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Too Small to Fail
184 pages
Published
2011
by Puffin
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'Too small to fail' is SO much fun! Morris Gleitzman is well known for his humour, however there's much more at stake in this novel - millions of dollars, one seriously gorgeous dog and one (plus 15 more) camels, a young boy longing to be loved PLUS wanting parents who he respects. Is that too much to ask? Gleitzman steps away from the 'voice' so evident in his last few novels to create a fun yet serious story about a boy caught in the morality morass of high corporate finance. Underneath all th...more
This book is more serious than others Gleitzman has written (excluding Once
, which is heartrending). It deals with financial themes and desperation, and rich parents and people who've lost money. It deals with love, loss, selfishness and selflessness, honour, and dishonour.
On the back it says it is a "sometimes sad but mostly funny" book, but I would say it is more sad than funny - though Gleitzman is very good at writing serious books with a humour that makes them approachable and understandab...more
, which is heartrending). It deals with financial themes and desperation, and rich parents and people who've lost money. It deals with love, loss, selfishness and selflessness, honour, and dishonour.On the back it says it is a "sometimes sad but mostly funny" book, but I would say it is more sad than funny - though Gleitzman is very good at writing serious books with a humour that makes them approachable and understandab...more
4.5 stars. This was a good book. It had loads of words in it that I didn't exactly understand, to do with finance, but it still was a good book. I liked how they crashed in the desert and Nancy sprained her ankle, and just how weird it was that the whole book was based on a dog and a camel. I think the moral of the story is you should appreciate what you've got while you've got it. I don't think his parents were mean they were just working hard for his future.
By Cormac, aged 10.
Mum's note: We go...more
By Cormac, aged 10.
Mum's note: We go...more
(BTW im reading this for my literature class at uni)
Im keeping this one very short for once. Whilst i thought this book had a very funny and great protagonist (i loved oliver): oliver who had such a vibrant imagination and such a big heart. I couldnt get over some of the themes that were in the novel - and i think the oreffered age for this book should be higher than it is. I mean Oliver at one stage is disgusted who his paretnes are is deeply upset and hurt at his selish parents. Also this book...more
Im keeping this one very short for once. Whilst i thought this book had a very funny and great protagonist (i loved oliver): oliver who had such a vibrant imagination and such a big heart. I couldnt get over some of the themes that were in the novel - and i think the oreffered age for this book should be higher than it is. I mean Oliver at one stage is disgusted who his paretnes are is deeply upset and hurt at his selish parents. Also this book...more
This book is perfect! I would defy anyone of any age to read this and not come out with a better understanding of the recent financial crisis. Oliver’s mum and dad are investment bankers, but like all the other banks they’ve over-extended themselves. A former employee threatens to kill the dog that Oliver has been longing for, unless he can persuade them to pay back the failed investment she was persuaded to make. Oliver’s IPO fails spectacularly when he does the maths and realises that selling...more
Jul 25, 2011
TheBookAddictedGirl
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone! It's Funny, Sweet, Brilliant: I Loved It!
Recommended to TheBookAddictedGirl by:
Penguin
4½ Out of 5 Stars
Oliver’s parents are incredibly rich, and busy with their bank. Oliver doesn’t care about money. All he wants is the dog behind the glass at the pet shop. So when a lady comes along and buys the dog, he doesn’t think it can get any worse. Until she threatens him (the dog-him; not Oliver-him). Apparently his parents took her money and she wants it back. If Oliver doesn’t get her money for her in one week, the dog dies. Then… it gets even worse. It turns out that the woman has six...more
Oliver’s parents are incredibly rich, and busy with their bank. Oliver doesn’t care about money. All he wants is the dog behind the glass at the pet shop. So when a lady comes along and buys the dog, he doesn’t think it can get any worse. Until she threatens him (the dog-him; not Oliver-him). Apparently his parents took her money and she wants it back. If Oliver doesn’t get her money for her in one week, the dog dies. Then… it gets even worse. It turns out that the woman has six...more
Too Small to Fail is set in Australia amid a climate of global financial crisis. That sounds like a heavy read, doesn’t it?! But actually, this book is full of spirit and panache and problems that are much more relatable to children and young people.
Oliver’s parents are investment bankers and they work long hours. Oliver knows they love him dearly but he is lonely. The housekeepers who take care of him are often fired by him mum. She wants a superwoman to be there when she can’t be. There is not...more
Oliver’s parents are investment bankers and they work long hours. Oliver knows they love him dearly but he is lonely. The housekeepers who take care of him are often fired by him mum. She wants a superwoman to be there when she can’t be. There is not...more
Oliver's parents both work long hours at an investment bank and are so busy making money that they hardly have any time for him. Oliver isn't worried about having all the latest gadgets that money can buy though, he would just like them to spend time together as a family and he would really like a pet dog. He spends his time watching a dog through a pet shop window trying to come up with ways to convince his parents to let him bring the dog home. When a lady buys the dog and threatens to harm hi...more
I have been enjoying audiobooks a lot lately and this one was better than some of them. It suffered a bit less from the overacting sound of some of the other audiobooks I have listened to. The other significant advantage of the book over some other recent "reads" is that the plot was less predictable than many of them. There were quite a few plot twists that added an extra dimension to the story.
And, like many books set in and written by Australians, it also has a strong sense of family. I like...more
And, like many books set in and written by Australians, it also has a strong sense of family. I like...more
Read this in preparation for my Year 5 class. Thing about Gleitzman is he doesn't hold back. An adult's theme vividly told through an innocent child's eyes and pulled off so amazingly well. This should be required reading for anyone looking at economics (yes, that's part of the Yr 5 curriculum, exciting!), or just anyone looking for a great read. In my top 5 of children's authors.
I absolutely love how Morris Gleitzman makes stories about real-life issues funny and for kids! Who would think that you could put words like 'default credit swap' or 'collateralised debt obligation' or 'portfolio' or 'hedged' in a middle grade book and make it funny? And true to Gleitzman's usual style, he brings the seriousness of the issue to the table. Great book.
As usual, Gleitzman takes complex adult issues, and breaks it down to the younger readers in a way that is neither patronising or simplistic. Who else could write a compelling yet funny novel about a young boy caught up in the GFC?
Brilliant book introducing the world of high finance into a child's story. I love the way MG does this with his novels & often read my daughter's books before or after her so we an share. This is a beauty & so timely for this decade. .
Have to admire Gleitzman's ability to fashion a morality tale for mid-to-upper primary schoolers out of the global financial crisis. Humour and viewpoint makes the pain and ethics of bank failure both palatable and comprehensible for younger readers.
Oliver is a very sweet character and was a great hero. I enjoyed the seemingly strange mix of characters and events - camels, banks, kidnapping and a dog called Barclay. A very quick and enjoyable read.
Oh, I REALLY liked this. Vintage Gleitzman, with a more challenging conclusion than you might expect.
This is a really good ensemble novel. There is a main character, Oliver, and his desire to be reunited with his (sort of) dog who has been (sort of ) kidnapped is at the heart of the story. But other characters also shine through: Haydn, the disappointed banker; Rose, the stroppy camel-farmer; even the long-line of short-lived housekeepers.
Each character brings a new angle, both to Oliver's story and to our understanding of the complexities of the international banking system (really).
This book...more
Each character brings a new angle, both to Oliver's story and to our understanding of the complexities of the international banking system (really).
This book...more
Great book. So glad we chose this. Good teaching notes. Good for wider reading maths. Easy book for Y 6-7. Maybe difficult concepts for Y 5
Just brilliant! Would love to increase our library with more Gleitzman books
A funny adventure involving a boy, a girl, a dog, some camels, and four trillion dollars. (AUS)
This book was hilarious. I really enjoyed the vivid, detailed descriptions about what happened in the story. I loved the different charactors' descriptions; their personalities and their likes/dislikes. I loved the way that I was captivated when I was reading it. I couldn't put it down!!!!!!!
It is really fun the way about how this 5th grader is trying everything to save his dog, and how his parent and he work out the problem when they suddenly go from rich to job-lost..
Quinessential Morris Gleitzmann. Funny, touching, realistic (well mostly). For camel lovers and failed investors everywhere.
This book didn't catch my attention at all. I thought it would be good because so many people were reading it.
A funny book for people 8+
May 12, 2013
Erika
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Sarah
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Shubham Bhargava
marked it as to-read
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Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic style has endeared him to children and adults alike, and he is now one of Australia's most successful authors, both internationally and at home. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.
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Yes I think so. Despite the young character, there are quite a few bits of higher end financial terminolo...more
May 20, 2011 02:05am
Jul 21, 2011 02:29am