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The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin: A Whimsical Fantasy Adventure for Children (Ages 8-12) About Siblings Who Escape to Find Home
Roald Dahl meets The Penderwicks in this quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about two siblings who run away from home to escape working in the family coffin business.
John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his little sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job—building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel Great-Aunt Beauregard.
When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives.
John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his little sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job—building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel Great-Aunt Beauregard.
When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2016
8 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Elinor Teele
4 books9 followers1/2 Brit and 1/2 Yankee, Elinor currently resides in New England. In 1992, she immigrated with her family to the South Island of New Zealand and lived there for eight years. She still considers it a beloved homeland.
In 2000, Elinor took a (very) slow plane to England for doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge. She explored the Old English Riddles—lyrical poems in the language of Beowulf. She graduated with a PhD in 2005.
Her work includes books, plays, and films, as well as poems, short stories, and travel writing.
In 2000, Elinor took a (very) slow plane to England for doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge. She explored the Old English Riddles—lyrical poems in the language of Beowulf. She graduated with a PhD in 2005.
Her work includes books, plays, and films, as well as poems, short stories, and travel writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 5, 2016
Originally posted at Log Cabin Library
For six years, John's creativity has been stifled being "ensconced in sawdust," so it's easy to see why he works so hard to earn the acceptance of the people he meets along the way (Maria and Miss Doyle) by building various contraptions to make things easier, faster or more economical. Often things went horribly wrong with his inventions, yet despite his failures, his friends that he makes encourage him to keep trying. John is most successful when he works with others on his inventions, I think there is a valuable lesson in here about accepting help. I felt like John's character grew from being pretty indecisive and meek to having more confidence and willing to stand up for his friends and family. He also learned to keep trying. His sister Page was also a wonderful character, in the way that she supported John, but also when she refused to separate from him, she could have stayed with any of the people they met, but she had confidence that he would come up with a plan. The major appeal of the story though for me was Boz, he was such a hoot, with his extraordinary vocabulary and use of large words. I particularly enjoyed the word combinations he made to take a simple idea and make it much more complex. For example, when he asks John the question, "Where are the foundations of your perambulation?" (AKA shoes.) Something about those word choices just tickles me. He does this throughout the book and adds much of the lighter moments to the story. As an adult, I appreciated them, my kiddo, probably not so much. A dictionary might have been necessary to decipher what he is saying, but he was just so amusing to listen to. I also enjoyed that Boz was flawed, in that he ran away when things got dicey, but when it really mattered, he stepped up and comes to John's aid. Great-Aunt Beauregard just kept reminding me of Snidely Whiplash from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, a little more comedic then villainous. Overall, I quite enjoyed The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin. As a side note, there are wonderful suggestions for using this book as a vocabulary activity at Unleashing Readers, where you can also find an link to the educational activity kit based on the book, created by Walden Pond Press.
*Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at the blog Unleashing Readers.
For six years, John's creativity has been stifled being "ensconced in sawdust," so it's easy to see why he works so hard to earn the acceptance of the people he meets along the way (Maria and Miss Doyle) by building various contraptions to make things easier, faster or more economical. Often things went horribly wrong with his inventions, yet despite his failures, his friends that he makes encourage him to keep trying. John is most successful when he works with others on his inventions, I think there is a valuable lesson in here about accepting help. I felt like John's character grew from being pretty indecisive and meek to having more confidence and willing to stand up for his friends and family. He also learned to keep trying. His sister Page was also a wonderful character, in the way that she supported John, but also when she refused to separate from him, she could have stayed with any of the people they met, but she had confidence that he would come up with a plan. The major appeal of the story though for me was Boz, he was such a hoot, with his extraordinary vocabulary and use of large words. I particularly enjoyed the word combinations he made to take a simple idea and make it much more complex. For example, when he asks John the question, "Where are the foundations of your perambulation?" (AKA shoes.) Something about those word choices just tickles me. He does this throughout the book and adds much of the lighter moments to the story. As an adult, I appreciated them, my kiddo, probably not so much. A dictionary might have been necessary to decipher what he is saying, but he was just so amusing to listen to. I also enjoyed that Boz was flawed, in that he ran away when things got dicey, but when it really mattered, he stepped up and comes to John's aid. Great-Aunt Beauregard just kept reminding me of Snidely Whiplash from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, a little more comedic then villainous. Overall, I quite enjoyed The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin. As a side note, there are wonderful suggestions for using this book as a vocabulary activity at Unleashing Readers, where you can also find an link to the educational activity kit based on the book, created by Walden Pond Press.
*Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at the blog Unleashing Readers.
August 19, 2018
Reminded me of "James and the Giant Peach" with John Coggin's Aunt similar to Aunt Spiker. Funny with memorable characters, especially Boz. Good message regarding perseverance in the face of repeated failures.
August 9, 2017
John Coggin does not want any part of the family business (building and selling coffins) but Great Aunt Beauregard is determined to force him to be her heir. John and his sister Page run away with a traveling circus, the Wandering Wayfarers. John wants very much to be an inventor...but his attempts while traveling with the circus are unsuccessful. John and Page continue on to have a variety of other adventures and narrow escapes from Great Aunt Beauregard...until they are tricked and captured. Will they ever be free of Great Aunt Beauregard and will John's inventions ever work? An imaginative and funny story with some zany characters.
February 22, 2023
meant for es and ms but yolo🥸🙏 I loveeee the illustrations so much and i really did enjoy the story in general! truly made it seem that everything is possible 🙀 super happy for everyone at the end and i hope the great aunt stays away from john and page🙏
September 16, 2018
We (my 8 yo son and I) have mixed reviews on this one. The writing/story was reminiscent of Roald Dhal... John Coggin and his younger sister (who are orphans) live with their MEAN OLD aunt who forces them to work at the family coffin business. John dreams of a better life where he can design and build gizmos and machines. One day, the kids run away and end up joining a circus. Their aunt tracks them down there and they have to move on. The kids jump from place to place settling with helpful adults where John learns new things etc. etc.
The language in this could be a bit much for my son. There was a character Boz who talked excessively and used A LOT of fancy words (often incorrectly). This was a guy who liked to hear himself talk. I could see my sons eyes glazing over during some of Boz's ramblings...and maybe that was the point.
The overall story arc was fun, but could have used a little less of the Boz rambling.
There were lots of references to poop. So, that appealed to an 8 yo boy (obviously).
The language in this could be a bit much for my son. There was a character Boz who talked excessively and used A LOT of fancy words (often incorrectly). This was a guy who liked to hear himself talk. I could see my sons eyes glazing over during some of Boz's ramblings...and maybe that was the point.
The overall story arc was fun, but could have used a little less of the Boz rambling.
There were lots of references to poop. So, that appealed to an 8 yo boy (obviously).
November 27, 2016
What I Thought- This was a rather interesting book. I want to say it takes place around the early 1900’s-ish, but it’s somewhat confusing. What’s even more confusing is that it is a good type of confusing – it gives the impression that the book could happen anywhere, and maybe even anytime. That was a nice touch. It is thrilling seeing John’s character develop from a cowardly wimp who is afraid of speaking up for himself into a strong, confident boy with an ingenuitive mind and a powerful voice. The characters he and Page encounter are wacky and loveable. There are illustrations throughout the book as well. I really enjoyed Ms. Teele’s narrative, and her distinct voice, as I read the book – I finished it in a short amount of time – not that it was “easy” but I found the words and story flowed.
*NOTE* I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book
*NOTE* I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book
July 11, 2016
I enjoyed this but I had a very hard time wondering if a child reader would connect with it. Boz's character sprouted so much guff that it slowed the story and made him less endearing. I think the first few times he rallied on with complex cliche's, it was funny, but after a while, I found it tedious. I recommend extremely confident kid readers who will hang around for the story to flow, but for me, an impatient and tired old prune, I found this a bit of a drudge.
June 9, 2017
Familiar, But Nicely Done
This book falls squarely in the bright-resourceful-steadfast kids who avoid and outsmart evil adults category, but after Snicket, the Eddie Dickens series, and Mould's "Something Wickedly Weird" books, I am fine with that genre. Here, we have tween John and his younger sister Page, who seemed doomed to work forever for horrible Great-Aunt Beauregard and the family coffin business.
The book opens slowly, but that's not a fault. It's dry and deadpan and has an arch and oddly formal feel. But just as the movie version of "Wizard of Oz" switches from black and white to Technicolor when Dorothy lands in Oz, so this book opens up and takes off when John and Page resolve to run away and the manic Boz shows up to lead them, one word-mangling picaresque adventure at a time, to freedom.
We have a number of distinct adventures before John and Page and many of the characters we've met along the way all come together for the socko confrontation finish with Great-Aunt Beauregard. The first and wildest adventure is at the circus, and that is energetic and colorful enough to carry the balance of the book, although the later adventures stand on their own as well.
The upshot, for me, was that this sly, good-humored, and well written tale delivered adventure, colorful characters, a fast pace, and some nice subtle messages about freedom and self-reliance. An entertaining find.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This book falls squarely in the bright-resourceful-steadfast kids who avoid and outsmart evil adults category, but after Snicket, the Eddie Dickens series, and Mould's "Something Wickedly Weird" books, I am fine with that genre. Here, we have tween John and his younger sister Page, who seemed doomed to work forever for horrible Great-Aunt Beauregard and the family coffin business.
The book opens slowly, but that's not a fault. It's dry and deadpan and has an arch and oddly formal feel. But just as the movie version of "Wizard of Oz" switches from black and white to Technicolor when Dorothy lands in Oz, so this book opens up and takes off when John and Page resolve to run away and the manic Boz shows up to lead them, one word-mangling picaresque adventure at a time, to freedom.
We have a number of distinct adventures before John and Page and many of the characters we've met along the way all come together for the socko confrontation finish with Great-Aunt Beauregard. The first and wildest adventure is at the circus, and that is energetic and colorful enough to carry the balance of the book, although the later adventures stand on their own as well.
The upshot, for me, was that this sly, good-humored, and well written tale delivered adventure, colorful characters, a fast pace, and some nice subtle messages about freedom and self-reliance. An entertaining find.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
March 13, 2018
Teele, Elinor The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin. 352 pages. Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse. Walden Pond Press (HarperCollins), 2016. $16.99. Content: G
Eleven-year-old John Coggin works for his Great-Aunt Beauregard building coffins for the family business. Since his parents died when he was young, he has taken to looking out for his younger sister Page. John would love to spend his time inventing and creating things, but his Aunt works him to the bone. When she announces that he and Page will be permanent partners, he knows that they have to do something drastic to avoid a horrible life. So, they run away and end up on a crazy adventure.
This book was a super slow and painful read for me. The subject of building coffins was a huge turn-off. I thought there was a lot of advanced vocabulary used that most targeted readers would not understand. However, they may enjoy the adventures and interesting cast of characters that John and Page end up meeting during their travels. My 9-year-old son didn’t quite make it half-way through the book before moving on to a different book.
EL –OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Nancy W.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Eleven-year-old John Coggin works for his Great-Aunt Beauregard building coffins for the family business. Since his parents died when he was young, he has taken to looking out for his younger sister Page. John would love to spend his time inventing and creating things, but his Aunt works him to the bone. When she announces that he and Page will be permanent partners, he knows that they have to do something drastic to avoid a horrible life. So, they run away and end up on a crazy adventure.
