Recommended for girls 7-12 & others

I read and have the 1960 hardback tenth printing edition. I adored this book as a kid. I was intrigued by the idea of a little girl having the power of being able to hear others’ thoughts and how she’s able to use that ability to “know” so much beyond her years on a quiz show. Won’t give more than that away, but it’s great fun.

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I reread this book yet again in April 2019 prior to having to give up my copy of the book. I doubt that I’ll get a chance to read it again. My current public library has only one copy and it’s for library use only. It’s out of print and I’m sure many libraries no longer have it at all. I think my last reread was since I joined Goodreads twelve years ago but I think it’s been some years back.

This book is great fun! It’s a really good-humored book.

It’s hilarious. The father’s sense of humor is particularly wonderful. Very amusing!

I love how the parents go along with the deception. I probably got a huge kick out of that when I was a child. This was one of my favorite books when I was in elementary school.

I love the spelling bee and the quiz show and the showing of the outdoors & outdoor activities. I love the characters and their relationships. I enjoyed some of the humorous droll names a few of the characters have. I’d forgotten that Jenny age 6 didn’t have as big a role as I’d thought and that it is her brothers Joe 12 and Stanley 10 that are also main characters, though everybody has a role/place in the story.

There aren’t too many illustrations but the black ink ones that appear I found charming.

It’s definitely a tale of its time and is not politically correct at all (sexism, fur, etc. etc. etc.) and it’s now historical fiction, but I think it deserves to be in print.

I’m always interested to see what literature I was exposed to when young and impressionable. Even though there are plenty of anachronisms I still thoroughly enjoy this period piece book. ( )

I haven't read this book in years, but I remember taking it out of the library numerous times as a child. ( )

Above all else, this book is hilarious. Every page has some pithy line that made me snort or giggle. I especially adore Mr. Pearson, who gives us gems like this (the context is the kids needing to come up with 50K):

"Why, that's splendid," Mr. Pearson said. "Now we have ten dollars, a dictionary and a giant-size package of cookies. We're really making progress toward that fifty thousand, and we have two whole months to go. I don't see how we can miss."

Beyond the sardonic hilarity, it's also a fascinating snapshot of the time when the US was falling head over heels in love with technology at any cost.

A lovely book. Highly recommended. Thanks, Wendy.

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