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Macdonald Hall/Bruno & Boots #7
Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall
The school year is getting off to a wacky start at Macdonald Hall. Everyone thinks Bruno and Boots are to blame, but this time the boys are innocent -- and they're determined to find the phantom practical joker.
NOTE: This title has been republished as The Joke's On Us.
NOTE: This title has been republished as The Joke's On Us.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
9 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
253 books4,465 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 8, 2020
Am I indeed ever glad that my perusal of Gordon Korman's seven MacDonald Hall boarding school stories is finally over and done with. For honestly, while reading (actually rereading) the first three novels of the series has absolutely and totally been pure fun and sweetly nostalgic (considering how much I did in fact enjoy This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall!, Go Jump in the Pool! and especially Beware the Fish! as a teenager in the early 1980s), especially the final three novels (which were published in the late 80s and early 90s) have proven to be pretty dismally disappointing and not at all to my tastes, with in particular the last instalment, Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall not even getting even some remote chuckles and minor notes of appreciation from me, just the sad realisation that Gordon Korman has truly run out of ideas and that making Mrs. Sturgeon (the headmaster's wife) into the "Phantom" (into the rampaging practical joker) also really does not make all that much sense (I mean, it would have made sense to have Boots' younger brother Edward turn out to be the "Phantom" or now living on the so-called edge and in love Elmer Drimsdale and perhaps even Cathy Burton or Diane Grant from Miss Scrimmage's, but the headmaster's wife, this scenario to and for me really does make it seem as though the author is truly grasping at proverbial straws, as even the reasons that Mildred Sturgeon gives to Bruno and Boots as to why she had decided to engage in her antics do not really seem all that realistically believable, even whilst I can and do appreciate that Mr. Sturgeon with his ingrown toenail and constant harping, complaining and wanting to retire was both getting on his wife's nerves and even worrying her).
However, I probably would still have considered Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall as a low two star and not as the one star story that I am now pondering, had Gordon Korman refrained from using Toronto's Skydome in the narrative (it is mentioned on the poster that Bruno and Boots use to set their trap for catching the "Phantom"). Now Toronto's Skydome stadium (which is now officially called the Rogers Centre) was first opened in 1989, and when you then consider that the first four MacDonald Hall novels were ALL published from 1977-1982 and that ONLY MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood and this here final novel, Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall, were actually published AFTER the building and official opening of the Skydome, all this would (should) therefore mean that realistically and logically speaking, Bruno, Boots et al would have had to have been students at MadDonald Hall for something like well over fifteen years (and hey, they have still not graduated either). And come on, this scenario and set-up of events really does not compute logically all that well unless the entire student boy of both MadDonald Hall and Miss Scrimmage's had in fact kept flunking out (but that would mean that Bruno, Boots, Elmer, Cathy, Diane etc. would ALL be way way past the teenagers they are being described as age and temperament, level of maturity wise).
Now indeed, I do get that Gordon Korman has I guess for some reason neither made his MacDonald Hall students nor their teachers age all that much and thus they (as well as the students and staff of Miss Scrimmage's) do seem to appear as timeless and unchanging in a manner of speaking. However, if that were indeed what the author had intended, then Korman also should NOT (in my opinion) in any fashion have used a very minutely time specific (post 1989) and famous Toronto, Ontario football stadium in Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall, because since FOUR of his Macdonald Hall novels were actually published (and thus taking place) quite a number of years before the Toronto Skydome was even built, this certainly gives a strange sense of fantasy and unreality, of disconnection (and actually reminds me of an author who has not really sufficiently done his homework and that Gordon Korman seemingly has also forgotten that the majority of his Bruno and Boots stories do take place before Toronto's Skydome ever even became a reality and that just by counting years, it does not make any common sense for Bruno and Boots to actually have encountered and known about the Skydome as teenagers attending a boarding school, if they had been at MacDonald Hall and likely in junior or senior high in the late 70s and early 80s).
