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Rotten Ralph's Rotten Family: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader
"Ralph takes a swing through his family tree to find out why he's so rotten"--
48 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2014
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Jack Gantos
84 books551 followersJack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD, and many other well known characters such as Rotten Ralph, Jack Henry, Jack Gantos (memoirs) and others. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery, the Newbery Honor, the Scott O'Dell Award, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award.
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 17, 2019
Rotten Ralph thinks he should go back to his family farm because Sarah thinks he's too rotten. He believes life was better at the farm since no ever criticized him there. He goes back and realized the reason no one called him rotten was because everyone was rotten to him.
He returns to Sarah and cleans up the house and fixes her breakfast to apologize for how rotten he's been.
He returns to Sarah and cleans up the house and fixes her breakfast to apologize for how rotten he's been.
June 7, 2017
I don't care for these books, but they've been a surprising hit with Liberty. She thinks Ralph is hilarious and is amused by the fact that he's a bit "naughty." I'd give it two stars; Libby would probably say four, so we'll split the difference and say three.
August 17, 2018
I think it is silly.
February 18, 2017
Ralph was a naughty cat. His owner, Sarah, is tired of his naughtiness and wants him to improve his behaviour.
Ralph decides that he should go home to his family who always treated him the way he liked and never wanted him to change. When he gets there he makes a shocking discovery that causes him to see his family in a completely different way than how he remembered them.
Young readers will enjoy this story.
Ralph decides that he should go home to his family who always treated him the way he liked and never wanted him to change. When he gets there he makes a shocking discovery that causes him to see his family in a completely different way than how he remembered them.
Young readers will enjoy this story.
November 6, 2014
Rotten Ralph’s rotten behavior is keeping Sarah from a birthday sleepover: his reputation for rotten-ness is so well-known, no one will cat-sit him. Exasperated, Sarah sends him to his room. There, Ralph contemplates his rotten life and turns to his family album for clues. Clever readers will see that his reminiscences don’t match the pictures in the album. He decides to pay a visit to the family farm to find the source for his rotten-ness. To his surprise, Ralph discovers all his relatives are as rotten as he, and they treat him accordingly, all except his mother, of course. Realizing that he is rotten by nature and that he doesn’t enjoy being treated rottenly, Ralph vows to turn his life around and show Sarah he is a changed cat. He returns home and goes into a frenzy of housework and cooking. Sarah is thrilled with the “New Ralph”, but readers realize it’s only a temporary condition. Rotten Ralph is sure to return. The illustrations are spot on. They show in detail all of Ralph’s misbehaviors in bold and vibrant colors. Rotten Ralph’s fans will no doubt relish this installment of the series.
September 9, 2014
It's hard not to love Rotten Ralph, especially if you are a cat lover. His behavior resembles a few felines with whom I've been acquainted while providing a platform for this artistic team to show that there are reasons for misbehavior. Yes, the apple really doesn't fall that far from the tree, does it? The story also shows that it's possible to change. Just because we are raised a certain way or make certain mistakes or bad choices doesn't mean we cannot turn our lives around. After Ralph gets tired of Sarah's fussing at him, he returns to his original home and learns just how he got the way he is--by the example of many of his family members. The text and lively illustrations are a treat and perfect for sharing with young readers or as a conversation starter.
December 7, 2014
This easy chapter book gives Ralph's back story and explains why he is so rotten. Ralph's family photograph album is especially funny; my favorite picture is the one of his father wearing a gas mask while changing Ralph's diaper. Nostalgic memories slam into reality and Ralph returns to Sarah with a new outlook -- for now.
April 1, 2014
In which Rotten Ralph returns to his family to discover how he got so rotten. He quickly learns that he's much better off at Sarah's house.
December 30, 2014
I found Ralph to be a thoughtful character. I think students will love discussing perspectives within this book.
July 27, 2014
In this Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader, Ralph reminisces about his loving family, and decides to pay them a visit to learn why he is so rotten.
February 14, 2017
Wonderful book where the cat discovers that maybe it isn't so pleasant to be around rotten family.
4 chapters.
4 chapters.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews