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The Great Brain #1
The Great Brain
The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the Great Brain saves the day. Whether it's saving the kids at school, or helping out Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at school, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top—and line his pockets in the process.
175 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
420 people are currently reading
8489 people want to read
About the author
John D. Fitzgerald
41 books163 followersOFFICIAL WEBSITE REFERENCED REPORTS:
John Dennis Fitzgerald was born in Price, Utah, on February 3, 1906, to Thomas and Minnie Melsen Fitzgerald. His father had a pharmacy degree but engaged in a number of business ventures and served on the Price Town Council for four years. John graduated from Carbon High School and at the age of eighteen and left Utah to pursue a career as a jazz drummer. He worked in a variety of occupations during his life, including newspaper reporter for the World-Tribune in New York City, foreign correspondent for United Press, advertising and purchasing agent, and bank auditor. He also served on Wendell Willkie's staff when Willkie was running for president.
At the time his first book, Papa Married a Mormon (1955), was published, he was living in Los Angeles and working as a steel buyer. Fitzgerald had collaborated with his sister, Belle Fitzgerald Empey, to write this book. Her name was not included as coauthor of the book because it was written in the first person. Papa Married a Mormon was very popular and was reprinted in several foreign-language editions, including Chinese. Twice chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it was also serialized in McCall's Magazine. A sequel, Mamma's Boarding House, appeared in 1958.
Fitzgerald moved to Denver in 1960 where he tried for a short time to make his living as a full-time writer. He later reported that "I quit my job and went to a mountain cabin to make my living writing. I had to sell my jack and a tire to get back to Denver. When I got there I sold my typewriter and swore I would never write again." His wife later bought him another typewriter and he eventually resumed writing.
He had a very successful writing career, publishing more than 500 magazine articles, as well as poetry and songs and two books on writing, The Professional Story Writer and His Art (1963) and Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea to Finished Manuscript (1972).
His most successful and widely read novels are the juvenile books in the Great Brain Series. They were loosely based on the adventures of his brother Thomas N. Fitzgerald. Books in this series include: The Great Brain (1967), More Adventures of the Great Brain (1969), Me and My Little Brain (1971), The Great Brain at the Academy (1972), The Great Brain Reforms (1973), The Return of the Great Brain (1974), and The Great Brain Does It Again (1976).
The Great Brain Series has led to one of the most asked questions in Utah literature: "Where is Adenville, Utah?" Adenville is a fictional town created by Fitzgerald, but most readers believe that the geographical setting loosely fits that of a small town in southern Utah.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Joan, moved to Titusville, Florida, in about 1972 where he continued his writing career. He died there May 20, 1988, at the age of 82.
John Dennis Fitzgerald was born in Price, Utah, on February 3, 1906, to Thomas and Minnie Melsen Fitzgerald. His father had a pharmacy degree but engaged in a number of business ventures and served on the Price Town Council for four years. John graduated from Carbon High School and at the age of eighteen and left Utah to pursue a career as a jazz drummer. He worked in a variety of occupations during his life, including newspaper reporter for the World-Tribune in New York City, foreign correspondent for United Press, advertising and purchasing agent, and bank auditor. He also served on Wendell Willkie's staff when Willkie was running for president.
At the time his first book, Papa Married a Mormon (1955), was published, he was living in Los Angeles and working as a steel buyer. Fitzgerald had collaborated with his sister, Belle Fitzgerald Empey, to write this book. Her name was not included as coauthor of the book because it was written in the first person. Papa Married a Mormon was very popular and was reprinted in several foreign-language editions, including Chinese. Twice chosen as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it was also serialized in McCall's Magazine. A sequel, Mamma's Boarding House, appeared in 1958.
Fitzgerald moved to Denver in 1960 where he tried for a short time to make his living as a full-time writer. He later reported that "I quit my job and went to a mountain cabin to make my living writing. I had to sell my jack and a tire to get back to Denver. When I got there I sold my typewriter and swore I would never write again." His wife later bought him another typewriter and he eventually resumed writing.
He had a very successful writing career, publishing more than 500 magazine articles, as well as poetry and songs and two books on writing, The Professional Story Writer and His Art (1963) and Structuring Your Novel: From Basic Idea to Finished Manuscript (1972).
His most successful and widely read novels are the juvenile books in the Great Brain Series. They were loosely based on the adventures of his brother Thomas N. Fitzgerald. Books in this series include: The Great Brain (1967), More Adventures of the Great Brain (1969), Me and My Little Brain (1971), The Great Brain at the Academy (1972), The Great Brain Reforms (1973), The Return of the Great Brain (1974), and The Great Brain Does It Again (1976).
The Great Brain Series has led to one of the most asked questions in Utah literature: "Where is Adenville, Utah?" Adenville is a fictional town created by Fitzgerald, but most readers believe that the geographical setting loosely fits that of a small town in southern Utah.
Fitzgerald and his wife, Joan, moved to Titusville, Florida, in about 1972 where he continued his writing career. He died there May 20, 1988, at the age of 82.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,222 reviews
September 13, 2010
I've read a lot of books to my son. A lot. The Hobbit, all three books of The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, six or seven of the original Doctor Dolittle books, several Three Investigators books, and far more. And he's loved almost all of them (I selected them carefully, from the books I loved best as I child and teen).
But so far, I think he loves the Great Brain series best.
Partly, I think that because they're so accessible. John D. Fitzgerald writes about his semi-fictionalized younger self in the true voice of a child - and that's quite an accomplishment. When his brother insults the father of a friend, the young John D. tells us that he has visions of that man coming down the street after them with a butcher knife. That's not the sort of language that most modern publishers allow in books for children, I believe, but it's how children think - some of the time. And over and over, as I was reading The Great Brain to my son, he'd stop me and ask me if the book really said what I'd just read.
You see, I sometimes can't resist adding a humorous comment or line now and then in some books - always, however, immediately admitting that the book didn't really say that. For this book I didn't add a word - but many of the passages in the book were so funny that my son suspected that I'd added them. I had to show him the lines in the book to convince him!
He pretty much had a huge grin on his face the whole time that I was reading. When I'd finish a chapter, he'd hold my arm and beg for another one. I can't think of higher praise for a book for children.
Each chapter in this book is a self-contained story, written in a beautifully straightforward style that some have compared to that of Mark Twain. John D. Fitzgerald (the author, as you'll note) chronicles his childhood as the younger brother of the infamous Great Brain, the greatest kid swindler in town. He is, of course, frequently the victim of the Great Brain.
