more like 3 1/2 ( )

In a word, charming. In two words, charming and smart. This doesn't read like a typical children's book. It usees big words and big ideas that 10- or 11-year-olds are justt starting to discover. I really enjoyed the fact that Pinkwater doesn't "dumb it down" for kids. And to those who think it's "boring" or "too slow", it's exactly the right pace, steady like a turtle -- a sacred turtle. ( )

Bought this for Tim's nephew & decided I wanted to read it myself. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't grabs-me-by-the-throat good. ( )

I really enjoyed this book, recommended to me by my turtle-loving, 9-year-old grandson. It's unusual for a book aimed at this age group to take place in the 1940's with references to spam and the (unheard of!) cost of going to the movies. But it has adventure, odd characters, mysterious happenings, ghosts and enough silliness to keep you page-turning. ( )

Pinkwater does manage to pull off quirkiness in a way that comes across as a sense of wonder and fun. Most of the story is a 50's nostalgia trip to Los Angeles, the rest is some kind of trippy religious experience, which is not as fun, though not awful. Pinkwater narrates the audio book well. ( )