This book was a super slow and painful read for me. The subject of building coffins was a huge turn-off. I thought there was a lot of advanced vocabulary used that most targeted readers would not understand. However, they may enjoy the adventures and interesting cast of characters that John and Page end up meeting during their travels. My 9-year-old son didn’t quite make it half-way through the book before moving on to a different book.
EL –OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Nancy W.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
September 4, 2017
Initial Thoughts: This is personal preference, but this book was simply too weird for me, from the plot structure to the sense of humor to the morality espoused. Boz was an annoying character with apparently no morals, who was held up as a "good friend." He also uses "large words" in contexts that make no sense, and I'm not sure how young readers will deal with this--if they'll want to know what he's talking about or just be able to move on reading by ignoring him. The whole premise is also that a bunch of adults are helping two children run away from their aunt/guardian who, admittedly, is kind of mean--yet her primary flaw seems to be trying to force the children into the family coffin-making business. It's depressing and stifling, but I don't know that she's abusive or that other adults should be hiding the children from her under the auspices of helping them fulfill their dreams. Altogether, just odd and sometimes even grating.
April 5, 2018
John and Page Coggin are from a family of coffin makers in a small town called Pludgett. Their great aunt Beauregard has great plans for their coffin family business, but John turning 11 years old had other dreams.
John was quite the builder and 6 years old Page was great with animals. They meet Boz, who introduces them to a circus, the Wandering Wayfarers. John and Page travel from town to town enjoying their live with the circus. Great Aunt Beauregard never gives up and ends up finding them again and again.
John was quite the builder and 6 years old Page was great with animals. They meet Boz, who introduces them to a circus, the Wandering Wayfarers. John and Page travel from town to town enjoying their live with the circus. Great Aunt Beauregard never gives up and ends up finding them again and again.
March 25, 2024
As an adult, I constantly asked myself, “what age kid would read this book, or even want to?” I thought it might tie in beautifully with my engineering and design unit in school. It does not. The vocabulary is too high a level for even a bright pre-teen, the characters are not memorable, and the story is…wacky, when it could have been a decent historical fiction book. I wanted to compare this to “Bud, Not Buddy” but it kept falling down flat for me; hence, no comparison.
October 3, 2021
There's probably a certain age group that would be entertained by the wacky characters and writing style. You either love or hate the main sidekick Boz: think the poet-butterfly from The Last Unicorn but getting things wrong like Zoolander trying to use a dictionary, plus a bunch of potty humor. Not my cup of tea when it comes to comedy.
March 3, 2025
This book is a winding adventure that cleverly combines engineering and invention with a family saga. The plot is unpredictable and the prose is punchy. I read it with a sixth grader who loved it and we laughed at least 2 times each chapter! I highly recommend for reluctant readers who are looking for a fun novel!
July 5, 2017
Elven year old John Coggin and his little sister, Page are forced to in their
Great Aunt Beauregard's funereal home.
A chance meeting with a strange man, named Boz, inspires John and Page to run
away.
The underlying message is about the value of failure and no giving up.
Great Aunt Beauregard's funereal home.
A chance meeting with a strange man, named Boz, inspires John and Page to run
away.
The underlying message is about the value of failure and no giving up.
February 18, 2018
This was a really fun book. I thought that John's character was awesome, especially his mix of being both a dreamer and having mechanical talent. And the other characters were just so quirky and likable. A great read!
June 23, 2018
Very adventurous and humour filled, great for action-packed book lovers and those who like younger heroes. I personally thought that there was a good deal of unnecessary detail, but overall an enjoyable book to laugh about.
July 30, 2020
*Contains Spoilers*
This was a delightful read-aloud for my kids and I. We enjoyed the use of larger vocabulary words and Boz's alliteration, as well as all the adventurous shenanigans. The only disappointment was the cliff-hanger sentence. My kids and I need more.
This was a delightful read-aloud for my kids and I. We enjoyed the use of larger vocabulary words and Boz's alliteration, as well as all the adventurous shenanigans. The only disappointment was the cliff-hanger sentence. My kids and I need more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2018
Funny but not much plot.
March 3, 2025
This is my favorite book! it is funny and very heartwarming story.if you are looking for a good book you should read this one.
September 12, 2025
The Story of two orphans and their misadventures in trying to find family and the best use for their talents in the world.
March 29, 2016
Parent-less and penniless, 11 year-old John Coggin and his six year old sister, Page, must live with their mean Great-Aunt. John is forced to work in the family coffin making business and, while he’s very good at making coffins, he rather be inventing wondrous things. When their Great-Aunt announces that she is making John a partner in the company and will be training Page as an undertaker, the two young Coggins know they must runaway. With the help of a peculiar man named Boz, John and Page find themselves on a grand adventure full of unexpected people and discoveries.
Elinor Teele’s The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is an utter delight! This book is so many things- heartfelt, whimsical, quirky, fun, wildly entertaining- and I found myself completely enchanted by its fresh, funny voice and magical storytelling. Teele is a wonderful word weaver and creates a story so full of humor, heart, imagination, and adventure. Young readers will find themselves chuckling at Boz’s oddly charming manners, yearning to join John and Page in their escapades, and swept away by Teele’s superb brand of whimsy.
John and Page find themselves working in a circus, living with the sweetest of bakers, and assisting an oddball archaeologist, during their travels, and each new experience brings a new round of fun adventure, thoughtful lessons, and, of course, colorful new friends and allies. The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is just bursting with so many eclectic, eccentric, engaging characters for readers to love and laugh with!
my final thoughts: From its spectacular storytelling, unforgettable characters, and sparkly imagination, The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin has everything readers could want (and so much more) in a middle-grade book!
Elinor Teele’s The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is an utter delight! This book is so many things- heartfelt, whimsical, quirky, fun, wildly entertaining- and I found myself completely enchanted by its fresh, funny voice and magical storytelling. Teele is a wonderful word weaver and creates a story so full of humor, heart, imagination, and adventure. Young readers will find themselves chuckling at Boz’s oddly charming manners, yearning to join John and Page in their escapades, and swept away by Teele’s superb brand of whimsy.
John and Page find themselves working in a circus, living with the sweetest of bakers, and assisting an oddball archaeologist, during their travels, and each new experience brings a new round of fun adventure, thoughtful lessons, and, of course, colorful new friends and allies. The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is just bursting with so many eclectic, eccentric, engaging characters for readers to love and laugh with!
my final thoughts: From its spectacular storytelling, unforgettable characters, and sparkly imagination, The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin has everything readers could want (and so much more) in a middle-grade book!
May 6, 2016
Full review with teaching tools and character interview: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=9656
One thing I’ve noticed is that so many orphans in stories seem to always get into some sort of trouble and then go on amazing adventures. Like Annie, Grubb from Alistair Grim, and Peter Nimble before him, John Coggin, a recent orphan, finds himself in quite a predicament of a situation when he is forced to work for his great aunt’s funeral home. It is the last straw when Great Aunt Beauregard tries to force Page, John’s sister, to go to work with them, and that begins the adventure! Elinor Teele takes us on quite a journey! With Boz, the comic relief with an amazing vocabulary, our three main characters meet some unique characters along the way.
Teele’s ability to weave such an odd story together and make it seem seamless is remarkable. John, Page, and Boz have about 5 stops along their journey all with a wide-variety of characters who all are a bit quirky but also relatable and you end up loving all of them. Although everything that happens is quite farfetched, you end up believing it all because you just want John and Page to be successful!
One thing I’ve noticed is that so many orphans in stories seem to always get into some sort of trouble and then go on amazing adventures. Like Annie, Grubb from Alistair Grim, and Peter Nimble before him, John Coggin, a recent orphan, finds himself in quite a predicament of a situation when he is forced to work for his great aunt’s funeral home. It is the last straw when Great Aunt Beauregard tries to force Page, John’s sister, to go to work with them, and that begins the adventure! Elinor Teele takes us on quite a journey! With Boz, the comic relief with an amazing vocabulary, our three main characters meet some unique characters along the way.
