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The Gollywhopper Games
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Gil Goodson's future happiness depends on winning the Golly Toy & Game Company's ultimate competition. If Gil wins, his dad has promised that the family can move away from all the gossip, false friends, and bad press that have plagued them ever since The Incident. Inside the toy company's fantastic headquarters, Gil will have to master trivia, solve puzzle
...morePaperback, 336 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Greenwillow Books
(first published March 1st 2008)
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This is one of the most fun and easy to recommend books I've read in a long, long time. It's like a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for a new generation, set in a toy factory, rather than chocolate, and with much more satisfying games.
Gil is trying his hardest to get into The Gollywhopper Games, a contest sponsered by Golly Toy & Game Company. The winner gets all kinds of money and great prizes, but what Gil is hoping to win is some self-respect. His dad used to be an employee...more
Gil is trying his hardest to get into The Gollywhopper Games, a contest sponsered by Golly Toy & Game Company. The winner gets all kinds of money and great prizes, but what Gil is hoping to win is some self-respect. His dad used to be an employee...more
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This is a fun read. It reminds me of both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Westing Game. Lots of fun word and number puzzles to solve along the way. Put it in the hands of any 10-year old boys you know.
Review available on Reading Vacation Blog. http://tinyurl.com/22tdfkh
There are two reasons I chose this book from the library shelf. One – a fun and colorful title and cover. Two – The Golly-Whoppers Games was a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee for 2009-2010. Bluebonnet books are always winners for me!
This book tells the story of Gil Goodson, a tween boy who dreams big. Ever since his father has been falsely accused of stealing from the Golly Toy & Games Company, life has been miserable for Gi...more
There are two reasons I chose this book from the library shelf. One – a fun and colorful title and cover. Two – The Golly-Whoppers Games was a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee for 2009-2010. Bluebonnet books are always winners for me!
This book tells the story of Gil Goodson, a tween boy who dreams big. Ever since his father has been falsely accused of stealing from the Golly Toy & Games Company, life has been miserable for Gi...more
Twenty-five thousand kids are competing in the Golly-Whopper Games, with a chance to win all of the companies toys and games, as well as a college scholarship and a load of money. For one kid, Gil Goodson, the games represent more than that--if he wins, his dad has agreed to move their family out of Orchard Heights. Gil's father was accused, though found not-guilty, of embezzling thousands of dollars from the company while he worked there. The kids at school treated Gil terribly, but they couldn...more
2012 Nutmeg nominee for Children.
So far, The Gollywhopper Games, has been my favorite 2011 nominee. I was a little worried at first that this book would be a board-game version/rip-off of Willy Wonka. However, I was treated to an original story full of fantastical fun and interesting characters.
Gil has had a difficult year and a half. After his father is very publicly fired from the Golly Toy Company (for embezzlement) he faces a lot of bullying from the kids at school. I...more
So far, The Gollywhopper Games, has been my favorite 2011 nominee. I was a little worried at first that this book would be a board-game version/rip-off of Willy Wonka. However, I was treated to an original story full of fantastical fun and interesting characters.
Gil has had a difficult year and a half. After his father is very publicly fired from the Golly Toy Company (for embezzlement) he faces a lot of bullying from the kids at school. I...more
I picked up this gem of a book Monday night and finished 2 hours later. This fast paced, 308 page, children's fiction book revolves around Gil Goodson and his hopes to be able to participate in the Golly-Whopper Games. This book had a VERY familiar feel...Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came to mind, and in the back of the book the author says she wrote it because a child wanted a book like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and nobody could find one for him.
Keeping in mind this boo...more
Keeping in mind this boo...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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When my reading teacher recommended this book to me I did not think it would be something I would enjoy. I thought it would be a book my 6 year old sister would love to hear me read to her (which she probably would) but it is so much more than that! With twists and turns you will never see coming, The Gollywhopper Games is a MUST-READ!
The Gollywhopper Games is about a boy named Gil Goodson who enters a competition called the Gollywhopper Games, which is hosted by the Golly Toy & Game Compa...more
The Gollywhopper Games is about a boy named Gil Goodson who enters a competition called the Gollywhopper Games, which is hosted by the Golly Toy & Game Compa...more
Gil Goodson is determined to win The Gollywhopper Games after his dad was falsely accused of embezzling funds from the company. One problem: Gil has to out-solve, out-puzzle, and be faster at it than any of the other thousands of kids who are competing for the fabulous prize.
At every turn, someone is smarter, sneakier, or quicker than Gil...but he has done his homework and he is really, REALLY good at puzzles. Will it be enough? He sure hopes so, since his dad said that could move a...more
At every turn, someone is smarter, sneakier, or quicker than Gil...but he has done his homework and he is really, REALLY good at puzzles. Will it be enough? He sure hopes so, since his dad said that could move a...more
2012 Nutmeg nominee for Children.
So far, The Gollywhopper Games, has been my favorite 2011 nominee. I was a little worried at first that this book would be a board-game version/rip-off of Willy Wonka. However, I was treated to an original story full of fantastical fun and interesting characters.
Gil has had a difficult year and a half. After his father is very publicly fired from the Golly Toy Company (for embezzlement) he faces a lot of bullying from the kid...more
So far, The Gollywhopper Games, has been my favorite 2011 nominee. I was a little worried at first that this book would be a board-game version/rip-off of Willy Wonka. However, I was treated to an original story full of fantastical fun and interesting characters.
Gil has had a difficult year and a half. After his father is very publicly fired from the Golly Toy Company (for embezzlement) he faces a lot of bullying from the kid...more
Fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will love this book, as will puzzle and mystery fans. Gil has been studying for months in hopes of competing and winning the Gollywhopper Games, a competition sponsored by Golly Games, the company where his dad used to work. Gil knows his father was not an industrial spy and had not stolen ideas from the company to sell to its competitors, but his life has not been easy since his father was accused and lost his job. Winning the Gollywhopper Games will gi...more
Charlyn Trussell
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Gr. 4 and up
Recommended to Charlyn by:
Texas Bluebonnet Award reading list
Winning the Gollywhopper Games cash prize would alleviate some of the problems Gil's family had encountered since Gil's dad had been fired from his position at the Golly Toy Co. over a year ago. Even after Gil's dad was found innocent of the charges of theft from the company, Gil felt friendless and his father was still unemployed. Just becoming a participant in the Games pitted him against thousands of other youngsters, but Gil emerged one of ten lucky children engaged in the finals of the comp...more
This book will remind you a lot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The author is quick to point out that this is intentional, so once you get beyond that I think you'll like this book. The Golly Whopper Toy Company is holding a contest to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. You have to have a ticket to enter the games, and Gil is determined to get a ticket. The book follows Gil as he becomes a competitor in the games. The puzzles that the contestants have to solve reminded me a lot...more
This is a first novel for Feldman. All I can say is she must have loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Most kids do, so I would recommend this as a read aloud for teachers. Feldman changes it up a bit with the “games.” The contestants have to get tickets, which can be cone in several ways. They then compete by completing puzzles that narrow the field to ten. At that point, 2 teams compete by completing puzzles and performing stunts. This part makes me think of reality TV, since, of course, a...more
My son recommended this book to me. He is nine and reads from the Bluebonnet Book list at school. His book-reading career was off to a shaky start in 1st and 2nd grade. He learned to read just fine, but did not have much interest in books until he started reading books involving sports (that should have been a parental no-brainer) and then checking the Bluebonnet books off one by one in 3rd grade. It has been a joy to watch him get excited about written stories. So, I try to read some of hi...more
ISBN-978-0-06-121450-9
This book is a real page turner as there are several subplots happening at the same time in the story. The president of the company wants to bribe Gil to drop out of the competition and one of the other contestants may have information about the real criminal in the toy company. This book is an exceptional choice for 9-12 year olds because Gil is a dynamic character and students will be rooting for him throughout. Also, the puzzles and games that need to be solved ...more
This book is a real page turner as there are several subplots happening at the same time in the story. The president of the company wants to bribe Gil to drop out of the competition and one of the other contestants may have information about the real criminal in the toy company. This book is an exceptional choice for 9-12 year olds because Gil is a dynamic character and students will be rooting for him throughout. Also, the puzzles and games that need to be solved ...more
I really enjoyed The Gollywhopper Games! This book has a fast pace, and is all about action!!!!! To win the gollywhopper games it takes skill and knowledge. The main character Gil, is very smart but something bad happened. His father worked for the Gollywhopper toy company and then he was accused of transferring 5 billion into his account from the toy company. But was it really him that did that, or was it somebody else? Did Gil win the Gollywhopper games, or did things go terribly wrong? To fi...more
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It feels a hair like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," with the outragously sized (and colored) objects not to mention the characters, but there is definitely an different under-current to the book. Knowing it is a competition and given that the main character has a history with the company running them, there is a little less of the fascination and more goal directed plot. The reading level won't scare off too many kids, and there is a quick...more
This is a Bluebonnet Book Award nominee and I decided to read it to help promote it to the students at my school. Jody Feldman worked at a library herself, and was inspired one day when a student asked if there were any other books like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The Gollywhopper Toy Company has a huge promotion where kids can compete to win truckloads of money, prizes and treats inside the toy factory, complete with a '50s diner, a palm-tree dotted island and 20 feet high ...more
As a person who loves both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory AND word and number puzzles, I loved this one. A boy competes to win the prize in the Gollywhopper Toy Company competition that involves solving an assortment of fantastical puzzles, all the while trying to help regain his family's standing in their town. His family has a reputation tainted by false allegations of theft that led to his father's loss of his job at Gollywhopper. While I think I enjoyed Roald Dahl's cast of characters...more
This book was had a lot of puzzles that were very confusing. Well, for 1 thing: the puzzles had to do with the Gollywop company. It's about a boy named GIl Goodson who's dad was arrested for nothing. Then at school, kids would be picking on him and they didn't let them on the football team. He entered a contest called The Gollywhopper Games. If he won, he gets prizes. He meets Bianca and Lavinia(is that how you spell her name?) there at the games. Read to find out which puzzles were asked and wh...more
Emmag.
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Emmag. by:
it was a blue bonnet
I thought this was a great book!Although, I thought the whole time in the Golly-Whopper headquars seemed longer than a day. I think the author should have made the contestants sleep in the building and stay there for about three days with the main levels all on different days. My favorite thing was how we get to see what the puzzles are and work alongside Lavina, Rocky, and Gil. Also, I liked how the competition wasn't the only big thing going on. I highly recomend this book to others readers wh...more
Do you like puzzles and games? In this book, Gil Goodson is competing in the Golly Toy & Game Company's biggest contest ever. Participants must complete puzzles, games, and physical challenges to advance to the next round of competition. Gil has been an outcast at his school due to some problems with his father's job. If Gil can win the competition, his father has promised that they can move to a new town where Gil can make some new friends. Can he win? If you liked Charlie and the Chocola...more
2012 Sasquatch book. I liked the idea of this book, more than the book itself. Kids competing on a reality game show is a great idea. This book wants to be more though, by adding on a subplot where the kid's dad has been fired by the company who is sponsoring the game. That doesn't really make sense and the more it is explained, the less sense it makes.
The puzzles are interesting and hard enough to be challenging, especially for kids. However, I don't think that it would work very wel...more
The puzzles are interesting and hard enough to be challenging, especially for kids. However, I don't think that it would work very wel...more
Gil Goodson is entering the contest of a lifetime. The Golly Game and Toy Company is hosting a contest to celebrate it's 50th anniversary, and the kid who wins will get 10,000 dollars, a full college scholarship, and unlimited supply of Golly Toys and Games. Does Gil have the smarts to beat 20,000 other kids to win? Part Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, part Westing Game, but nearly as good as either. Dialog felt contrived and fake, and although the plot was an exciting premise, it never q...more
A fun kid's book that my ten-year-old daughter and I enjoyed reading. The highlight was the puzzles, and the angle of the dad being discredited (providing motivation to Gil Goodson, the main character). My biggest complaint was the derivative nature of the book - inspired by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (the homage was a little too close to the original for my liking). I enjoyed Gil's fellow competitors - Lavinia, Biance, Rocky and Thorne - although they weren't as memorable ...more
Pretty good considering. Modern day Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The author admits that in the acknowledgements, but it's sweet because he says he wrote the book because while volunteering at a library they overheard a 10 year old boy ask for a book similar to Charlie and the librarian couldn't suggest one. I'm not sure if that's bad librarianing or an actual hole in the genre. Either way, it was pretty good for what it was, the puzzles were fun and the descriptions were vivid. It included...more
This is an example of a book which needs different packaging.
Gil is a contestant in the Gollywhopper Games, a reality TV show/multi-stage obstacle course and word game put on by a major toy company. The book follows Gil as he solves many different puzzles, some of which can be solved by the audience as he goes. The stakes are especially high for Gil - his father used to work for the toy company, and was accused of embezzlment, leaving the organization in disgrace. Gil has a lot to pro...more
Gil is a contestant in the Gollywhopper Games, a reality TV show/multi-stage obstacle course and word game put on by a major toy company. The book follows Gil as he solves many different puzzles, some of which can be solved by the audience as he goes. The stakes are especially high for Gil - his father used to work for the toy company, and was accused of embezzlment, leaving the organization in disgrace. Gil has a lot to pro...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Gollywhopper Toy Company is sponsoring a contest to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Gil enters in hopes of winning the prize money so that his family can move away from town. His father used to work for the toy company, but was accused of stealing from them. Although he was found not guilty at trial, life has been difficult for the family ever since. The contest is a lot of fun as it takes place in a toy factory and there are lots of puzzles and problems to solve.
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