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gmamartha's review
3.0
Interesting plot... good read. What would the lack of fuel do to the little bike shop businesses?
christiana's review
4.0
This was a 3.5 stars kind of read for me. I thought it was such an interesting story idea (what will happen if/when we have a national shortage of gasoline?) that it kept my interest the whole way through. It's a really timely story, but I thought it was a tiny bit wordier than I would have liked. Overall, great story that is definitely recommendable to 4-6 graders. Also a good boy read.
lannthacker's review
3.0
A nice, rural family drama is the midst of a gasoline shortage. It drags a bit towards the end, but not enough to ruin the story or put the book down.
leskit's review
4.0
This has read aloud potential for 4th graders I think. Maybe 5th. I think interesting conversations could come up on a couple of different topics.
librarylisa614's review
4.0
Very interesting premise- there is no gas, and suddenly a tiny bike shop becomes a much more important business. I enjoyed the positive feeling of the book, the plot twist was pretty well done, and I really loved the family. They worked together, worked hard, and didn't give up when things got bad. They watched out for each other and those around them. Lots of positive messages in the book. Appropriate for younger readers, as "heck" was said once, it was mentioned that he cursed, but words were not actually in the book, and there is no romance side of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the book (only took one night of insomnia to read it) and was very satisfied with the ending. A little cheese-mo? Yes. Did I care? No.
readertz's review against another edition
5.0
I very much enjoyed Crunch. The main character is a boy named Dewey. He has to take over the family's bike business when his parents are stranded far from home during a gas crunch. I really like Dewey because he makes choices that show his strong character. Dewey doesn't rely on a lot of silly humor or sarcasm like so many boy characters in books these days. This book also has a great mystery! I was surprised to learn who the bike parts thief was. Read Crunch for a heartfelt story with a surprising twist.
sandraagee's review
4.0
3.5 stars. I liked it! Five siblings deal with the problems that come with a fuel shortage which leaves their parents stranded far away. My one complaint is that Dewey's voice as a boy doesn't always quite ring true to me. Nonetheless I really enjoyed the kids' resourcefulness and Dewey's problem-solving skills. It was interesting to see exactly how the crunch affected this small community, and heartwarming to see how all of these neighbors could band together during the crisis. A pleasant family story in the spirit of books like [b:The Penderwicks|266904|The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy|Jeanne Birdsall|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173280851s/266904.jpg|2564478] but with a much more challenging topic at its core.
turrean's review
4.0
Dewey's family owns a bike repair shop, and business is skyrocketing in this book set in an entirely plausible future: US is plumb out of fuel. Everybody who used to drive now needs to ride a bike. The story really focuses on how a family of five kids manages to get along, take care of each other and their business when their parents are stranded by the fuel "crunch." A bit on the sweet side, but a welcome alternative to the grisly dystopian futures offered by other authors.
shighley's review
4.0
This book struck me as "Boxcar Children Meet the Energy Crisis"; in this case there are parents, but, for the most part, they're not on the scene. I did enjoy it, although sometimes the characters didn't exactly seem to act their age. Dewey is a fine main character, a teen with resourcefulness and occasional self-doubt, not all of it warranted, just like real life. There would be lots of "what if" questions you could use with students, and several science connections.