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Alex vs. the Four-Headed Gargantuan
Alex gets a paper route, dreaming of the money he will make and how he will spend it. But it's more work than he bargained for. Not only does he have to figure out how much money he gets to keep, but he also has to face dangers like the savage Yapper Snapper and the dreaded Four-Headed Gargantuan. Illustrated comic-book-style with the adventures of Alex's superhero alter ego, this book shows how Alex learns that his real riches are courage and kindness.
- GenresGraphic Novels
112 pages, Library Binding
First published September 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 5, 2016
NetGalley provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
Laura Peetoom’s children’s novel is a delightful read. The comic book illustrations are cleverly woven into the fabric of Alex vs. The Four-Headed Gargantuan.
Alex is determined to become a quality paperboy. He learns many lessons on his route, including but not limited to patience, money management, organization, and problem solving. The many transferrable skills will serve him well in life. Alex is kind, charming and likeable. All readers including the reluctant reader will enjoy this quick read.
Laura Peetoom’s children’s novel is a delightful read. The comic book illustrations are cleverly woven into the fabric of Alex vs. The Four-Headed Gargantuan.
Alex is determined to become a quality paperboy. He learns many lessons on his route, including but not limited to patience, money management, organization, and problem solving. The many transferrable skills will serve him well in life. Alex is kind, charming and likeable. All readers including the reluctant reader will enjoy this quick read.
February 20, 2016
Amusing.
And written a good level for young readers - like ones that are just about ready to read chapter books but not ready to read full-blown
And it's quite an interesting book. There are lots of good lessons in here - about spending money, about how money works, about helping people, about the environment, about being scared. And I don't feel like the messages hit you over the head.
And, it's a cute story. I actually found myself in suspense wondering if the teenagers were going to be bullies.
And the superhero comic excerpts were an added bonus!
Thanks to NetGalley and James Lorimer & Company for a copy in return for an honest review.
And written a good level for young readers - like ones that are just about ready to read chapter books but not ready to read full-blown
And it's quite an interesting book. There are lots of good lessons in here - about spending money, about how money works, about helping people, about the environment, about being scared. And I don't feel like the messages hit you over the head.
And, it's a cute story. I actually found myself in suspense wondering if the teenagers were going to be bullies.
And the superhero comic excerpts were an added bonus!
Thanks to NetGalley and James Lorimer & Company for a copy in return for an honest review.
January 6, 2018
This book teaches life lessons and money management skills to children in a fun, non-preachy way. It is an approachable superhero story with a heartwarming message. I think that my students will enjoy it!
I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2016
Gentle, Amusing and Honestly Felt
This book was a delightful surprise. It is a cheerful, upbeat, realistic and especially good humored tale about a ten year old kid who takes on a paper route and does some growing up as a consequence.
The frame is simple enough. Alex wants to earn a little spending money and becomes the neighborhood paper boy. He gets a real paper delivery route that covers a few blocks around his house. The action arises from all of the big and little discoveries he makes about himself and his neighbors as he plies his route.
And there are subplots aplenty. Alex learns about how to actually deliver papers. His Dad explains how his pay is calculated. He befriends several neighbors. He deals with inclement weather. He learns the joys of Christmas tips. He begins to learn how to manage his savings. The greatest emphasis, though, is placed on the posse of four teenage boys, (they are the "Four-Headed Gargantuan"), who hang out on a driveway Alex has to cross and who frighten and seem to threaten Alex. (SPOILER: Don't worry; all turns out well.)
This book struck me as having a number of appealing strengths. It is a chapter book, with direct but fairly sophisticated vocabulary and structure. But, there are humorous comic book style drawings that break up the narrative every few pages. These drawings present Alex in his imaginary "Super-Paperboy" form. So, if Alex does something normal, (say, slip a paper through a mail slot to a yippy dog), then Super-Paperboy delivers a mighty paper to the jaws of a fearsome creature. This normal/fantasy thing works really well and adds a lot of energy and color to the tale.
In addition to that, our Alex is a normal and really decent kid. He is kind and considerate. He's observant and commonsensical. But he's also just ten and as easily frustrated and confused as you might expect. He can get himself worked up over imagined dangers, and then has to be calmed down. He has an active imagination. That's where a lot of the lessons come in, but you never feel like Alex is a dope or a scaredy-cat or a goody-goody. He's just a solid kid learning about life.
And that's where the book really shines. Adults are reliable, available, supportive and decent. This book has one of the best sets of parents I've read in a while, and they ring true in an idealized but not unrealistic fashion. The neighbors to whom Alex delivers papers aren't angels, but they aren't devils either, and Alex interacts positively with all of them.
The upshot is that this turned out to be an entertaining, instructive, upbeat and amusing tale. Being wholesome without being saccharine is hard to pull off. A nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This book was a delightful surprise. It is a cheerful, upbeat, realistic and especially good humored tale about a ten year old kid who takes on a paper route and does some growing up as a consequence.
The frame is simple enough. Alex wants to earn a little spending money and becomes the neighborhood paper boy. He gets a real paper delivery route that covers a few blocks around his house. The action arises from all of the big and little discoveries he makes about himself and his neighbors as he plies his route.
And there are subplots aplenty. Alex learns about how to actually deliver papers. His Dad explains how his pay is calculated. He befriends several neighbors. He deals with inclement weather. He learns the joys of Christmas tips. He begins to learn how to manage his savings. The greatest emphasis, though, is placed on the posse of four teenage boys, (they are the "Four-Headed Gargantuan"), who hang out on a driveway Alex has to cross and who frighten and seem to threaten Alex. (SPOILER: Don't worry; all turns out well.)
This book struck me as having a number of appealing strengths. It is a chapter book, with direct but fairly sophisticated vocabulary and structure. But, there are humorous comic book style drawings that break up the narrative every few pages. These drawings present Alex in his imaginary "Super-Paperboy" form. So, if Alex does something normal, (say, slip a paper through a mail slot to a yippy dog), then Super-Paperboy delivers a mighty paper to the jaws of a fearsome creature. This normal/fantasy thing works really well and adds a lot of energy and color to the tale.
In addition to that, our Alex is a normal and really decent kid. He is kind and considerate. He's observant and commonsensical. But he's also just ten and as easily frustrated and confused as you might expect. He can get himself worked up over imagined dangers, and then has to be calmed down. He has an active imagination. That's where a lot of the lessons come in, but you never feel like Alex is a dope or a scaredy-cat or a goody-goody. He's just a solid kid learning about life.
And that's where the book really shines. Adults are reliable, available, supportive and decent. This book has one of the best sets of parents I've read in a while, and they ring true in an idealized but not unrealistic fashion. The neighbors to whom Alex delivers papers aren't angels, but they aren't devils either, and Alex interacts positively with all of them.
The upshot is that this turned out to be an entertaining, instructive, upbeat and amusing tale. Being wholesome without being saccharine is hard to pull off. A nice find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
February 14, 2016
In the grand tradition of superhero comics everywhere, Alex vs. the Four-Headed Gargantuan shares the story of an intrepid hero who braves the weather, a vicious yapper-snapper, and even a gang of teenagers to make sure the newspapers are delivered to his customers. Alex is a typical suburban kid who decides to take a paper route and earn some spending money. He loves the growing pile of cash, but worries that the gang of older boys always hanging out down the street will beat him up and take his hard-earned money away from him. In his head he imagines himself as a fearless superhero who can take on any danger and come out on top. But when he actually confronts the posse, he is in for more than he imagined.
The story is told in a mix of narrative and comic panel illustrations, making it similar in style to books such as Diary of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate. This book would actually appeal to even younger readers than those series because it is a much shorter story. Its length combined with the illustrations will make it very popular with reluctant readers, too. The lessons Alex learns about earning and saving money, and about making assumptions would be good talking points for a class discussion.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The story is told in a mix of narrative and comic panel illustrations, making it similar in style to books such as Diary of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate. This book would actually appeal to even younger readers than those series because it is a much shorter story. Its length combined with the illustrations will make it very popular with reluctant readers, too. The lessons Alex learns about earning and saving money, and about making assumptions would be good talking points for a class discussion.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
February 8, 2016
This is a combination graphic novel/chapter book. The illustrations are not on every page, but definitely illustrate what is happening in the story and in the head of Alex, in a meaningful way
Alex is a 10 year old boy who wants to earn money. He ends up getting a paper route (only 28 houses) and is determined to become the best he can be, "Super Paperboy". He learns many lessons on his route, including patience, money management, organization, and problem solving. At one point he is worried about being stiffed for the paper, getting jumped by a gang and getting bitten by a dog. These are skills that are necessary in life and can never be learned to early. The solutions to his problems, the caring way he treats his customers and how he helps the neighbours are an added bonus. Alex is kind, charming and likeable.
I recommend this book to early readers, reluctant readers and others who are trying to think of how to earn some extra money. All readers including the reluctant reader will enjoy this quick read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alex is a 10 year old boy who wants to earn money. He ends up getting a paper route (only 28 houses) and is determined to become the best he can be, "Super Paperboy". He learns many lessons on his route, including patience, money management, organization, and problem solving. At one point he is worried about being stiffed for the paper, getting jumped by a gang and getting bitten by a dog. These are skills that are necessary in life and can never be learned to early. The solutions to his problems, the caring way he treats his customers and how he helps the neighbours are an added bonus. Alex is kind, charming and likeable.
I recommend this book to early readers, reluctant readers and others who are trying to think of how to earn some extra money. All readers including the reluctant reader will enjoy this quick read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2016
Kid gets newspaper route and must face challenges, from angry dogs and bullies to struggling with being honest. Though listed under graphic novels, this is mostly written, with occasional drawings showing how he views the encounters in his head as his alter-ego, Super Paperboy!
It’s all about learning lessons as he grows up, like helping people without expectation of reward; in his fantasy he’s bringing rain to a drought-stricken land. On a class field trip he wants to buy something at the museum store with his hard-earned money, but when he can’t settle on one thing he instead buys ice cream for all his classmates, and finds he enjoys the giving feeling. He tries to buy off the bullies with some cookies, and knows a secret of their leader, so impasse for the moment, although that turns into a life lesson as well when it he realizes things aren’t always as they seem.
Super Paperboy Gets His Super On—nice chapter title.
It’s never stated outright, but with the weather and the mention of “Loonie!” I figured out the story takes place in Canada.
So, lessons that masquerade as cute stories. The artwork is no big deal, but gets the job done.
It’s all about learning lessons as he grows up, like helping people without expectation of reward; in his fantasy he’s bringing rain to a drought-stricken land. On a class field trip he wants to buy something at the museum store with his hard-earned money, but when he can’t settle on one thing he instead buys ice cream for all his classmates, and finds he enjoys the giving feeling. He tries to buy off the bullies with some cookies, and knows a secret of their leader, so impasse for the moment, although that turns into a life lesson as well when it he realizes things aren’t always as they seem.
Super Paperboy Gets His Super On—nice chapter title.
It’s never stated outright, but with the weather and the mention of “Loonie!” I figured out the story takes place in Canada.
So, lessons that masquerade as cute stories. The artwork is no big deal, but gets the job done.
September 3, 2016
‘Alex and the Four-Headed Gargantuan’ is a fun and exciting story about a young boy named Alex, and his beloved paper round. Alex is a sweet, kind kid, who is just trying to earn himself a little bit of extra spending money by taking on a paper round – a job he really loves.
His aim is to be the best paper boy that there has ever been. He wants to become ‘Super Paperboy’!
His round, even if it is only 28 houses, teaches him a lot of life skills, including organisation, saving money, and how to handle a bunch of teenage bullies.
The book is written in an easy style, especially with the comic-book illustrations. A style that will hook kids immediately, and keep them interested all the way through.
A fantastic book that is more than just a fun read, it’s educational too.
Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com
His aim is to be the best paper boy that there has ever been. He wants to become ‘Super Paperboy’!
His round, even if it is only 28 houses, teaches him a lot of life skills, including organisation, saving money, and how to handle a bunch of teenage bullies.
The book is written in an easy style, especially with the comic-book illustrations. A style that will hook kids immediately, and keep them interested all the way through.
A fantastic book that is more than just a fun read, it’s educational too.
Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com
November 26, 2023
I loved this little book! It has so much going for it. A 10 year old boy gets a paper route and has to learn to save money and keep some to spend...but how? He has to manage homework, job, and play time. And he thinks he is going to be jumped by a bunch of teenagers hanging around on his payday. So he has to handle some bullies. Great book for grades 2 to 5 or so.
NetGalley provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
NetGalley provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2016
This fun little book is part chapter book and part graphic novel. It's about Alex who is getting a paper route for the very first time. He learns a lot of great lessons (money management, tips, talking to adults he doesn't know, dealing with big scary kids and barking dogs). The writing is simple without being condescending and graphic elements add some funny parts to the story. I think kids will like this one a lot.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews