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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
This book was incredibly slow and repetitive. Very anticlimactic. I wouldn't say the secret was "fantastic" at all.
Owen and his friends spend 152/167 pages trying to figure out ways to get a submarine that fell from the train to the pond. In between that, Owen wrestles with trying to decide whether or not to keep the frog he found in the pond or release it back to its natural habitat.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grades 3-6
Owen Jester, newly moved in with his grandfather after his father lost his job, has just caught the biggest, greenest, slimiest bullfrog in all of Carter, Georgia. He has all sorts of big plans for Tooley Graham. But Tooley's not cooperating. Instead of enjoying the indoor and outdoor frog houses that Owen has designed especially for him, Tooley just sits there. Owen hates to admit it, but his annoying, know-it-all neighbor Viola may be onto something when she says that Tooley just wants to be free. Interwoven with Owen's quandary over what to do about Tooley is the mysterious thud and tumble, tumble, tumble sound that he heard the other night when the train went through. He just knows that something amazing has fallen off the train, and he is determined to comb the woods behind his grandfather's house until he finds it. This story of summertime adventures and friendships in unlikely places has lots of kid appeal.
Owen Jester, newly moved in with his grandfather after his father lost his job, has just caught the biggest, greenest, slimiest bullfrog in all of Carter, Georgia. He has all sorts of big plans for Tooley Graham. But Tooley's not cooperating. Instead of enjoying the indoor and outdoor frog houses that Owen has designed especially for him, Tooley just sits there. Owen hates to admit it, but his annoying, know-it-all neighbor Viola may be onto something when she says that Tooley just wants to be free. Interwoven with Owen's quandary over what to do about Tooley is the mysterious thud and tumble, tumble, tumble sound that he heard the other night when the train went through. He just knows that something amazing has fallen off the train, and he is determined to comb the woods behind his grandfather's house until he finds it. This story of summertime adventures and friendships in unlikely places has lots of kid appeal.
Parts of this are really fun and the writing is wonderful, but not too much happens. We're playing with Owen's frog, "the most beautiful in Georgia," for fifty pages until finally his big secret is revealed...an item that he heard fall off a train one night. The remaining 100+ pages deal with friendship squabbles (his girl neighbor is an annoying know-it-all) and logistics about how to this fascinating object to use.
Put this in the hands of those who enjoy fun characters and simple pleasures (catching frogs, playing with sticks, running away from girls...).
Put this in the hands of those who enjoy fun characters and simple pleasures (catching frogs, playing with sticks, running away from girls...).
Owen moved across town to live with his ailing grandfather. Owen is a typical boy, enjoying the outdoors, the pond behind the house, and playing by the forbidden train tracks. His goal is to catch the big bullfrog in the pond, but slowly it becomes lethargic. Owen's annoying neighbor, Viola, who thinks she knows everything, tells him the frog is sad. But Owen doesn't want to admit to this. More excitement for the summer comes from the mysterious object that rolls off the midnight train.
Not very exciting, but kids who enjoy science and the outdoors may find this title appealing.
Middle elementary.
Not very exciting, but kids who enjoy science and the outdoors may find this title appealing.
Middle elementary.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This is a summertime book of days gone by, when summers were long and playing outside was the only option. Owen spends weeks tracking down the biggest bullfrog in the pond. This is the biggest highlight of his summer, until the night he hears something fall from the train. Can he find the mystery object even after his two best friends give up? And can he do it without help from the pesky, know-it-all girl from next door?