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Poor Boy, Rich Boy (I Can Read)
A rich uncle comes to claim Coco, who was found by the side of the road as a baby and raised by a poor woman
63 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Clyde Robert Bulla
109 books103 followersBorn to be a Writer
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
Almost as far back as he can remember, Clyde Robert Bulla wanted to write. Born on a farm in a small town in Missouri, Mr. Bulla's first school was a one-room country schoolhouse. One day his teacher asked each first grade student what he or she would do with a thousand dollars. Young Clyde answered that he would buy a table. His classmates laughed heartily, and his teacher was puzzled. “What I really meant,” says Mr. Bulla, “is a desk or other flat surface on which to write my stories!”
First Stories
Mr. Bulla's first piece of writing was titled, “How Planets Were Born.” The ambitious opening sentence was, “One night old Mother Moon had a million babies.” All through school, Mr. Bulla continued to write stories mostly, but plays and poetry, too. After years of gathering editor's rejection slips, Mr. Bulla sold a magazine story, then several more. Soon after, Mr. Bulla wrote a novel and a publisher accepted it.
The Difficult Years
In the excitement of publishing a novel, Mr. Bulla wrote two more books. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish them. His luck took a turn for the worse when the publisher of his first book went bankrupt. For several years, he worked at a local weekly newspaper where he struggled with linotype, kept books, collected bills, and wrote a weekly column.
Success!
A couple of Mr. Bulla's weekly columns caught the attention of a well-known author and illustrator of children's books. She wrote to Mr. Bulla, suggesting that he try writing a children's book. He immediately sent her a manuscript for a children's book he'd written a year before. Within one week, an editor of a New York publisher read the manuscript,and it was accepted. The book was The Donkey Cart, published in 1946. Since then, Mr. Bulla has written over twenty books for children, as well as the music for several children's song books.
About The Chalk Box Kid
“When I was young,” explains Mr. Bulla, “I sometimes found it hard to cope in new surroundings, and I was apt to get off on the wrong foot. This is the story of a boy who got off on the wrong foot in a new school and how he tried to cope.” In describing the chalk garden, Mr. Bulla says, “I gave Gregory something I've always wished for: a big, blank wall that I could cover with my own drawings.”
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 13, 2017
Easy to read but very deep in content.
July 30, 2024
Like many Clyde Robert Bulla books, there's a lot going on in this deceptively simple tale. Although in third person, it's mainly told from the point of view of a young boy named Coco.
Kids have very little power over their lives. Major decisions are made without their input.
Guess what, kids? It's exactly the same for grown-ups, too. We're just better at pretending it doesn't happen.
Coco's dilemma is symbolized by a white foal in a herd of wild horses. Now, this is where I start to wonder where the heck this story was supposed to take place. And when. Although the illustrations hint that Coco was born during WWII, where the heck in Europe would there be herds of wild horses at the beach? There weren't a lot of horses left in Europe after WWII. Those that survived were usually eaten.
And what kind of name is Coco for a boy? A quick Google suggests France. The Uncle's name is Paul, which can certainly be French.
Of course, my unanswered questions really don't have much to do with the story. The story itself is about a small boy trying to speak up in a world that won't listen to him.
In other words, recommended. If you want to read this, it's currently up on The Open Library.
Kids have very little power over their lives. Major decisions are made without their input.
Guess what, kids? It's exactly the same for grown-ups, too. We're just better at pretending it doesn't happen.
Coco's dilemma is symbolized by a white foal in a herd of wild horses. Now, this is where I start to wonder where the heck this story was supposed to take place. And when. Although the illustrations hint that Coco was born during WWII, where the heck in Europe would there be herds of wild horses at the beach? There weren't a lot of horses left in Europe after WWII. Those that survived were usually eaten.
And what kind of name is Coco for a boy? A quick Google suggests France. The Uncle's name is Paul, which can certainly be French.
Of course, my unanswered questions really don't have much to do with the story. The story itself is about a small boy trying to speak up in a world that won't listen to him.
In other words, recommended. If you want to read this, it's currently up on The Open Library.
April 9, 2024
Poor Boy, Rich Boy, by Clyde Robert Bulla, c. 1982. An I Can Read Book.
Coco is an orphaned baby who has been taken in by Rosa, a poor working lady who runs a bakery. As he gets older, Coco helps Rosa in the bakery. But Rosa is afraid his family will find him someday and take him away, so she resists growing close to him.
One day, Coco is found by his uncle and taken back to his uncle's home. Uncle Paul is wealthy - so wealthy that he can give Coco anything he wants, except for the one thing his heart is hungry for.
One of the things Uncle Paul does for Coco is to get him a young horse Coco has seen running on the beach. But Coco understands that the colt has been taken from its mother and it is lonely and hurt. He attempts to run away and return the colt to the beach. Uncle Paul stops him, but realizes that Coco is hurting for an animal that has lost its mother. Together, they return the colt to the beach and its mother. It is a turning point for Coco and his uncle as they explore that a relationship needs more than just money and things - it needs love.
The simple words in this touching story are appropriate for readers aged 6-8 years.
Coco is an orphaned baby who has been taken in by Rosa, a poor working lady who runs a bakery. As he gets older, Coco helps Rosa in the bakery. But Rosa is afraid his family will find him someday and take him away, so she resists growing close to him.
One day, Coco is found by his uncle and taken back to his uncle's home. Uncle Paul is wealthy - so wealthy that he can give Coco anything he wants, except for the one thing his heart is hungry for.
One of the things Uncle Paul does for Coco is to get him a young horse Coco has seen running on the beach. But Coco understands that the colt has been taken from its mother and it is lonely and hurt. He attempts to run away and return the colt to the beach. Uncle Paul stops him, but realizes that Coco is hurting for an animal that has lost its mother. Together, they return the colt to the beach and its mother. It is a turning point for Coco and his uncle as they explore that a relationship needs more than just money and things - it needs love.
The simple words in this touching story are appropriate for readers aged 6-8 years.
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February 21, 2015All by herself!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews