Too Small to Fail

by Morris Gleitzman

1 boy. 1 girl. 1 camel. Squillions of dollars. A plan that can't fail. Or can it? Oliver's parents own a bank. This makes them very rich, very important and very busy. Oliver, on the other hand, is terrible at maths and aspires to nothing more than owning the puppy that he frequently visits at his local pet shop. When a mysterious woman buys the puppy and threatens to harm it if Oliver can't return her thousand of dollars (unfortunately, Oliver's parents seem to have misplaced her life savings. Something to do with some stuff on the news.) Oliver hatches a plan which will take him further than he ever imagined...

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Australia, Adventure, Humor, Fiction

184 pages

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Morris began his writing career as a screenwriter, and wrote his first children's novel in 1985. His brilliantly comic style has endeared him to children and adults alike, and he is now one of Australia's most successful authors, both internationally and at home. He was born in England in 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1969 so he could escape from school and become a Very Famous Writer.

Before realising that dream, he had a colourful career as paperboy, bottle-shop shelf-stacker, department store Santa Claus, frozen chicken defroster, fashion-design assistant and sugar-mill employee. In between he managed to gain a degree in Professional Writing at the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Later he became sole writer for three award-winning and top-rating seasons with the TV comedy series The Norman Gunston Show.

Morris wrote a number of feature film and telemovie screenplays, including The Other Facts of Life and Second Childhood, both produced by The Australian Children's Television Foundation. The Other Facts of Life won an AWGIE Award for the Best Original Children's Film Script.

He also wrote live stage material for people such as Rolf Harris, Pamela Stephenson and the Governor General of Australia. Morris is well known to many people through his semi-autobiographical columns in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald magazine, Good Weekend, which he wrote for nine years.

But the majority of Morris' accolades are for his hugely popular children's books. One of his most successful books for young people is Two Weeks with the Queen, an international bestseller which was also adapted into a play by Mary Morris. The play had many successful seasons in Australia and was then produced at the National Theatre in London in 1995 directed by Alan Ayckbourn, and also in South Africa, Canada, Japan and the USA.

All his other books have been shortlisted for or have won numerous children's book prizes. These include The Other Facts of Life, Second Childhood, Misery Guts, Worry Warts, Puppy Fat, Blabber Mouth, Sticky Beak, Belly Flop, Water Wings, Bumface, Gift Of The Gab, Toad Rage, Wicked! and Deadly!, two six-part novels written in collaboration with Paul Jennings, Adults Only, Toad Heaven, Boy Overboard, Teacher's Pet, Toad Away, Girl Underground, Worm Story, Once, Aristotle's Nostril, Doubting Thomas, Give Peas A Chance, Then, Toad Surprise, Grace, Now, Too Small To Fail, and his latest book, Pizza Cake. Morris' children's books have been published in the UK, the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia and Czechoslovakia, Russia and China.

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

(BTW im reading this for my literature class at uni)
Im keeping this one very short for once. Whilst i thought this book had a very funny and great protagonist (i loved oliver): oliver who had such a vibrant imagination and such a big heart. I couldnt get over some of the themes that were in the novel - and i think the oreffered age for this book should be higher than it is. I mean Oliver at one stage is disgusted who his paretnes are is deeply upset and hurt at his selish parents. Also this book has some mature themes like finacial crises, banks going bankrupt, all stuff to do with investments. Two scences that defiantly spring to mind are when Nancy (Olivers old nanny who invested $11,000 with olivers parents, his parents have lost all her money) she threatens to hurt a dog that oliver loves and holds a knife to its throat. Oliver is beaten up and punched. Also oliver is taken away and in hiding with his parents as they are in alot of trouble with alot of people who want to know where there money is. So i think that this book is defiantly for very mature young readers - grade 4-grade 5 and up. SO even though i loved oliver and his mind and his attitude i couldnt love the story or the ending.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The same gorgeous positive and hope filled characters that Gleitzman is so good at but with a money/bank focus.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more serious than others Gleitzman has written (excluding Once , which is heartrending). It deals with financial themes and desperation, and rich parents and people who've lost money. It deals with love, loss, selfishness and selflessness, honour, and dishonour.

On the back it says it is a "sometimes sad but mostly funny" book, but I would say it is more sad than funny - though Gleitzman is very good at writing serious books with a humour that makes them approachable and understandable and real.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, I feel like it gets left Wide Open, but it would be perfect to read in class (grade 5 and up) and then ask the students to write another chapter.

4 stars, perhaps even 4.5 :)

[Marj Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Too small to fail' is SO much fun! Morris Gleitzman is well known for his humour, however there's much more at stake in this novel - millions of dollars, one seriously gorgeous dog and one (plus 15 more) camels, a young boy longing to be loved PLUS wanting parents who he respects. Is that too much to ask? Gleitzman steps away from the 'voice' so evident in his last few novels to create a fun yet serious story about a boy caught in the morality morass of high corporate finance. Underneath all the layers of fame and fortune, is Oliver too small to fail, or will good triumph in the end? A great story for middle school. The protagonist's age minus 2 years rule may not apply due to the use of financial terminology.) 4 1/2 stars

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oliver’s parents are investment bankers with their own bank downtown. Sure he had an ipod, an Xbox, a playstation, special headphones and anything else he wanted – but what he really wanted was the puppy in the local pet store. When he meets one of his parent’s old investors in the store and learns they have lost all her money, Oliver is determined to help her get it back.

What follows is a story of loyalty to his new friends, and confusion over his paren’ts actions as the world’s banks begin to fail – including their own.

Oliver is more concerned for his new friends and their thirsty camels, the puppy he has to save, and finally his family’s future. He makes some bold decisions – and hopefully they’ll all pay off.

[Byron Bibliotherapy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Gleitzman takes an idea and puts a crazy spin on it. In this case, it’s the already preposterous idea of banks being too big to fail. He relates this from a sensitive only-child’s perspective. There’s a lot of humour in the space between the character’s knowledge of financial regulation and the reader’s. Lots will go over the child reader’s head, but it may inspire some interesting questions from curious children. It’s also a great read-aloud option or audio-book for a long car ride, as it will entertain parents as well as children.

[TheBookAddictedGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4½ Out of 5 Stars
Oliver’s parents are incredibly rich, and busy with their bank. Oliver doesn’t care about money. All he wants is the dog behind the glass at the pet shop. So when a lady comes along and buys the dog, he doesn’t think it can get any worse. Until she threatens him (the dog-him; not Oliver-him). Apparently his parents took her money and she wants it back. If Oliver doesn’t get her money for her in one week, the dog dies. Then… it gets even worse. It turns out that the woman has sixteen camels who may die from lack of water. And it’s all his parents’ fault! What will Oliver do, and how on earth can he save those innocent camels from dying?
This was my first Morris Gleitzman book, and I can honestly say I absolutely adored it! We all know that when some adults write as ‘children’, it feels fake, forced. With Gleitzman’s book, on the other hand, I could actually feel Oliver’s age, his innocence. I looked through his eyes, and saw the world just as a ten-year-old would. Somehow, Gleitzman managed to create a believable voice narrating a funny, sweet, yet somehow serious story. It was addictive, humorous and I stayed up late especially to finish it.
Oliver was such an amazing lead. He was practical, intelligent, slightly naive and bad at maths. He had this way of seeing things, and coming to sensible conclusions, no matter how insane and unbelievable they truly were after the fact. Oliver had a strong moral compass, which is something that – in my opinion – every good hero should have. But no one took him seriously: he was always worrying too much, or just had an overactive imagination. All he wanted to be respected by parents who were there for him more. Oliver was so sweet, young and innocent; seeing the crisis through him was absolutely intriguing.
The other characters were perfect as well. Nancy, who appeared to be bad in the beginning, but turned out to just be desperate. Her daughter Rose, whose obvious loathing of Oscar was almost amusing at times; though that may just have been the ways she expressed herself. How many girls march into someone else’s school, just to punch them in the stomach? And I loved Barclay: the little dog who was the only solid thing Oliver longed for. Oh, and Moo. She was cute when she wasn’t stamping on peoples’ heads.
Gleitzman managed to explain the economic crisis in a way that everyone can understand, no matter how young they are. With statements such as “big bikkies” and “in the poo”, he even managed to make the crisis fun, odd as that may be. And, although it’s aimed at middle-grade readers, Too Small to Fail easily crosses over into adult fiction. After all, it is about an adult problem, and they may even learn something valuable from the book: I know I did!
The story line was so strong, there were completely unexpected twists, and a very powerful moral undertone. It was also absolutely hilariously funny: there’s something about Gleitzman’s writing style, I think. However, family loyalties played a major theme: how far should you go to do the right thing – even if it means hurting the ones you love? Plus, the plot was so ridiculous, it was almost believable. And, yes, I am aware of how strange that sounds, but if you read the book, you may understand what I mean. All I’m certain of is that I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for more of Gleitzman’s books from now on!

