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The Boy in the Box: Master Melville's Medicine Show
by
Cary Fagan
“If you always feel fully and completely happy, my friends, then you do not need my drops and I will not sell them to you for any amount of money.” —Master Melville
Eleven-year-old juggling enthusiast Sullivan Mintz helps his family run the Stardust Home for Old People. It’s not ideal: his best friend, Manny, is eighty-one years old. But life as usual turns upside down when...more
Eleven-year-old juggling enthusiast Sullivan Mintz helps his family run the Stardust Home for Old People. It’s not ideal: his best friend, Manny, is eighty-one years old. But life as usual turns upside down when...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
October 9th 2012
by Clarion Books
(first published September 18th 2012)
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Thank you Goodreads for this novel, it was a great children's book! Interesting to find out this is the first in a series as well. I actually re-gifted this book to one of the students that I tutor, who has a difficult time finding books he is interested in. Looking forward to reading the next installment!
"Twelve-year-old Sullivan Mintz helps his family run the Stardust Home for Old People. While his father worries about finances and his mother is distracted by her poetry (rather embarrassingly,...more
"Twelve-year-old Sullivan Mintz helps his family run the Stardust Home for Old People. While his father worries about finances and his mother is distracted by her poetry (rather embarrassingly,...more
2.5 stars
This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.
Juggling three items at once isn’t such a bit deal, according to Sullivan Mintz, but four? That’s something. The Boy in the Box: Master Melville’s Medicine Show is the most recent outing from best-selling middle grade author Cary Fagan, and like its juggling protagonist Sullivan, it finds itself with plenty of balls in the air.
The thing is that although watching someone juggle is a novelty to begin with, it’s really when th...more
This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.
Juggling three items at once isn’t such a bit deal, according to Sullivan Mintz, but four? That’s something. The Boy in the Box: Master Melville’s Medicine Show is the most recent outing from best-selling middle grade author Cary Fagan, and like its juggling protagonist Sullivan, it finds itself with plenty of balls in the air.
The thing is that although watching someone juggle is a novelty to begin with, it’s really when th...more
Oct 21, 2012
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
abusive-relationships,
animals,
bullies,
drama,
families,
friendship,
international,
ncbla2013,
school,
travel
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Twelve-Year-Old Sullivan Mintz is a very ordinary boy. So ordinary, that kids at school barely notice him, except of course the school bully. Sullivan helps his parents run their old folk’s home where his best friend is Manny, an 81-year-old resident, who encourages him as he learns to juggle. He’s pretty good and when an old fashioned Medicine Show comes to town, (remarkably out of time period but no one seems to care) Sullivan and his sister set off to watch the kids perform and he is kidnappe...more
Aug 30, 2012
Maia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
juvenile-literature
My thanks to Goodreads and their First Reads program for giving me a free copy of The Boy in the Box to read and review.
The official summary is pretty spot on, unlike some other books that I've read, so I won’t bother giving my own. It’s important to note though, that this book is the first installment in a series so there isn’t a conclusion to Sullivan Mintz’s story.
I don’t have much to critique because this is a children’s book and, it goes without saying, juvenile literature seems pretty ba...more
The official summary is pretty spot on, unlike some other books that I've read, so I won’t bother giving my own. It’s important to note though, that this book is the first installment in a series so there isn’t a conclusion to Sullivan Mintz’s story.
I don’t have much to critique because this is a children’s book and, it goes without saying, juvenile literature seems pretty ba...more
The Boy in the Box by Cary Fagan stars Sullivan Mintz, an 11-year old boy who doesn’t seem to make an impression on anyone. We learn early on that Sullivan was encouraged to take up juggling by Manny, a resident in his family’s retirement home. Manny is one of the few people who actually takes an interest in Sullivan. Norval, Sullivan’s friend at school, and Samuel Patinsky, the school bully, seem to be the only others who really see Sullivan - Norval to be a friend, Samuel to make his life life...more
For the most part I enjoyed this book. It is a story of a boy, Sullivan Mintz, who helps his parents barely keep together a home for the aged. He is a lonely boy. He has only two friends. Norval is an acquaintance from school who is picked on almost as much as Sullivan. His other friend is Manny, an 81 year old widower living in the old folks home. He is teaching Sullivan to juggle. One night as a strange looking caravan passes near the old folks home, Sullivan feels a mysterious enchantment pul...more
Oct 21, 2012
Gina (My Precious)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
series-books
Full Review to post on the My Precious Blog www.thecallawayfam.blogspot.com
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
This story is told in 3rd person from multiple points of view. Its about a boy, Sullivan, who isn't very popular in school, tends to be nothing more than ordinary, but wants to be so much more. His family has financial troubles and runs an old folks home called Stardust. One of the residents, Manny, an 81 year old guy suggests Sullivan learn to juggle. So, he does, in fact he becomes quite good at it. The...more
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
This story is told in 3rd person from multiple points of view. Its about a boy, Sullivan, who isn't very popular in school, tends to be nothing more than ordinary, but wants to be so much more. His family has financial troubles and runs an old folks home called Stardust. One of the residents, Manny, an 81 year old guy suggests Sullivan learn to juggle. So, he does, in fact he becomes quite good at it. The...more
From October 2012 SLJ:
Gr 4-7:�Sullivan Mintz, 11, fades into the background at school and at home. He has a passion for juggling, but he can't imagine performing before an audience. Things change, though, when an old-fashioned caravan makes its way through Beanfield. Attending the evening medicine show in secret with his little sister, Jinny, Sullivan is mesmerized by Master Melville and the children who perform amazing magical and acrobatic feats, and it seems only natural to show Melville his...more
Gr 4-7:�Sullivan Mintz, 11, fades into the background at school and at home. He has a passion for juggling, but he can't imagine performing before an audience. Things change, though, when an old-fashioned caravan makes its way through Beanfield. Attending the evening medicine show in secret with his little sister, Jinny, Sullivan is mesmerized by Master Melville and the children who perform amazing magical and acrobatic feats, and it seems only natural to show Melville his...more
I was initially interested in The Boy In The Box by Cary Fagan because one of the larger plot points the summary revolves around a medicine show and I just loved The Boneshaker by Kate Milford where the medicine show is also a huge part of the plot. For the most part, The Boy In The Box really worked for me, but found myself unsatisfied after reading the end.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
I received a free copy of this book through Good Reads first reads. Thank you Good Reads, Cary Fagan and Penguin Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is a good book to hand to any 8-12 year kid they'll find the character of Sullivan very identifiable and want to root for him. There's also some good positive messages in here for kids especially the anti-bullying.
This is the first book of a series and it definitely ends that way leaving you wanting more. I'll be curious to...more
This is a good book to hand to any 8-12 year kid they'll find the character of Sullivan very identifiable and want to root for him. There's also some good positive messages in here for kids especially the anti-bullying.
This is the first book of a series and it definitely ends that way leaving you wanting more. I'll be curious to...more
I gave the book Boy in the Box to my 9 year old granddaughter to read. Her comments were it was really good but was not thrilled with the ending. I would recommend this book for all ages.
I wanted to love this book, I won it from the Goodreads First Reads program and it seemed like a cool story, but I struggled to get into the tale itself and the characters seemed distant and inaccessible. If I really like or love a book I would find it worth reading again and again, this was good, but not great, for me. Didn't keep my interest and I couldn't fully pinpoint why.
Well-written and fascinating, but the mash-up of ideas and lack of resolution left me at a bit of a loss.
I would recommend this to kids everywhere. I found the ending a bit unsatisfactory though.
I won a copy of this through FirstReads!
The first in a series about Master Meville’s Travelling Show. This was an enjoyable read for children 8-12 with well-written and likeable characters. I found the story original and looking forward to the next one as I have to find out what happens! I won my copy of the book from the Goodreads First Reads program from the publisher.
I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait to read Book 2. I loved the juxtaposition of old and new, real and mysterious, good and bad, fear and desire. Reminded me of Lemony Snicket, but the characters are more complex and I liked it more.
More marvelous than Master Melville's Medicine Show. A refreshing read with cartfuls of character and personality. Adults and children alike will love this book. I'm looking forward to the release of Book Two!
Not sure.
Kinda dark.
Kinda dark.
Apr 29, 2013
Debbie
marked it as rc-2012
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Sep 09, 2012 10:58am