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Fox and His Friends #4
Fox on Wheels
Fox babysits for his sister Louise, learns to climb a tree for some grapes, and wins a shopping cart race.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
2 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Edward Marshall
19 books10 followersJames Edward Marshall (October 10, 1942 – October 13, 1992), who also wrote as Edward Marshall, was a children's author and illustrator.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 8, 2020
3* art
3* story
Another book Squirt read to me. We like anything Edward Marshall writes - we've read all the George and Marsha books a couple times over. This series is funny because of the little sister.
3* story
Another book Squirt read to me. We like anything Edward Marshall writes - we've read all the George and Marsha books a couple times over. This series is funny because of the little sister.
April 14, 2013
This book is a collection of short stories that tell the story of fox and his adventures. The author, Edward Marshall, creates a variety of stories that allow the reader to get a sense of how fox is and what his character is like. Each short story is used as a way of telling us more about the main character, Fox. In regards to whether or not the author did this well, I would not be so sure. While I was able to get a sense of Fox's character based on the short stories and what took place, I am sure it was as descriptive as I would have preferred. If I were to make any suggestions on what to improve, it would definitely be to add more to the stories that take place and to add more to how the main character reacts to the actions that are taking place. While Fox goes on some adventures that get him in trouble or teach him something, I think there should be more happening in the stories. I feel that in order to improve the story, the author should add more descriptive details. I would suggest to the author to pretend that the book wasn't a picture book, and instead of relying on those pictures to aid in the description of the plot and characters, the author should write descriptively as if he was describing what was going on without any pictures.
I feel that this book can be a great start in teaching about how to create descriptions of a character using small short stories. This can not only teach my students about a new type of writing (short stories), but it can also teach how to develop a character over time. I would use this as an example of we can write to show what a character is like or what he is thinking. It can then motivate my students to create short stories of their own so that they can develop one of the characters in their writing as well.
I feel that this book can be a great start in teaching about how to create descriptions of a character using small short stories. This can not only teach my students about a new type of writing (short stories), but it can also teach how to develop a character over time. I would use this as an example of we can write to show what a character is like or what he is thinking. It can then motivate my students to create short stories of their own so that they can develop one of the characters in their writing as well.
February 13, 2012
Funny book with three short stories. One part made my son laugh out loud.
April 3, 2025
Fox gets stuck babysitting Louise, and she pulls a fast one over on him.
Fox sees Millie up in a tree eating grapes, but he is afraid of heights.
When all the neighborhood children get asked to go grocery shopping, they turn it into a competition with disastrous effects.
I enjoy this series and the snarkiness of Fox, but he always gets his come-uppance.
Fox sees Millie up in a tree eating grapes, but he is afraid of heights.
When all the neighborhood children get asked to go grocery shopping, they turn it into a competition with disastrous effects.
I enjoy this series and the snarkiness of Fox, but he always gets his come-uppance.
March 17, 2018
Fastest fox on wheels indeed!
August 4, 2018
I think the middle story, about climbing trees, might be the funniest of the whole series. Fox is just a neat kid. A little older than the target audience, which is an interesting twist.
October 16, 2018
My first book in my reading class I learned to not race in the grocery store.
May 1, 2021
This book is 3 short stories. There’s one that is so repetitive in the “he said” at the end of every sentence, it just drives me crazy.
June 4, 2024
Some pretty funny stories. Love Fox’s sister, Louise.
August 22, 2012
I read this to 2nd graders and they loved the character of Fox. He is annoyed with his younger sister that he has to babysit, has to deal with his fear of heights, and makes a bad choice by racing in the supermarket with his friends. This tied in nicely with the start of the year and talking to students about appropriate places to run and not run. My huge library is prime ground for sprinting youngsters. Fox is a distinct character with high energy, talks back, shows he's annoyed with younger sister while at the same time showing that he cares about her as well. He's mischievous and likeable.
This transitional book has repetition, slang, and plenty of action to keep students engaged. The author has surprising elements that balance well with the predictability of Fox's actions. For instance, when Louise hurts herself Fox feels guilty and gets her anything she wants. She gets more outrageous with her requests and while she asks Fox for things, he replies, "Of course" meaning of course he will get her what she wants. It isn't until her friends show up and she pops out of bed that Fox realizes she is taking advantage of his attention. There is a depth to how the characters act that allowed for some good discussions with students and laughter to-boot.
This is a level three book with greater frequency of compound and complex sentences and the pictures function more as decoration versus explanation. Although the illustrations do help with understanding some sections and words such as when Louise climbs a ladder and falls off while Fox watches TV. The students like the ending that shows Fox being punished by using a push mower and his other friends being punished as well by washing the car and using a push mower. Many students didn't know what a push mower was but they got the idea that it wasn't as fun as skateboarding which is what Fox is trying to do throughout the entire story. The other phrase they didn't understand was "hold your horses" and laughed when I explained it.
The first page of Fox on Wheels draws readers in with Fox wanting to skateboard with his friends and his mom telling him he has to babysit his younger sister. There's nothing like not getting your own way that pulls a reader into a story. I inevitably have someone blurt out, "I have to watch my sister too!" They are sympathetic toward Fox immediately and drawn by the fun of skateboarding. The three chapters are episodic with the action beginning at the start of the chapter and a resolution happening at the end.
This transitional book has repetition, slang, and plenty of action to keep students engaged. The author has surprising elements that balance well with the predictability of Fox's actions. For instance, when Louise hurts herself Fox feels guilty and gets her anything she wants. She gets more outrageous with her requests and while she asks Fox for things, he replies, "Of course" meaning of course he will get her what she wants. It isn't until her friends show up and she pops out of bed that Fox realizes she is taking advantage of his attention. There is a depth to how the characters act that allowed for some good discussions with students and laughter to-boot.
This is a level three book with greater frequency of compound and complex sentences and the pictures function more as decoration versus explanation. Although the illustrations do help with understanding some sections and words such as when Louise climbs a ladder and falls off while Fox watches TV. The students like the ending that shows Fox being punished by using a push mower and his other friends being punished as well by washing the car and using a push mower. Many students didn't know what a push mower was but they got the idea that it wasn't as fun as skateboarding which is what Fox is trying to do throughout the entire story. The other phrase they didn't understand was "hold your horses" and laughed when I explained it.
The first page of Fox on Wheels draws readers in with Fox wanting to skateboard with his friends and his mom telling him he has to babysit his younger sister. There's nothing like not getting your own way that pulls a reader into a story. I inevitably have someone blurt out, "I have to watch my sister too!" They are sympathetic toward Fox immediately and drawn by the fun of skateboarding. The three chapters are episodic with the action beginning at the start of the chapter and a resolution happening at the end.
April 23, 2013
Fox on Wheels is a collection of short stories that details the adventures of a Fox. Throughout each short story, we get to see the character of Fox develop and the reader gets to know a little more about him. The short stories are filled with good morals that teach younger students a lesson as well. I think this book is appropriate for younger and upper elementary readers due to the language and terminology that is used in the text. The pictures are a good addition to the book so struggling readers can piece together what is happening and are able to understand the theme of the story. However, they could have been more detailed so the students could understand more because the pictures still left some to the imagination. The book does a pretty good job at the character development, which Fletcher has said is a key aspect of writing. The character blossoms more and more in each story and his personality is expressed more over time.
I would definitely use this book to teach students about short stories and how we can continue one short story to another, and over time create our own collection. I think sometimes students get intimidated by looking at chapter books and think that they have to create one that large. By seeing how they can create a wonderful story that is not long, students will be encouraged to keep writing their own stories.
I would definitely use this book to teach students about short stories and how we can continue one short story to another, and over time create our own collection. I think sometimes students get intimidated by looking at chapter books and think that they have to create one that large. By seeing how they can create a wonderful story that is not long, students will be encouraged to keep writing their own stories.
April 23, 2013
"Fox on Wheels" is a great book to use when introducing students to short stories. The main character Fox is put to the ultimate "big brother" test when his mom piles a load of responsibilities on him. He has to look after his younger sister, run some errands at the store, and still be the coolest guy in town. Fox has a lot on his plate and he shows us exactly how it's done.
This book does a good job on showing character traits throughout the collection of stories. Fox, being the main character, steals much of the spotlight and becomes the most well-known character in the book. Readers can get a true sense of what he's like, a bit stubborn, self-centered, and silly. Fox can be called a static character, since he does not change drastically from one story to the next. Students can learn how to develop a strong character and keep him consistent with his character traits just how Marshall does in "Fox on Wheels". This collection of stories can surely be used for developing characters, but I would not recommend it be used to teach or reinforce descriptive language.
This book does a good job on showing character traits throughout the collection of stories. Fox, being the main character, steals much of the spotlight and becomes the most well-known character in the book. Readers can get a true sense of what he's like, a bit stubborn, self-centered, and silly. Fox can be called a static character, since he does not change drastically from one story to the next. Students can learn how to develop a strong character and keep him consistent with his character traits just how Marshall does in "Fox on Wheels". This collection of stories can surely be used for developing characters, but I would not recommend it be used to teach or reinforce descriptive language.
April 21, 2013
This book is a collection of short stories. It tells stories about the fox and his adventures. First, it begins by telling us a story about the Fox having to babysit his younger sister. After being upset and not paying much attention to her, she has an accident in the backyard.
Each story in the book helps us get to know the Fox a little better and can teach us a lesson as well. This is a great short story book for young readers; however, with the use of slang in the book, it could be used for advanced readers as well.
What I would like to have seen more of is the use of descriptive details/lineage. The pictures do not help describe the story, so having more descriptive details would be beneficial and would help young readers.
I would use this book for teaching about short stories. Because of its broad use for students, I could use this for an entire class, or small groups. Students could learn how to develop a character over time. Students would need to think critically and read like writers when they are reading this book.
Each story in the book helps us get to know the Fox a little better and can teach us a lesson as well. This is a great short story book for young readers; however, with the use of slang in the book, it could be used for advanced readers as well.
What I would like to have seen more of is the use of descriptive details/lineage. The pictures do not help describe the story, so having more descriptive details would be beneficial and would help young readers.
I would use this book for teaching about short stories. Because of its broad use for students, I could use this for an entire class, or small groups. Students could learn how to develop a character over time. Students would need to think critically and read like writers when they are reading this book.
November 5, 2013
This easy-to-read series, which debuted in 1982, is the brainchild of the incomparable James Marshall, who gave us the Miss Nelson and George and Martha series, among others. The books chronicle the exploits of Fox, a somewhat devious youngster who loves nothing more than skateboarding with “the gang.” Alas, Fox’s plans are often thwarted by the demands of school and helping out around the house. Fox often attempts to skirt obligations like minding his younger sister Louise or shopping for items on his mother’s endless grocery list, but things usually don’t turn out quite the way he plans. Kids will love reading about his hilarious antics, and the tongue-in-cheek illustrations add to the humor.
December 2, 2013
Literary Awards:
N/A
According to AR
Book Level: 1.9
Interest Level: Lower Grades (K-3)
Get to know Fox a little better in this collection of short stories of adventures. Beginning readers will adjust easily to Marshall's simple writing style and enjoy learning the life lessons presented in each story. "Fox on Wheels" is ideal for struggling readers as the illustrations complement the print very well. Have younger students read this aloud in small groups or allow students to read independently at home. Readers will fall in love with Fox' witty, clever, and humorous personality.
N/A
According to AR
Book Level: 1.9
Interest Level: Lower Grades (K-3)
Get to know Fox a little better in this collection of short stories of adventures. Beginning readers will adjust easily to Marshall's simple writing style and enjoy learning the life lessons presented in each story. "Fox on Wheels" is ideal for struggling readers as the illustrations complement the print very well. Have younger students read this aloud in small groups or allow students to read independently at home. Readers will fall in love with Fox' witty, clever, and humorous personality.
December 16, 2022
Story One: Because of babysitting duties, Fox cannot skateboard with friends. Then sister Louise gets hurt while Fox is watching television. Story Two: Millie invites Fox to join her high up in a tree to share a bunch of grapes. Fox eventually makes the scary climb, but neither Fox nor Millie know how to get down. Story Three: Fox and friends decide to race, with their carts inside a grocery store. What could possibly go wrong?
February 18, 2013
Fox on Wheels is a chapter book that follows Fox and his friends on their adventures. It's a great book for beginning chapter book readers who are learning how to read books which follow different stories that are all wrapped up in one. Though it is considered a more complex book, I would recommend it to students who are a little advanced because of the slang used in the book.
January 1, 2019
Fox plans to spend the day with his friends are put on hold, when he has to either watch his sister Louise or go shopping. He does the shopping, and meets all his friends at the store, and they race through the store to see who is the fastest on wheels. When Fox returns home his mother has him prove to her how fast he his, but it's not how Fox thought it would be.
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July 18, 2009On the suggested summer reading list for students.
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November 24, 2010Love the shopping cart race in the end!
June 9, 2011
Cute stories
July 27, 2011
This is a cute early reader, endearing and funny.
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December 28, 2013AR Quiz No. 31415 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 1.9 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, RV
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 1.9 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, RV
June 11, 2014
Cute and great for young readers.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews