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The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis
Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That’s what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring, boring. But things start to look up when the Jewells’ Holiday Rambler makes a wrong turn and gets stuck in the mud, trapping Elvis and his five rowdy siblings in Fayette for who knows how long. Then things get even better when somethi...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
January 4th 2011
by Square Fish
(first published September 15th 2009)
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O’Connor, Barbara. (2009). The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux/Frances Foster Books. 150 pp. ISBN 978-0-374-37055-8 (Hardcover); $16.99.
When one is a young boy in a small South Carolina town, one does not expect big adventures to come his way. If Popeye and Elvis are lucky, they will have a small adventure. They even spend hours trying to drum up a small adventure in this small southern community, filled with mud, gravel, dirt roads, and woods. Popeye...more
When one is a young boy in a small South Carolina town, one does not expect big adventures to come his way. If Popeye and Elvis are lucky, they will have a small adventure. They even spend hours trying to drum up a small adventure in this small southern community, filled with mud, gravel, dirt roads, and woods. Popeye...more
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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 tiny b...more
Jan 19, 2010
paula
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s,
if-you-liked-diary-of-a-wimpy-kid
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. He is on the...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. He is on the...more
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 who these c...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 who these c...more
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 the relationshi...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 the relationshi...more
Feb 13, 2010
Karen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
5th and 6th grade boys and girls
Shelves:
friendship,
realistic-fiction
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 interestin...more
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 down Popeye. But the rain finally stops, Pope...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 down Popeye. But the rain finally stops, Pope...more
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 dead dogs, and met...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 dead dogs, and met...more
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 (crossword puzzles, reciting the...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 (crossword puzzles, reciting the...more
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 ec...more
Jan 11, 2010
Carmine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
3-5th graders
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...more
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...more
Jun 29, 2012
Cindy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
juvenile-lit,
contemporary
Recommended Age:
9+
Overall Review:
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis is a short, sweet read, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon. I enjoyed the wonderfully evocative setting, and Popeye and Elvis's adventures with the creek near Popeye's house brought back memories of my own childhood creek-following days! This is a fun, quick story for kids—and for adults who want a little peek back into their own childhoods.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: Although no epithets are used, there are two...more
9+
Overall Review:
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis is a short, sweet read, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon. I enjoyed the wonderfully evocative setting, and Popeye and Elvis's adventures with the creek near Popeye's house brought back memories of my own childhood creek-following days! This is a fun, quick story for kids—and for adults who want a little peek back into their own childhoods.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: Although no epithets are used, there are two...more
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 eccentric li...more
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 cracking up." I just...more
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 vacation. Ther...more
The small adventure is truly small, but just right for a couple boys on summer vacation. Ther...more
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 a caregiver who yells at you for being a bumble head?
This would be a good end of year read-al...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 a caregiver who yells at you for being a bumble head?
This would be a good end of year read-al...more
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 small drink boxes of Yoo-hoo a...more
It feels so timeless that, if it weren't for the small drink boxes of Yoo-hoo a...more
Oct 23, 2012
Thomas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
vonderfecht-digital-bookshelf
Connor, Barbara. The small adventure of Popeye and Elvis. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.
Popeye is certain that he lives in the most boring place in the world. But one wrong turn and a stuck tire later, Popeye finds that his world just got a lot more interesting. Popeye wakes up to find a Holiday Rambler stuck in the mud outside of his grandma's house. The moble home belongs to the Jewell's family. The six children are the rowdiest, most filthy-mouthed kids Popeye has ever met. His grandma ca...more
Popeye is certain that he lives in the most boring place in the world. But one wrong turn and a stuck tire later, Popeye finds that his world just got a lot more interesting. Popeye wakes up to find a Holiday Rambler stuck in the mud outside of his grandma's house. The moble home belongs to the Jewell's family. The six children are the rowdiest, most filthy-mouthed kids Popeye has ever met. His grandma ca...more
Fantastic. I think this would make a great read aloud (I've used Greetings from Nowhere as a read aloud). I love how Barbara O'Connor captures the simplicity, freedom, and adventure of childhood. The kids in this book are just so endearing. It makes me want to be a kid again. I listened to the audio version, and the narrator is perfect - I laughed out loud as I was walking my dog! I also love the way she weaved vocabulary throughout the story without it sounding contrived. Loved the ending - gre...more
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'...more
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. I s...more
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 Dowde...more
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 book with a contented lit...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 book with a contented lit...more
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 they are present...more
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 adventure) but the voice of our narrator Popeye is...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 adventure) but the voice of our narrator Popeye is...more
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 the...more
Apr 22, 2012
Ingrid
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books,
children-boy-books
I love Barbara O'Connor's books! How to Steal a Dog is still my favorite, but this is a great book. Popeye is facing a boring summer until he meets Elvis. Elvis and his family live in a "holiday rambler", but get stuck in the mud near Popeye's house. Elvis and Popeye have a small adventure in the woods behind Popeye's house until the holiday rambler is freed from the mud. There were woods near my house growing up and my friends and I used to love to play there. Somehow this story brought me back...more
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 choice...more
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I'm a children's book author. My books include The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis Greetings from Nowhere, and How to Steal a Dog, Moonpie and Ivy, and Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia. In addition to being a five-time winner of the Parents Choice Award, my awards include the Massachusetts Book Award, School Library Journal Best Books, Bank Street College...more
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