The Amazing Thinking Machine

by Dennis Haseley, Kazuhiko Sano (Illustrator)

Set during the Great Depression, young Patrick finds that he has a lot of questions that no one in his family will answer, so when he and his older brother Roy make a thinking machine, Patrick receives information that has a greater impact on his life than he could have ever imagined.

117 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Dennis Haseley a écrit de nombreux livres pour enfants (Kite Flier, The Old Banjo). Il vit à Brooklyn, New York, avec sa famille.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sounds like a "fun" activity to build something to get food for your family. However, the ugly slurs used to describe those in Depression poverty are never quite countered or explained enough. Hard to believe that even upper elementary readers would complete this read.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently set the goal of reading all of the Haseley books within our County library system, eight picture books and this one chapter book. Hasleley writes, in my opinion, exceptionally sensitive stories. This one is no exception, but I found there were some places in the story where I felt I was missing something, that I didn't have enough information so it was readily apparent to me what was happening, even as the story evoked an emotional reaction.

Set during the Great Depression, eight-year-old Patrick and his thirteen-year-old brother, Roy - particularly Roy - are helping their mom hold down the fort at home while his father is gone looking for work. Roy is struggling with what may have happened to his dad. His worst fear that he keeps tamped down tight, is that his father may have suffered the fate of the tramps he sees around a burn barrel in a bare lot.

Roy is desparate for some magic in his life, something that will ease the gnawing pain in his stomach from worry about what's happened to his dad, the shame at being the recipient of a food basket from a local church, what will happen to his family, and the physical pain of hunger.

Roy enlists Patrick's help in building a machine that will think on its own and amaze their friends with the answers it provides while helping his family make ends meet.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patrick and Roy's father left home a while ago to find work somewhere. It's the middle of the Depression, and jobs are scarce. The boys' mom tries to keep them fed and hold things together at home, but when they figure out she's been accepting charity baskets of food, they balk at eating the donated meals. Then Roy gets the bright idea to build an "amazing thinking machine" in their backyard and charge local kids a fee (food or a penny) to come and ask it questions.

I think this book would be best read with your children--maybe a chapter a night at bedtime--so you could answer questions about the Depression and the many unpleasant and prejudiced slang terms for the "bums" hanging about in vacant lots. (The boys use these terms frequently but come to see that ANYONE could end up like the unkempt strangers begging for food.)

For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways, with story secondary.

[Cinnamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay. The attitude of the older boy towards the hobos seemed very harsh and wasn't fully explained. I know that people didn't want hobos hanging around but his hatred of them seemed very extreme. The story ended abruptly, with little closure.
The highlight of the story was the part with the children asking the machine questions and trying to stump it. That showed a pure wonder and amazement in children that is always fun to read about.

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very easy read. The book poignantly conveys the hardships of the Great Depression. I think it would beautifully lend to discussions about poverty and stereotypes. Recommended for middle school age.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

About two brothers during the depression grappling with their father's absence. Part of our American history through literature quest.