The last thing a fourteen-year-old boy expects to find along an old Ozark river bottom is a tree full of monkeys. Jay Berry Lee's grandpa had an ex...
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reviews
Dec 12, 2011
April
rated it: 
Set in the late 1800's, this is a story about a young boy named Jay Berry and his run in with a troop of monkeys that have gotten loose in the woods near his home. He tries everything under the sun to capture the monkeys because there is a big reward. The monkeys seem to be able to outwit him at every turn, that is until the night of the big storm.
The author, who also wrote "Where the Red Fern Grows", knows how to keep interest alive. Jay Berry and his loyal dog, Rowdy, le More...
The author, who also wrote "Where the Red Fern Grows", knows how to keep interest alive. Jay Berry and his loyal dog, Rowdy, le More...
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Sep 01, 2011
From my blog: (\__/)nymfaux
Summer of the Monkeys was just as I had hoped, something both new and familiar.
It tells the story of a young boy, Jay Berry Lee, who lives in the Ozarks with his parents, his twin sister Daisy, and a bluetick hound named Rowdy. The only thing that would make Jay Berry any happier would be to have a gun and a pony. And one day when Jay Berry is off exploring in the woods, he comes across a sight he never could have imagined—Trees filled with mo More...
Summer of the Monkeys was just as I had hoped, something both new and familiar.
It tells the story of a young boy, Jay Berry Lee, who lives in the Ozarks with his parents, his twin sister Daisy, and a bluetick hound named Rowdy. The only thing that would make Jay Berry any happier would be to have a gun and a pony. And one day when Jay Berry is off exploring in the woods, he comes across a sight he never could have imagined—Trees filled with mo More...
May 31, 2009
Brandon
rated it: 
The genre of this book is fiction. I choose this book because it sounded pretty good. Jay Berry Lee lives with his Mom, Dad, and sister in Oklahoma Cherokee Ozark. It takes place during the 1800's. His Grandma and Grandpa live there too. His Grandpa owns a store in Cherokee Ozark. Jay lives on a farm and has a dog named Rowdy. One day he was in the bottoms and Rowdy treed a monkey which Jay had never seen a monkey in the bottoms before. Jay told his family about the monkey. His grandpa told hi
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Jul 10, 2009
Kristal
rated it:
Set in the late 1800's, this is a story about a young boy named Jay Berry and his summer of the monkeys. He lives in Oklahoma with his family and his faithful dog, Rowdy. One day while exploring, he discovers a troop of monkeys living in the woods. When he tells his grandfather about his discovery, he is informed that a circus has lost them and is paying a reward if they are caught and returned. Two dollars a piece, except for one, whom they will pay one hundred dollars for! Jay Berry decides th
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Feb 10, 2011
Doug
rated it:
My kids really enjoy this book. It seems to hit all ages pretty well. I am enjoying it again, and my youngest two (who were bored while reading Seventh Son) are now really enjoying this book. Even my oldest kids enjoy listening in.
Wilson Rawls is a great story teller, and he writes a lot of situations in this book that make the kids laugh out loud. The suspense is great too. The kids hate it when a chapter ends and we might be done for the night. "read on!" they all say
Wilson Rawls is a great story teller, and he writes a lot of situations in this book that make the kids laugh out loud. The suspense is great too. The kids hate it when a chapter ends and we might be done for the night. "read on!" they all say
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Apr 26, 2011
Brianaustin
rated it:
Lately I've been reading the kinds of books where the author seems to think that anything that can go wrong should go wrong. They're almost predictably unpredictable, where I've found myself waiting to turn the next page to read about the next horrible thing. Summer of the Monkeys is not like that, but I still had this anxiety the whole way through the book that something catastrophically horrible was going to happen. I don't want to ruin the book if you plan to read it (I do recommend it), but
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Apr 11, 2011
Stef
rated it: 
I bought this book to read to my 10 year old son. I didnt realize this book would become one of my favorites! I laughed so hard I cried, and I cried so hard I laughed!! Yes my sweet oldest son loved making fun of me! This book is such a wonderful story about a boy that is from a poor family, he goes on an adventure with his dog catching monkeys that got loose from the circus. His relationship with his family is such a great story all in itself, and will make you remember special times with your
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Jul 28, 2010
Shauna
rated it:
Summer of the Monkeys is one of my all time favorite books. The time period is in the late 1800's. It is about a 14 year old boy named Jay Berry who lives in the Ozark mountains. His life is full of adventure exploring in the river bottoms. His life is flipped upside down when he finds monkeys in the river bottoms. A train wreck allowed the monkeys to escape from the circus. There is a very large reward for the capture of the monkeys. Jay Berry sets out to capture these monkeys and get enoug
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Apr 05, 2008
Michele
rated it:
Disney ruined this book when they made it into a movie. The novel is vastly different and so much better. A great read aloud that will have you both laughing and crying. I like this book much better than, Where the Red Fern Grows, which the author is more known for.
May 04, 2011
Karen
rated it:
My husband's Aunt Pansy recommended this book to me 15 years ago. It is amazing!! It is full of life lessons, compassion, empathy, more life lessons, and tons of humor!! My copy of the book has been read by my mom, dad, mother-in-law, father-in-law, traveled to Minnesota with a friend of my in-laws where it was read by two people and then mailed back to me. I read it aloud to my daughter's third grade class. Two of my children dressed as the main characters for their book reports in middle
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Nov 08, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
The Summer of the Monkeys had its moments of some comedy, but other than that it was just about a boy trying to catch some monkeys for a reward. When Daisy would yell about what Jay did or got into, it made me feel like telling her to be quiet because she didn’t have to be yelling like that. When Jay was trying to catch the monkeys and Jimbo would outsmart him, Jimbo would laugh causing Jay to get really mad at the monkey and make him feel like shooting Jimbo because he was ruining everything. J
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Jan 28, 2010
Molly
rated it:
Hands down, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I don't know why I've never read it before and neither have any of my children. Thomas came home from school last week and said he had started it in class. Then I went to a RS night on children's literature and one of my girlfriends there also recommended it. I picked it up and read it in just 3 short sessions, and loved it. This book will make an excellent read aloud with children at about the age of 8 or 9, when they are starting t
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Aug 01, 2009
Barbara
rated it:
I read this book because my daughter, Abby, told me that it was one of her favorites growing up. The author, Wilson Rawls, has the ability to put a lot of heart into his books and great characterization. He never fails making me fall in love with his characters and making me cry at the end.
This from the back of the book: A tree full of monkeys is the last thing fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee expects to find on one of his treks through Oklahoma's Cherokee Ozarks. Jay learns from h More...
This from the back of the book: A tree full of monkeys is the last thing fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee expects to find on one of his treks through Oklahoma's Cherokee Ozarks. Jay learns from h More...
Feb 03, 2009
Mitchell
rated it:
One of my teacher's in elementary school read this to our class with the predictable result that 80% of the kids hated it and the kids who loved reading already promptly read it on their own. I fell into the second category. I had already seen the movie version of Where the Red Fern Grows which made me bawl like a child. I was in around 4th grade so this was totally appropriate.
Summer of the Monkeys had not tears except tears of laughter. I don't want to spoil too much but there More...
Summer of the Monkeys had not tears except tears of laughter. I don't want to spoil too much but there More...
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Apr 27, 2010
Halle
rated it:
This is the best book I ever read, it's not like some of those wierd
books,it's worth onethousand stars even more. I'm sure I'll read SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS over and over again, you'll be sorry sometime if you don't read SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS you'll regret it and you'll say HOW CRAZY I WAS NOT TO READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it because it's such a heart warming story. I know It's a christian book because they read the bible three nights every week. It's
about a boy who has a s More...
books,it's worth onethousand stars even more. I'm sure I'll read SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS over and over again, you'll be sorry sometime if you don't read SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS you'll regret it and you'll say HOW CRAZY I WAS NOT TO READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love it because it's such a heart warming story. I know It's a christian book because they read the bible three nights every week. It's
about a boy who has a s More...
May 04, 2011
Michael
rated it:
This book was great, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a laugh. It is about this kid who moved to the Ozark mountains and was looking for his cow when he saw some strange furry thing in the trees. He went to the market where his grandpa works and told him about the furry thing, his grandpa told him that he heard about a bunch of monkeys that escaped a train crash, and that the people who own them will pay 1 dollar for each monkey and 50 dollars for the biggest one. But what he didn't know
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Jul 27, 2009
Cindi
rated it:
Summer of the Monkeys was my favorite book in third grade. I've been wanting to share it with my own children for some time. I finally ordered it from amazon this summer. I read it aloud to the children while we were in the car on various road trips this summer and during quiet time in the afternoons.
I fell in love with it again and the kids were so interested in the story they often didn't want to get out of the car when we had reached our destination. We finished it last night and More...
I fell in love with it again and the kids were so interested in the story they often didn't want to get out of the car when we had reached our destination. We finished it last night and More...
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May 27, 2011
Lacy
rated it:
By far my favorite book! I love this book, because it has elements of every kind of book I like to read.
It has animals (monkeys and a chimp), mystery, thrills, fantasy (Old Man of the Mountains and the Faerie Ring), horses, Indians, and anything else that makes a story great!
The book is written in first person and Jayberry is hilarious! My favorite quote in the book is when Jayberry says, "Whatever made that sound had to have been as big as a barn!" Classic!
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It has animals (monkeys and a chimp), mystery, thrills, fantasy (Old Man of the Mountains and the Faerie Ring), horses, Indians, and anything else that makes a story great!
The book is written in first person and Jayberry is hilarious! My favorite quote in the book is when Jayberry says, "Whatever made that sound had to have been as big as a barn!" Classic!
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Apr 13, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
I just finished reading this to my kids--again. They love it, and this time even my husband listened to me reading one night when I was near the end and had to finish it himself. It's the story of a boy from a poor family who lives in the Ozarks. A circus train wrecks not far from his home and several monkeys escape. The story is centered around his attempts to catch the monkeys so he can get the reward and buy himself a pony and a .22. There are parts where my kids laugh out loud and parts, nea
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Jan 27, 2012
Ryan
rated it: 
It was better in my memory hearing it from my 3rd grade teacher in Bradleyville, Missouri, where we ran around in several ways much like this kid growing up. My teacher cried. I didn't, and while I do still enjoy the tale, it's disappointing for one in such a great setting as the Ozarks. The main thing that kept coming to mind is flat characters who repeat the same stuff that's either supposed to keep us laughing for hundreds of pages, or supposed to amaze us with wisdom. I like the dog Rowdy, t
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Feb 16, 2011
QuotetheRaven
rated it:
I liked this book. I found it an easy read and it kept my interest. The characters I thought were well thought up and their relationships and personalities where clear and present. I love the relationship that Jay has with his sister.
My favorite part of the book; was when Daisy found the 'Fairy Ring' and it turned out that she wished for her brother to get a .22 and pony, but when he actually gets the money he pays for her operation instead.
What else I would have liked t More...
My favorite part of the book; was when Daisy found the 'Fairy Ring' and it turned out that she wished for her brother to get a .22 and pony, but when he actually gets the money he pays for her operation instead.
What else I would have liked t More...
Sep 05, 2011
Derrick
rated it:
A young teen boy in the Ozarks in the late 1800's spends his summer trying to capture trained zoo monkeys that escaped from a train wreck. Many misadventures and hilarious happenings are chronicled. There is a big reward for the monkeys and Jay wants a pony and a .22 rifle. He catches the monkeys after a big storm and ends up using the reward money to let his sister have an operation to fix her useless leg. And he gets a pony and rifle in the end anyway.
This was a good feel good YA More...
This was a good feel good YA More...
Jul 12, 2010
Kara
rated it:
I just finished reading this with my oldest kids and we loved it! As a family read it was wonderful. I never read it when I was younger so I think I enjoyed it just as much as my children. I was also glad I read it to them because so much of the farm descriptions were things my kids haven't seen or experienced so I could pause and explain what the book was talking about and I think it made for a richer experience for them, as well. We're going to check out "Where the Red Fern Grows"
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Aug 13, 2009
Jileen
rated it:
As with many young kids, I had teachers read to the class. There was one book in particular that I really loved but all I remembered about it was a magical ring made of mushrooms, a pony, a playhouse, and a girl with a disability.
Fast forward to a few months ago. My SIL suggested I read Summer of the Monkeys to my boys. I thought it sounded fun and since it was by the same author as "Where the Red Fern Grows" I knew it would probably be good.
I am sure you can More...
Fast forward to a few months ago. My SIL suggested I read Summer of the Monkeys to my boys. I thought it sounded fun and since it was by the same author as "Where the Red Fern Grows" I knew it would probably be good.
I am sure you can More...
May 30, 2008
Carlyna
rated it:
So I'm still reading this book. My husband recommended it to me as a fun quick read...kids book. I actually do like it. It's one of those that you can put down and pick up weeks later and still remember what's going on. Hopefully I will finish it soon; but so far I give it 4 stars!
Ok, I finished the book and loved it. Sure it took me months to read it but it's one of those that you can put down and pick back up without being lost. It's a sweet story of a young boy whose life lo More...
Ok, I finished the book and loved it. Sure it took me months to read it but it's one of those that you can put down and pick back up without being lost. It's a sweet story of a young boy whose life lo More...
Feb 17, 2010
T
rated it:
This is about a boy who discovers monkeys that were escaped from the circus and living in the swamps near his home. He soon finds out through his grandpa that those monkeys are each worth a one dollar reward, except one that is the leader and worth $100 because he is a special kind of monkey. He works hard and accomplishes his goal which shows that as long as you never give up you can do nearly everything. And as his grandfather says, "I've never known an animal that can't be caught."
Jan 17, 2010
Ange
rated it:
My daughter Arissa is currently reading this in school so I thought I'd go back and re-read it because I couldn't remember anything about it from when I read it a long time ago. This is a cute story with a good lesson in it. My daughter wasn't so sure she enjoyed it as she said "The same thing happens over and over", and it is a little bit that way through the middle, but not too bad. Great book for 5th, 7th, 7th grade, or to be read to the class in younger grades.
Feb 16, 2009
Sara
rated it:
It took me a few pages to get into this one, but I loved it. I remember my first grade teacher reading this to me. I don't know how she did it without crying! I couldn't remember much about the book, just that I liked it. So I read it again. I loved that this family was so tight and they wanted each other's dreams to come true. A huge amount of selfless love. The ending was my favorite, along with when the monkey's attacked Jay Berry for capturing two of the little monkeys (I had a good l
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May 22, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
I can remember repeatedly checking this book out from the library at my elementary school. Years later, I'd go into Barnes & Noble and look for it in it's old white cover. Finally, after being frustrated for the millionth time I decided to look for it online in it's library jacket. I read it a few weeks ago and the experience was completely nostalgic. The story is as perfect as it was back then and I can't help crying over it even now.
