I'm on a children's book kick! This one wasn't bad. ( )

A charming small adventure of Popeye, a lonesome boy in South Carolina, whose world widens a bit when he and Elvis, the eldest of a lively family whose Holiday Rambler is stuck in some nearby mud, search (and break rules!) to discover the source of mysterious boats (carefully crafted of empty Yoohoo boxes) they find drifting down a nearby stream. Chapters are sometimes punctuated with the vocabulary words his grandmother teaches him as a part of her attempt to keep her mind sharp. A fine choice for Juniors. ( )

A charming small adventure of Popeye, a lonesome boy in South Carolina, whose world widens a bit when he and Elvis, the eldest of a lively family whose Holiday Rambler is stuck in some nearby mud, search (and break rules!) to discover the source of mysterious boats (carefully crafted of empty Yoohoo boxes) they find drifting down a nearby stream. Chapters are sometimes punctuated with the vocabulary words his grandmother teaches him as a part of her attempt to keep her mind sharp. A fine choice for Juniors. ( )

This was a decent book that stands out for three reasons. First, the language in the book is simple and often times repetitive. Along with this, there are also many sounds that are described through the text, which helps immerse the reader in the setting by not only providing a visual description but an auditory description as well. This is demonstrated from the first few pages. One example of a visualization through repetition is on page 9 when the dog's tail is wagging "Back... And forth. Back... And forth." An example for the auditory description through repetition is on page 1, which reads, "DRIP. Drip. Drip. Popeye opened his eye and looked up at the heart-shaped stain on the ceiling of his bedroom. Rusty water squeezed out of the hole in the peeling plaster and dropped onto the foot of his bed. Drip. Drip. Drip." The second reason I liked this book is the plot. There aren't any huge events that take place and this truly is a "small adventure." This is the simple story of two friends who are seeking fun over their summer break. Lastly, I liked this book because of the layout of the chapters. The chapters are all very short and this will make for good discussion points if the book is being read aloud to a class. There is also a vocabulary word that is defined explicitly in almost every chapter. The formal definition is written on the same page the word is used so the reader can learn the definition and the context of the new vocabulary word. The overall message of this story is to seek adventure and promotes friendship. ( )

already ordered... look at all those awards, but no Newbery... Newbery surely does emphasize historical fiction... If I ever finish the Newbery project in the Childrens' Books group, I'll have to choose another award to cover....

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A small book, a small adventure... but a big impact. The other reviewers are speaking from the heart - I won't try to convince you to read this but refer you to them, instead. I will comment only on the wonderful way O'Connor gives word nerds their fix. The very first vocabulary word, vicissitude, is one I've never bothered to look up, and so didn't realize until now just what it means. And there are insults, cussing, rhymes, puzzles, and metaphors galore. Not to mention plot, setting, characters, etc. How O'Connor manages to get so much accomplished in such a short book astounds me. I'll look for more by her.

[Her] wrath still hovered in the air like a swarm of hornets."" ( )