I loved, loved, loved this book. I was drawn in by the strange name and long title and I was intrigued by all the fantastic blurbs on the back and the strange plot description, but from the first page I was hooked. I love whimsical books with fun narrators and a plot doesn't always have to make sense for me. I've been reading this to my fourth graders and they seem to really enjoy it. One student had read it previously and gets so excited about what's coming up next that he often has to stop himself from blurting out. While it's a fun book, it is a long read aloud and has some slow moments that are much quicker when read alone. Its suppose to be a take on the Iliad, but if anything its just a fun romp with a fun boy and his strange family. And really I can't describe the book any better than the back of the book describes it so I won't even try:
Neddie Wentworthstein is the guy with the turtle. Sandor Eucalyptus is the guy with the jellybean. Sholmos Bunyip wants the turtle...and he'll stop at nothing to get it. This is the story of how Neddie, three good friends, a shaman, a ghost, and a little maneuver known as the French substitution determine the fate of the world.
I look forward to reading the Yggysey next.
Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 5
Genre: Humor
Comparable titles: The humor and writing sytle somewhat reminds me of Lenore Look's work, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things
Book Connections: Old Hollywood, La Brea Tarpits, Grand Canyon, Route 66, turtles
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