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Three Clams and an Oyster
A four-man flag-football team in need of an Oyster.
Sixteen-year-old Flint McCallister is the captain of a four-man flag-football team called Three Clams and an Oyster. Flint and the other two Clams, Beaterson and Deshutsis, are going to give this season all they’ve got, but, as usual, they’re having Oyster problems. The first Oyster on the team died a couple of years ago. The current one, Cade Savage, is partying too hard and is unreliable. Flint and the Clams are faced with a should they stick with their old friend Cade or dump him and go with a new Oyster? And if they dump Cade, who will they get to replace him? Tim Goon, the unknown quantity with the roadkill hairdo? Thor, the nice-guy stoner? Or the girl, Summerfield, who pushes them out of their comfort zone and doesn’t shave her legs?
In searching for an Oyster, Flint and his buddies are forced to reexamine their hallowed traditions and old habits – and to take a hard look at who they are and where they’re going.
Sixteen-year-old Flint McCallister is the captain of a four-man flag-football team called Three Clams and an Oyster. Flint and the other two Clams, Beaterson and Deshutsis, are going to give this season all they’ve got, but, as usual, they’re having Oyster problems. The first Oyster on the team died a couple of years ago. The current one, Cade Savage, is partying too hard and is unreliable. Flint and the Clams are faced with a should they stick with their old friend Cade or dump him and go with a new Oyster? And if they dump Cade, who will they get to replace him? Tim Goon, the unknown quantity with the roadkill hairdo? Thor, the nice-guy stoner? Or the girl, Summerfield, who pushes them out of their comfort zone and doesn’t shave her legs?
In searching for an Oyster, Flint and his buddies are forced to reexamine their hallowed traditions and old habits – and to take a hard look at who they are and where they’re going.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Randy Powell
18 books7 followersI've lived in Seattle all my life -- since 1956. I live here now with my wife, Judy, and our two sons, Eli and Drew. I like the outdoors, books, fresh crab and raw oysters, and rain.
As a kid, I was crazy about sports. All sports. When I wasn't playing the real thing, I was playing some imaginary form of it. I wasn't a great athlete, just obsessed. I peaked when I was eleven. Our little league football team won the city championship, and the coach gave me the game ball. I lost that ball a few years later. I'm still looking for it.
I had fun reading and writing. When I found a book I liked, I threw myself into it, into the main character's skin. I'd try to write in the author's style. Writing was hard work, but what a rush it gave me, coming up with the right phrase, finishing a piece and feeling it click, reading it to the class and getting some laughs.
In high school, in the early 1970s, my hero was Arthur Ashe, the tennis pro. I concentrated on tennis and worked hard at it, but not hard enough. Today it's still my game of choice, and I still don't work hard enough.
High school is also where I became serious about writing. I became even more so in college, at the University of Washington. I made two trips to Europe, worked summers in Alaska as a deckhand on a fishing boat, and wrote short stories, novels, and even formula romances.
After college, I got a job teaching at an alternative school for junior high and high school dropouts. I taught for four years and loved it, but finally left because it ate up my writing time.
My breakthrough in writing came when I learned to look inside myself and write about the things I cared and felt deeply about. I guess it was only natural that my first published novel, "My Underrated Year", should be about a high school football and tennis player. Yes, there's a lot of myself in that book, although hardly any of the incidents actually happened. That's true of my other books as well.
I enjoy visiting schools and talking to students about writing. I also love hearing from readers. You can write to me in care of my publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. I promise I'll write back!
As a kid, I was crazy about sports. All sports. When I wasn't playing the real thing, I was playing some imaginary form of it. I wasn't a great athlete, just obsessed. I peaked when I was eleven. Our little league football team won the city championship, and the coach gave me the game ball. I lost that ball a few years later. I'm still looking for it.
I had fun reading and writing. When I found a book I liked, I threw myself into it, into the main character's skin. I'd try to write in the author's style. Writing was hard work, but what a rush it gave me, coming up with the right phrase, finishing a piece and feeling it click, reading it to the class and getting some laughs.
In high school, in the early 1970s, my hero was Arthur Ashe, the tennis pro. I concentrated on tennis and worked hard at it, but not hard enough. Today it's still my game of choice, and I still don't work hard enough.
High school is also where I became serious about writing. I became even more so in college, at the University of Washington. I made two trips to Europe, worked summers in Alaska as a deckhand on a fishing boat, and wrote short stories, novels, and even formula romances.
