Toby Alone

( 6 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback
$8.99
BN.com price
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.01
$8.99 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (37)  
Used (16)  
New (21)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 37 (4 pages)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
Better World Books
Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(50891)

Condition: Like New
Book in almost Brand New condition. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 89%)
McKenzie Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4587)

Condition: Very Good
Slight wear to the cover and pages. Remainder mark on outside page edges. Text appears unmarked. Ships the next business day, with tracking and delivery confirmation sent to your ... email. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Beaverton, OR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 89%)
Horizon Books OH
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(3953)

Condition: New
New Paperback, Book in Excellent Condition

Ships from: Cleveland, OH

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.98
(Save 78%)
New Chapter Recycling
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3293)

Condition: Good

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 78%)
Hall Street Books
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(150)

Condition: Good
2010 - Paperback - - - - Used - Good - - - -

Ships from: Brooklyn, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 78%)
Best Bargain Books
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12865)

Condition: Very Good
A copy that may have been read, very minimal wear and tear. May have a remainder mark.

Ships from: East Patchogue, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 78%)
Best Bargain Books
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12865)

Condition: Like New
Used Like New, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark.

Ships from: East Patchogue, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 78%)
Best Bargain Books
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12865)

Condition: Acceptable
A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include notes--in pen or highlighter.

Ships from: East Patchogue, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 78%)
Best Bargain Books
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12865)

Condition: New
New, unread, unused and in perfect condition.

Ships from: East Patchogue, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 4
Showing 1 – 10 of 37 (4 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$7.55
BN.com price
$8.99 List Price (Save 16%)

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.

More About This Book

Overview

Translated into twenty-two languages.

Toby Lolness may be just one and a half millimeters tall, but he’s the most wanted person in his world — the world of the great oak Tree. Toby’s father has made a groundbreaking discovery: the Tree itself is alive, lowing with vital energy, and there may even be a world beyond it. Greedy developers itch to exploit this forbidden knowledge, risking permanent damage to their natural world. But Toby’s father has refused to reveal his findings, causing the family to be exiled to the lower branches. Only Toby has managed to escape — but for how long? And how can he bear to leave his parents to their terrible fate?

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The impressive debut novel from French playwright de Fombelle deftly weaves mature political commentary, broad humor and some subtle satire into a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. The people of the Tree are two millimeters tall or less, but their society mimics ours. Industrialists keep digging holes, politicians play dirty games and scientists conduct research to discover the nature of the world in which they live. Toby Lolness, the son of a renowned scientist, is forced to become a fugitive when his father's discoveries reveal the dangers presented by the continued development of the Tree. Toby's story is revealed in flashbacks as he runs from the cronies of Joe Mitch, a builder who has rapidly become a political powerhouse. Mitch's machinations have turned the Tree into a totalitarian society in which reading and writing are banned, and only Toby remains free to try to rescue his parents and bring down Mitch and his crew. It's hard not to see some of the book's antecedents-the Borrowers, the Littles, etc.-but de Fombelle has built a unique world with a fully developed social and political structure. Ages 9-up. (Mar.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Children's Literature
Toby Lolness is on the run in a world where a stray raindrop can have the impact of a tsunami. He is on the run in a world where one time friends and neighbors are all too willing to betray a young boy in exchange for a suitcase full of money. Toby is only one and a half millimeters tall but he is in big, big trouble. His father, famous scientist and inventor, has discovered that their world, the Tree itself, is alive. But the Tree's survival is threatened by greedy Joe Mitch who is willing to exploit their arboreal home no matter what the consequences. From their idyllic life in Treetop, Toby and his parents are exiled to the Low Branches. When his father persists in his stubborn refusal to reveal the secret of the Tree's energy, the three are arrested. Only his father's quick thinking gives Toby the chance to escape. With Joe Mitch's men hot on his trail, Toby is hidden first by his friend Elisha and then finds sanctuary with the mysterious Grass People. There Toby learns that it is all too likely that his father will hand over the secret of the Tree's energy and Joe Mitch will destroy the Tree for good. An excellent read with obvious parallels to today's ecological concerns. The pages are filled with an incredible cast of characters ranging from Joe Mitch and his sidekicks, Razor and Torn, to the eccentric but brilliant Professor Lolness. Illustrated with clever pen and ink drawings. Remove and unfold the book jacket to "reveal a poster map of Toby's world." Reviewer: Anita Barnes Lowen
More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews
School Library Journal

