Tommy Trouble and the Magic Marble

by Ralph Fletcher

In the living room Tommy sat on the time-out rug.
Mom made him sit there whenever he got into trouble.

And it was all his pesky younger brother Bradley's fault. When big, tough Spencer offered to sell Tommy an unusual playing marble for ten dollars, Tommy recruited Bradley to help him pick Mom's prize-winning roses. For that Tommy ended up on the time-out rug. Bradley was nothing but trouble. And always at his side! Tommy was so furious he started throwing rocks at a beehive. But it was Bradley who was stung by the angry bees and had to be rushed to the hospital. Tommy sat himself down on the time-out rug and thought. Maybe owning the magic marble wasn't as important as having a little brother who thinks you're someone special ....

Ralph Fletcher has created an entertaining, fun-filled story that is sure to appeal to children who have graduated from beginning readers. Be it an older sibling, a younger one, or an only child, readers will be taken with this book's well-defined characters, crisp dialogue and fast-moving plot. Ben Caldwell's humorous illustrations add even more to the fun.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Ralph Fletcher is a friend of young writers and readers as well as writing teachers. He has written or co-authored many books for writing teachers includng Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide, Teaching the Qualities of Writing, Lessons for the Writer's Notebook, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, and Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft That Sparks Writing. Ralph has worked with teachers around the U.S. and abroad, helping them find wiser ways of teaching writing.

Ralph's many books for students include picture books (Twilight Comes Twice, Hello Harvest Moon, and The Sandman), novels (Fig Pudding, Flying Solo, and Spider Boy), poetry (A Writing Kind of Day and Moving Day), and a memoir, Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid. His novel Uncle Daddy was awarded the Christopher medal in 2002. He has also written a popular series of books for young writers including Poetry Matters, Live Writing, and A Writer's Notebook. Ralph lives with his family in New Hampshire. He is a strong environmentalist who believes we all must work together to live in a more sustainable way. His other passions include travel, good food, dark chocolate, growing orchids, and sports.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was everything I was ready for it to be. This is not a good thing. There was not that much excitement behind and after reading the last page I did not feel affected by the story. It had good morals and the characters were funny from time-to-time, but it is not a book to look forward to reading.

[Muneeba · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this it has 46 pg and is 4 kids i read cause i waz bord