In fact the Great Brain is pretty much a complete jerk, as we all noticed fairly quickly. But the stories are so entertaining that it doesn't matter.
A warning: the original edition and most later reissues are perfectly illustrated by Mercer Meyer. For some insane and inexplicable reason, there are a few editions out there that have been re-illustrated by other artists. This makes about as much sense as replacing the classic Tenniel illustrations in Alice In Wonderland (which has, of course, also been done. What were they thinking?).
Another point: the story begins in 1896. Although the town has electricity and street lights, one of the stories features the installation of the first flush toilet in town. It's hysterical, but it's also a great opportunity to explain something about history to young children in a way that they'll enjoy and remember.
All in all, a deeply enjoyable classic.
But so far, I think he loves the Great Brain series best.
Partly, I think that because they're so accessible. John D. Fitzgerald writes about his semi-fictionalized younger self in the true voice of a child - and that's quite an accomplishment. When his brother insults the father of a friend, the young John D. tells us that he has visions of that man coming down the street after them with a butcher knife. That's not the sort of language that most modern publishers allow in books for children, I believe, but it's how children think - some of the time. And over and over, as I was reading The Great Brain to my son, he'd stop me and ask me if the book really said what I'd just read.
You see, I sometimes can't resist adding a humorous comment or line now and then in some books - always, however, immediately admitting that the book didn't really say that. For this book I didn't add a word - but many of the passages in the book were so funny that my son suspected that I'd added them. I had to show him the lines in the book to convince him!
He pretty much had a huge grin on his face the whole time that I was reading. When I'd finish a chapter, he'd hold my arm and beg for another one. I can't think of higher praise for a book for children.
Each chapter in this book is a self-contained story, written in a beautifully straightforward style that some have compared to that of Mark Twain. John D. Fitzgerald (the author, as you'll note) chronicles his childhood as the younger brother of the infamous Great Brain, the greatest kid swindler in town. He is, of course, frequently the victim of the Great Brain.
In fact the Great Brain is pretty much a complete jerk, as we all noticed fairly quickly. But the stories are so entertaining that it doesn't matter.
A warning: the original edition and most later reissues are perfectly illustrated by Mercer Meyer. For some insane and inexplicable reason, there are a few editions out there that have been re-illustrated by other artists. This makes about as much sense as replacing the classic Tenniel illustrations in Alice In Wonderland (which has, of course, also been done. What were they thinking?).
Another point: the story begins in 1896. Although the town has electricity and street lights, one of the stories features the installation of the first flush toilet in town. It's hysterical, but it's also a great opportunity to explain something about history to young children in a way that they'll enjoy and remember.
All in all, a deeply enjoyable classic.
May 19, 2025
I LOVED this series as a child and re-reading it with my girls was just as fun as I hoped.
April 21, 2008
Okay, what Miniscule Brain at Dell Yearling authorized the AWFUL, anachronistic covers for the 1970s reprints of these books? I'm sorry, but it's Mercer Mayer's original drawings or NOTHING, in my opinion. If you are unlucky enough to own the 1970s Dell Yearling reprints with their Little Rascals-esque cover art, you have my profound pity. The good news is that Mayer's classic, gorgeous, marvelous drawings are still included inside the books. Fitzgerald alone is great, but Fitzgerald with Mayer? It's like cherries with cheesecake, hot dogs with cheese, ice cream with Oreo cookies. I mean, what's the point of eating them alone, when together they give you so much pleasure? You'll never be able to read Fitzgerald without Mayer, after you've read them together.
Anyway, big gripe I've had for YEARS.
I started reading these in fourth grade after my teacher read "The Great Brain" to us in class. They are an absolute HOOT. Very good reading that adults and children will enjoy equally, and which gives an insight into some of the diversity that actually does exist in Utah, which is forgotten completely in most other Mormon and even non-Mormon fiction books based in Utah. J. D.'s small town contains people from all walks of life, including Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Protestants, and others. Ethnicity is also portrayed as diverse -- J. D.'s own family is Danish-Irish, and one of his brothers has the unlikely name of Sweyn (Danish) Fitzgerald (Irish). Basil (Vasillios), a Greek boy, becomes a major character in later books. Disablity is also discussed. In one of the books, Tom and J. D. play with a little boy who has lost his leg. Britches Dotty, one of the few female characters, ultimately is persuaded to wear dresses rather than britches, but she's such a great character, the feminist in me doesn't care.
So, so good. Many excellent lessons taught in a hysterical way. Why are you sitting here, reading this, when you could be reading these books?
Rated PG for peril -- fistfights, name-calling, and such happen regularly. In Me and My Little Brain, an outlaw captures Frankie and points a gun at his head. Also, keep in mind that Tom is a pint-sized con man, so there is a certain amount of lying, deception, and rule-breaking that happen in the books. Also, the adults in the book sometimes drink alcohol, but not to excess. I would say kids would need to be in second or third grade and up in order to understand and enjoy these books.
Anyway, big gripe I've had for YEARS.
I started reading these in fourth grade after my teacher read "The Great Brain" to us in class. They are an absolute HOOT. Very good reading that adults and children will enjoy equally, and which gives an insight into some of the diversity that actually does exist in Utah, which is forgotten completely in most other Mormon and even non-Mormon fiction books based in Utah. J. D.'s small town contains people from all walks of life, including Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Protestants, and others. Ethnicity is also portrayed as diverse -- J. D.'s own family is Danish-Irish, and one of his brothers has the unlikely name of Sweyn (Danish) Fitzgerald (Irish). Basil (Vasillios), a Greek boy, becomes a major character in later books. Disablity is also discussed. In one of the books, Tom and J. D. play with a little boy who has lost his leg. Britches Dotty, one of the few female characters, ultimately is persuaded to wear dresses rather than britches, but she's such a great character, the feminist in me doesn't care.
So, so good. Many excellent lessons taught in a hysterical way. Why are you sitting here, reading this, when you could be reading these books?
Rated PG for peril -- fistfights, name-calling, and such happen regularly. In Me and My Little Brain, an outlaw captures Frankie and points a gun at his head. Also, keep in mind that Tom is a pint-sized con man, so there is a certain amount of lying, deception, and rule-breaking that happen in the books. Also, the adults in the book sometimes drink alcohol, but not to excess. I would say kids would need to be in second or third grade and up in order to understand and enjoy these books.
April 27, 2017
A solid, wonderful children's book with the spirit of Tom Sawyer. I highly enjoyed this one.
February 22, 2024
I devoured these books as a kid. Loved them. It was interesting to listen to it as an adult. And hearing it now was a different experience. I remembered most of the plot, which speaks highly of how this book spoke to me. But as an adult, it was interesting to see the messages of dealing with prejudice, new inventions, family, right and wrong. All kinds of stuff. It's so funny seeing the tone and how JD idolized and portrayed his brother, Tom, who is essentially a budding con-man.
I loved the book still. It has a place in my heart. When I can get my hands on the next volume I expect to enjoy that as well.
I loved the book still. It has a place in my heart. When I can get my hands on the next volume I expect to enjoy that as well.
August 22, 2012
What The Five-Year-Old Thought: "I can't explain why I liked it except that JD is telling the story. Tom is the one with the Great Brain and he rescued a few guys."
What Mommyo thought: My husband is in the process of reading this to our 5YO. Both are really enjoying it (true confessions -- my husband read this as a child, so his enjoyment may be partly nostalgia).
When they got to the bit about making homemade ice cream, The 5YO said: “Daddyo, I want to jump into the book right that second.”
You should definitely try this one at your house. :)
Update -- Potential Spoiler Alert & Parental Warning:
Last night we got to the part where one of the characters dies. It's a very tough chapter. My husband who was reading it, skimmed over it, because The Five-Year-Old wasn't in a good place to deal with the sadness or the reasons for the death (she was having a tough night already).
I mention it because you may want to read this book before sharing it with your children, so that you'll be prepared for the questions they'll have about some of the tough subjects it raises.
Also, the attitudes toward Native Americans are not, shall we say, in line with current thinking. You'll want to be prepared to deal with questions stemming from that -- or to simply address it head on while your child is reading this book.
What Mommyo thought: My husband is in the process of reading this to our 5YO. Both are really enjoying it (true confessions -- my husband read this as a child, so his enjoyment may be partly nostalgia).
When they got to the bit about making homemade ice cream, The 5YO said: “Daddyo, I want to jump into the book right that second.”
You should definitely try this one at your house. :)
Update -- Potential Spoiler Alert & Parental Warning:
Last night we got to the part where one of the characters dies. It's a very tough chapter. My husband who was reading it, skimmed over it, because The Five-Year-Old wasn't in a good place to deal with the sadness or the reasons for the death (she was having a tough night already).
I mention it because you may want to read this book before sharing it with your children, so that you'll be prepared for the questions they'll have about some of the tough subjects it raises.
Also, the attitudes toward Native Americans are not, shall we say, in line with current thinking. You'll want to be prepared to deal with questions stemming from that -- or to simply address it head on while your child is reading this book.
Want to read
May 2, 2018adding this because goodreads recommended I read it after Caraval... and how could I ever refuse a goodreads recommendation? how??
October 31, 2010
My modern day sensitivities got in the way again when, in the last chapter of this book I read out loud to my boys, I started reading about peg leg Andy who wanted to commit suicide because he was plumb useless. Our dear narrator, little J.D. was just the type of pal to help him out too. I continued to read about the different ideas the boys came up with to do in Andy, and tried to figure out what I could make up to pretend the story was over and get out of reading the last 10 or so pages of the book. I talked to my boys about what would happen if JD and Andy succeeded and the consequences that JD would have to live with, and how these boys were not thinking things through and decided to keep reading. I am glad I did because the last few pages of this book were the best ones yet.
Overall, my boys loved this book and it made a fun read aloud. The story of a boy growing up with his two older brothers, one who had a knack for solving problems with his Great Brain. Set in a time when boys had lots of chores, played games with nothing more than sticks, rocks and an old can, respected their elders, explored old caves, got measles and the mumps, could lose a leg from stepping on a rusty nail and settled disputes with a fist fight or wrestle.
Overall, my boys loved this book and it made a fun read aloud. The story of a boy growing up with his two older brothers, one who had a knack for solving problems with his Great Brain. Set in a time when boys had lots of chores, played games with nothing more than sticks, rocks and an old can, respected their elders, explored old caves, got measles and the mumps, could lose a leg from stepping on a rusty nail and settled disputes with a fist fight or wrestle.
July 5, 2021
What a delightful, feel good book! So much to learn from. Each story kept us attentive and engaged. It's already a classic to my older kids. I'm glad to say it will be for me too.
March 27, 2017
Simply terrible.
February 29, 2012
Note: The following is a review of the entire Great Brain series
The Great Brain is perhaps one of the finest American children's books ever written—as are its companions in the Great Brain series. Reading this series in recent years has in some ways been akin to rereading Tom Sawyer as an adult, since what appeared as high-adventure to me as a fifth grader I now read through a Twainian lens of chuckles and nostalgia.
John D. Fitzgerald was raised in Price, Utah, and based the Great Brain series on the childhood antics of his super-smart, flimflamming older brother, Tom. The books are written in the first-person voice of “J.D.” (based on the young John D. Fitzgerald). The stories take place in the fictional town of Adenville which I surmise is actually somewhere in southwestern Utah, roughly in the vicinity of Iron or Washington Counties (there are references to Cedar City and Shivwits Indians). However, the imprint of Price and eastern Utah is found often in this book, as the town is fairly divided between Mormons and people of other faiths, sports characters such as Basil Kokovinis, the son of Greek hotel operators as well as a run of Scandinavian Mormon kids such as Parley Jensen who wears a coon-skin cap. Adenville is a safe, tight-knit small town as well as a crossroads of rural industry leaving the reader with a sense that cattlemen, hustlers and wild-west entrepreneurs are often staying in town but are usually out of the sight of the youngsters. The central theme of the Great Brain series is the insecurities of childhood and the occasional blurring of the boundary between a warm and safe domestic world and the dangers of a mysterious adult world.
As a kid, I read these books perceiving Tom as the protagonist and hero. As an adult, one realizes that while Tom is indeed J.D.'s begrudged hero, J.D. is the true protagonist and it is through his eyes that the stories are told. Like Twain, Fitzgerald’s greatest talent is bringing to life the fears and joys of childhood and reminding adults of what it was like to be a young. Unlike Tom Sawyer, these books are written on a fourth or fifth grade reading level and the characters harbor childlike feelings of warmth and trust toward parents and adult figures that are not as prevalent in characters like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
J.D.'s love for his parents is felt throughout the books and is not diminished by youthful, matter-of fact assessments of them. J.D.’s father can be clueless at times (when juxtaposed against his practical wife who often shows more common sense) and frequently purchases quack mail-order contraptions. But J.D.'s father is also presented as a paradigm of the responsible neighbor and townsman who avoids misjudging others.