Gr 4-8

Toby Lolness, 13, is a mere 1.5 millimeters tall but he has a big heart, big dreams, and is in really big trouble. After his scientist father discovers that the oak tree on which their people live is actually alive and in danger because of the destructive digging and building Joe Mitch and the Neighborhood Committee have been engaged in, Toby and his family escape to the Lower Branches. When they are followed and captured by Mitch's minions, Toby is the only member of his family who manages to escape and, alone, must endure extreme hardship, betrayal, and loss. Fantastical situations, appealing characters, and whimsical illustrations help carry the book, but the overriding themes of disregard for the environment and the denunciation of the "grass people" as the enemy are written with such a heavy hand that readers will quickly tire of the propaganda. Toby Alone is the first volume in a two-part novel that received much acclaim when originally published in France in 2006.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Kirkus Reviews
An adventurous fable stars a miniscule hero facing massive ordeals. Toby may be not quite 13 years old and only one-and-a-half millimeters tall, but he has made a lot of enemies. When his scientist father declares that the Tree their people call "home" is not only alive but also endangered by their civilization, the whole family is exiled, then arrested, then sentenced to death. Now Toby is on the run from an entire world that sees him as a threat to their way of life. The obvious ecological allegory, while never heavy-handed, remains the thread weaving together lengthy flashbacks, asides and foreshadowing into a twining plot, featuring dozens of swiftly sketched, memorably idiosyncratic characters. The narrative voice dances on the razor's edge between fey and twee, gliding effortlessly from grotesque farce to sly satire to nail-biting suspense to thrilling escapes, shocking violence and heartbreaking betrayal, while Place's delicate pen-and-ink doodles offer marginal commentary. While abrupt, the conclusion provides both a satisfying culmination to Toby's character arc and an edge-of-the-seat cliffhanger for the promised sequel. Witty, original and devastatingly entertaining. (Fantasy. 10 & up)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780763648152
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press
  • Publication date: 2/9/2010
  • Pages: 400
  • Sales rank: 619,183
  • Age range: 9 years
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 8.40 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Timothée de Fombelle is a much-admired French playwright. Toby Alone, highly acclaimed in France, is the first of a two-part series and has won numerous awards.

François Place has illustrated many books and is also a renowned author in his own right. With Toby Alone, he has once again allowed his art true expression.

Read an Excerpt

Tracked Down

2Toby was just one and a half millimeters tall, not exactly big for a boy of his age. Only his toes were sticking out of the hole in the bark where he was hiding.

Looking up through the enormous russet-colored leaves to the starry sky above, Toby felt there had never been a night as dark and shiny as this one. When there's no moon, the stars dance more brightly. Even if there is a sky in Heaven, he told himself, it couldn't possibly be as deep or as magical as this.

Toby began to calm down. Lying with his head resting on the moss, he could feel his hair wet with cold tears. He was tucked inside a hole in the black bark. His leg was injured, he had cuts on both shoulders, and his hair was matted with blood. His hands were stinging from being ripped by thorns, but the rest of his tiny body was numb with pain and exhaustion.

His life had ended a few hours earlier, so what was he still doing here? That's what people used to ask him, when he poked his nose in everywhere: "Still here, Toby?" Today, he kept whispering it to himself: "Still here?"

But he was definitely alive, and his misery was even vaster than the sky. He was staring at the sky in the same way he used to cling to his parents' hands in a crowd. If I close my eyes, he thought, I'll die. But his eyes stayed wide open, behind two lakes of muddy tears.

Then he heard them. And in a flash the fear was back. There were four of them: three adults and a teenager. The teenager was holding a torch to light their way.

"He can't be far. I'm sure he's not far."

"He must be caught. He has to pay too. Like his parents."

The eyes of the third man shone yellow in the night. He spat, then said, "We'll get him, you'll see, and we'll make him pay."

More than anything, Toby wanted to wake up from this nightmare; he wanted to run over to his parents' bed, and cry and cry....He would have given anything to go through to their bright kitchen together, still in his pajamas, where they'd make him a hot honey drink with cookies and say, "It's over now, Toby sweetheart. It's all right."

Instead, Toby was trembling at the bottom of a hole, trying to tuck in his sticky-out toes. Toby was only thirteen, but he was being hunted by the whole Tree, by his own people, and what he could hear was much worse than the cold, scary night.

What he could hear was a voice he loved, the voice of his oldest friend, Leo Blue.

Once, when he was four and a half, Leo had tried to steal Toby's lunch, and they'd ended up sharing everything ever since - good things and things that weren't so funny. Leo lived with his aunt. Both his parents had died. All he had left of his father, the famous explorer El Blue, was a wooden boomerang. But his misfortune had made Leo Blue very strong, deep down inside. This brought out the best in him, and the worst too. Toby preferred the best: Leo's intelligence and bravery. The boys became inseparable. There was a time when people even called them Tobyleo, as if it was just one name.

One day, when Toby and his parents were due to move house, down to the Low Branches, Tobyleo hid in a dry bud because they didn't want to be split up. It was two days and three nights before they were found. It was one of the rare occasions when Toby saw his father cry.

But tonight, Toby was curled up alone in his bark hole - was this really the same Leo Blue standing just a few paces away, brandishing his flare against the dark? Toby felt his heart exploding when his best friend shouted, "We'll get you! We'll get you, Toby!"

Leo's voice rang out from branch to branch. It brought back a vivid memory.

When he was tiny, Toby had had a tame greenfly called Lima. Toby used to climb on Lima's back, before he could even walk. One day, out of nowhere, the greenfly stopped playing - it bit Toby hard and shook him like a scrap of rag. The creature had gone crazy, and Toby's parents had to separate them. Toby could still remember that look in Lima's eyes, his pupils grown fat as a pond in the rain.

His mother had said to Toby, "Today it was Lima, but anyone could turn crazy one day."

"We'll get you, Toby!"

When he heard that wild cry again, Toby knew that Leo's eyes must be as terrifying as a crazy animal's. Like ponds swollen by the rain.

The small troop was getting nearer, tapping the bark with wooden spears to feel for cracks and hollows. They were looking for Toby. It was like the White Ant Hunt, when fathers and sons set out every spring to drive the pests to the Far Branches.

"I'll make him come out of his hole."

The voice was so close, Toby could almost feel the speaker's warm breath. He didn't dare move or shut his eyes. The beating spears were coming toward him through the flame-swept darkness.

A spear crashed down, landing only a finger's width away from his face. Toby was paralyzed with fear but kept his eyes glued to the patch of sky he could see in between the hunters' shadows. This time they had him. It was over.

Suddenly, night fell all around again.

"Hey! Leo! Did you let the torch go out?" an angry voice shouted.

"It fell. Sorry, the torch fell. . . ."

"You idiot!"

The group's only torch had gone out; the search would have to continue in the pitch black.

"We're not giving up now. We'll get him."

Another man had caught up with the first and was rummaging around the cracks in the bark. He was so near, Toby could feel the air moving. The second man must have been drinking, because he stank of alcohol and his movements were violent and clumsy.

"I'll catch him myself. I'm going to chop him up into little pieces. And then we'll tell the others we couldn't find him."

The other man laughed as he turned to his hunting companion.

"Doesn't change, does he? He killed forty white ants last spring!"

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 6 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(5)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Posted April 9, 2010

    Great Environmental Story

    Had a difficult time getting into this story at first, but once I did, I really enjoyed it.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 16, 2010

    A wonderful book

    At first, when I saw this book, I thought, "That must be one boring book." But when I started reading it, I couldn't stop. It is so absorbing. The characters are so real and so believable. I can't believe no one else has read this. I highly recommend it. It is a good book for both children and adults alike. A beautiful story, I am awaiting the next book in this series. Happy Reading!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 21, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 5, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 18, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit