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46th out of 75 books
—
117 voters
Crunch
Dewey Marriss is stuck in the middle of a crunch.
He never guessed that the gas pumps would run dry the same week he promised to manage the family's bicycle-repair business. Suddenly everyone needs a bike. And nobody wants to wait.
Meanwhile, the crunch has stranded Dewey's parents far up north with an empty fuel tank and no way home. It's up to Dewey and his older sister, L...more
He never guessed that the gas pumps would run dry the same week he promised to manage the family's bicycle-repair business. Suddenly everyone needs a bike. And nobody wants to wait.
Meanwhile, the crunch has stranded Dewey's parents far up north with an empty fuel tank and no way home. It's up to Dewey and his older sister, L...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
March 30th 2010
by Katherine Tegen Books
(first published January 1st 2010)
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This is another book from the 2013 Intermediate Sequoyah booklist, so it's another meant for middle schoolers.
I liked it more than I thought I would--and it wasn't what I expected at all! I thought it would be all about "peak oil" and what a dismal world it was with no gasoline, since the story is about a kid named Dewey and what happens to him one summer when no more gasoline is available in the U.S.--but one of this book's strengths is that it doesn't devolve into anarchy, and it's not another...more
I liked it more than I thought I would--and it wasn't what I expected at all! I thought it would be all about "peak oil" and what a dismal world it was with no gasoline, since the story is about a kid named Dewey and what happens to him one summer when no more gasoline is available in the U.S.--but one of this book's strengths is that it doesn't devolve into anarchy, and it's not another...more
Leslie Connor’s Crunch enthralls the reader with its ability to move quickly while still giving careful attention to detail. When Dewey’s parents get stuck away from home because there is no oil, Dewey and his siblings become the “embodiment of responsibility” and face each new day determined to make it until their parents come home. Dewey is quickly overwhelmed with the commitment of running the Bike Barn, his father’s side-business bike shop, as the masses turn to bicycles since there is no fu...more
This was another book I reviewed for my boys school library. I really enjoyed it. The kids are left on their own while their parents are stranded up north during a fuel "crunch". It didn't dwell on the politics of the situation just the practical realization of getting by. In this case the bike business starts to boom as no one has fuel for their cars and so does the family Bike Barn. The five siblings were a joy to read-- they were considerate of earth other, kind and just how you'd want your k...more
6/30/12 ** Young Hoosier Nominee for 2012-13 ** My continuing quest to read all twenty books on the list so I can booktalk them for my 4th graders.
I enjoyed reading about the crunch caused by the gas shortage (i.e. no gas or diesel anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard). I thought that Connor's world showed 2 parts "in it for myself" people and many, many parts "we're in this together" people. The mystery of the missing parts and sense of tension caused by the prolonged absence of the parents makes t...more
I enjoyed reading about the crunch caused by the gas shortage (i.e. no gas or diesel anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard). I thought that Connor's world showed 2 parts "in it for myself" people and many, many parts "we're in this together" people. The mystery of the missing parts and sense of tension caused by the prolonged absence of the parents makes t...more
Dewey is in charge of Marriss’s Bike Barn while his parents are out of town. Dewey doesn’t really mind. He likes working on bikes. His little brother Vince helps out too. Vince is actually the one with mad mechanic skills but he’s kind of shy, so he relies on Dewey to handle the customers. Between the two of them, the cheat sheets their Dad left and their list of 8 Rules for Bicycle Repair, they’ve got the shop covered and their big sister Lil can take care of everything else, including the twin...more
What would you do when the world runs out of gas? Ride bikes of course. The Mariss Family Bike Shop is doing a booming business after the Crunch. Of course it doesn't help that mom and dad are stuck up north where they ran out of gas and Dewey and Lil have to take care of things at home. But they are doing ok. They are running the expanding bike shop, keeping the farm going and watching their little brother and sister. Then things start disappearing from the shop a little bit at a time. And some...more
I thought that the premise of this book was so clever - all of the gas pumps in the Northeastern U.S. are dry and those wishing for transportation must resort to walking or riding a bike. The visual imagery of highways abandoned by cars and trucks are now filled with orderly rows of pedestrians and cyclists; hence, the "Crunch". I enjoyed the ingenuity of Dewey Mariss and his siblings, living off their land, so to speak, having plenty of garden vegetables, fresh eggs and goat's milk to make due...more
Blog Review: http://bcplreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Summary: With his parents stranded on the highway by a gas shortage, it is up to 14-year-old Dewey to keep the family bike repair business under control. But with cars out of commission and an influx of damaged bicycles, things get a little out of hand. Especially when items begin to mysteriously disappear from the shop. Plus, Dewey has to help his older si...more
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Summary: With his parents stranded on the highway by a gas shortage, it is up to 14-year-old Dewey to keep the family bike repair business under control. But with cars out of commission and an influx of damaged bicycles, things get a little out of hand. Especially when items begin to mysteriously disappear from the shop. Plus, Dewey has to help his older si...more
Dewey Marriss is stuck. No one would have guessed that the oil wells
would run dry the week his parents went on their annual anniversary
trip. Now Dewey is stuck in the middle of the crunch, managing his
families small bike shop. And with no fuel everyone is on their bike
and is having problems. To add to that, he and his older sister Lil
have to watch after their younger siblings. Week after week the Bike
Barn becomes more and more crowded, and Dewey becomes aware that bike
parts are being stolen. Wit...more
would run dry the week his parents went on their annual anniversary
trip. Now Dewey is stuck in the middle of the crunch, managing his
families small bike shop. And with no fuel everyone is on their bike
and is having problems. To add to that, he and his older sister Lil
have to watch after their younger siblings. Week after week the Bike
Barn becomes more and more crowded, and Dewey becomes aware that bike
parts are being stolen. Wit...more
I truly enjoyed this book. Connor has created a very love-able character in Dewey. Dewey's not perfect but he's hard working and learns from his mistakes. The characters in Crunch are quirky and humorous providing for a fun read about a serious situation. I doubt that people in real life would adapt to gas pumps running dry as well as the characters in this book. However, one can hope.
I have to admit that I did find Dewey's older sister Lil, to be rather bossy and somewhat annoying. Poor Dewey w...more
I have to admit that I did find Dewey's older sister Lil, to be rather bossy and somewhat annoying. Poor Dewey w...more
What if gasoline ran out? I mean RAN OUT? As in, you are stuck where ever your last tank took you? This is what happened to Dew's parents, and suddenly he and his siblings are on their own for the foreseeable future in a world where cars can no longer take you where you need to go.
Luckily, they are a resourceful bunch - and Dew and his brother happen to have a knack for fixing bikes. In a world where cars are useless, bikes very quickly become a hot commodity. Between keeping the house running w...more
Luckily, they are a resourceful bunch - and Dew and his brother happen to have a knack for fixing bikes. In a world where cars are useless, bikes very quickly become a hot commodity. Between keeping the house running w...more
Five kids on their own after global oil shortage strands their parents two states away. Their little family bike repair shop is suddenly swamped with bikes to work on in this post oil world. Bikes take over the highway! (which is why I couldn't really file this one under dystopia). Yay! lots of talk of bike repair.
Ok, by 'kids' I should clarify the oldest sister is 18 and the Marriss kids are a pretty capable lot. They aren't homeschooled but the way they pitch together and tackle things confide...more
Ok, by 'kids' I should clarify the oldest sister is 18 and the Marriss kids are a pretty capable lot. They aren't homeschooled but the way they pitch together and tackle things confide...more
Here's the publisher description: "The oldest Marriss brother, fourteen-year-old Dewey, attempts to be the "embodiment of responsibility" as he juggles the management of the family's bicycle repair business while sharing the household and farm duties with his siblings after a sudden energy crisis strands their parents far from home."
Hoping that this title might prove a happy antidote to the rash of dystopian fiction overtaking the stacks of late, and having read a positive review of the title, I...more
Hoping that this title might prove a happy antidote to the rash of dystopian fiction overtaking the stacks of late, and having read a positive review of the title, I...more
While the fuel shortage premise might make this sound like a story that grapples with political and environmental issues, all of that takes a back seat to the story of how one family of kids manages on their own for a summer. With their parents stuck out of town without a way to get home, the kids have to decide how much responsibility to shoulder and how much they should "be the parents" (as Dewey and Lil say to each other). Throw in a little bit of a mystery, a cranky next-door neighbor, and a...more
Crunch was an enjoyable read with likeable characters that I think young readers will enjoy. Even with 328 pages, the story moved quickly and kept me wanting to turn the pages, even though it was a simple plot.
Dewey Marriss' parents are stuck on their travels because all of the gas pumps have run dry and they have no idea when they will be able to make it home. This leaves Dewey and his four other siblings to take care of each other and run the family bike shop. It of course gets busy since no o...more
Dewey Marriss' parents are stuck on their travels because all of the gas pumps have run dry and they have no idea when they will be able to make it home. This leaves Dewey and his four other siblings to take care of each other and run the family bike shop. It of course gets busy since no o...more
Fourteen-year-old Dewey and his four siblings make do at home while their traveling parents are stuck far away due to a sudden, total fuel crisis. Eighteen-year-old artist Lil bears responsibility fairly well, even while managing to create an ambitious mural on the barn. Dewey and brother Vince handle the goat milking, egg collecting, and the family's modest bike repair shop located in the barn, while they all manage the five-year-old twins.
I love the hobby farm setting in this timely story. An...more
I love the hobby farm setting in this timely story. An...more
From May 2010 SLJ
Mom and Dad take an annual anniversary drive up the New England coast, and this year, they’ve agreed to let 18-year-old Lil and 14-year-old Dewey hold down the fort while they’re gone. In an all-too-plausible scenario, though, the national fuel shortage hits crunch level, and there is no gasoline to be had. For the first several days that their parents are stranded near the Canadian border, nobody panics: they get the five-year-old twins to summer camp each day, and Dewey and hi...more
Mom and Dad take an annual anniversary drive up the New England coast, and this year, they’ve agreed to let 18-year-old Lil and 14-year-old Dewey hold down the fort while they’re gone. In an all-too-plausible scenario, though, the national fuel shortage hits crunch level, and there is no gasoline to be had. For the first several days that their parents are stranded near the Canadian border, nobody panics: they get the five-year-old twins to summer camp each day, and Dewey and hi...more
Very timely. The pumps run dry at the beginning of the summer stranding Dewey's parents up in Maine with an empty fuel tank and no easy way to get home. Fortunately, the family fixes bikes on the side and suddenly people are beating a path to their door as bikes become a popular form of transportation; imagine bikes and pedestrians using the interstate. Dewey does his best to keep up with the demand for repairs but it starts to overwhelm him. Meanwhile, parts are disappearing from the workshop,...more
Loved Waiting for Normal so I was thrilled to see this come down the line.
I like the premise of this book, in my opinion there is a lot to think about or discuss in this book. Someone said cheesy, the writing is not as taught as Waiting- but neither is the subject.
Set about now, a family on the eastern seaboard stays financially afloat with a mini farm, Dad's independent trucking route, and a small Bike Barn. Dad and Mom have gone on their annual anniversary truck trip- the week Mom goes to wor...more
I like the premise of this book, in my opinion there is a lot to think about or discuss in this book. Someone said cheesy, the writing is not as taught as Waiting- but neither is the subject.
Set about now, a family on the eastern seaboard stays financially afloat with a mini farm, Dad's independent trucking route, and a small Bike Barn. Dad and Mom have gone on their annual anniversary truck trip- the week Mom goes to wor...more
This was immensely enjoyable with some of my favorite Good Book elements. I am often interested in what gave the author the idea, especially when its unique, as this one is. The book takes place not so far in the future, when we have really depleted oil/gas resources. When the story opens, the pumps are dry. It isn't a dystopiac (if that can be used to mean dark, negative view of the future) future, though; its actually quite hopeful. The central characters belong to a close, strong family, and...more
Super cute book about five kids (three teens and two five year old twins) who are left home alone and left to run the family bike shop. I love how timely the "no gas" theme is b/c I'm sure kids have all heard their parents talk about gas prices and some of them probably wonder what might happen if suddenly there was no gas available. Heck, many kids who experienced Hurricane Sandy probably know what it's like to live without gas for a while, to wait in long lines at the gas station, and maybe ev...more
I probably would have given this a 3.5 if that were an option. The basic plot of this book is that the five kids in the Marriss family (ranging in age from 5 to 18) are left home while their parents are away for an anniversary/work trip (their dad is a truck driver and their mom goes with him for a week-long trip). While their parents are gone, the gasoline supply becomes non-existent keeping the parents away from home even longer. Bikes become the main source of transportation for the family as...more
For boys (or girls) 12-15. I really liked this book for several reasons. First, it pretty much read itself in one afternoon! The prose was so straightforward and never drew attention to itself. Seamless, flowing, funny, sometimes thought-provoking, and immensely true to what a teenager would do/think/feel/say. I also liked that there was virtually no swearing, or I should say, I appreciated that.
The other thing I liked was the premise: the U.S. runs out of gasoline. It comes to a standstill. So...more
The other thing I liked was the premise: the U.S. runs out of gasoline. It comes to a standstill. So...more
2010 was quite a year for realistic young-adult fiction about a not-too-distant point in the future that sees our world running short of oil reserves, substantially changing the life of every person in existence. As was the case for Suzanne Weyn's Empty, I can't say for sure how close we actually may be to running into the type of situation experienced in Crunch, but I'm fairly certain that it will happen eventually unless we find an alternative source of energy to power the countless types of...more
When the Marriss family is separated by a modern day gas crunch, the oldest of five children must "be the parents" while mom and dad are stranded on the other side of the country. Lil, at eighteen, does a fair job of being mommy to the five-year-old twins while fourteen-year-old Dew and his mechanical genius brother Vince run the family bike repair shop. It isn't long, however, before Dew and Vince begin to feel overwhelmed. After all, when there is no gasoline at the pumps, what are people goin...more
Great story about when the gas pumps finally run dry. The pumps run dry while 14 year old Dewey's parents are on a trip too far away to make it home without gas. Dewey's 18 year old sister is left in charge of Dewey, his 13 year old brother and their 6 year old twin siblings. They live on a farm so food is plentiful and Dewey is left in charge of the family's "Bike Barn" bike repair shop, so money isn't an issue either. As the crunch lasts longer and longer the small local Bike Barn turns into a...more
Dewey Marriss never guessed that the gas pumps would run dry the same week he promised to manage the family's bicycle-repair business. Suddenly everyone needs a bike. And nobody wants to wait. The crunch has stranded Dewey's parents far up north with an empty fuel tank & no way home. It's up to Dewey & his older sister, Lil, to look after their younger siblings & run the bike shop all on their own.
Each day Dewey & his siblings feel their parents' absence more & more. The Mar...more
Each day Dewey & his siblings feel their parents' absence more & more. The Mar...more
This was a really neat story that I have no hesitations about recommending! Crunch is the story of the Marriss family during a great gas shortage - coincidentally (or not) the Marriss family owns a small bike shop which suddenly gets lots of attention when no one can drive their cars. The five kids in the family run in age from 18 to 5 and they are swamped with bike repairs and requests, all the while their parents are stranded far away and can't make it home because they have no gas. This is a...more
Just when Dewy a 14 year old boy tells his parents he will be in charge of the Bike shop that his father runs his parents are stuck in a "crunch". There is no diesel fuel and everything is being rationed. His parents are stuck up north far from home. Dewy and his older sister Lil are in charge of taking care of their 5 year old twin siblings plus keeping everything afloat on the homefront. The bike shop becomes busier than ever and Dewy does not want to disappoint anyone and tries to do it all w...more
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From the author's website;
My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in an antique farmhouse outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was born right on the family room floor ~ no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.
When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood full of kids outside of Schenectady, New York. My Dad worked for a company that sold some of the fi...more
More about Leslie Connor...
My life began suddenly (you can even ask my mother) in an antique farmhouse outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was born right on the family room floor ~ no time to get to the hospital! I swear, I’ve been in a hurry ever since.
When I was in fourth grade we moved to a neighborhood full of kids outside of Schenectady, New York. My Dad worked for a company that sold some of the fi...more
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Oct 22, 2012 02:56pm