Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That’s what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring,...
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Jul 28, 2011
Kelly
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Feb 15, 2010
Barky
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Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma (who recites the names of the British monarchs – in order – to keep from cracking up), his Uncle Dooley (who accidentally shot him in the eye with a bb gun), and his dog, Boo, in South Carolina. It’s about the most boring place in the world until Elvis shows up with his boisterous siblings in their big silver motor home. Elvis is about Popeye’s age, and the two of them set off to have a small adventure. They’re out by the creek when they discover a tin
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Jan 19, 2010
your neighborhood librarian
rated it:
Sweet. Sweet, and full of mud. That's a nice combination, kind of like T.R. Pearson for kids. Also, any book involving kids and a creek (at least one in which none of the kids drown - I am still not over Bridge to Terabithia) usually gets me breathing a little deeper. Know what I'm saying? No? Hm.
Popeye lives in a crappy old house that backs onto the woods in semi-rural Fayette, South Carolina. His parents are off somewhere and he is being raised by his overprotective grandma Velma. More...
Popeye lives in a crappy old house that backs onto the woods in semi-rural Fayette, South Carolina. His parents are off somewhere and he is being raised by his overprotective grandma Velma. More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Jeanette
rated it: 
Barbara O'Connor how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 1. Greetings from Nowhere 2. The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis. And, well, that is it because those are the only books I've read by you, yet.
To me Barbara O'Connor has this ability to create amazing, vivid, really likable characters. And she puts those characters into settings that are just as wonderful and vivid to read about. But she does both these things without really writing a lot. Does that make sense? You know More...
To me Barbara O'Connor has this ability to create amazing, vivid, really likable characters. And she puts those characters into settings that are just as wonderful and vivid to read about. But she does both these things without really writing a lot. Does that make sense? You know More...
Jul 04, 2011
Judy
rated it:
Folksy, reminiscent of days from 60's or 70's perhaps. Word choice, prediction. Short, fast read. Gr 3 for read aloud, +4th grade for independent reading.
Two boys from different families meet while one family's Holiday Rambler is stuck in the mud and they explore the surrounding woods and creek. Kids are excited about finding boats made from Ya-hoo containers floating in the creek and wonder where they came from. This one is about looking at your world through different eyes and t More...
Two boys from different families meet while one family's Holiday Rambler is stuck in the mud and they explore the surrounding woods and creek. Kids are excited about finding boats made from Ya-hoo containers floating in the creek and wonder where they came from. This one is about looking at your world through different eyes and t More...
Feb 13, 2010
Karen
rated it:
Quirky but endearing characters, a strong setting and authentic Southern dialect make this short novel very enjoyable. The story takes place over the course of just a few days in an otherwise boring summer, as young Popeye learns to take risks and find adventure in unexpected places from his new (and very temporary) friend, Elvis. Oh, and there's a lovable, loyal dog named Boo in it too. Definitely a good read-aloud for 5th graders - it's relatively light and funny, but could generate interest
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Jan 02, 2010
Becky
rated it:
I loved this book. It is the best Barbara O'Connor book yet. I loved the writing, the characters, the setting, the story. And it all works together...perfectly. And I loved the built-in vocabulary lessons. Readers of this book will be impressing their elders with words like "vicissitude" and "serendipity" and "avuncular".
It's summer in Fayette, South Carolina and it's been raining for days. You can feel the agonizing boredom and loneliness that weigh dow More...
It's summer in Fayette, South Carolina and it's been raining for days. You can feel the agonizing boredom and loneliness that weigh dow More...
Mar 21, 2011
Mike
rated it:
Hi readers,
This is my reading response. This book is called The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor. I have finish this book and this book is about a boy named Popeye with his friend Elvis. Popeye thinks that his summer vacation is going to be boring until he found a boy named Elvis. Popeye lives near a forest (so does Elvis) and together, they went into the forest to explore. They saw lots of different things, including small boats in a river, cemetery of dea More...
This is my reading response. This book is called The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor. I have finish this book and this book is about a boy named Popeye with his friend Elvis. Popeye thinks that his summer vacation is going to be boring until he found a boy named Elvis. Popeye lives near a forest (so does Elvis) and together, they went into the forest to explore. They saw lots of different things, including small boats in a river, cemetery of dea More...
Jan 05, 2010
Deanna
rated it:
Realistic fiction, family, vocabulary words, adventure.
Popeye lives in a small town where there isn't much to do. He is completely bored until a Holiday Rambler (motor home) gets stuck in a mud hole in front of his house. A family of 6 children live in this home on wheels and the eldest, Elvis, befriends Popeye and they go off looking for a small adventure as the father tries to dig their home out.
Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma, who does brain exercises (crosswo More...
Popeye lives in a small town where there isn't much to do. He is completely bored until a Holiday Rambler (motor home) gets stuck in a mud hole in front of his house. A family of 6 children live in this home on wheels and the eldest, Elvis, befriends Popeye and they go off looking for a small adventure as the father tries to dig their home out.
Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma, who does brain exercises (crosswo More...
Feb 24, 2011
Judi
rated it: 
I have loved other books by Barbara O'Connor, but this was just okay. The small adventure occurs when Elvis and his large discombobulated family get their RV stuck in a muddy pothole in the boring town in South Carolina where a boy named Popeye is killing time until school can start again. While Elvis' dad spends a couple of days trying to get his RV unstuck, Popeye and Elvis hang out and we hear about several odd characters that live nearby or are in Elvis and Popeye's families. They are all
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Jan 11, 2010
Carmine
rated it:
Slow moving...(or we can say 'atmospheric' since that sounds nicer) early chapter book centering on Popeye, a lonely and bored boy living in Fayette South Carolina, who is thrust into an 'adventure' by the arrival of Elvis Jewell whose large, colorful family get their motorhome stuck near Popeye's house and, concurrently, by the arrival of small boats made of Yoo-hoo boxes bearing cryptic messages floating in the nearby creek. The two boys set off to discover the source of these messages and, th
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May 11, 2010
Terri
rated it: 
I wanted to love this book if for no other reason than I really like Barbara O'Connor. Her How to Steal a Dog is one of my favorites, a funny and heartbreaking ethical dilemma. I love her lyrical writing, her themes, and her characters. But not this time. The writing is still suffused with gentle beauty and Southern charm, but the theme and characters both fall woefully short. Popeye, the protagonist, doesn't grow and become a better person for his experiences. Rather, the belligerent, foul-mout
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Oct 06, 2009
Maria
rated it:
Popeye earned his name since his Uncle Dooley shot him in the eye with a beebee gun and he squints. He meets Elvis when Elvis'family's motor home gets stuck across the street. Popeyes boring life takes a turn for the better when care free Elvis and he discover a series of little boats made from Yoo-hoo boxes floating in the water in the woods. The adventure begins when they realze each boat contains a note with a mysterious saying on it. Soon they discover the maker of the boats, an eccentri
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Mar 16, 2011
Ramarie
rated it:
Another charmer from Barbara O'Connor! It seems Popeye's going to have a long, boring summer ahead...until Elvis and his family arrive in their camper. Elvis and Popeye become fast friends. Elvis makes Popeye the senior vice president of the Spit and Swear Club. Elvis and his siblings are adept at good insults like "hog-stinkin' sack of nothin'", while Popeye brings more challenging vocabulary to the duo, thanks to his grandma Velma who learns new words to keep herself "from c
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Feb 25, 2010
Peg
rated it:
Barbara O'Connor knows how to tell a story about ordinary folks. Not much is happening in Popeye's NC town and it looks like a long boring summer stretching out before him. Enter Elvis and his family, whose silver rambler gets stuck in the mud outside Popeye's grandmother's house. Popeye envies Elvis' lifestyle and bravado, particularly since he takes to heart his grandmother's constant rants and raves.
The small adventure is truly small, but just right for a couple boys on summer vacat More...
The small adventure is truly small, but just right for a couple boys on summer vacat More...
Apr 25, 2010
Ms. LaPorte
rated it:
Not sure it stands up to the "praise" and the starred reviews - adults will enjoy this as a read-aloud, it'll need to be book talked for students.
I enjoy the vocabulary Popeye learns from Velma (grandma). And I enjoy the simple repetition, and the presentation of a list:
A motor home.
A big motor home.
Big as a house.
Almost.
(pg 12)
More water.
More rocks.
More trees.
More ferns. (pg 68)
Velma, who doesn't have More...
I enjoy the vocabulary Popeye learns from Velma (grandma). And I enjoy the simple repetition, and the presentation of a list:
A motor home.
A big motor home.
Big as a house.
Almost.
(pg 12)
More water.
More rocks.
More trees.
More ferns. (pg 68)
Velma, who doesn't have More...
Mar 28, 2010
Eva
rated it:
This is a summer story full of squabbling little kids, tired old dogs, and eccentric Southern folks with odd names. It has some terrific insults ("hog-stinkin' sack of nothin'"), some excellent vocabulary words (and some creative ways of using them, as in - referring to Velma's rage at Uncle Dooley - "The avuncular atmosphere in the house was not too good."), and a lovely, satisfying ending that is really a beginning.
It feels so timeless that, if it weren't for the smal More...
It feels so timeless that, if it weren't for the smal More...
Aug 22, 2010
April
rated it:
My friend Cathy recommended this book and I thank her wholeheartedly for it! I read it in one day which is always a lovely thing to do. It's beautiful in its simplicity, every word is perfect... nothing wasted (I'm always amazed when an author can do that). It's got a classic children's lit feel -wholesome but a little subversive (The Spit and Swear Club!) -but it is also timeless...it could have taken place 40 years ago or last week... O'Connor never lets on (well, one clue is the Yoo Hoo). It'
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Apr 09, 2010
Wendy
rated it:
I adored this book. When I first heard the title, I was a bit worried about the names of the characters (too much?), but O'Connor makes it all work to a T. Their names MUST be Popeye and Elvis. I love the way O'Connor takes her time with the details over a few days, creating rich characters and setting without getting too bogged down. She also worked the tension in a very genuine way - Popeye and Elvis must complete their adventure before Elvis' family RV gets unstuck and Elvis must move on.
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Jan 04, 2010
Phoebe
rated it:
A rather sad but sweetly compelling chapter book about a lonely boy, Popeye, whose life is changed by the mysterious arrival of a large silver motorhome, filled with rambunctious children. Elvis becomes Popeye's hero and partner in crime, as they search out an adventure while waiting for Elvis' father to get the motorhome's stuck wheel unstuck from the mud. A book about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, if one will only look...I especially liked Popeye's grandma, who joins Grandma Dow
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Aug 31, 2009
Kirby
rated it:
I don't know anyone who does a better job of leaving white space in a story than Barbara O'Connor. I study her books over and over to help me learn how to weave in backstory and to learn what to leave out. She says so much with spare, perfectly chosen words.
I loved this story of Popeye's "small" adventure and being immersed in his life. I admire the way we are set inside of homes that might be a little non-traditional but where you feel right to home. And I finished the boo More...
I loved this story of Popeye's "small" adventure and being immersed in his life. I admire the way we are set inside of homes that might be a little non-traditional but where you feel right to home. And I finished the boo More...
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Jan 28, 2012
Vicki
rated it:
Nominated for the California Young Reader Medal 2011-2012. Added to my school library January 2012. Definitely a "small adventure" for 2 boys one summer in a small town in South Carolina. Not sure why so many books are set in the South; maybe because, if you need quirky, eccentric characters living in trailers, talking like rednecks, and running around the woods, you have to go down there to find them? I don't know, but the events are pretty ordinary in themselves. It is the way t
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Sep 09, 2011
Danielle
rated it:
My South Carolinian mother and I cracked up at a couple of things: "A Hogstinkin' sack of nothin'? That was a good an insult as Popey ahd heard in a long time. He made a mental note to remember it." and "I swear, if that husband of mine had an idea, it would die of lonliness." Certainly phrases to be remembered and used frequently. :)
All in all, super fun to listen to - not so much for the scope of the "adventure" (after all, it is only a small adven More...
All in all, super fun to listen to - not so much for the scope of the "adventure" (after all, it is only a small adven More...
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Jun 01, 2010
William
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Cute short and sweet, Popeye's life suddenly gets exciting when Elvis and his family show up, their gleaming silver RV trapped in the mud. Elvis and Popeye find secret messages in paper boats floting down the river and have their small adventure tracking down the source. The vocabulary lessons are great, and the characters are interesting, and the story keeps you reading, but like O'Connor's last book I read (Greeting from Nowhere) I felt like there wasn't enough there to make me truly enjoy
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Sep 08, 2010
Maureen
rated it:
A charming small adventure of Popeye, a lonesome boy in South Carolina, whose world widens a bit when he and Elvis, the eldest of a lively family whose Holiday Rambler is stuck in some nearby mud, search (and break rules!) to discover the source of mysterious boats (carefully crafted of empty Yoohoo boxes) they find drifting down a nearby stream. Chapters are sometimes punctuated with the vocabulary words his grandmother teaches him as a part of her attempt to keep her mind sharp. A fine choic
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Nov 23, 2009
Abby
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Popeye's summer stretches out before him, stuck in the house with his grandmother and his no-account uncle while the rain pours outside. But when the rain clears and Popeye discovers a motor home stuck in the mud outside his house, Popeye meets Elvis and they decide to have a small adventure together.
It's very well-written, made me laugh out loud in parts, and managed to pull off serious bits without veering into Depressing. The story's a quiet one and it reminded me of The Penderwick More...
It's very well-written, made me laugh out loud in parts, and managed to pull off serious bits without veering into Depressing. The story's a quiet one and it reminded me of The Penderwick More...
Mar 28, 2010
Sandra
rated it:
Popeye, so named because his uncle Dooley had accidently shot his eye out with a B.B gun when he was three, is bored. His life consists of staring at the heart shaped stain on his bedroom ceiling and listening to his grandma Velma recite the kings and queens of England to keep her mind sharp. He lives with her because his parents are absent from his life. Occasionally his mother pops in for a visit. Popeye sees his life as boring until the day the Holiday Rambler gets stuck in the mud near his h
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Sep 08, 2009
If you don't know Barbara O'Connor's books, Popeye and Elvis is a great place to start. You'll be hooked. And then there are a lot of other terrific books waiting for you.
This newest book might be her most accessible so far. A perfect story for younger readers who will love hearing it read aloud. Boys will find the boating adventure hard to resist (Yoo-hoo boats!). In fact, I predict that every kid who reads it will find the nearest stream and float something down it, hoping for jus More...
This newest book might be her most accessible so far. A perfect story for younger readers who will love hearing it read aloud. Boys will find the boating adventure hard to resist (Yoo-hoo boats!). In fact, I predict that every kid who reads it will find the nearest stream and float something down it, hoping for jus More...
Dec 15, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
American children grow up reading so many good British novels that sometimes it's hard to conjure up similar books of a Yankee nature. Maybe that's why I like Barbara O'Connor so much. Fantasy fans are forever searching for the next great American fantasy novel, but I for one am forever on a search for the next great American realistic children's book. And certainly The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis probably owes more to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer than The Railway Children when you read
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Oct 23, 2009
Megan
rated it:
Now anyone who knows me, knows I am a fan of Barbara O'Connor. I am also a sucker for a good southern accent and a backwoods setting. This book has backwoods written all over it and this is what I loved the most!
My favorite part of the book is the family in the rambling RV. I wanted to know them. I thought maybe I did know them. Oh, the characters... Gosh, Barbara is so good at character development. I knew all those characters. I put a face with them in a split second. (Or split p More...
My favorite part of the book is the family in the rambling RV. I wanted to know them. I thought maybe I did know them. Oh, the characters... Gosh, Barbara is so good at character development. I knew all those characters. I put a face with them in a split second. (Or split p More...