J.D.’s mother is a firm, loving woman who spends her time laboring in the kitchen alongside an aunt whose hands are “as big as a man’s”. Whenever a trip is taken, the father and boys invariably pull out lunches fixed by the mother, including chocolate cake, home-fried chicken, boiled eggs, sandwiches, pie…and the list goes on. If reading such passages does not make readers hungry, it may remind them of their own mothers as Fitzgerald shows us that cooking was one way his mother conveyed her love to her children.
Adenville is an idyllic world of rural chores, hanging out at “Smith’s vacant lot” and playing checkers by the fireside. And yet there is also tragedy, like the rockslide death that orphans little “Frankie”, a boy later adopted by the Fitzgeralds. Other glimpses of pathos can be found in the books' various descriptions of a frontier pride that avoids asking for desperately needed help or the child whose best efforts are frequently misunderstood by adults.
Like many children’s books and movies, a running theme is that of Tom’s outwitting adults and making them look like fools. And yet, Tom often ends up as the one in trouble and the town’s kids usually end up paying a price as well. Throughout the books, J.D. constantly berates himself for being a fool who falls for Tom’s schemes and seems to have an “I should have known” inferiority complex.
Religion is also a theme in these books—though I was surprised at how much I missed it when I was younger. Perhaps that says something about a young reader and how he or she might interact with the young characters in the book. Even now when I read these books, it is apparent that the undercurrent of religious differences in Adenville is muted in the eyes of the youthful characters. The Fitzgeralds are a Catholic family (although the mother was raised as a Mormon) and worship at a community church except during infrequent visits from a priest. J.D. often speaks of Mormon honesty and tee totaling as givens in a town where Bishop Aden (after whom the town was named) is still a highly revered, living figure. Nonetheless, tug-a-rope teams at civic celebrations are divided between Mormon and Gentile kids and the two groups have occasional dust-ups.
These books capture an age caught between the frontier and modernity, where the Mormon settlement has emerged as a functioning civic unit (although one still senses the watchful paternalism of Bishop Aden) and where budding technology and economic differentiation mix with chores such as watering the chickens. J.D.s father, one of the few educated men in town, is the local newspaper editor, and yet, like all of the other families, they have a small farm, including cows, chickens and a few horses.
There are many striking scenes in this series, including the portrayal of "Abie Glassman", an itinerant Jewish merchant who is getting old and decides to settle in Adenville and open a store. Rumors circulate that Glassman is wealthy and has a chest full of gold. While J.D.'s mom occasionally sends him out to shop with Glassman, J.D. usually heads to the local Mormon co-op instead where he will get candy from the manager. Due to the town's prejudicial assumption that Glassman is a wealthy hoarder and Glassman's proud refusal to seek help, he literally starves to death.
Though at times these stories encounter serious themes and real-life fears, the books' enduring themes are warmth, safety, and humor. Fitzgerald, who died in 1988, is the type of author I would have loved to have met in person, or to have heard him speak about his life and literary experiences. As a young person, I read his novel Papa Married a Mormon, but it did not enchant me as did the Great Brain series. Admittedly, that was probably because it was written for an adult audience and I was likely too young to properly appreciate it. (Perhaps sometime I ought to reread it.) Ultimately, I am grateful to Fitzgerald, who brought to life a small, turn of the century Mormon town and made its otherwise anonymous, youngest citizens larger than life. When it comes to children’s literature, subgenres will come and go. But I believe that as long as kids can find these books, they will be read and loved.
The Great Brain is perhaps one of the finest American children's books ever written—as are its companions in the Great Brain series. Reading this series in recent years has in some ways been akin to rereading Tom Sawyer as an adult, since what appeared as high-adventure to me as a fifth grader I now read through a Twainian lens of chuckles and nostalgia.
John D. Fitzgerald was raised in Price, Utah, and based the Great Brain series on the childhood antics of his super-smart, flimflamming older brother, Tom. The books are written in the first-person voice of “J.D.” (based on the young John D. Fitzgerald). The stories take place in the fictional town of Adenville which I surmise is actually somewhere in southwestern Utah, roughly in the vicinity of Iron or Washington Counties (there are references to Cedar City and Shivwits Indians). However, the imprint of Price and eastern Utah is found often in this book, as the town is fairly divided between Mormons and people of other faiths, sports characters such as Basil Kokovinis, the son of Greek hotel operators as well as a run of Scandinavian Mormon kids such as Parley Jensen who wears a coon-skin cap. Adenville is a safe, tight-knit small town as well as a crossroads of rural industry leaving the reader with a sense that cattlemen, hustlers and wild-west entrepreneurs are often staying in town but are usually out of the sight of the youngsters. The central theme of the Great Brain series is the insecurities of childhood and the occasional blurring of the boundary between a warm and safe domestic world and the dangers of a mysterious adult world.
As a kid, I read these books perceiving Tom as the protagonist and hero. As an adult, one realizes that while Tom is indeed J.D.'s begrudged hero, J.D. is the true protagonist and it is through his eyes that the stories are told. Like Twain, Fitzgerald’s greatest talent is bringing to life the fears and joys of childhood and reminding adults of what it was like to be a young. Unlike Tom Sawyer, these books are written on a fourth or fifth grade reading level and the characters harbor childlike feelings of warmth and trust toward parents and adult figures that are not as prevalent in characters like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
J.D.'s love for his parents is felt throughout the books and is not diminished by youthful, matter-of fact assessments of them. J.D.’s father can be clueless at times (when juxtaposed against his practical wife who often shows more common sense) and frequently purchases quack mail-order contraptions. But J.D.'s father is also presented as a paradigm of the responsible neighbor and townsman who avoids misjudging others.
J.D.’s mother is a firm, loving woman who spends her time laboring in the kitchen alongside an aunt whose hands are “as big as a man’s”. Whenever a trip is taken, the father and boys invariably pull out lunches fixed by the mother, including chocolate cake, home-fried chicken, boiled eggs, sandwiches, pie…and the list goes on. If reading such passages does not make readers hungry, it may remind them of their own mothers as Fitzgerald shows us that cooking was one way his mother conveyed her love to her children.
Adenville is an idyllic world of rural chores, hanging out at “Smith’s vacant lot” and playing checkers by the fireside. And yet there is also tragedy, like the rockslide death that orphans little “Frankie”, a boy later adopted by the Fitzgeralds. Other glimpses of pathos can be found in the books' various descriptions of a frontier pride that avoids asking for desperately needed help or the child whose best efforts are frequently misunderstood by adults.
Like many children’s books and movies, a running theme is that of Tom’s outwitting adults and making them look like fools. And yet, Tom often ends up as the one in trouble and the town’s kids usually end up paying a price as well. Throughout the books, J.D. constantly berates himself for being a fool who falls for Tom’s schemes and seems to have an “I should have known” inferiority complex.
Religion is also a theme in these books—though I was surprised at how much I missed it when I was younger. Perhaps that says something about a young reader and how he or she might interact with the young characters in the book. Even now when I read these books, it is apparent that the undercurrent of religious differences in Adenville is muted in the eyes of the youthful characters. The Fitzgeralds are a Catholic family (although the mother was raised as a Mormon) and worship at a community church except during infrequent visits from a priest. J.D. often speaks of Mormon honesty and tee totaling as givens in a town where Bishop Aden (after whom the town was named) is still a highly revered, living figure. Nonetheless, tug-a-rope teams at civic celebrations are divided between Mormon and Gentile kids and the two groups have occasional dust-ups.
These books capture an age caught between the frontier and modernity, where the Mormon settlement has emerged as a functioning civic unit (although one still senses the watchful paternalism of Bishop Aden) and where budding technology and economic differentiation mix with chores such as watering the chickens. J.D.s father, one of the few educated men in town, is the local newspaper editor, and yet, like all of the other families, they have a small farm, including cows, chickens and a few horses.
There are many striking scenes in this series, including the portrayal of "Abie Glassman", an itinerant Jewish merchant who is getting old and decides to settle in Adenville and open a store. Rumors circulate that Glassman is wealthy and has a chest full of gold. While J.D.'s mom occasionally sends him out to shop with Glassman, J.D. usually heads to the local Mormon co-op instead where he will get candy from the manager. Due to the town's prejudicial assumption that Glassman is a wealthy hoarder and Glassman's proud refusal to seek help, he literally starves to death.
Though at times these stories encounter serious themes and real-life fears, the books' enduring themes are warmth, safety, and humor. Fitzgerald, who died in 1988, is the type of author I would have loved to have met in person, or to have heard him speak about his life and literary experiences. As a young person, I read his novel Papa Married a Mormon, but it did not enchant me as did the Great Brain series. Admittedly, that was probably because it was written for an adult audience and I was likely too young to properly appreciate it. (Perhaps sometime I ought to reread it.) Ultimately, I am grateful to Fitzgerald, who brought to life a small, turn of the century Mormon town and made its otherwise anonymous, youngest citizens larger than life. When it comes to children’s literature, subgenres will come and go. But I believe that as long as kids can find these books, they will be read and loved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2021
REQUIRED READING FOR KIDS AND ADULTS
Funny story about how I came to read this book. I was at my hairdresser's house and I had forgotten my book so she went in her house and scrounged up a pile of books for me to choose from. This was one of them. She said it was really good even though it's a kids book. I decided to give it a shot because it was set in 1896, a non-lds family living in an LDS community in Utah. What's not to like? Well this middle aged woman couldn't put it down.
After I read it straight through, I promptly became depressed because I wasn't raised in that time and place. I want to read the whole set and launch a full investigation into the author and more. How have I not discovered this book by now?
And the illustrations: A+
Funny story about how I came to read this book. I was at my hairdresser's house and I had forgotten my book so she went in her house and scrounged up a pile of books for me to choose from. This was one of them. She said it was really good even though it's a kids book. I decided to give it a shot because it was set in 1896, a non-lds family living in an LDS community in Utah. What's not to like? Well this middle aged woman couldn't put it down.
After I read it straight through, I promptly became depressed because I wasn't raised in that time and place. I want to read the whole set and launch a full investigation into the author and more. How have I not discovered this book by now?
And the illustrations: A+
January 17, 2023
Some of my favorite books:
Imagine Tom Sawyer meets Sherlock Holmes. Makes my imagination explode and makes me want to muck about a small town in Utah and run in some caves.
Imagine Tom Sawyer meets Sherlock Holmes. Makes my imagination explode and makes me want to muck about a small town in Utah and run in some caves.
April 26, 2023
It’s 1896 and the territory of Utah officially became a state. But to the 2,500 residents in the town of Adenville, it was the year of The Great Brain’s reformation. Having The Great Brain as a brother has its ups and downs. Just ask his little brother J.D. It was nearly impossible to catch any sunlight while constantly in the shadow of such magnificence and brilliance. Expert eavesdropping, a perilous cave rescue, and the great whiskey raid were the works of one Tom Dennis Fitzgerald and his intellect was the stuff of legend. But, has The Great Brain finally changed his scheming ways? Why, that would be bigger news than the day Adenville got its very first water closet!
Published in 1967, The Great Brain is the first in an eight-book series and loosely based on author John D. Fitzgerald’s own childhood experiences. The story is narrated by the Fitzgerald’s youngest son John (J.D.) who is seven—going on eight. This is one of those books that I have equally strong feelings of delight and horror. With a publisher-recommended reading age of 8 and up, it is important to note that this is a 1967 book and times they did change (and boy, did they ever)!
Setting aside the starting reading age (which I would emphatically suggest bumping up to at least 12), this book deals with some heavy societal and political issues largely centering around ethnic prejudice and hatred. Fitzgerald details how Adenville’s first Greek immigrant family (their son in particular) was the object of brutal bullying and verbal assault. The author also goes into a multi-page diatribe regarding the treatment of Jews compared to other ethnicities within their community and how a “beloved” member of their town somehow slipped through the cracks with devastating consequences. This wasn’t just a matter of negligence or ignorance, it was apathy and this entire topic—and its importance and relevance—is sadly bound to go right over a young reader’s scope of understanding.
Also, Tom is really nothing more than an opportunistic schemer. Would a young reader delight in his antics and ability to always find a way to one-up his friends? It seems so since this book not only gave way to seven successors, but earned Fitzgerald The Young Reader’s Choice Award for children’s literature in both 1976 and 1978. Shows what I know. Tom’s ability to do good does benefit those around him who learn how to defend themselves and develop a sense of self-worth, but the fact that he always seeks an “angle” puts him one step above a sleezy snake oil salesman. The upside is that Tom truly does have his beneficiaries’ best interests in mind and eventually experiences a moral awakening, but we know it doesn’t last long and future books probably contain more of the same self-serving behavior.
Perhaps THE most disturbing part of this book comes near the end when John is helping another boy end his life because he wants to prove himself to be a good pal. The various ways the boys plot and attempt to carry out this horrific act is beyond boyish hijinx and madcap mayhem. I can’t possibly think what was going on in the author’s head that he thought this would be appropriate material to print for a child of eight. I was a child of the 70s and I wouldn’t look at this entire passage as merely being slapstick fun (Oopsies! THAT didn’t work. Let’s try this!) I shudder to think just HOW much of this book falls into the “own childhood experience” category.
My overall impression is that this book didn’t age well and should be left for a much older and morally mature reader. And even though my brain is not-so-great, I know there are more appropriate books out there for young readers that teach the virtues of friendship, the value of community, the strength of family, and the satisfaction you get from doing good with the expectation of receiving absolutely nothing in return.
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
Published in 1967, The Great Brain is the first in an eight-book series and loosely based on author John D. Fitzgerald’s own childhood experiences. The story is narrated by the Fitzgerald’s youngest son John (J.D.) who is seven—going on eight. This is one of those books that I have equally strong feelings of delight and horror. With a publisher-recommended reading age of 8 and up, it is important to note that this is a 1967 book and times they did change (and boy, did they ever)!
Setting aside the starting reading age (which I would emphatically suggest bumping up to at least 12), this book deals with some heavy societal and political issues largely centering around ethnic prejudice and hatred. Fitzgerald details how Adenville’s first Greek immigrant family (their son in particular) was the object of brutal bullying and verbal assault. The author also goes into a multi-page diatribe regarding the treatment of Jews compared to other ethnicities within their community and how a “beloved” member of their town somehow slipped through the cracks with devastating consequences. This wasn’t just a matter of negligence or ignorance, it was apathy and this entire topic—and its importance and relevance—is sadly bound to go right over a young reader’s scope of understanding.
Also, Tom is really nothing more than an opportunistic schemer. Would a young reader delight in his antics and ability to always find a way to one-up his friends? It seems so since this book not only gave way to seven successors, but earned Fitzgerald The Young Reader’s Choice Award for children’s literature in both 1976 and 1978. Shows what I know. Tom’s ability to do good does benefit those around him who learn how to defend themselves and develop a sense of self-worth, but the fact that he always seeks an “angle” puts him one step above a sleezy snake oil salesman. The upside is that Tom truly does have his beneficiaries’ best interests in mind and eventually experiences a moral awakening, but we know it doesn’t last long and future books probably contain more of the same self-serving behavior.
Perhaps THE most disturbing part of this book comes near the end when John is helping another boy end his life because he wants to prove himself to be a good pal. The various ways the boys plot and attempt to carry out this horrific act is beyond boyish hijinx and madcap mayhem. I can’t possibly think what was going on in the author’s head that he thought this would be appropriate material to print for a child of eight. I was a child of the 70s and I wouldn’t look at this entire passage as merely being slapstick fun (Oopsies! THAT didn’t work. Let’s try this!) I shudder to think just HOW much of this book falls into the “own childhood experience” category.
My overall impression is that this book didn’t age well and should be left for a much older and morally mature reader. And even though my brain is not-so-great, I know there are more appropriate books out there for young readers that teach the virtues of friendship, the value of community, the strength of family, and the satisfaction you get from doing good with the expectation of receiving absolutely nothing in return.
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
February 3, 2018
When my kids were very, very little, their favorite thing in this life was a television show called Caillou. If you have not seen Caillou, count yourself fortunate. If you have, you know what I am talking about. It is, quite simply, horrible in every way. The Caillou character is a horrible role model for a four-year-old--selfish, annoying, and whiny--and his parents (who I am reliably informed are called Doris and Boris, ay ay ay) are supine, weak-willed Canadian morons who never do anything to discipline Caillou.
So when I was watching Caillou. with my children, I would always stop the narrative and say, "What is Caillou doing? Is he whining? Do we whine like Caillou?" This, of course, predictably infuriated them, but I was right to do it and do not apologize.
THE GREAT BRAIN is far superior to Caillou., as all things are, but in reading it to my 8YOs, I continually had to stop and ask them, "What is the Great Brain doing? Is that right? Is it smart? Do we do what the Great Brain does?"
And I kept doing that, up to a point, and then I had to stop, and I almost stopped reading it altogether.
THE GREAT BRAIN is a relic, of course. It is a relic of both its time and place (turn of the century rural Utah) and the time and the place it was written (late 60's - early 70's). When I read THE GREAT BRAIN books, the constant fighting among the children was something that wasn't too far removed from my own childhood; I was told that it was permissible and honorable to stand up for myself by punching bullies in the nose, and did so a couple of times. But in 2018? That's not the anti-bullying message that we have now. (You can argue whether its the anti-bullying message that we ought to have, but I would not have that argument at too hard of a decibel level.)
THE GREAT BRAIN certainly has its period charms. I enjoyed explaining to my 8YOs about what people did before indoor plumbing, and refrigerators, and iPads. A major subtext of THE GREAT BRAIN is "what people did before there was modern entertainment," and it's great to have the explanations of how kick-the-can worked, and what Indian wrestling is. (In the book it's referred to as "Indian squaw wrestling," which is not a word we use in our house, as well as "Jackass Leapfrog," also.)
But there were three things that I left out when I read it, and I think that most parents would leave this out for younger kids:
1. I left out the entire last part of the story about how the Great Brain introduces an immigrant child to America, because there was just so much fighting. It's not just the fighting, but the way that the fighting is normalized and applauded by all the characters, including the parents. The Great Brain humiliates the immigrant child when he won't participate in fights, and it's a cruel thing to do, and the book treats that as necessary, when it isn't.
2. I left out the entire chapter where the Jewish peddler who is encouraged by the Great Brain's father to open a store in the tiny rural community starves himself to death because his business is failing.
3. I left out the entire part about the narrator tries to help the boy who lost part of his leg try to commit suicide.
I am not saying that this is a bad book, or that it's inappropriate, but I couldn't tell big huge parts of it to my kids. I remember liking this book from my childhood, and I'm amazed about how much the world has changed since then. Or maybe I've changed.
So when I was watching Caillou. with my children, I would always stop the narrative and say, "What is Caillou doing? Is he whining? Do we whine like Caillou?" This, of course, predictably infuriated them, but I was right to do it and do not apologize.
THE GREAT BRAIN is far superior to Caillou., as all things are, but in reading it to my 8YOs, I continually had to stop and ask them, "What is the Great Brain doing? Is that right? Is it smart? Do we do what the Great Brain does?"
And I kept doing that, up to a point, and then I had to stop, and I almost stopped reading it altogether.
THE GREAT BRAIN is a relic, of course. It is a relic of both its time and place (turn of the century rural Utah) and the time and the place it was written (late 60's - early 70's). When I read THE GREAT BRAIN books, the constant fighting among the children was something that wasn't too far removed from my own childhood; I was told that it was permissible and honorable to stand up for myself by punching bullies in the nose, and did so a couple of times. But in 2018? That's not the anti-bullying message that we have now. (You can argue whether its the anti-bullying message that we ought to have, but I would not have that argument at too hard of a decibel level.)
THE GREAT BRAIN certainly has its period charms. I enjoyed explaining to my 8YOs about what people did before indoor plumbing, and refrigerators, and iPads. A major subtext of THE GREAT BRAIN is "what people did before there was modern entertainment," and it's great to have the explanations of how kick-the-can worked, and what Indian wrestling is. (In the book it's referred to as "Indian squaw wrestling," which is not a word we use in our house, as well as "Jackass Leapfrog," also.)
But there were three things that I left out when I read it, and I think that most parents would leave this out for younger kids:
1. I left out the entire last part of the story about how the Great Brain introduces an immigrant child to America, because there was just so much fighting. It's not just the fighting, but the way that the fighting is normalized and applauded by all the characters, including the parents. The Great Brain humiliates the immigrant child when he won't participate in fights, and it's a cruel thing to do, and the book treats that as necessary, when it isn't.
2. I left out the entire chapter where the Jewish peddler who is encouraged by the Great Brain's father to open a store in the tiny rural community starves himself to death because his business is failing.
3. I left out the entire part about the narrator tries to help the boy who lost part of his leg try to commit suicide.
I am not saying that this is a bad book, or that it's inappropriate, but I couldn't tell big huge parts of it to my kids. I remember liking this book from my childhood, and I'm amazed about how much the world has changed since then. Or maybe I've changed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2013
I rated this 4 stars and my son rated it 5 stars so we're agreeing upon a 4.5 star rating.
The entire time I read this book, I couldn't help but compare the unstructured childhood described in this book with today's highly structured children. The boys in this book experienced a freedom that is not found today.... sure they found themselves in hot water and madesome lots of mistakes - but I loved reading about how they worked things out or learned their lessons by EXPERIENCING them....
There would be very, very little tolerance in this day and age for many of the pranks described in this book... and I can't help but wonder if this is a good thing.
My son adored this book.... I didn't think it was QUITE as funny as I had remembered from all those many years ago - but perhaps this is because I'm now reading it from the perspective of a parent and I find myself cringing just a little, even while chuckling....
Speaking of parents... this is the second book I read by John D. Fitzgerald and I just adore his parents and their parenting style.
The entire time I read this book, I couldn't help but compare the unstructured childhood described in this book with today's highly structured children. The boys in this book experienced a freedom that is not found today.... sure they found themselves in hot water and made
There would be very, very little tolerance in this day and age for many of the pranks described in this book... and I can't help but wonder if this is a good thing.
My son adored this book.... I didn't think it was QUITE as funny as I had remembered from all those many years ago - but perhaps this is because I'm now reading it from the perspective of a parent and I find myself cringing just a little, even while chuckling....
Speaking of parents... this is the second book I read by John D. Fitzgerald and I just adore his parents and their parenting style.
April 28, 2017
Want to learn how to charge people to see a toilet flush? Need to learn to swim, or walk with a peg leg? Find your way out of a dangerous cave? Get rid of a strict teacher? Ask the Great Brain, Thomas "T.D." Fitzgerald. Set in the early days of Utah statehood (1896)in southern Utah, John "J.D." Fitzgerald recounts the amazing and mind blowing stunts and escapades of he and his brothers, among the minority of Catholics in a predominantly Mormon community. When the "Great Brain" puts his mind to work, anything can happen!Ingenious and hilarious, a very good read!
March 26, 2019
This is another one I remember from the past. I remember liking it as a kid. Read again just for nostalgia's sake. Not sure it holds up. Tom, the "Great Brain" was really just a little shyster, figuring out ways to turn a profit on everything he did - even those things he did as good deeds.
May 12, 2020
Tom Sawyer - Psychopath
This isn't a book I'd hand off to my kids or grandkids, but it is a fascinating read if you're interested in strange, old fashioned, wildly odd and offensive entertainment that feels much older and more dated than it really is. The book has a devoted following and appears on lots of must read lists, but sometimes I suspect that those are mostly lists prepared by people who have never actually read the book.
Our hero, Tom Fitzgerald, is a swindler, liar and cheat. But apparently he's supposedly a sort of a fun swindler, liar, and cheat, in an old-fashioned boys will be hedge fund managers sort of way. The book recounts his various adventures conning gullible younger kids, framing a teacher he doesn't like, and so on. Fun stuff. (This is all supposed to be historically accurate teaching moment material, but since none of the teaching moments actually occur in the book it appears that the burden is on you, Mom and Dad, to keep up here.)
Here's the good part. Every so often I check in on the Amazon site for this book. The five star reviews are effusive and not terribly interesting. The one and two star reviews are interesting because they are mostly the thoughts of parents who are confused or appalled by this book's classic status. The best, though, is the comments that are appended to the negative reviews. They come from Great Brain trolls, and run the gamut from personally offensive comments, to sarcastic screeds, to obnoxiously condescending and dismissive observations about anyone who has doubts about the merit or appeal of this book. I think the phenomenon is fascinating, if a bit unnerving.
Anyway, if you think it's fun to have the only Jewish character in a book die alone of malnutrition, (because the town people figured a Jew must be rich), then this could be just the ticket.
This isn't a book I'd hand off to my kids or grandkids, but it is a fascinating read if you're interested in strange, old fashioned, wildly odd and offensive entertainment that feels much older and more dated than it really is. The book has a devoted following and appears on lots of must read lists, but sometimes I suspect that those are mostly lists prepared by people who have never actually read the book.
Our hero, Tom Fitzgerald, is a swindler, liar and cheat. But apparently he's supposedly a sort of a fun swindler, liar, and cheat, in an old-fashioned boys will be hedge fund managers sort of way. The book recounts his various adventures conning gullible younger kids, framing a teacher he doesn't like, and so on. Fun stuff. (This is all supposed to be historically accurate teaching moment material, but since none of the teaching moments actually occur in the book it appears that the burden is on you, Mom and Dad, to keep up here.)
Here's the good part. Every so often I check in on the Amazon site for this book. The five star reviews are effusive and not terribly interesting. The one and two star reviews are interesting because they are mostly the thoughts of parents who are confused or appalled by this book's classic status. The best, though, is the comments that are appended to the negative reviews. They come from Great Brain trolls, and run the gamut from personally offensive comments, to sarcastic screeds, to obnoxiously condescending and dismissive observations about anyone who has doubts about the merit or appeal of this book. I think the phenomenon is fascinating, if a bit unnerving.
Anyway, if you think it's fun to have the only Jewish character in a book die alone of malnutrition, (because the town people figured a Jew must be rich), then this could be just the ticket.
February 27, 2013
I LOVED this book! I read this one to my children and we laughed through most of it and then I cried through the rest. One aspect that I really loved was how real it felt, like I was growing up right along side J.D. and Tom. I also loved the perspective of what it was like to grow up in a small Utah town and not be a Mormon. Being a Mormon myself, I had never really thought what it would be like to view of us from outside the religion. I thought it was done very fairly and many things were eyeopening which I feel will help me be more aware and thoughtful of others having different believes than my own.
October 24, 2017
An old children's classic told by ten year old JD about the simple and humorous boyhood adventures encountered while growing up in 1896 with his older beloved brother Tom, The Great Brain. Tom is the older brother everyone should have, even though he mostly uses his " great brain" to figure out a way to make every situation most profitable for himself, he usually lets his little brother tag along for the adventure and in the end... surprises everyone by also having a great heart. I think all my age 30 something kids read this in their late elementary years, and my copy with the original Mercer Meyer illustrations is in-scripted with " Erin's favorite book in 4th grade. " Erin is my youngest daughter and in a few years, I'll pass it on to her daughter. A nostalgic read. 5 stars
July 31, 2020
Hilarious!
Note: Some scenes would be best with parent conversations and input for historical context and understanding...but even in those scenes there is little truly dark malice but a tone of levity and light and an understanding that all will work out. A great way for children to have conversations about topics that are current issues.
Note: Some scenes would be best with parent conversations and input for historical context and understanding...but even in those scenes there is little truly dark malice but a tone of levity and light and an understanding that all will work out. A great way for children to have conversations about topics that are current issues.
April 7, 2025
This felt like summertime childhood nostalgia
April 14, 2025
This was a heartwarming story featuring the relationship between two brothers, and their hilarious escapades.
September 30, 2023
My 5th grade teacher read this series to us . It was fun to read them as an adult and get just as much pleasure from them as child.
September 30, 2024
First book in the series, about pre-teen genius con man, who cons pretty much everyone in town, but also does the occasional good deed...for a reward.
One of my favorite books series when I was that age.
One of my favorite books series when I was that age.
September 11, 2025
this is why we vet chapter books
May 7, 2013
I bought this one for my nephews out of nostalgia the other day, remembering having liked it as a kid. And so I thought I ought to reread it myself. It's not often one reads fiction set in 19th century Utah, and this is an interesting perspective from the Fitzgeralds--Sweyn, Tom and John--three Catholic boys who grew up circa 1896 in Utah's Dixie, in the small fictionalized Mormon town of Adenville (the author in fact was born and raised in Carbon County).
What I did not remember was the narcissism of Tom Fitzgerald, the so-called "Great Brain," whose great brain frequently is credited both by himself and others as the source of invaluable problem solving and heroics at home, school and throughout the town. Tom devises ways to swindle local kids of their pennies, everything from charging commission for watching the installation of the town's first ever water closet in his home, to extracting silver dollars from a hunter in the neighborhood for each puppy bred of his brother John's pet dog, Brownie.
Although John sometimes sees through Tom's antics, his brother always manages to smoothly manipulate allegiances and secure the oaths of others to preserve his position. The shenanigans seem harmless enough, except maybe when they rise to the level of framing the new school teacher, Mr. Standish, as a secret lush and having him terminated by the school board, or else John's trying to help out friend Andy Anderson to commit suicide for "being plumb useless" due to his peg leg.
The storytelling is fun, and the tales are probably a fair depiction of a young boy's point of view growing up in the rugged west, centering on such concepts as honor and respect perhaps more common in that period of time. This is an enjoyable read and still holds its appeal after all these years.
What I did not remember was the narcissism of Tom Fitzgerald, the so-called "Great Brain," whose great brain frequently is credited both by himself and others as the source of invaluable problem solving and heroics at home, school and throughout the town. Tom devises ways to swindle local kids of their pennies, everything from charging commission for watching the installation of the town's first ever water closet in his home, to extracting silver dollars from a hunter in the neighborhood for each puppy bred of his brother John's pet dog, Brownie.
Although John sometimes sees through Tom's antics, his brother always manages to smoothly manipulate allegiances and secure the oaths of others to preserve his position. The shenanigans seem harmless enough, except maybe when they rise to the level of framing the new school teacher, Mr. Standish, as a secret lush and having him terminated by the school board, or else John's trying to help out friend Andy Anderson to commit suicide for "being plumb useless" due to his peg leg.
The storytelling is fun, and the tales are probably a fair depiction of a young boy's point of view growing up in the rugged west, centering on such concepts as honor and respect perhaps more common in that period of time. This is an enjoyable read and still holds its appeal after all these years.
July 1, 2018
My husband and I took turns reading this to our 7.5-year-old son. I vaguely remember reading this when I was little and it was fun for me to revisit it and introduce it to the rest of my family. It is set in the early 1900s in a small, rural Utah town. There is no major plot but is instead mostly small, vignette type stories of boyhood experiences that the main character had with his older brother and their group of friends. I am sure that many of the stories are taken from the author’s own childhood. The “great brain” is the main character’s big brother and so the book is full of fun sibling rivalry as well as interesting tidbits about life in a turn-of-the-century town. My son and husband both found many of the predicaments funny and I often heard them laughing out loud when they were reading together. I think everyone is interested in reading the other ones in the series.
October 16, 2020
Ugh, I really wanted to love this book, but no, no, no! The first two stories were great, but it’s all downhill from there. I think the author intended for this to mostly be a funny, lighthearted read, but it’s not. There’s bullying and discrimination against a Greek immigrant, a Jewish shopkeeper literally starves to death because the town wasn’t supporting his business and didn’t bother to help him when he clearly needed help, and then the narrator and his brother try to help a depressed, physically disabled boy commit suicide!! What?! Of course I expect a book from the early 60’s to contain some questionable content (racial slurs against Native Americans, the boys-will-be-boys mentality, etc), but I do not understand why this book is still being printed!
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