[Jessica]

The reason why I chose to read the book “Too Small to fail” was that I didn’t have any book to read and my friend (Jamie) recommended that I should try and read this book. In the past when she read it she said she had really enjoyed it and has now read more books in that series. I thought I would give it a go since I had never read any books written by that author before and I was happy to try something new. When I read the blurb it sounded like a fun, exciting, thrilling and adventurous read. This made me really enthusiastic to read it and to know more about the characters in the book and what was going to happen.
Now that I am in the middle of the book I have gotten a better understanding of the characters and the storyline. Oliver who is the main character is very intrigued by the situation of what his parents do at their bank and how they treat their clients, for example Nancy was supposed to get quite a lot of money back but the bank couldn’t give it to her because they went broke. This makes him question everything he comes across which can sometimes get annoying for the other people in the book. But as Oliver starts to find out clues which lead him into the direction of the where about of his parents he creates a special bond with Rose (Nancy’s daughter) who before both despised each other. This just shows that Oliver will do anything to find his parents even if it means getting closer to someone to work as a team to find them. I believe that the characters in this book only have one emotion at one time, because when they are talking the writer makes them seem like they only feel one certain way instead of having a mixture of emotions. This bugs me quite a bit because it pulls the reality out of the book. But for the storyline I personally as the reader have become more interested in it because it has become more thrilling and has made me not want to put the book down.
I have finally finished the book and I was quite surprised. Even though Oliver is very wealthy because of his parents he still wants more. By more I’m not saying the latest technology, all he wants is a puppy. This is because he feels different from everyone else since people judge him about his parents and what they earn. So he feels a dog is the best friend because they don’t judge you and are always by your side. Overall I thought this was an okay read and actually had a few lessons hidden inside. Like not to judge people because you never know their full story. Probably the thing that let this book down the most was the characters because I didn’t like the traits that they were given and how they acted. I think the Author could have written it better and spent time carefully picking traits that they thought children would like and which would make the story more interesting. This impacted the story a lot for me and towards the end it lost me a bit. I feel this book hasn’t met my expectations only because I lean towards books to do with real life dramas and not silly situations like “Camels running away.”

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Small to Fail is set in Australia amid a climate of global financial crisis. That sounds like a heavy read, doesn’t it?! But actually, this book is full of spirit and panache and problems that are much more relatable to children and young people.

Oliver’s parents are investment bankers and they work long hours. Oliver knows they love him dearly but he is lonely. The housekeepers who take care of him are often fired by him mum. She wants a superwoman to be there when she can’t be. There is nothing Oliver would like more in the world than the puddle-eyed dog in the shop window. He goes and watches Barclay every day while the housekeeper is in the supermarket. The day the story begins Oliver’s life changes forever. A familiar looking lady buys Barclay and persuades Oliver that she needs his help to get the dog home. He goes with her for Barclay’s sake and when she threatens to kill his beloved dog if she doesn’t get her money back; Oliver is determined to do whatever it takes to save his furry friend.

Oliver is instantly likeable. He is surrounded by rich luxurious things but he’s neglected in terms of loving contact. He’s parents are just so busy and he doesn’t want to worry them. At school he is friendless and his troubles are compounded by his difficulties understanding maths. From the outset, I was cheering Oliver on and hoping against all the odds that he could save Barclay.

There are so many reasons that this is an excellent book. There is great characterisation but there is also the authenticity of the child’s viewpoint. Reading Too Small to Fail, I was taken aback by Gleiztman’s skill as a writer – he communicated the complicated world of investment banking into language and experiences that are familiar to children. I was impressed to say the least. This book would be an excellent choice for a children’s book group. There are so many potential discussion questions: Does money make us happy? Should we keep the money we earn? Why do we use banks? What does it mean to invest in somebody? Should the wealthy help the poor? How can we tackle poverty?

I also think this book is a really valuable book for children’s emotional literacy. The loneliness that Oliver experiences is a very real and troubling experience for children when their parents are both working. Having the opportunity to read about these feelings and similar experiences, will enable children to express their own worries and help to address them.

Who knew a story about a lonely boy, a loveable dog, a sturdy camel, an angry girl, investment banking, and a global crisis could be so outstanding?! Too Small to Fail is heartfelt and captivating. It’s a special little book and I hold it in the highest regard.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver's parents both work long hours at an investment bank and are so busy making money that they hardly have any time for him. Oliver isn't worried about having all the latest gadgets that money can buy though, he would just like them to spend time together as a family and he would really like a pet dog. He spends his time watching a dog through a pet shop window trying to come up with ways to convince his parents to let him bring the dog home. When a lady buys the dog and threatens to harm him if Oliver doesn't get his parents to return the money she invested with them he doesn't think things can get much worse. Until he discovers that there is a problem with the bank and he realises the money has been lost. Can he find a way to repay the lady and save the dog?

I really enjoyed Morris Gleitzman's last book Grace so was looking forward to reading Too Small To Fail. I'm pleased to say that the story doesn't disappoint and I enjoyed it just as much. Morris Gleitzman has a way of writing that will capture the attention of younger readers, he writes about current events in a humorous and light way but still manages to offer a lot of insight into the financial crisis. I loved the way he manages to talk about investment banking in a way that will make sense to even the youngest readers and I think even adults can learn something from the story.

Oliver is a lovely main character, he is young and in some ways naive but he is sweet, loves his family and has a strong sense of right and wrong. He may be hopeless at maths and come up with some crazy money making schemes but he is trying to correct his parents mistakes. The story is hilarious, partly due to the things that Oliver gets up to but also with thanks to the antics of the dog Bailey and Moo the camel, I actually laughed out loud several times when I was reading it.

Like Grace, Too Small To Fail is a relatively short book and one that it is easy to read in one sitting. It is a fun story with a serious edge to it and a strong moral undertone. I definitely need to start working my way through the rest of Morris Gleitzman's back list and am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

[LauraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been enjoying audiobooks a lot lately and this one was better than some of them. It suffered a bit less from the overacting sound of some of the other audiobooks I have listened to. The other significant advantage of the book over some other recent "reads" is that the plot was less predictable than many of them. There were quite a few plot twists that added an extra dimension to the story.

And, like many books set in and written by Australians, it also has a strong sense of family. I like this about the Australian books and wish I found it more in American books. The Penderwicks (the 3rd book of which I also listened to lately) has a great love of family, too, but, for some reason, it was just a bit TOO sweet for me. This book felt more real. I wish Australian books were easier to get. Audiobooks surprisingly are pretty good values. I would guess that that is because there is a significant savings in shipping - shipping bits and bytes costs less than shipping dead trees.

I have read other books by Gleitzman and found them a bit silly in places. This one didn't seem to suffer from that for me. It dealt with a much more serious topic, but it wasn't oppressive in that respect either. I feel he struck a good balance between serious topic and hero's adventure.

I enjoyed it.

[Yellowoasis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect! I would defy anyone of any age to read this and not come out with a better understanding of the recent financial crisis. Oliver’s mum and dad are investment bankers, but like all the other banks they’ve over-extended themselves. A former employee threatens to kill the dog that Oliver has been longing for, unless he can persuade them to pay back the failed investment she was persuaded to make. Oliver’s IPO fails spectacularly when he does the maths and realises that selling shares in himself with promises of big, speedy returns is brilliant in the short term (i.e. before play lunch) but will eventually cost him $80 million (pity Bernie Madoff didn’t do the same). Further adventures ensue. The ending was sweetly judged. Above all, I loved the tender warmth of this book. And the author’s cheeky use of some well-known surnames for Oliver’s classmates (Bernanke, Paulson) was a cute touch.

[Elen Caldecott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good ensemble novel. There is a main character, Oliver, and his desire to be reunited with his (sort of) dog who has been (sort of ) kidnapped is at the heart of the story. But other characters also shine through: Haydn, the disappointed banker; Rose, the stroppy camel-farmer; even the long-line of short-lived housekeepers.
Each character brings a new angle, both to Oliver's story and to our understanding of the complexities of the international banking system (really).
This book is very entertaining and deserves to be much-read on Wall Street.

[Craig Bezant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for my Year 5 class. Thing about Gleitzman is he doesn't hold back. An adult's theme vividly told through an innocent child's eyes and pulled off so amazingly well. This should be required reading for anyone looking at economics (yes, that's part of the Yr 5 curriculum, exciting!), or just anyone looking for a great read. In my top 5 of children's authors.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely love how Morris Gleitzman makes stories about real-life issues funny and for kids! Who would think that you could put words like 'default credit swap' or 'collateralised debt obligation' or 'portfolio' or 'hedged' in a middle grade book and make it funny? And true to Gleitzman's usual style, he brings the seriousness of the issue to the table. Great book.

[Clarabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

L'histoire est complètement loufoque, mais elle a pour elle de traiter de la crise des subprimes et des excès de la finance de façon ludique, tout en apportant un fond de vérité. C'est une jolie découverte, avec un jeune héros particulièrement adorable et toute une brochette de personnalités fort attachantes (Nancy, Rose, Barclay et même Meuh le dromadaire !). Un petit roman très sympa !

[Isaiah the Ox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too Small to Fail was an okay book. I was expecting more humor, but it was mostly more bizarre. Camels, money, knives, and dogs- Gleitzmann somehow fit all these things together into an interesting book. Not the best I have read/listened to, but creative. The audio book was read by the author, and I didn't have much complaints with him.

[Pan Fong Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

#money #financialcrisis #relationships #animals #mathematics

Well, this is an interesting read for me, but I wonder how it is like for children. Will they understand the maths, the issues, the emotions? That makes me wonder how different it feels to read this book at different ages.

Morris Gleitzman does have the power to make me cry and smile as I read his works.

[Christine Bongers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to admire Gleitzman's ability to fashion a morality tale for mid-to-upper primary schoolers out of the global financial crisis. Humour and viewpoint makes the pain and ethics of bank failure both palatable and comprehensible for younger readers.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious. I really enjoyed the vivid, detailed descriptions about what happened in the story. I loved the different charactors' descriptions; their personalities and their likes/dislikes. I loved the way that I was captivated when I was reading it. I couldn't put it down!!!!!!!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Gleitzman takes complex adult issues, and breaks it down to the younger readers in a way that is neither patronising or simplistic. Who else could write a compelling yet funny novel about a young boy caught up in the GFC?

[Paquita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book introducing the world of high finance into a child's story. I love the way MG does this with his novels & often read my daughter's books before or after her so we an share. This is a beauty & so timely for this decade. .

[MissStan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is a very sweet character and was a great hero. I enjoyed the seemingly strange mix of characters and events - camels, banks, kidnapping and a dog called Barclay. A very quick and enjoyable read.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book totally took me by surprise! Judging by the cover and blurb, I had expected something funny, weird... and yet, it turned out to be - yes, funny and weird - but also a mystery with lots of action, math problems, investment banking and... camels!

[Varsha Seshan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too Small to Fail is a journey through the deserts of Australia, in the company of an ex-housekeeper, a boy, a girl, a dog and a camel, a journey well worth taking.
http://www.varshaseshan.com/blog/too-...

[Naelline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Des trucs sympas mais mal reliés entre eux pour une histoire qui part un peu trop souvent dans tous les sens et à du mal à se retrouver. Un contexte de crise bancaire qui aurait pu être intéressant mais n'est finalement que très peu développé.

[nonsensebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://theuncommonnonsense.blogspot.c...

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I REALLY liked this. Vintage Gleitzman, with a more challenging conclusion than you might expect.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinessential Morris Gleitzmann. Funny, touching, realistic (well mostly). For camel lovers and failed investors everywhere.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant! Would love to increase our library with more Gleitzman books