Teele’s ability to weave such an odd story together and make it seem seamless is remarkable. John, Page, and Boz have about 5 stops along their journey all with a wide-variety of characters who all are a bit quirky but also relatable and you end up loving all of them. Although everything that happens is quite farfetched, you end up believing it all because you just want John and Page to be successful!
March 30, 2016
I joined goodreads.com to explore some new authors. I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway. If I described this book in one word, it would be stupendous! I loved it! I have been looking for a book for my nephew; a book to trigger a life-long love of reading. My search is over! Elinor Teele has created a delightful story, full of adventure and hope. She has some great characters; some zany, some you love to love, and, some you love to dislike (okay, hate). Some of the verbiage caused me some pause early in the story. Although, as I read further, I realized it worked, it even added something wonderful to this novel story; children building coffins and making up the deceased. Who wouldn't want to run away and join a circus? What a delightful ending! Some people were born to write. Some people were born to tell stories, Elinor Teele does both masterfully.
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May 1, 2016We all know and admire people who look at the world as one large living, breathing machine consisting of a nearly infinite amount of parts working together. They assess every situation seeking solutions. There are no boundaries or limits to their imagination. They are always thinking outside the box.
In The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin (Walden Pond Press, April 12, 2016) written by Elinor Teele with cover and interior illustrations by Ben Whitehouse, two orphans, an older brother and his younger sister, must use their best qualities to survive the clutches of a dastardly relative. A family ritual of storytelling bolsters their hearts. What each one does and would do for the other is the soul of this story.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
In The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin (Walden Pond Press, April 12, 2016) written by Elinor Teele with cover and interior illustrations by Ben Whitehouse, two orphans, an older brother and his younger sister, must use their best qualities to survive the clutches of a dastardly relative. A family ritual of storytelling bolsters their hearts. What each one does and would do for the other is the soul of this story.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
June 8, 2016
THE MECHANICAL MIND OF JOHN COGGIN by Elinor Teele is a whimsical, middle grade fantasy adventure about siblings who runaway from their cruel aunt and the family coffin business.
John is a young inventor who dreams of something more than working for the family funeral business. Together with his sister, they run away from home and try to evade their mean aunt who is always just one step behind them. Along the way, the siblings meet an array of fascinating characters including a circus troupe.
Librarians will find that readers enjoy the mix of quirky humor and daring escapes. Fans of the turn-of-the-twentieth century time period and steampunk-like environments will also enjoy the adventure. John Coggin’s talent for engineering will be a draw for budding inventors.
Published by Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
John is a young inventor who dreams of something more than working for the family funeral business. Together with his sister, they run away from home and try to evade their mean aunt who is always just one step behind them. Along the way, the siblings meet an array of fascinating characters including a circus troupe.
Librarians will find that readers enjoy the mix of quirky humor and daring escapes. Fans of the turn-of-the-twentieth century time period and steampunk-like environments will also enjoy the adventure. John Coggin’s talent for engineering will be a draw for budding inventors.
Published by Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. ARC courtesy of the publisher.
August 24, 2022
The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele,is about a boy named John and his sister peg who escape their family business,who it's runned by their aunt who is a cold hearted woman who started running the business after Johns parents died by a car crash. While escaping the meet a boy named boz who is apart of a circus which is runned by an army veteran.My thoughts about this book was it is spectacular the character and detail was nice and its deep thought made me want to read more and the ending was amazing great book for a person who likes mechanics.
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July 1, 2017I abandoned this book. The sorytelling relies heavily on gross-out technique: thick snot dangling from a nose, vomit, manure, a man picking bees wax out of his ear and chewing it - all in the first six chapters.
It wasn't my cup of tea.
It wasn't my cup of tea.
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June 16, 2016This book is just really, really not for me. Not my thing.
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