After college, I got a job teaching at an alternative school for junior high and high school dropouts. I taught for four years and loved it, but finally left because it ate up my writing time.
My breakthrough in writing came when I learned to look inside myself and write about the things I cared and felt deeply about. I guess it was only natural that my first published novel, "My Underrated Year", should be about a high school football and tennis player. Yes, there's a lot of myself in that book, although hardly any of the incidents actually happened. That's true of my other books as well.
I enjoy visiting schools and talking to students about writing. I also love hearing from readers. You can write to me in care of my publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. I promise I'll write back!
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 8, 2019
In the book¨Three Clams and an Oyster,̈ Randy Powell illustrates the theme that friendship is more than just friends. When the team captain, Flint McCalister, Rick Beaterson, and Dwight Deshutsis are at a park waiting for another teammate named Cade Savage; When they wait around for 2 hours, then Flint went to call Cade and when he told him where he was so Flint went to tow him out of a swamp. When he pulled him out of the water they went home and went to sleep and the next day they had a scrimmage game tomorrow against Marty's Texaco at 4:00 and then they had to cancel the football game because of cade and he wasn't there to show so they had to cancel because they didn’t have a fourth player and the team captain of Marty’s Texaco didn’t want to play 3 on 3. Positive: What I liked about the book was the four/three characters of the book. When Deshutsis said something to a boy who they were trying out for their football team and Deshutsis said,̈he has man boobs, there is no way he can be good at football. He weighs 4,000 lbs. Another favorite part of mine is when Flint, Rick, and Dwight are all at a bowling alley and Flint had just bought a new bowling ball at goodwill and all three of them were about to bowl a few games to kill some time. When it was Flint's first time up to bowl and all of them were looking at his bowling ball and when he bowled he felt his finger pop out of the place. When he looked down at it he saw the bone out of place and still play some games but got a different bowling ball.
Negative: Some negatives of the book was when deshutsis and Beaterson got into a fight in Beatersons car and he tells Deshutsis to leave multiple times and Deshutsis doesn’t leave his car so Beaterson leaves his own car storming in the opposite direction as the other two in the car. When Deshutsis and Flint are still in the car they are talking about how Beaterson is high maintenance and how they aren’t. When Deshutsis says that he was low maintenance Flint says that how much will-power it takes to not strangle him every second of the day. Deshutsis says,” why do you think that.” then flint says,” it's just your… you.” Deshutsis says, “ Wow, thank’s for the encouragement.” then they say how much they hated each other a while back and how they are best friends. Flint an Deshutsis have known each other since first grade. Deshutsis said he wanted to talk a walk back and cool off a little bit too. When Beaterson and Deshutsis came back a weird car came back that looked familiar and Beateron swore under his breath. When the car pulled over beside Beatersons’ car and threw a glass bottle that weighed at least 15 lbs. When it hid the windshield of Beatersons car it just shattered his windshield into a billion pieces. When the car pulled beside him again they said want to race and Beaterson said no. when he said that he started to cry because his parents would kill him because of the windshield.
If you like a really good storyline book, this is a book you would want to read. This book shows that all of the friends you have, you should make sure they are really your friends because you might not be able to trust.
Negative: Some negatives of the book was when deshutsis and Beaterson got into a fight in Beatersons car and he tells Deshutsis to leave multiple times and Deshutsis doesn’t leave his car so Beaterson leaves his own car storming in the opposite direction as the other two in the car. When Deshutsis and Flint are still in the car they are talking about how Beaterson is high maintenance and how they aren’t. When Deshutsis says that he was low maintenance Flint says that how much will-power it takes to not strangle him every second of the day. Deshutsis says,” why do you think that.” then flint says,” it's just your… you.” Deshutsis says, “ Wow, thank’s for the encouragement.” then they say how much they hated each other a while back and how they are best friends. Flint an Deshutsis have known each other since first grade. Deshutsis said he wanted to talk a walk back and cool off a little bit too. When Beaterson and Deshutsis came back a weird car came back that looked familiar and Beateron swore under his breath. When the car pulled over beside Beatersons’ car and threw a glass bottle that weighed at least 15 lbs. When it hid the windshield of Beatersons car it just shattered his windshield into a billion pieces. When the car pulled beside him again they said want to race and Beaterson said no. when he said that he started to cry because his parents would kill him because of the windshield.
If you like a really good storyline book, this is a book you would want to read. This book shows that all of the friends you have, you should make sure they are really your friends because you might not be able to trust.
November 10, 2017
flint is the captain of the football team and they are looking for a sponsor and the wants to dump Cade and have a new player to play.
March 5, 2013
The book I choose to read was Three Clams and an Oyster, I choose this book because of a recommendation of a friend and it also was about football which I’m very interested in even though its flag football. When I first started reading this book I thought to myself why I didn’t choose a different book, it was a slow reader and very doll, but by chapter 3 and 4 it started to get better. This story takes place in Seattle, it’s about a four-man football team, a flag football team that has a member that was very detrimental to the team and had to be removed. The name of that member is Cade Savage; they’ve always had problems with him because of how irresponsible he truly is, he was the player who was called the oyster. Flint McCallister and his other two best friends Rick Beaterson and Dwight Deshutsis thought they would need a new forth and started to interview people for the oyster spot. The problem was apparent, they had become too familiar with their fourth member and found it too hard to let go of him. As I kept reading the book I realized that it was hard for them to find a new member because they never found a member that everyone can agree on, there was three that they found, Thor who likes to smoke a lot of marijuana, Rachel who never shaves her legs, and Tim who had a cabin on the lake. They all had problems and concern with each one, so they couldn’t make up their mind on who to choose. They need to face there problems and break out of their own shells to help them choose the right person for the job. My absolute favorite part in the book is at the end where they all figure out what they want to do, because for a better half of the book they were still trying to figure out what true friendship is and what loyalty is. This book has many funny parts to it, it honestly made me laugh a couple of times while reading it, but then again it got a little doll in the middle. It had no sense of what the characters would do next, I mean it would be interesting to some to have to try to figure it out but not me, I never got the idea of what the author was trying to pass on to us. I liked this book but it wasn’t the best, I recommend it to teens mostly because it has everything that happens in our life’s, we can relate easily to this book. I would honestly recommend it to anyone because even as older generations go, they might have experienced these things back when they were 16 or 17 year olds. The message in this book is clear, if you want to stand out you have to come out of your comfort zone and do things other won’t do.
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December 11, 2015 I give my book a 3 on how interesting it was. It was interesting because it about football and about high schoolers so I could relate to parts of the story but some parts of the story-line weren't very interesting and original. “I’m interested”, she replies before Flint can even finish his sentence. “Okay, but this is just a tryout there are no guarantees.” (Powell 46) This was a phone call about having a tryout to be able to get on Flint's football team, this part of the book was interesting because it was interesting to see who would make the team. But the reason I gave this book a 3 is because there were a lot of parts that weren't as interesting.
For the author using effective expressions to high school students I would rate it a 4. ”Maybe one of these days, with a little more maturing, we’ll actually start acting our age and getting drunk and going to keggers.” (Powell 58) The author actually tries to make the high school characters in the book somewhat talk like high schoolers, they also use slang words throughout the book so that’s why I rated this section a 4.
I’ll give the theme of this book a 5 since the theme is very applicable to high school students. It’s hard for it to not be since it’s about 4 high school kids and playing football and going to parties. “Taggle!” Thor yells. “Yeah tackle, touch is for wimps.”” (Powell 83) This is just a conversation about deciding on whether to play tackle or touch football but high school boys can relate to this because just about every high school boy has played football with their friends before. That’s one reason why this book was applicable to high school students.
On creativity I give this book a 2 because this book has a similar plot to just about every book with 4 high school kids. I say that because there’s always a leader/wise guy and there’s always a trouble maker that causes all the problems in the book, and this book has both of those and the reader finds that out at the very beginning. “Our fourth man, our Oyster, Cade Savage, hasn’t shown up yet. He’s our problem child”. (Powell 1) Right away on the first page of the book it talks about how Cade is the problem child and you’re also able to already infer that Flint is the problem solver of the good from the things he says as the narrator of the book. So on creativity I give this book a 2 because it’s just like a lot of other books are.
For the author using effective expressions to high school students I would rate it a 4. ”Maybe one of these days, with a little more maturing, we’ll actually start acting our age and getting drunk and going to keggers.” (Powell 58) The author actually tries to make the high school characters in the book somewhat talk like high schoolers, they also use slang words throughout the book so that’s why I rated this section a 4.
I’ll give the theme of this book a 5 since the theme is very applicable to high school students. It’s hard for it to not be since it’s about 4 high school kids and playing football and going to parties. “Taggle!” Thor yells. “Yeah tackle, touch is for wimps.”” (Powell 83) This is just a conversation about deciding on whether to play tackle or touch football but high school boys can relate to this because just about every high school boy has played football with their friends before. That’s one reason why this book was applicable to high school students.
On creativity I give this book a 2 because this book has a similar plot to just about every book with 4 high school kids. I say that because there’s always a leader/wise guy and there’s always a trouble maker that causes all the problems in the book, and this book has both of those and the reader finds that out at the very beginning. “Our fourth man, our Oyster, Cade Savage, hasn’t shown up yet. He’s our problem child”. (Powell 1) Right away on the first page of the book it talks about how Cade is the problem child and you’re also able to already infer that Flint is the problem solver of the good from the things he says as the narrator of the book. So on creativity I give this book a 2 because it’s just like a lot of other books are.
May 12, 2008
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Flint McCallister is the captain of a four-man flag football team. The weekend before the beginning of the season he finds himself one man short, sort of. Flint, Rick Beaterson, Dwight Deshutsis, and Cade Savage have been friends since first grade. Lately though, they can't seem to count on Cade. He doesn't show up for practice, doesn't call, and spends a lot of time getting drunk and high, things the other boys don't agree with. So now they're in a difficult position. Do they keep hoping their old friend will come around, or do they replace him? If they replace him, who do they get instead?
The Clams try out a few people half-heartedly and with mixed and rather amusing results. Their best prospect is a girl. But are they ready to deal with a girl on their team? Are they ready to deal with the changes that will make between them? Above and beyond all, what do they do about Cade?
A great look at the nature of friendship, this book is more about the interaction between people than about football. It will appeal to girls and boys alike, and for similar reasons, but with different affects. It's interesting for me, as a girl, to get an idea of how teenage boys think. Friendships aren't so different, whether it be groups of boys or groups of girls, and the subtle shift that occurs when the opposite sex appears. The book itself is almost profound in its subtlety. Reading this reminded me of all of the times I've been the only girl in a room full of boys. Eventually they forget you're there, and you get to hear some pretty surprising stuff. And the most surprising part is how similar it is when girls talk with their good friends.
Flint McCallister is the captain of a four-man flag football team. The weekend before the beginning of the season he finds himself one man short, sort of. Flint, Rick Beaterson, Dwight Deshutsis, and Cade Savage have been friends since first grade. Lately though, they can't seem to count on Cade. He doesn't show up for practice, doesn't call, and spends a lot of time getting drunk and high, things the other boys don't agree with. So now they're in a difficult position. Do they keep hoping their old friend will come around, or do they replace him? If they replace him, who do they get instead?
The Clams try out a few people half-heartedly and with mixed and rather amusing results. Their best prospect is a girl. But are they ready to deal with a girl on their team? Are they ready to deal with the changes that will make between them? Above and beyond all, what do they do about Cade?
A great look at the nature of friendship, this book is more about the interaction between people than about football. It will appeal to girls and boys alike, and for similar reasons, but with different affects. It's interesting for me, as a girl, to get an idea of how teenage boys think. Friendships aren't so different, whether it be groups of boys or groups of girls, and the subtle shift that occurs when the opposite sex appears. The book itself is almost profound in its subtlety. Reading this reminded me of all of the times I've been the only girl in a room full of boys. Eventually they forget you're there, and you get to hear some pretty surprising stuff. And the most surprising part is how similar it is when girls talk with their good friends.
January 10, 2013
My book that im introducing, is called Three Clams and an Oyster. It's a flag football type of a book. Not really what kind of a football book I was wanting to read but for a flag football story, I liked it.
This book is about a group of friends who play football at their local country club. The club leader, decides to make his own flag football team and enter the kids in the league. Sadly one of their players isn't commited. So the teens fire the player and host try outs for players. Now the kids try to ban together with teamates to win the tournoment of flag football.
I think people would like this book because there is some epic parts that you can picture in your head and feel like your there. I think that the author did a really good job of imagery and keeping the reader wanting to keep reading.
Any sports fans would like to read this book. I'm a football fan. Not so much flag football. but it was good for me because I like football and it was fun to read for any athletes.
This is a fun book to read and anyone one into sports should read this book because it is fun, sporty and it's hard to put down.
March 24, 2016
Three Clams and an Oyster is the name of a 4 man flag football team that has been together since middle school. Now entering their senior year of high school, the team finds themselves looking for a replacement oyster. The team 19s founder and original oyster died in a freak accident that the current oyster, Cade believes was his fault. Unable to deal with his guilt, Cade has embarked on a life of drinking, drugs and partying. None of these activities are conducive to being a good team mate and team captain, Flint, must make the hard decision to seek a new recruit.
Tryouts for a new oyster take the close knit group of friends out of their comfort zone. Readers will appreciate their dilemma as they grapple with dismissing one of their own and moving on. It is the banter between friends as they pursue a replacement player that elevates this above a traditional sports novel. The relationships between the characters and their history together are what is important. Playing flag football serves as the vehicle for exploring their relationships with each other and the broader world. For those looking for more that play by play descriptions in a sports novel.
Tryouts for a new oyster take the close knit group of friends out of their comfort zone. Readers will appreciate their dilemma as they grapple with dismissing one of their own and moving on. It is the banter between friends as they pursue a replacement player that elevates this above a traditional sports novel. The relationships between the characters and their history together are what is important. Playing flag football serves as the vehicle for exploring their relationships with each other and the broader world. For those looking for more that play by play descriptions in a sports novel.
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March 15, 2014Powell, Randy. Three Clams and an Oyster. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2002. Target Audience: Ages 12-17. Reading Level: 5.3. A group of four high school juniors sign up to play in a local flag football league, with the goal of making it to nationals this year. Unfortunately, one flaky member of the team seems more interested in girls and partying than in playing sports seriously. The other three wrestle with whether or not to cut their unreliable friend and replace him, only to find their best option is, of all people, a girl, and one the guys find a little bit repulsive. But she’s very athletic, possessing a natural talent for the game and the drive to win. Although touted as humor, I failed to find it in this book; from cover to cover, I didn’t even crack a smile. The plot doesn’t even have enough football to truly qualify as a sports story. But I might recommend it to a reader interested in male/male friendships, loyalty, teamwork, or grief recovery. Tag: CSULB Class 5 Humorous Realistic Fiction.
August 13, 2014
Three clams and an oyster was a friend's recommendation. In fact, she gave me the book. As a starter there was no action whatsoever. And honestly, it kept that way until the last few 10 pages. But tbh, the book was really enjoyable. I fell in love with this book. And I loved the chemistry between the characters. The constant conversations between the three pals were so funny and enjoyable. Probably why I liked the book so much.! but what really this book is all about was how we should break out of our comfort zone and do some crazy thing though we wouldn't be encouraged to do them at 1st. I 100% recommend this book to all those who wants a book just to enjoy for a day or two with a funny atmosphere.
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February 4, 2016It's almost flag-football season and McCallister, Beaterson and Deshutsis are in need of a fourth man. Their current fourth is Cade Savage, unreliable and unstable since the death of their teammate Glen. The boys are torn between their loyalty and sympathy for their friend and the opportunity to shine as a team. They tryout three candidates including Rachel, by far the best athlete. But change is difficult for the guys and there is reluctance to do anything too drastic. In the end, only the uncertainty of change can help them move forward. Couldn't ID with characters in first 2/3 of book...they seemed flat and uninteresting...but then that reflects their lives?
February 8, 2017
YA fiction, frienships, flag football
August 8, 2011
Flint McCallister, Rick Beaterson, and Dwight Deshutsis are the three clams – three members of a four-man flag football team. Their fourth player, the oyster, is not showing up for practices and they are uncertain about whether or not to defy tradition and replace him or to put up with his idiosyncracies.
March 4, 2013
I didnt like this book as well as i liked the other books i have read in the past. I didnt think it was very interesting it didnt want me to keep reading. It made me think what was going to happen next and it never did finish what supposed to happen. It was unclear and very boring through out the whole thing. If your looking for an action book this story is not what your looking for.
January 22, 2008
Not what I expected, it was a lot more philosophical (in a teenage boy way) than it was a sports story book. I did like the ending though. Some crass language is used. Overall I liked it, quick read. Though I would recommend checking it out at the library vs buying it.
April 24, 2009
During their humorous search to find a fourth player for their flag football team, three high school juniors are forced to examine their long friendship, their individual flaws, and their inability to try new experiences.
May 27, 2008
It was a decent book, but nothing wonderful. I expected a lot more based on the reviews I had read.
July 9, 2011
Great YA book for the boys, not too deep, involves football, nice.
August 7, 2011
um....didnt like so much.
July 9, 2012
4 high school male friends who play on a 4 man flag football team go thru some changes on their team emotionally. The process to find a new player is painful & represents change, Rachel. OK
December 27, 2012
I just got bored so I stopped reading
January 2, 2014
This book was pretty good. I was expecting it to be all about football, but most of it was about them finding a fourth teammate for their four man flag football team. Overall it was okay.
April 19, 2013
it was ok, not bad or good....just ok.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews