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Seriously, Norman!
Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka makes his dazzling debut as a fiction writer
Now that the whole thing is over (and we all survived!), I can tell you what happened.
Picture this for a second. Rock wall six inches on my left. Sheer cliff hundreds of feet down on my right, my best friend Norman in front of me, mumbling something, and my mom behind me saying, "Step, step, ste...more
Now that the whole thing is over (and we all survived!), I can tell you what happened.
Picture this for a second. Rock wall six inches on my left. Sheer cliff hundreds of feet down on my right, my best friend Norman in front of me, mumbling something, and my mom behind me saying, "Step, step, ste...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
October 1st 2011
by Michael di Capua Books
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After twelve-year-old Norman Normann does poorly on the annual Amalgamated Academic Independent City Schools Test, his parents hire a tutor to prepare him for next year's test. But the tutor, Balthazar Birdsong, surprisingly doesn't arrive with a battery of test preparation exercises and reading and responding samples. Instead, he suggests that Norman study the dictionary, mastering one letter of the alphabet each week. He also takes Norman and his friends on field trips across the city. Clearly...more
This was a fun read! Norman meets his cool but weird new tutor, works his way through the dictionary, discovers his father's profession, tries to get his dad to stop doing what he does (no spoiler here) and sell shoes instead, and has adventures with his friends and family.
It's a great adventure story, and with the dictionary entries and trips around the world, it has a lot to teach children and adults.
I was lucky to have met Chris Raschka this past weekend, and told him that I enjoyed the boo...more
It's a great adventure story, and with the dictionary entries and trips around the world, it has a lot to teach children and adults.
I was lucky to have met Chris Raschka this past weekend, and told him that I enjoyed the boo...more
“Observation performed merely on its own is no more than what a machine can do—a surveillance camera, for instance. And imagination on its own, practiced by itself for too long, can cut you off from the world. You might wander away, like a hermit to a cave, becoming only a spirit to the rest of humanity. However, if you remain in the world, and you train yourself to combine observation and imagination in proper proportion...then you may change the world itself.”
―Balthazar Birdsong, Seriously,...more
―Balthazar Birdsong, Seriously,...more
Let's be honest: this would not have seen the light of day without Raschka's name on it (and/or some SERIOUS editing). This is an overlong slog of a read that is far too in love with its own sense of humor...and that might be excusable if that sense of humor were funny.
I gave this 80 pages the first time I tried to read it. I was sick of the lame jokes by page 20, and every character in the book annoyed me by page 30. I love me some silly middle grade and tween books. That's my sense of humor (...more
I gave this 80 pages the first time I tried to read it. I was sick of the lame jokes by page 20, and every character in the book annoyed me by page 30. I love me some silly middle grade and tween books. That's my sense of humor (...more
Reminiscent a bit of The Phantom Tollbooth, Norman Normann has two clueless parents, one, his mother, overwhelmingly nurturing in a vacant sort of way, and the other, his dad, consumed with his desire to make money by selling reused bombers. Interested in making sure Norman does well in the world they hire a tutor who has a very novel approach to education. There are lots of puns here, mysteries about Norman's father's true activities and how to get him to stop being in the bomber business (and...more
I could not finish this book. Norman fails the test to get into a "super special school", so his mother hires a tutor-Mr. Balthazar, whose only assignment is the weekly reading of a letter in the dictionary. Norman consequently finds opportunities during the week to use his new-found vocabulary. Mr. Raschka spends way too much time with flowery descriptions and Norman's musings--it took nine pages for Norman to get over not doing well on his test. I forced myself to read 125 pages and nothing of...more
What a lucky day when Scholastic handed me an ARC of this book - it is outstanding. We could hardly expect less from Caldecott winner Chris Raschka, except this is his first novel for young people. The publisher lists this for 4th-9th grades, which is about right - except I thin it will more commonly be popular at the 6th-7th lgrade level. The book is funny, exciting, interesting and has an underlying (not-so-subtle) anti-testing theme. The story opens as Norman heads out to take the entrance ex...more
This is the story of Norman Normann, who, with the help of his friends and his amazing tutor Balthazar Birdsong, sets out to save his father (a used-bomber salesman) from bad karma. Sound confusing? It is. But in a fun way for the most part. While it took me about 60 pages to really get into the rhythm of the book, I'm glad I stuck with it. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars on the rating, only because the quirkiness of the story sometimes crosses over into cartoonishness. I don't think this is go...more
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I won an ARC copy of this book but because it took some extra time to show up I ended up with a regular copy which means I got the illustrations too! Seriously, Norman is the silly story of Norman Normann maturing over a year. I enjoyed the word play and the characters very much. They were well developed as were the relationships among them. I loved the word play at first but the more I read it became a little tiresome. Probably could have been a bit shorter for the writing style used. I laughed...more
I saw Raschka do a reading from this, and it was hilarious so I got it from the library. It IS hilarious (although not quite the same without him reading it), but it wasn't funny enough to be as long as it was. And I have absolutely no idea who the audience is. The characters and plot seems to be directed towards middle schoolers, but the vocabulary and pace are way older. Basically, I mostly enjoyed reading this but couldn't wait for it to be over because it just seemed to drag.
I laughed my way through this very funny book. I loved the word play throughout the story and dialog, the characters, Norman's affection for his very flawed parents, The stab at high stakes testing, and the tutor and his unorthodox methods, and the sort of zany plot. I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in quite a while.
Not working for me as a kid's book. I found parts of it funny, but the dictionary definitions were distracting, even though I read the dictionary and encyclopedia as a child myself. The mystery wasn't even a good one and I felt scorn for the parents. The best part? I would have loved to have had Mr. B. as a tutor.
I received this book through First-Reads!
Chris Raschka's first venture into a novel brings us a humorous light hearted story about 12 year-old Normal who has failed his high school entrance exams to choose which one he will go to. His parents hie a tutor that is very eccentric but has Norman reading the dictionary. This will being up many new vocabulary words in the story.
This was a pretty good book and should be fun for middle age readers.
Chris Raschka's first venture into a novel brings us a humorous light hearted story about 12 year-old Normal who has failed his high school entrance exams to choose which one he will go to. His parents hie a tutor that is very eccentric but has Norman reading the dictionary. This will being up many new vocabulary words in the story.
This was a pretty good book and should be fun for middle age readers.
Great humor. Can't wait to see what the pictures look like and how they affect the story. But I don't see kids following along with all the language and word play. It's a complicated story with lots of references they may not get.
I think this book suffers from not knowing what it wants to be when it grows up...not that that's bad exactly...just an awful lot going on here.
I do LOVE that there is more to learn in the world than just what might be covered on a test (and that there are academic tests and life tests and it's best to be prepared for both!)
I do LOVE that there is more to learn in the world than just what might be covered on a test (and that there are academic tests and life tests and it's best to be prepared for both!)
Nov 12, 2012
Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2-012-in-2012,
fiction
Yes, an extremely talented illustrator CAN crossover to write fiction. Norman and the gang are trying to figure out adults.... good luck. P.K.
for upper elementary/middle school kids who like Daniel Pinkwater--offbeat humor, layers of meaning, characters you would like to hang out with.
The main character is named Norman Normann, his mother is named Norma Normann, and his father is named Orman Norman. And it only gets better from there.
Dec 28, 2011
Linda
marked it as to-read
I would love to review this book.............. So far I have not received the copy I won from first read good read
Oct 31, 2011
Lulu
marked it as to-read
I won this book from the first reads giveaways and I am so excited to read it. Thanks.
Contained a lot of humor throughout the book but some events went on too long.
A funny alphabet book for middle grade readers. I really liked the crazy vocabulary, though I wonder if it would be a little overwhelming for the intended audience. Great subtext on getting a "real" education from life, not teach-to-the-test learning.
arc=no illustrations :-(
Can't wait to see the final product. Great read for Gr5-8. A wonderful language enriched text.
Can't wait to see the final product. Great read for Gr5-8. A wonderful language enriched text.
This sounds like a fun, interesting book! Looks like it will have interesting characters in a fun story! I'm looking forward to reading it! I just love a book with a sense of humor!
Never received giveaway. Marking as read.
May 01, 2013
Jaymie
marked it as to-read
Apr 25, 2013
Teresa
is currently reading it
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"I always try to treat the book itself as the artwork," Chris Raschka says. "I don't want you to stop while you're reading one of my books and say, 'Oh! What a gorgeous illustration!' I want you to stop at the end of the book and say, 'This is a good book.' "
Chris Raschka is one of those people who knew from an early age what he wanted to be when he grew up. "It was never a question in my mind,"...more
More about Chris Raschka...
Chris Raschka is one of those people who knew from an early age what he wanted to be when he grew up. "It was never a question in my mind,"...more
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“Of all the miserable ways to spend a miserable Saturday morning in the miserable month of January, this had to be the miserablest. In fact, the most miserablest.”
—
2 people liked it
“Observation performed merely on its own is no more than what a machine can do—a surveillance camera, for instance. And imagination on its own, practiced by itself for too long, can cut you off from the world. You might wander away, like a hermit to a cave, becoming only a spirit to the rest of humanity. However, if you remain in the world, and you train yourself to combine observation and imagination in proper proportion...then you may change the world itself.”
—
1 person liked it
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