Charlie Bumpers vs. the Perfect Little Turkey

Charlie Bumpers #4

by Bill Harley, Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)

Can Charlie Bumpers be a polite Thanksgiving host to the most annoying cousin in the universe?

It's Thanksgiving in the Bumpers' household, and Charlie has to be the perfect host to his annoying little cousin, Chip. Chip makes everything hard for Charlie?gets him in trouble, ruins his things, and generally makes a nuisance of himself.

On top of that, for homework, his fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Burke has assigned him the task of writing what a family means to him. Will Charlie be able to see past his "turkey" of a cousin to understand the real meaning of family?

Black and white illustrations throughout.

Genres: Middle Grade, Holiday, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction, Family, Childrens, Humor

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

A two-time Grammy award-winning artist and recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the RI Council for the Humanities, Bill uses song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, schooling and family life. His work spans the generation gap, reminds us of our common humanity and challenges us to be our very best selves. A prolific author and recording artist, Bill tours nationwide as an author, performing artist and keynote speaker.

Reviews

[Sandra]

During Thanksgiving holiday Charlie's house will be crowded. Mom and Dad are a little stressed because of this. Charlie is expected to be a good host, and he know this is gonna be challenging. But when they ask Charlie to share his room with his cousin Chip, this is just plain insane!

Now Charlie has to write a personal definition of family for a school assignment. That could be so hard when your big brother teases you, your little sister bugs you, and you have to share your room for two days with the most annoying boy in the world! Charlie is really having problems feeling inspired... Family seems to be a big pain in the neck.

But all this difficult situations will be the opportunity for other surprisingly good ones to arise. His siblings will be a great support, his uncle a lot of fun, and the food delicious (not the Brussels sprouts, of course!)

Family can be complicated some times, but it's good to be surrounded by people you love.

Great story to read next Thanksgiving holiday!

Age range: 8 to 11 years old.



I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!

[Carla]

I think children will love this book. Charlie Bumpers is the middle child in the family with an older brother and younger sister. When his teacher assigns them homework to write a couple of sentences about family, Charlie is upset with his siblings due to their teasing. He completes his assignment, but his teacher is not satisfied with his effort and makes him think about it and redo it over the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile the Bumpers are going to have a full house at Thanksgiving. Charlie is thrilled that his uncle is coming but when he finds out that his cousin, Chip is not only going to be staying at the house, but sharing his room he is not a happy camper. Chip is a thorn in Charlie's side who constantly gets him in trouble. When his brother and sister try to help him out, more trouble ensues. Charlie's father finally sits down with the three of them to find out what is going on. A great story with lots of fun characters and events, that will teach children about what family is all about.

[Darla]

In one week many of us will be sitting down to Thanksgiving Dinner with family. Some of those personalities can be challenging. There will be fifteen people for dinner at Charlie's house. Some of the family members are staying over until Saturday, including Charlie's annoying little cousin Chip. Chip is a turkey! Just when he needs it, Charlie will get some unexpected assistance from big brother Matt and little sister Mabel. Being surrounded by grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins helps Charlie to understand what a blessing family can be.

[Stephanie Godley]

This is such a great series. Real family, real kids that are honest and true. The story is a well developed and there is always something woven in that allows my son and I to have a good conversation.

[Lorena]

Once again, we loved this Charlie Bumpers family read aloud!

[Jill Berry]

Maybe it would be more appealing to kids than to me, but the annoying cousin was really annoying.

[Katie Fitzgerald]

Just before Thanksgiving, Charlie Bumpers is given an assignment in school to define what family means to him. Knowing that his annoying "little turkey" of a cousin, Chip, is about to invade his bedroom for the weekend, his response is less than favorable, and his teacher refuses to accept it. Instead, she sends him home to look for the good in his family over the holiday and report back on Monday. With Chip causing trouble at every turn, it seems impossible that Charlie will ever complete his homework, until his siblings step up and prove that they are there for him, even if his parents don't understand what is going on.

This book really captures the essence of spending a holiday with family. The various family members and friends who come to dinner at the Bumpers house are well-described and full of personality, as are the members of Charlie's nuclear family, and the way they all interact with one another recreates in prose the hustle and bustle of a major celebration. Especially well-written are Charlie's slightly irresponsible Uncle Ron, who brings a rocket for the kids to launch, and cousin Chip, whose inconsiderate behaviors are as believable as they are grating.

The plot is filled with funny incidents that could conceivably occur in real life, including memorable moments involving the aforementioned rocket, a plate of brussels sprouts, and a broken bathroom doorknob. Charlie's frustrations at being blamed for things that are not his fault also keep the reader interested in the story, as he or she hopes for justice for the story's hero.

This is a solid book, which is likely to appeal especially to boy readers in grades 2-5.

[American Mensa]

Charlie Bumpers is really excited when he hears that his Uncle Ron is coming for Thanksgiving! But, his spirits quickly drop when he is told that his very annoying cousin, Chip, will be coming along, too – AND staying in Charlie’s bedroom! A few days into the visit, the Bumpers children, Charlie, Matt, and Mabel, come up with a plan to stop Chip from ruining Charlie’s Thanksgiving. Will their plan succeed as they hoped, or will the holiday be ruined for Charlie? Read the book to find out.
This book was an amusing and relaxing book, because there was a good balance between humor and action. As I got more into the book, the plot and the characters became more and more engaging. Also, I appreciated the strong emotions I felt about the characters. The author did a great job; I felt truly irritated when Chip was doing mean and unfair things to Charlie. This part was well written and really funny!
My favorite character is Mrs. Walcott, because even though she is elderly, she is very humorous. Two reasons I like her are that she is very kind and has a thick accent. My favorite phrase she said was, “A rocket? On T’anksgiving? ” “Dat a big fun!” She made me laugh the whole time throughout the book!
I gave this book 4 stars, since it was well paced and entertaining. It is the forth book in the Charlie Bumpers series, so fans of this story can read more about Charlie. I would recommend this book for 6-9 year-olds and 2nd-4th graders; the younger readers might need a little bit of help.
Review by Brooke Z., Age 8, Delaware Valley Mensa

[Barbara]

In this, the fourth title of this terrific series, Charlie Bumpers is not feeling very thankful. After all, his teacher, Mrs. Burke, who has the loudest finger clicking of anyone he's ever met, has assigned an essay on family--he has to rewrite his over the Thanksgiving break--and his parents have gone overboard with extending invitations to dinner. To add insult to injury, Charlie must share his room with his annoying younger cousin Chip who is beyond annoying. In the sure hands of this master storyteller, Charlie learns to be a little more tolerant of others while also realizing that there is something to be said for family unity. Who knew that his big brother Matt and his little sister, the Squid, would have his back? By the time the holiday ends, Charlie has plenty for which to be thankful while also having some good material for his essay. This story is an easy one to which many readers will relate. Sometimes too much family togetherness brings out the worst of us, but the author has mined that territory nicely here. The only thing that didn't work for me was how all of the events of the holiday were leading up to a gratitude lesson for Charlie, which seemed a bit heavy-handed to me.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini]

I won Charlie Bumpers vs The Perfect Little Turkey by Bill Harley from Goodreads.

Children will readily identify with protagonist Charlie Bumpers: his older brother teases him, his younger sister annoys him, his teacher has high expectations of him, and his parents sometimes misunderstand him. And, with the approach of Thanksgiving, Charlie learns that he must share his room with a cousin who is even more annoying than his little sister!
Bill Harley's wonderful story will teach middle grade readers lessons about tolerance and understanding, friendship and family with this humorous and heartwarming book. Young readers will find Harley's writing and storytelling talents extremely accessible.
Charlie Bumpers VS The Perfect Little Turkey is a perfect book for middle school book clubs because the story offers many topics for discussion. Even Adam Gustavson's illustrations throughout the book may be used to spark dialogue. Bill Harley's Charlie Bumpers series is a winner!

[Matthew]

Reviewable copy courtesy of Netgalley

This is a good read for any fan of middle grade realistic fiction for boys. Charlie Bumpers deals mostly in the theme of family with this particular volume. Charlie must discover the value of family while managing an extremely trying weekend with his own extended family, particularly his troublesome younger cousin, Chip. Charlie's older brother, Matt, and younger sister, Squirt, feature prominently in this story about seeing through the irritating aspects of family life and realizing its underlying goodness. Charlie is very true to the character of an adolescent boy and would be easily identifiable for readers with that mindset. This is a real treat that should be added to any library for children just as soon as it is released.

[Mr. Steve]

First of all, I was surprised to like this book as much as I did. It is the first Charlie Bumpers story I have read, and it definitely can be a stand alone. I found the family dynamics in this story to ring true, and it had funny moments as well. This is a book that takes place at Thanksgiving, which is a nice bonus as there are not many middle grade chapter books that do. This definitely would appeal more to the lower end of the middle grade range, though I bet younger middle school students would enjoy it. Good reluctant reader choice too.

[Ellen]

I have loved all of the Charlie Bumpers books, but this one is my favorite. It is the perfect combination of a child's view of the world when things aren't going his way as his family operates around him, with a lovely warm resolution.
The characters have a real feel to them, and the portrayal of a busy Thanksgiving holiday is genuine. Families are not perfect, and feelings get hurt. Kind of like real life. This book could be reassuring for a child...what a gift!

[Sue Poduska]

There’s something for everyone in this lively tale of Charlie Bumpers and a Thanksgiving Day. Charlie is the quintessential middle child, picked on by both his older brother and younger sister. When his teacher assigns the class to define family, all he can think of how badly things have gone at home. The teacher is less than thrilled with Charlie’s definition, so he has to observe the family over the holiday and come up with a new definition.

[Serenity]

*I received a review copy of this book from the publisher*

This is the second Charlie Bumpers book I've read, and I will need to read the rest. These books are really cute. Charlie is a normal kid, and he doesn't have exciting adventures, but his everyday life is adventure enough and his voice feels so authentic. This book is funny, and any kid who has had to deal with a strict teacher, snotty classmate, annoying siblings, or obnoxious cousin will relate to Charlie.

[Brenda Schneider]

A great story. Good characters. A fun read. I received this book through good reads.

[Kelly Carey]

This Thanksgiving story is more about family and sibling bonds. Charlie still seems to find trouble even if it is not his fault.

[Diane]

This is an easy read, but a great story about what really makes a family. Want to get the rest of these for my library.

[Ms.Gaye]

What's the true meaning of family? Charlie finds out during Thanksgiving holiday.

[Pop Bop]

Charlie Is Losing It, Until He's Saved By ....(?)

I'm a big fan of the Charlie Bumpers books. This is number four of at least five. If you start at the beginning you'll get to watch Charlie grow up and build confidence and maturity, but if necessary you can start anywhere. Charlie is a sort of everyman middle grader and is remarkably authentic sounding and relatable for such a character. These are to some extent "message" books, since there is usually at least one main thread and a few sub-threads that address issues middle graders are likely to encounter, but the books certainly aren't preachy or heavy-handed.

That said, this one started out poorly, to my mind. Charlie's family is hosting Thanksgiving, and Charlie is being quite a grump. Hosting the holiday interferes with some TV special Charlie's looking forward to. He has to share his bedroom with a cousin, Chip, whom he dislikes. He's very much annoyed by this cousin. Everything's just a pain and Charlie whinges constantly. Then Chip shows up and every time he misbehaves Charlie somehow gets blamed. Between the unfairness and Charlie griping about the unfairness I kept waiting for some uptick. It's all played for laughs and Charlie's never really a bad kid, but it was all starting to get dreary.

But get this. SPOILER ALERT. Charlie has an older brother and a younger sister, and both of them torment Charlie in predictable sibling fashion. This time out, though, the two decide that Charlie is getting a raw deal and they rally 'round to help him out. The theme is "go team Bumpers". I did not see that coming, and the cheerful strong feel-good finish was a treat. Indeed, the effect was a powerful pro-family, warts-and-all, we're all in this together, message that hit home. What a fine wrap to a Thanksgiving holiday themed book.

So, a slow start and a socko finish combined to make this another quality entry in the Charlie Bumpers series. (Please note that I received a free advance 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.)