However, I probably would still have considered Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall as a low two star and not as the one star story that I am now pondering, had Gordon Korman refrained from using Toronto's Skydome in the narrative (it is mentioned on the poster that Bruno and Boots use to set their trap for catching the "Phantom"). Now Toronto's Skydome stadium (which is now officially called the Rogers Centre) was first opened in 1989, and when you then consider that the first four MacDonald Hall novels were ALL published from 1977-1982 and that ONLY MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood and this here final novel, Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall, were actually published AFTER the building and official opening of the Skydome, all this would (should) therefore mean that realistically and logically speaking, Bruno, Boots et al would have had to have been students at MadDonald Hall for something like well over fifteen years (and hey, they have still not graduated either). And come on, this scenario and set-up of events really does not compute logically all that well unless the entire student boy of both MadDonald Hall and Miss Scrimmage's had in fact kept flunking out (but that would mean that Bruno, Boots, Elmer, Cathy, Diane etc. would ALL be way way past the teenagers they are being described as age and temperament, level of maturity wise).
Now indeed, I do get that Gordon Korman has I guess for some reason neither made his MacDonald Hall students nor their teachers age all that much and thus they (as well as the students and staff of Miss Scrimmage's) do seem to appear as timeless and unchanging in a manner of speaking. However, if that were indeed what the author had intended, then Korman also should NOT (in my opinion) in any fashion have used a very minutely time specific (post 1989) and famous Toronto, Ontario football stadium in Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall, because since FOUR of his Macdonald Hall novels were actually published (and thus taking place) quite a number of years before the Toronto Skydome was even built, this certainly gives a strange sense of fantasy and unreality, of disconnection (and actually reminds me of an author who has not really sufficiently done his homework and that Gordon Korman seemingly has also forgotten that the majority of his Bruno and Boots stories do take place before Toronto's Skydome ever even became a reality and that just by counting years, it does not make any common sense for Bruno and Boots to actually have encountered and known about the Skydome as teenagers attending a boarding school, if they had been at MacDonald Hall and likely in junior or senior high in the late 70s and early 80s).
May 23, 2016
3.5 stars
This is certainly the weakest of the Bruno and Boots books(at least in my opinion), but I can't bring myself to give it less than 3 and a half stars because, come on, it's Bruno and Boots! Here's a rundown of the good and the not-quite-so-good:
GOOD:
- John A. Macdonald statue dressed as a scuba diver
- The students being touchingly worried about Mr. Sturgeon
- Poor Elmer Drimsdale's attempts to win over Marylou Beakman
- Bruno with tears in his eyes when he thinks Mr. Sturgeon is at death's door
- PLOT TWIST!!!!!!
NOT-QUITE-SO-GOOD:
- Boots' little brother Edward-- he could've been a great part of the book, but his personality didn't seem to mesh well with the story overall.
- The humor, especially in the dialogue, isn't as original and funny as in the previous books.
- The humor is rather too juvenile in places, so it feels less witty and intelligent than the preceding books of the series.
Still a fun book, despite its faults.
This is certainly the weakest of the Bruno and Boots books(at least in my opinion), but I can't bring myself to give it less than 3 and a half stars because, come on, it's Bruno and Boots! Here's a rundown of the good and the not-quite-so-good:
GOOD:
- John A. Macdonald statue dressed as a scuba diver
- The students being touchingly worried about Mr. Sturgeon
- Poor Elmer Drimsdale's attempts to win over Marylou Beakman
- Bruno with tears in his eyes when he thinks Mr. Sturgeon is at death's door
- PLOT TWIST!!!!!!
NOT-QUITE-SO-GOOD:
- Boots' little brother Edward-- he could've been a great part of the book, but his personality didn't seem to mesh well with the story overall.
- The humor, especially in the dialogue, isn't as original and funny as in the previous books.
- The humor is rather too juvenile in places, so it feels less witty and intelligent than the preceding books of the series.
Still a fun book, despite its faults.
March 19, 2022
Okay I’m aware this book was meant for middle school boys but in all honesty I did enjoy it. It’s nice to take a break from books with NSFW content and/or mature subjects. It was an innocent funny book to read in my free time and for that I really liked it. Some of the theme felt repetitive but not to a drastic point. The “phantom” was literally the last person I expected, as well. I was shocked. Its a pretty decent read and I will most likely read it again when looking for a lighthearted book.
October 4, 2017
Canadian children's author Gordon Korman has had a long career as the prolific writer of humorous, exciting, and easy-to-read novels geared toward grades 4 to 9. He started writing at age 12, when he wrote This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall! for a seventh grade English class. Over the course of nearly 20 years after the publication of this first MacDonald Hall book, Korman published a total of 7 titles about the boarding school exploits of best friends Bruno and Boots.This month, I read them all:
This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall! (1977)
Go Jump in the Pool! (1979)
Beware the Fish! (1980)
The War with Mr. Wizzle (1982)
The Zucchini Warriors (1988)
MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood (1991)
Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall (1995)
The series stars best friends and roommates Bruno Walton and Melvin "Boots" O'Neal, who are known pranksters on the MacDonald Hall campus. Though the two boys often butt heads with their headmaster, the long-suffering yet fair-minded Mr. Sturgeon, whom they call "The Fish," they also have a fond affection for their school. The boys and their classmates also have many associations with students at Miss Scrimmage's Finishing School for Young Ladies, which is located across the road from MacDonald Hall, and whose high-strung Headmistress frequently overreacts to late-night visits from MacDonald Hall students by wildly wielding a shotgun.
Each book of the series focuses on a different major scheme involving Bruno and Boots. Sometimes, they seek to make a particular improvement to their school, such as a pool or a recreation center. Other times, they go to war with a particular teacher who is making their lives difficult, or with an outside force that threatens to close the school. In the final two books, they even befriend a Hollywood celebrity and uncover a phantom prankster.
What I love about these books is their sense of humor. Last spring, I attended a talk by two children's illustrators who insisted that the key to humor in children's books is underwear and toilet jokes. I found this to be a disappointing underestimation of what kids are capable of finding funny, but I was also hard-pressed to think of many examples of funny books, especially funny books targeted at boys, that could make kids laugh without resorting to crude humor. Thankfully, I have been reminded that this series fits that bill exactly. Perhaps because Korman started writing these when he was himself an adolescent, he completely understands what middle school boys find funny, and he delivers it in every single book. Pranks, schemes, disasters, explosions, science experiments, sporting events - these are the backdrops for Korman's jokes, and most of the time, they are clever, respectful and well-executed. Even when the characters disobey their teachers, they often do so in the name of a noble cause that helps their school or their friends.
Also refreshing is the complete lack of serious dating in these books. There are some storylines involving long-distance and unrequited crushes, but none of the preoccupation with having exclusive girlfriends and boyfriends that seems prevalent in more contemporary books. The girls of Miss Scrimmage's (particularly Cathy and Diane) are not presented as potential romantic partners for Bruno, Boots, and their friends, but as partners in crime, good friends, and pranksters in their own right. All the female characters are actually very well-done, including Mrs. Sturgeon, the headmaster's wife, whose affection for Bruno and Boots often keeps her husband from acting rashly in his punishment of them.
Are the MacDonald Hall books great literature? Probably not. But neither are they to be completely dismissed as "fluff" or 'twaddle." For boys who like funny books, but whose parents would prefer not to promote toilet humor (or worse, crude jokes with a sexual basis), they are the perfect escapist read. Interestingly, these books have also recently been turned into a series of films, which are all available to stream on Netflix. I watched half of the first one, Go Jump in the Pool!, and noted some differences, mainly in the age of the characters (MacDonald Hall seems to be a high school in the movie world) and in the character of Miss Scrimmage (who is now a peace-loving hippie and not an unhinged woman with a shotgun), but overall, I didn't think it was terrible. I would definitely recommend reading the books first, but fans of the series will probably enjoy the film adaptations.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall! (1977)
Go Jump in the Pool! (1979)
Beware the Fish! (1980)
The War with Mr. Wizzle (1982)
The Zucchini Warriors (1988)
MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood (1991)
Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall (1995)
The series stars best friends and roommates Bruno Walton and Melvin "Boots" O'Neal, who are known pranksters on the MacDonald Hall campus. Though the two boys often butt heads with their headmaster, the long-suffering yet fair-minded Mr. Sturgeon, whom they call "The Fish," they also have a fond affection for their school. The boys and their classmates also have many associations with students at Miss Scrimmage's Finishing School for Young Ladies, which is located across the road from MacDonald Hall, and whose high-strung Headmistress frequently overreacts to late-night visits from MacDonald Hall students by wildly wielding a shotgun.
Each book of the series focuses on a different major scheme involving Bruno and Boots. Sometimes, they seek to make a particular improvement to their school, such as a pool or a recreation center. Other times, they go to war with a particular teacher who is making their lives difficult, or with an outside force that threatens to close the school. In the final two books, they even befriend a Hollywood celebrity and uncover a phantom prankster.
What I love about these books is their sense of humor. Last spring, I attended a talk by two children's illustrators who insisted that the key to humor in children's books is underwear and toilet jokes. I found this to be a disappointing underestimation of what kids are capable of finding funny, but I was also hard-pressed to think of many examples of funny books, especially funny books targeted at boys, that could make kids laugh without resorting to crude humor. Thankfully, I have been reminded that this series fits that bill exactly. Perhaps because Korman started writing these when he was himself an adolescent, he completely understands what middle school boys find funny, and he delivers it in every single book. Pranks, schemes, disasters, explosions, science experiments, sporting events - these are the backdrops for Korman's jokes, and most of the time, they are clever, respectful and well-executed. Even when the characters disobey their teachers, they often do so in the name of a noble cause that helps their school or their friends.
Also refreshing is the complete lack of serious dating in these books. There are some storylines involving long-distance and unrequited crushes, but none of the preoccupation with having exclusive girlfriends and boyfriends that seems prevalent in more contemporary books. The girls of Miss Scrimmage's (particularly Cathy and Diane) are not presented as potential romantic partners for Bruno, Boots, and their friends, but as partners in crime, good friends, and pranksters in their own right. All the female characters are actually very well-done, including Mrs. Sturgeon, the headmaster's wife, whose affection for Bruno and Boots often keeps her husband from acting rashly in his punishment of them.
Are the MacDonald Hall books great literature? Probably not. But neither are they to be completely dismissed as "fluff" or 'twaddle." For boys who like funny books, but whose parents would prefer not to promote toilet humor (or worse, crude jokes with a sexual basis), they are the perfect escapist read. Interestingly, these books have also recently been turned into a series of films, which are all available to stream on Netflix. I watched half of the first one, Go Jump in the Pool!, and noted some differences, mainly in the age of the characters (MacDonald Hall seems to be a high school in the movie world) and in the character of Miss Scrimmage (who is now a peace-loving hippie and not an unhinged woman with a shotgun), but overall, I didn't think it was terrible. I would definitely recommend reading the books first, but fans of the series will probably enjoy the film adaptations.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
June 10, 2024
Why was this children’s book actually good and funny and clever and yea
August 21, 2025
This volume is the final in this series. It is a wonderful read in an excellent series. I have been working my way through Gordon Korman’s complete works, and this was the 109 volume I have read from Korman’s masterful pen. Because of a dual form of dyslexia, I did not learn to read until later, because of that I have a great fondness for Middle Grade books, and books for tween and teens. And Korman is one of the all-time masters. I believe this was Korman’s 21st volume published. And to date it is the last in the MacDonald Hall series which was originally published as the Bruno and Boots Series.
The series consists of:
This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall
Go Jump in the Pool
Beware the Fish!
The Wizzle War
(formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle )
The Zucchini Warriors
Light’s Camera, Disaster
(aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
The Jokes on Us
(formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)
Book 7 was renamed in 2000 the stories were originally published between 1978 and 1995, though some have been rewritten to be more up to date. Three of the original 7 have been renamed at some point over the years. The current description of this volume is:
“Macdonald Hall's ivy-covered buildings have housed and educated many fine young Canadians. But Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal are far from being fine young Canadians. The roommates and best friends are nothing but trouble! Together they've snuck out after lights-out, swapped flags, kidnapped mascots . . . and that's only the beginning.
There is nothing new about practical jokes at Macdonald Hall. The latest round includes water in the swimming pool being turned blue, the statue of Sir John A. getting a snazzy new outfit, and extra soap being snuck into the dishwasher just for fun. Of course, all fingers point to the usual suspects - Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal.
The funny thing - they are not the ones pulling the pranks this time! But they are unsure just who the new prankster is, and they have to prove they're innocent before they get expelled.
Join two of Gordon Korman's most memorable characters in seven side-splitting, rip-roaring adventures! Macdonald Hall is the series that started it all, and thirty-five years later it remains a must-read for old fans and new, the young - and the young at heart.”
The back of I believe the 6th printing of the first edition states:
“A new school year has begun and Macdonald Hall may never be the same! Students are turning blue in the swimming pool! Water balloons are bursting in math class! Size 52 bloomers are flying from the flagpole! Sounds like Bruno and Boots are up to their old tricks. After all, aren’t these the kinds of pranks that made them famous?
The entire school thinks the boys are guilty. But this time, believe it or not, a phantom practical joker is on the loose.
Who’s out to frame Bruno and Boots? If they don’t unmask the Phantom, they’re going’ to be expelled from Macdonald Hall!
Award-winning author Gordon Korman brings back those hilarious troublemakers, Bruno and Boots, in this seventh book starring the ever-popular duo.”
The chapters in this volume are:
1: Over the Hill
2: A No-Brainer
3: The Voodoo Curse
4: Tyrannosaurus Rex
5: The Prime Suspects
6: Niagara Falls
7: Marylou Beakman Hates Me
8: Traffic Jam
9: Diddly-Squat
10: Counting Shirts
11: The Romance of Swamp Germs
12: Living on the Edge
13: The Smoking Gun
14: Dear Nasty Uncooperative Old Goat
15: Shot at Dawn
16: One Lousy Little Broken Wire
17: The Discus Thrower
18: The Shadow of the Phantom
19: Watch Out for the Lasers
20: Earsplitting, Teeth-Rattling
21: Simple Surgery
This one was originally published as Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall. This story has been updated some over the years but the whole series is masterfully written. Korman is a master of the Middle Grade and even Young Adult genres, his books are amazing for kids, tweens and teens. And even some of us older readers. C.S. Lewis in On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature stated:
“It is very rarely that a middle-aged man finds an author who gives him, what he knew so often in his teens and twenties, the sense of having opened a new door.”
I said in a previous review that Korman accomplishes that in this and all of his other books I have read. This was another great read. For many authors have a great first work and often it is not followed up well or even at all. Korman has followed up his first book, written at 14, not only with 6 more in this series but over 100 other works. His books are favourites in the classroom, and with young readers. Having now watched the three made for TV MacDonald Hall Movies I have very clear pictures in my head while reading this volume. Almost every time I post a review of one of these books and many of Korman’s others adults comment about home much they love the book or series.
Bruno and Boots have a knack for creating trouble, and for not getting caught, this time they are not the culprit be seem to be caught in the act time and time again. There is a new trickster on campus, and the pair have numerous suspects both from their own campus and the girls across the street from MacDonald Hall have at Miss Scrimmage’s Finishing at one point it even looks like Bruno and Boots days at Macdonald Hall will come to a premature end. And all the while The Fish is avoiding minor surgery on his toe. Miss Scrimmage’s puts in a state of the art security system, one that even scares the installers. And things are about to go from bad to worse. Oh what an adventure.
Can Bruno figure out who the phantom prankster is? Would anyone believe them if they do? Can the pair find a way to finish out their final year at MacDonald Hall? To find out read this excellent final volume in this series. A wonderful read, I can easily recommend this book and series!
The series consists of:
This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall
Go Jump in the Pool
Beware the Fish!
The Wizzle War
(formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle )
The Zucchini Warriors
Light’s Camera, Disaster
(aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
The Jokes on Us
(formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)
Book 7 was renamed in 2000 the stories were originally published between 1978 and 1995, though some have been rewritten to be more up to date. Three of the original 7 have been renamed at some point over the years. The current description of this volume is:
“Macdonald Hall's ivy-covered buildings have housed and educated many fine young Canadians. But Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal are far from being fine young Canadians. The roommates and best friends are nothing but trouble! Together they've snuck out after lights-out, swapped flags, kidnapped mascots . . . and that's only the beginning.
There is nothing new about practical jokes at Macdonald Hall. The latest round includes water in the swimming pool being turned blue, the statue of Sir John A. getting a snazzy new outfit, and extra soap being snuck into the dishwasher just for fun. Of course, all fingers point to the usual suspects - Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal.
The funny thing - they are not the ones pulling the pranks this time! But they are unsure just who the new prankster is, and they have to prove they're innocent before they get expelled.
Join two of Gordon Korman's most memorable characters in seven side-splitting, rip-roaring adventures! Macdonald Hall is the series that started it all, and thirty-five years later it remains a must-read for old fans and new, the young - and the young at heart.”
The back of I believe the 6th printing of the first edition states:
“A new school year has begun and Macdonald Hall may never be the same! Students are turning blue in the swimming pool! Water balloons are bursting in math class! Size 52 bloomers are flying from the flagpole! Sounds like Bruno and Boots are up to their old tricks. After all, aren’t these the kinds of pranks that made them famous?
The entire school thinks the boys are guilty. But this time, believe it or not, a phantom practical joker is on the loose.
Who’s out to frame Bruno and Boots? If they don’t unmask the Phantom, they’re going’ to be expelled from Macdonald Hall!
Award-winning author Gordon Korman brings back those hilarious troublemakers, Bruno and Boots, in this seventh book starring the ever-popular duo.”
The chapters in this volume are:
1: Over the Hill
2: A No-Brainer
3: The Voodoo Curse
4: Tyrannosaurus Rex
5: The Prime Suspects
6: Niagara Falls
7: Marylou Beakman Hates Me
8: Traffic Jam
9: Diddly-Squat
10: Counting Shirts
11: The Romance of Swamp Germs
12: Living on the Edge
13: The Smoking Gun
14: Dear Nasty Uncooperative Old Goat
15: Shot at Dawn
16: One Lousy Little Broken Wire
17: The Discus Thrower
18: The Shadow of the Phantom
19: Watch Out for the Lasers
20: Earsplitting, Teeth-Rattling
21: Simple Surgery
This one was originally published as Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall. This story has been updated some over the years but the whole series is masterfully written. Korman is a master of the Middle Grade and even Young Adult genres, his books are amazing for kids, tweens and teens. And even some of us older readers. C.S. Lewis in On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature stated:
“It is very rarely that a middle-aged man finds an author who gives him, what he knew so often in his teens and twenties, the sense of having opened a new door.”
I said in a previous review that Korman accomplishes that in this and all of his other books I have read. This was another great read. For many authors have a great first work and often it is not followed up well or even at all. Korman has followed up his first book, written at 14, not only with 6 more in this series but over 100 other works. His books are favourites in the classroom, and with young readers. Having now watched the three made for TV MacDonald Hall Movies I have very clear pictures in my head while reading this volume. Almost every time I post a review of one of these books and many of Korman’s others adults comment about home much they love the book or series.
Bruno and Boots have a knack for creating trouble, and for not getting caught, this time they are not the culprit be seem to be caught in the act time and time again. There is a new trickster on campus, and the pair have numerous suspects both from their own campus and the girls across the street from MacDonald Hall have at Miss Scrimmage’s Finishing at one point it even looks like Bruno and Boots days at Macdonald Hall will come to a premature end. And all the while The Fish is avoiding minor surgery on his toe. Miss Scrimmage’s puts in a state of the art security system, one that even scares the installers. And things are about to go from bad to worse. Oh what an adventure.
Can Bruno figure out who the phantom prankster is? Would anyone believe them if they do? Can the pair find a way to finish out their final year at MacDonald Hall? To find out read this excellent final volume in this series. A wonderful read, I can easily recommend this book and series!
November 3, 2008
Young Adult. In the last book in the Macdonald Hall series, Boots and Bruno are joined by Boots' younger brother Edward, who takes an instant dislike to Bruno and quickly becomes the prime suspect for the rash of practical jokes that are popping up all over campus. Meanwhile, Elmer Drimsdale falls in love and decides to stop playing it safe and start living on the edge. That works out about as well as you might imagine. The plot hangs together well, nothing too outlandish happens, and there's some nice emotional moments between the characters. Enjoyable, though I would have loved to see more of Edward with Boots and Bruno.
August 30, 2007
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA a fantastic read. I love low level reading books because I can rip right through them and be very entertained. I LOVE THIS BOOK
In fact this book is far and away better than Da Vinci Code, and probably uses bigger words.
In fact this book is far and away better than Da Vinci Code, and probably uses bigger words.
October 22, 2009
Not as funny as the earlier ones, but had a great ending! I would love to know what happened to Bruno and Boots when they grew up!
June 23, 2017
Review by M.B.: "It was okay, but kind of boring."
December 13, 2018
I think this was a good last-book-of-the-series. I really enjoyed the Macdonald Hall books I read as a kid, and it's been fun to take this walk down memory lane and also read the ones I never got to read back then. I have to admit, I am glad to be done with the series - I have outgrown it - but I do recommend it to anyone who's in the target age group.
Thoughts specific to Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall, aka, The Joke's On Us:
This was a fun book, but the humor was not "loud" as in previous books, if you know what I mean. I think that made it better. It still made me chuckle, and I enjoyed the story of Bruno and Boots trying to catch the elusive Phantom, whose practical jokes keep getting blamed on the poor innocent Bruno and Boots. (I know! The irony!) At first, I was sure it was Edward, but they kept adding new suspects, and by the end I was sure it was none of them, but I couldn't think of anyone else it could be. I was truly mystified. When we finally find out who it was, it's kind of a cheesy answer, but yeah, it works in this specific context. A more serious author couldn't have gotten away with it, but with Macdonal Hall, you learn to squint a little. In the real world, probably none of this could ever happen in a million years, but at Macdonald Hall, it's plausible.
1. This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall!
2. Go Jump in the Pool!
3. Beware the Fish!
4. The War With Mr. Wizzle aka The Wizzle War
5. The Zucchini Warriors
6. Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood aka Lights, Camera, DISASTER!
7. Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall aka The Joke's On Us
Thoughts specific to Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall, aka, The Joke's On Us:
This was a fun book, but the humor was not "loud" as in previous books, if you know what I mean. I think that made it better. It still made me chuckle, and I enjoyed the story of Bruno and Boots trying to catch the elusive Phantom, whose practical jokes keep getting blamed on the poor innocent Bruno and Boots. (I know! The irony!) At first, I was sure it was Edward, but they kept adding new suspects, and by the end I was sure it was none of them, but I couldn't think of anyone else it could be. I was truly mystified. When we finally find out who it was, it's kind of a cheesy answer, but yeah, it works in this specific context. A more serious author couldn't have gotten away with it, but with Macdonal Hall, you learn to squint a little. In the real world, probably none of this could ever happen in a million years, but at Macdonald Hall, it's plausible.
1. This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall!
2. Go Jump in the Pool!
3. Beware the Fish!
4. The War With Mr. Wizzle aka The Wizzle War
5. The Zucchini Warriors
6. Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood aka Lights, Camera, DISASTER!
7. Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall aka The Joke's On Us
November 14, 2021
I grew up with the Bruno and Boots books and have read and reread all of them. It's one of my favourite series of all time, but this book didn't work for me as well as the others. I think it's that I figured out the solution to the mystery quite early in the book. I read it recently with my family, and I got to enjoy the suspense vicariously through them. They didn't know the solution, and they loved it. It made me love it.
Beyond the mystery, there's some other great stuff in this book. Some of the secondary characters don't get to shine as much as in previous books, but they're (mostly) there and involved. There are some hilarious moments, and the writing is true to Korman's earlier work. I don't know that it's as good as some of the other books, but it's a worthy addition to the series.
Beyond the mystery, there's some other great stuff in this book. Some of the secondary characters don't get to shine as much as in previous books, but they're (mostly) there and involved. There are some hilarious moments, and the writing is true to Korman's earlier work. I don't know that it's as good as some of the other books, but it's a worthy addition to the series.
April 6, 2021
I used to be a huge fan of Gordon Korman when I was a young teen. So when I found this book in a “Little Free Library” near my home, I had to give it a go. Having not read this one previously, I was a bit concerned that “adult me” might be turned off; that it would ruin the nostalgia I felt for the author and the series. Happily it did not fail! While definitely for the under 16 crowd, the story was entertaining enough that this 40+ year old chuckled again and again. Yes it is cartoony, but not so silly that I could not enjoy it.
August 6, 2025
The ending of the Macdonald Hall series features a mysterious prankster who's coloring the pool water blue, overfilling a dishwasher and setting up fireworks in the pancake batter-but who is it? One thing's for sure: it's not Bruno or Boots. Different people are suspected, including Edward, little brother of Boots who came to the school this year. All this time, the gang was suspecting a kid. The icing on the cake for the first series Korman ever wrote.
March 30, 2021
Hard to rate. I like the plot. I like Korman's knack for entertainment. But it is a formula, and there's very little character growth or anything at all of literary merit. And I got tired of all the "if I catch him I'm going to kill him" and "my parents are going to kill me...."
I will continue to read Korman as I come across his books. Some are truly wonderful, and even this series is worth finishing (if not worth hunting down).
I will continue to read Korman as I come across his books. Some are truly wonderful, and even this series is worth finishing (if not worth hunting down).
January 27, 2019
I've just noticed that this is the seventh in a long series, so I've obviously got some catching up to do. I'm curious if anyone has purchased the rights? This would make a great television series, particularly if they're all full of as much heart and fun as this one.
January 20, 2021
What a wonderful end to the series. I read the first 4 Macdonald Hall books as a kid. Imagine my delight to discover the last 3 as and adult reading them to my own kids.
This one was particularly clever with the phantom. Plus, the mysteries of some of the other characters. Well done.
This one was particularly clever with the phantom. Plus, the mysteries of some of the other characters. Well done.
February 8, 2022
To be honest, five stars might be a tad generous. Something Fishy at MacDonald Hall is light, breezy, and short, even for a MacDonald Hall Book. What's there is pretty good, but there isn't much of it, and it isn't as deep as normal...and that's not a particularly high bar.
September 5, 2022
3.5 stars. Agree with the reviewer who said that this is one of the weaker Bruno & Boots books, but I can't give it less than 3 because it's Bruno and Boots. And honestly, I laughed quite a few times! The plot is a little weak at points, but it is still very funny.
November 17, 2024
A classic Macdonald hall adventure, and an excellent end to the series. The Macdonald Hall series is probably some of my favourite Gordon Korman works, and I have a lot of nostalgia surrounding them, so every time I come back to them it's a good time!
January 4, 2018
Very happy with the conclusion to the series I loved so much growing up. Hard to believe it took me this long to read it.
February 7, 2018
Bruno's younger brother joins them at MacDonald Hall, and immediately everything goes wrong. Someone's pulling pranks--but it's not Bruno or Boots!
November 5, 2021
Re-reading the Bruno and Boots books. Happy to say they hold up.
December 20, 2021
Easy read. Read it in 2 nights.
October 6, 2022
This book jumped the shark a bit by adding Boots younger brother. Otherwise it’s still the same enjoyable antics of the likeable duo Bruno and Boots. I hope Korean will write another book with these characters one day.
December 29, 2022
I read this with a granddaughter. Lots of fun although ridiculous and somewhat dated
July 19, 2024
Hallarious book guarantee laughter
October 25, 2022
This was sooo good. I wish I had the others in the series
October 6, 2020
haha wen they all piled into the hospital room smh
August 3, 2007
Reading from a hard copy this time. I think Something Fishy At Macdonald Hall might be my favorite Macdonald Hall book so fall and that's mostly because the last chapter was especially heartwarming and hilarious. I also love the supporting characters - we finally meet Boots' little brother, Edward! - and subplots - I love Elmer and his crush and quick thinking! Overall, a really delightful book.
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