"Go Out and Play and Don't Come Home until it's Dark."
Growing up in the 70's wasn't easy. No internet or smartphones, video games or HDTV -- noth...
read full description
reviews
Jul 04, 2011
Jenna
rated it: 
I am giving this book three stars, but it could have been four. I’m on the fence about it. Mr. Virgil’s written style is good, funny, and moves along at a good pace. Perhaps my childhood was a little more exciting and dangerous than his? Maybe I had a hard time connecting with the book since it follows the antics of a young boy.
I found myself thinking - “Yep, did that, saw worse then that, that’s not even close to what happened out on our farm/in our garage/etc…" Being the you More...
I found myself thinking - “Yep, did that, saw worse then that, that’s not even close to what happened out on our farm/in our garage/etc…" Being the you More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 08, 2011
Stephanie
rated it: 
I thought this book was funny. I consider it the male version of "A Girl Named Zippy." Each "chapter" is a different anecdote from the author's childhood and adolecence in the 60s and 70s. I have to say I prefered the tales from when he was a kid as opposed to a teenager. Maybe it's because I'm a girl and couldn't relate to the stories of cars and bike stunts, etc. I liked the photos--especially the ones of the author's artwork as a kid. His commentary on those was hilla
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 25, 2011
Chris
rated it: 
The Snitch, Houdini and Me is not your typical childhood nostalgia memoir. Granted, Johnny Virgil seems to take inspiration from notables in that genre such as Jean Shepard, but Virgil chooses to keep it real. No glossing over the things that kids REALLY did back then in this book. Growing up in the suburbs in the 70s, or in any era, involved some less-than-ideal activities for most of us, including setting up our younger siblings for trouble, driving too fast, blowing things up, pulling craz
More...
Aug 03, 2011
Dianne
rated it:
There is one word to simply describe this book....HILARIOUS!!! The book consists of a series of stories about Mr. Virgil's childhood so you can read it all the way through like I did, or pick it up at any point and read one. I was already laughing while reading the introduction! He even went so far as to include pictures and drawings that made this delightful book even more charming and intimate. You needn't be a male or his same age to relate to Mr. Virgil's stories; I was born 9 years afte
More...
3 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 22, 2011
Daphneg64
rated it:
This book had me laughing from page one clear though to the end. I am sharing this book with a close frind whome I trust with it. this book will hold a special place of honor on my bookshelf. With being close in age to Johnny our childhoods were very similar. The cow pie golfing was the funniest thing even and I was laughing so hard I could not breath and had tears running down my face. I had to pause my reading due to getting sick laughing so much! Yes I had the same radio mine was red wonder w
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 07, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
Reading this book really took me back to my own childhood, even though I didn't do the crazy things Johnny and his friends/brothers did! This is a very funny book, I really enjoyed it.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 16, 2011
Karen
rated it:
If you grew up in the 60's and 70's, I think you will enjoy this book. It's sad that kids today spend so much of their time indoors playing video games. Parents now have to hover over their children, it didn't used to be like that. The last thing I ever wanted to do was be inside! I enjoyed this book because it made me nostalgic thinking about my childhood. Riding bikes, skateboarding, building forts, ice skating, and pretty much anything we could come up with, was what it was like to be a child
More...
8 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jan 01, 2012
Laura
rated it:
I'm about halfway into this book and love it! I grew up with three siblings (2 brothers) and this reminds me of some of the crazy stuff that we did growing up.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 15, 2011
Linda
rated it:
Very, very funny! While I laughed out loud (repeatedly), I was reminded of my childhood growing up with two brothers. It also reinforced my opinion of my mental superiority (being the lone female child) and made me grateful that we all made it through those years together without permanent mental or physical deformities. Well, I should go and ponder that statement - my brother actually did get sprayed by a skunk while completely toasted... and then went to bed and fell asleep in his skunk-sat
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 05, 2011
Staggerlee337
rated it:
I ran across the blog spot a few years back. Having been born in the 60's, I was at the mercy of my mother's tastes and the highly drug-induced fashion trends of the 70's. I don't remember now what it was that I was googling, but Johnny's blog about the JC Penny catalog popped up and had me crying with laughter and self-loathing, having personally identified with way too many of these pages.
Then the childhood stories of the 70's... those were the good ole days. I can honestly say... Child More...
Then the childhood stories of the 70's... those were the good ole days. I can honestly say... Child More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 14, 2011
Denise
rated it:
I have three younger brothers so these stories of the Virgil household brought back a lot of memories and provided many laughs. I was an indoor gal but heard lots of similar tales of my brothers' exploits through our suburban neighborhood. Even the author's mom gets in on the act with her homemade speed bump and search for unusual plants. Well-written and very enjoyable!
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 16, 2011
Lynne
rated it:
The author has diagrams on some pages to display how something worked. Wickedly funny with a laugh about every 2nd page. I'm happy Mr. Virgil survived DIY go-carts, complicated booby traps and didn't completely crash his bike. Until he did. Happy he survived; it's a fun read. I note that when he and The Slug wrecked his mother's car I said "broke the manifold" before I read the words. How would *I* know that a wrecked manifold makes a car sound SO FLIPPIN' LOUD PEOPLE IN IT HAVE TO SHO
More...
Jan 28, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
This is an assortment of stories from the authors past and they are hilarious. As you read them, they make you think of all the wacky and sometimes dangerously stupid things you did yourself. I highly recommend it.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 16, 2011
Robert
rated it:
TSHAM, as I shall call it, is a damned funny book. I laughed out loud many times, and at one point was actually in tears. Johnny's stories of his childhood remind me a lot of the TV Show Malcom in the Middle, except that instead of the nerdy middle kid, Johnny is the daredevil older sibling. As you read this, you will cringe and shake your head at some of his antics, wondering how he managed to survive his childhood at all.
The only real drawback to the book is that some of the stories More...
The only real drawback to the book is that some of the stories More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 21, 2011
Becky
rated it:
HILARIOUS! If you grew up in the 70s, you will swear this guy has somehow plagiarized all your childhood stories. A must read for all my friends around my age. (Also cheap on kindle.)
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 28, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
This was a fun, quick read. The writer reminisces on his childhood shenanigans with his brothers and friends. It was a laugh out loud sort of read that I really enjoyed.
Sep 29, 2011
Rob
rated it:
I thought this book was fantastic for any guy to read. It really brings you back to when you were doing the most stupid things as a kid just to try it out.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 09, 2011
I have not yet read this book, but I have read the author's blog. ( 15 Minute Lunch) This guy is too funny!
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 16, 2011
Margaret
rated it:
Love this book! I read on my commute and laughed out loud, which will get you the entire row to yourself.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 01, 2012
Karen
rated it:
Enjoyed it, and I think I might actually be able to get my husband to read it- I think he'll be able to relate.
Jun 12, 2011
Teri
rated it:
Hysterical! Children of the 70s will really enjoy this book. I laughed until I cried.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 10, 2011
Jess
rated it:
OMG, this guy is hysterical. I'm going to have to check out his blog...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
May 16, 2011
Bill
rated it:
I discovered Johnny Virgil when his JCPenney post went viral on his blog "15 Minute Lunch". He's very funny and writes so well that you don't just read his stories, you experience them. That goes for this book too, which is mostly comprised of his blog posts and a couple typos to liven things up a little.
Johnny, his brothers (Snitch & Houdini), and his friends make you wonder how he lived to write at all. His mother is YOUR mom, and we miss her.
This book is fun. More...
Johnny, his brothers (Snitch & Houdini), and his friends make you wonder how he lived to write at all. His mother is YOUR mom, and we miss her.
This book is fun. More...
Feb 06, 2012
Kristie
rated it: 
I read about a quarter of it and gave up. It is a collection of short stories about the guy's childhood. They are funny, but the humor doesn't translate very well on paper. It would be more entertaining as an audio book on a long car ride. "Sh*t My Dad Says" is also good as an audio book.
Nov 03, 2011
Tracey
rated it:
Oh my god, this book made me laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes! Having been raised with 2 brothers, I related to most of the stories.
This is not one long story or tale but rather a collection of stories of him and his brothers growing up. Anyone growing up with brothers in the 70's and early 80's should be able to relate to this.
This is not one long story or tale but rather a collection of stories of him and his brothers growing up. Anyone growing up with brothers in the 70's and early 80's should be able to relate to this.
