I would recommend that you read The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm as soon as possible.

Have you ever wondered what will happen in the not-so-distant future? What kind of surprises is the future holding? With all of these exciting things happening would you like to be cooped up for the rest of your life with a father that treats you like a soldier under his command?
That was Tendai, Rita and Kuda's lives until they sneak off on a forbidden adventure. And finally some exciting things start happening, but not the kind of excitement and adventure they were looking for!
Their father is worried they are lost forever, but this problem is out of his control. Finally, out of desperation for their lost children, General Matsika hires the "most unusual detectives in the whole Africa," the Ear, the Eye and the Arm.
The detective's search high and low for the children, they even act like bogeymen, but still the children stay out of their reach.
The children are sure their father will save them, but they can't help wondering if they will ever see their parents again.
Can the children find their way home, or will they be lost forever?
I thought the book was great! It's exciting and keeps you at the edge of your seat! I think that Nancy Farmer is a good author! I give the book four stars!

Get ready for a world of Mile-high hotels, talking monkeys, and flying cars. Can you imagine the year 2194 in Zimbabwe? Well you don't need to do any thinking because Nancy Farmer takes you there in her Newbery Honor award winning book, The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, the children if General Matsika have never been exposed to the outside world. When they escarpe from the comfort if their home the adventure begins. Being kidnapped by dangerous criminals, meeting deciving old women, and being taken into a land of the past. When Mrs. Matsika discoveres that the children have gone amiss she calls in the best detectives alive, The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. Each with special powers that let them do extraordinary things. They set out on a quest to find the children when at the same time the children are trying to reach home. Excitement, happiness, and terror unravel this story and through the whole book you will be thinking, Will the children ever get home?

This is a very good book! Everyone should read it! Tendai is the funniest and smartest character of them all because he found a way out of Dead Man's Vlei. Kuda is the only one that could understand Trashman and Trashman was the only one who they knew that they could trust. Rita wasn't that funny because she was always serious about things and she never wanted to do things. This is a very adventerous, spine-tingling, hanging-off-the-edge-of-your-seat book, like when Rita, Tendai, and Kuda were captured by the She Elephant again and she gave them to The Masks and Tendai was about to be sacraficed by The Masks to their gods. The Ear, the Eye and the Arm were the detectives in this book and they found the children at the Mile-High MacIlwaine Hotel. This book was the second-best I have ever read, second only to HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. This book had lots of parts that were very exciting, with out-of-this world vocabualry and well-detailed settings. For anyone who likes whimsical, fast-paced and funny sci-fi/fantasy books, this is the one for you!

This book has everything in it; bad guys, spirits, the cool detectives, the places the main character goes, everything! Tendai Matsika (13 years) tries to prove himself to his father but ends up taking the adventure of his life, shifting around from place to place, completing certain tasks while three detectives with super-cool powers try to save him. I used this book for a book project, and everyone loved it... LOVED it and wanted to borrow it!

What would you think if you never left yur house? Would you like it if yu had no friends? This is what Tendai's, Rita's, and Kuda's life is like. But one day they decide to go out and earn the exploration scout badge, but they dont come back. This book is about three children that go on an exciting adventure. Three abnormal detectives come into the picture, the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. This book is great and I recommend it to everyone.