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41st out of 48 books
—
10 voters
Pool Boy
Fifteen-year-old Brett Gerson is a real-life S.R.K. (spoiled rich kid)–the guy you love to hate. Yep, Brett’s pretty much got life in the bag–until his dad is jailed for insider trading, and the family money swirls down the drain.
Brett wishes things could go back to the way they were–until some dirty swimming pools change everything.
Brett wishes things could go back to the way they were–until some dirty swimming pools change everything.
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
May 10th 2005
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
(first published 2003)
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Jan 04, 2013
Galen Mansoor
added it
I think the book pool boy by Michael Simmons was an appropriate read for my level. Pool boy is about a teenager named Brett Gerson who has to start living his life with barely any money because his rich father got in trouble with the government. This story takes place in California. Also the main theme of this story is forgiving people no matter what they do. The protagonists in this story are Brett’s sister, Brett’s mom, Nicole, Frank, Brett’s father and Alfie.
I thought this was an excellent re...more
I thought this was an excellent re...more
Brett Gerson is a 15-year-old spoiled-rotton rich kid; he spends his days lounging by the pool, playing videogames on his big-screen tv, and basically doing anything he wants. One day there is a knock on the door and everything changes, Brett’s father is arrested for insider trading. Brett’s family loses all their money and their home, they must move into Brett’s Aunt’s house on the "other side of the tracks” as he puts it. Brett is completely miserable and hates his father for what he has done...more
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This is a great book for someone who wants to read just for fun! It gets the point across while still telling the story of a 16 year old with a jail dad, who went from 5000 dollar stereos to bologna sandwiches for a meal. When all his money goes to waste he has to get a job that he thought he would never have to get.He became a poolboy. He still hates his dad in the end but knows that he always will have room for his love.
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Pool Boy is an amazing book. I love it and I can't put it down. It teaches you not to take anything for granted because anything could be gone instantly. The book is basically about a teenage boy and his family. The teenage boy's dad got arrested because he owned about ten million dollars to the government. Once his Dad was arrested they got everything they had taken away from them. They went from really really rich to having nothing. The teenage boy now has to take care of his Mom and his siste...more
This book is about a kid named Brett whose parents are very rich until one day his dad is arrested for fraud. He loses everything; his house, his car, his pool, his games and everything else he relied on. He moved with his mom and his sister into their weird aunt's house. Things are very hard on their family, they went from having everything to having nothing. One day an old man who still loves to work, offers him a job cleaning pools. This is funny to me because he used to have his own pool to...more
Brett is a super spoiled rich boy who suddenly finds himself struggling with the real world when his dad is arrested for insider trading. When his mom,sister and him move in with their aunt, he soon learns how real people struggle from day to day. I admit I never grew to like Brett. Even at the end of the book, when he was suppose to have softened a little bit, he was still a ungrateful brat. I did enjoy the relationship Brett experiences with his boss, Alfie. It's a good book, just not one you'...more
For early high-school or middle school, this isn't a bad book. Brett Gerson is a spoiled rich kid who has to adapt to a much-reduced level of income while his father serves time for securities fraud. This first-person narrative alternates between Brett raging about his father's failures, ranting about his unfortunate circumstances, and drooling over the girl of his dreams. He quits a job, gets another, learns to drive, throws a party, yearns for a girl, grows up a little, and comes to detente wi...more
I didnt really like this book for maybe the first quarter because all it was was a spoiled rich kid (Brett) who was complaining abt how his dad had ruined being rich for him but when Brett meets Alfie i started wanting to know what happened. I didnt like how Brett kept calling himself a man throughout the book becaus he was only 16 and hadmt learned anything abt life yet, so I thought that wud com up at the end saying that he finally was a real man. Over all it was a pretty good but and Brett ev...more
Story of what happens to the family of a man who goes to jail for insider trading. Seen through the eyes of the angry adolescent son. The story was well-told, but I sincerely disliked our spoiled hero, who whined from beginning to end. His snobbery, his self-centered outlook, his lack of compassion for fellow humans, his commitment to never forgiving anybody - while these characteristics make him real, they also make him hard to care about. I like to like my characters.
Brett, 15, had it all: good looks, a personality, and a lot of money… until his dad got busted for insider trading and lost everything. Brett is forced to take a job cleaning the pools in his old, rich neighborhood. And he reconsiders his own sense of responsibility to rebuild the life torn apart by his father's crimes.
From Benicia High School Booktalks 2009 & Benicia Middle School Booktalks 2009-10
Benicia Public Library Call Number: YA FIC SIMMONS
From Benicia High School Booktalks 2009 & Benicia Middle School Booktalks 2009-10
Benicia Public Library Call Number: YA FIC SIMMONS
This book is about a super duper rich boy whose daddy went bankrupt when he was sent to jail. The boy, Brett, has to overcome many obstacles and was even forced to take up a part-time job as a pool cleaner and was forced to cleaned up pools in rich people's house where he used to swim in. When his boss, Alfie died, he then learnt the true meaning of friendship. I think this is an interesting book.
a boy, brett loses both his money and father because his father's criminal-esque. what is a kid to do ? he starts working for this old man who becomes quite important to him as the story goes on. unfortunately, this man dies. this puts everything in perspective for brett. he tries to forgive his father for what he's done and that's the best for now.
15 yr old Brett is a spoiled rich boy until his life totally changes after his father is arrested for insider trading. Brett, his mother & sister move in w/Great Aunt Mary. Brett has to get a job as a pool boy to help make ends meet. He is assistant to a 70 yr Alfie-his former pool boy & learns many life lessons from him. Good
I read this when I was quite a bit younger... it was so different than anything I'd read before. I can remember probably 80% of the book and this was like, 7 years ago. That's when you know you've read a good book... when you can remember a majority of the content... the title...AND the author. Love this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book. There was always a surprise which made it interesting. When a boy named Brett found out his dad has to go to jail because of something he did. Now he has to go live at his aunt house with his mom and sister and is waiting for a whole new life to start for him.
I enjoyed this book. Spoiled rich kid meets real life and grows up. Especially touching is the protagonist's relationship with his aging employer. A lot of YA lit cheeses me off with all the rich yuppie kids but Brett's fall from grace made things much more palatable.
This is a riches to rags story, where a spoiled rich kid becomes a spoiled poor kid, and then finally, a pretty decent kid all the way around. I was really into it the first half, but the endless whining and the heavy cynicism of the narrator started to weigh me down.
Great book about growing up and accepting responsiblities. boy from wealthy family must work as a pool boy in his old neighborhood when the family looses all its money due to father's fraud. Ultimately, he learns to stand on his own two feet.
This was a fast read, and a good one. The chatty narrator is funny and likeable and keeps you interested in his story. My teenage son found the characters in this book more realistic than a lot of YA fiction. Recommended.
Very interesting story about a boy whose family goes from "riches to rags" because his father goes to prison for fraud. He then becomes a pool boy, cleaning rich people's pools. It's touching and a little funny too.
Brett Gerson's family was fabulously well-to-do: mansion, mercedes, pool -- the whole package. Then one day Brett's stockbroker dad is convicted of insider trading and the Gersons lose everything. They move in with a great aunt; Brett and his mom actually have to get jobs, and dad winds up in prison.
And Brett is furious. Wouldn't you be?
But man, is he a whiner: it kind of gets on a reader's nerves to hear his whining on every page of Pool Boy, by Michael Simmons. Luckily, the author is skillfu...more
And Brett is furious. Wouldn't you be?
But man, is he a whiner: it kind of gets on a reader's nerves to hear his whining on every page of Pool Boy, by Michael Simmons. Luckily, the author is skillfu...more
I really liked this book! Brett evolved through the story and also became more likeable. I didn't like it because there wasn't really a point to it... Brett became a better person and another guy died.. so I didn't feel that that was the best ending.
More of a life lesson type of book. I read it in one sitting by the pool , only took a few hours but wasnt bad at all.
This book was not what I had in mind, I thought it would be interesting. It disappointed me, but at the end it was pretty sad. I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars. This book is mainly about a rich boy named Brett, who suddenly lost everything and his family has to go through struggle and money, because of what his father did. This is my first time reading Michael Simmons, I think I would read more of his books later on.
Good read. Some funny and a small bit of sad. Passed it on to my 15 year old.
interesting. kinda strange. but makes you glad you arent rich.
Understands the tone of teens. Funny, but not shallow.
I don't even know why I bought this book :-)
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Apr 29, 2013 12:18am