What's Christian Reading? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again

Christian is an avid 4th grade reader. These posts are all about what he's reading. These are by no means actual reviews, just his comments on whatever book he's reading at the time.

He does rate each book. He's decided to use what he calls flaming monkey heads as his unit of measure on a scale of 1 to 5. Why he chose that I'll never know. He's his father's son, I suppose.

Well here's something strange. Christian has been reading a book that I've never heard of. It's called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, and it's by Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote Millions and Cosmic. The whole premise of this book is rather bizarre, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Let's see what Christian thought of it.

Here's what Christian says the book is about.

"It is about a boy and his family. The dad gets fired from his job, and his company car is taken away. The mom goes and buys an old camper van that the rest of the family calls a pile of junk, except for the father who wants to fix it up. 

"He manages to get it running and drives it to a place where he might find spark plugs. They find a camper van in a tree with good spark plugs. They also find a large race car engine with a plaque on it with the name Zborowski. 

"They install the engine in the camper van. They had to lift up the floor boards to get it in. They find out that the engine has wings built in to it so it can fly. They fly to Paris, France and land on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower.

"After a day of touring the city, they find a pair of headlights acting as spotlights on the top of the tower labeled with the name of Zborowski. They install them in the camper van. The van takes them on a trip to various other locations. Along the way they find other parts labeled Zborowski. Eventually, they discover where the parts are really from."

Here's what Christian liked best about the book.

"I liked how the parts were hidden in all different places around the world. I thought it was pretty crafty."

Was there anything he didn't like about the book?

"I liked it all."

So, how does Christian rate Chitty Chitty Bang Bank Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce?

He gives it five out of five flaming monkey heads.

Did You Know? Johnny Tremain

This week, I decided to find out a little bit more about one of my favorite children's historical fiction novel, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. I have not read this book in a number of years. I've decided that I've got to go back and read it again!

Did You Know...

• According to Publisher's Weekly, Johnny Tremain is the 16th most popular children's paperback of all time? This was as of 2001.
• Johnny Tremain won the 1944 Newbery Medal?
• Esther Forbes began writing the book the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed? She finished it in 1943, two years later.
• In addition to the Newbury Medal, Esther Forbes won the Pulitzer Prize? She won that her biography of Paul Revere.
• Esther Forbes was an editor and journalist? She worked at Houghton Mifflin and wrote for the Boston Evening Transcript.
• Forbes' mother helped her with the research for Johnny Tremain?
• Esther Forbes wrote a number of historical novels set in New England before writing Johnny Tremain? 
• Clark University awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree?
• She was the first woman member of the American Antiquities Society?
• She willed all royalties from her books to the American Antiquities Society after her death?

All in all, a fascinating person. I would have loved to have met her and picked her brain on New England history during the Revolution. I think I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some of her other books, especially Paul Revere and the World He Lived In. 

This week, the clip I'm including is a promo from the Disney film version of Johnny Tremain. I recommend this film. Disney cuts some deaths out of the picture, but it's still reasonably true to the book, especially compared to some film adaptations of the mid 20th century.

Monday Interview Series: Johnny Tremain

Since today is Memorial Day, I thought it would be appropriate to interview a character who played a small role in our country's fight for independence, Johnny Tremain. I've always been fascinated by historical fiction, and Johnny Tremain was one of the books that I loved.

So, let's take a little trip back to Boston, circa 1773, to speak with a young man who learned what it meant to be a patriot.

Greg:  Hi Johnny, thanks for taking some time out to have a word with us.

Johnny:  It is my pleasure, sir.

Greg:  What was it like living during the time of our nation's birth?

Johnny:  It has been very confusing. There have been many changes. I had been engaged as an apprentice to a master silversmith, Mr. Lapham, but I was injured through the negligence of another apprentice.

Mr. Lapham said it all came to working on the Sabbath, but we had to finish Mr. Hancock's order on time. Instead, my hand was injured and I had to set out in search of new employment.

Still, I enjoyed going down to Boston harbor and watching the ships sailing in and out. There are so many ships in Boston harbor, the masts look like a forest upon the water. There seemed to be a larger number of British regulars than usual about the city.

At that time, I had no idea of what that meant. You see,  I was blind to the larger events that were happening in the city and throughout the colonies.

Greg:  When did you first become aware of those events?

A Book A Day Reviews The Deliverers

Yesterday, I received notice that Mary Reilly of A Book A Day had reviewed The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. I was really excited to read the review. Here's the bulk of it:

"Slomba delivers an action-packed adventure that’s sure to thrill middle grade and younger readers. Even little ones (I’m thinking first and second graders) will enjoy this tale as a read-aloud because of its magical characters (a talking owl! a conniving pirate!) and wacky humor (like the name of the dwarf) in a fascinating and well-conceived setting. In addition to the quest to save Calendria, Eric struggles to regain his own confidence, making this a lovely story of self-discovery as well. Highly recommended for ages 6 to 12."

Thanks to Mary for such a great review. To read the entire book description and review, click here.

Word is spreading about the book. So far, feedback has been very positive. I've included some reviews below, from authors, blogs, and a few from Amazon.com.

A world is in trouble, who can save it?

Certainly not Eric Scott, a 12 year old boy coming to grips with his own personal tragedy. But that’s exactly what Stig, an owl from another world, asks him to do. Together, they are sent to deliver Calendria, a small fishing village, from Sharky, an immortal pirate captain that has enslaved them. But defeating Sharky and his band of bloodthirsty pirates will be no easy task.

When they arrive, Eric and Stig meet Kate Endria, who is convinced that they are the Deliverers—heroes of an ancient prophecy who are destined to defeat Sharky and his crew. Eric devises a plan that he hopes will work. Eric’s confidence rises when they rescue Hallo Tosis, an outcast dwarf who gives them the key to a powerful weapon. But it’s only after things start to go horribly wrong that Eric and Stig discover the true object of their mission. 

Here's what people are saying about

The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel:

Louise Ladd, author of The Double Diamond Dude Ranch Series, and owner of The Book Doctor.

"Take one bewildered hero, add a slightly pompous talking owl to guide him, stir in a stubborn girl whose village is threatened by pirates, blend with a secret mountain full of dwarves, an eerie dead forest guarded by gigantic bats, and top it with a mysterious jewel rumored to be the size of a large pizza and you have an entrancing story literally out of this world.

“Slomba's imagination knows no bounds as one surprise after another keeps Eric, and the reader, busy fending off the next crisis."  

J. Haight & S. Robinson, authors of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow,  and blog book reviewers.


"I just finished reading The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel by Gregory Slomba and it was a wonderful story. I liked Eric because he was smart and braver than he knew. He also had to rely on friends to help him solve the problems that arise and this seemed very real to me. The action started right in the first chapter and continued to pick up from there. I think that kids in 4^th grade through 8^th grade would really like this book- older kids and adults would also find it to be an interesting read! A story that includes pirates, talking animals, dwarfs, and ancient magic will appeal to anyone that enjoys The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. A great way to introduce kids to the fantasy genre!"


Adven SW, Amazon.com review, 5 stars
"This was a great book. My nine year old son could not stop reading it and was able to easily visualize what was happening. Although it's written for 8-12 year olds, I too found it to be very engaging. The characters are fun and likeable. The book is filled with adventure, with lots of twists and turns and kept "our" interest to the very end. If you're looking for an exciting adventure story, for boys and girls, you have found it!"

Denise Lawson, Amazon.com review, 5 stars
"Having recently finished student teaching in a fifth grade class, I have been reading a lot of books at this reading level. When I came across this book, The Delivers: Sharky and the Jewel, I was instantly sucked in. The book is amazing right from the first page and I often found it difficult to put down. This book is a true fantasy and one I greatly enjoyed."

kate55, Amazon.com review, 4 stars
"When I asked my 10 year old daughter to read this book she was a little hesitant to do so. When she finally got started on it, she couldn't put it down. The only time she did was to tell me about what happened in each chapter. The combination of fantasy, adventure and relatable situations makes this book one for the family to share. My daughter shared it with me and I loved it too."

music mom, Amazon.com review, 5 stars
"This is a great book for both boys and girls - good story with lots of adventure. The places that the characters travel to are vividly described and very interesting. The characters have their own adversities to overcome, but work together for the good of all. The story is age appropriate and I recommend it to anyone looking for a book for the 8-12 year old range. My 10 year old daughter highly recommends it, as well!"

A Writer's Week: Making a Breakthrough

After last week's challenges, I was worried that this week would be more of the same. Happily, that wasn't the case. I had a great week. On Saturday, I came up with a solution to the sticking point that I'd run into on the new book. I was able to map out a solution, which led to an improvement in another area. That gave me a great outlook for the rest of the week.

I was concerned that I would not have enough time to put my solution down on paper. I had an evening meeting on Monday, and a school visit after work on Wednesday, so my time was at a premium. I had to scramble just to get some blog posts written. In spite of this, I was able to carve out a little bit of time to make a start. I was able to rewrite and edit one thread in the story. The really big change remains to be made, but I've got the road map, so that shouldn't be a problem as long as I have the time. Stay tuned.

The other great writing-related event that I was able to participate in this week happened on Wednesday night. Yes, you guessed it--another school visit. However, this visit was a little different from the others that I've made. Before I go any further, I'd like to thank Mrs. Pote, Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Magliaro, and everyone at Morris Street School for allowing me to come and be a part of such a great event.

I was able to participate in an after school event for students and parents where I was able to share what inspired me as a writer. I also got a chance to ask the kids what kind of writing they did, and what inspired them.

This was a new experience for me because the grades ranged from kindergarten to fifth grade. In addition, their parents were there, too. The kids were one thing, but would I be able to interest the parents? Well, I have to say that it was a challenge to engage such a wide age range, but I have to say that I think I managed to pull it off.

Most of the children were pretty excited, and they asked great questions, and had some great insights. The parents seemed to enjoy it, too. I even managed to give them a chuckle a time or two. I spoke to two groups for a little over 20 minutes each. Afterwards, I was able to sell a few books, which was the icing on the cake.

The school year is starting to wind down, but I have one more visit scheduled in June, and I'm looking forward to it. As I've said before, school visits are the best part of writing a book. I still remember the affect that having Christopher Collier visit our class when I was young to talk about writing My Brother Son is Dead and autographing my copy. It is humbling to think that I might be able to have the same affect, I some small way at least, to have the same sort of affect on the classes that I visit. Who knows, maybe I've already spoken with the next Rick Riordan. 

This young man had a couple of very interesting questions. He's definitely one of the youngest readers I've spoken with. It was pajama day, by the way. Wish I'd worn mine!

Anyway, I feel like I'm back on the right road with my writing, and getting some good feedback on The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel, so I'm expecting to make some good progress next week. Check back on Friday to learn how I made out.