The Computer That Said Steal Me

by Elizabeth Levy

A sixth grader's consuming desire for a computer chess game leads him into serious trouble.

Genres: Fiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Elizabeth Levy has been writing and publishing books for over thirty years and sometimes now she meets kids whose parents read her books when they were children! She has written over 80 books, a number that continues to surprise her, as it surprises her how long she's been at it.

Over the years they've printed lots of her books - over five million of them.

She loves to try writing different types of books - everything from funny mysteries to novels about kids who get in trouble to history.

One of the most pleasant surprises about writing is that she's been invited to travel all over the country and even the world speaking to children, teachers, and librarians. She's made some wonderful friendships and gotten lots of ideas for her books. One of the most special treats is that kids have drawn wonderful pictures of one of her favorite characters, Fletcher.

She grew up in Buffalo, New York, then went to Brown University, where she majored in history. When she graduated, she came to New York City and worked for ABC-TV and then for Senator Robert Kennedy. She has lived in New York ever since, and she loves it. She knows all the best places for salami, she has run four marathons, and she has completed many 5-borough bike tours, so she thinks she really knows this place well.

At certain times of the year, she can be found out at Shea Stadium watching her team, the New York Mets. She has always loved baseball.

Mostly she enjoys hanging out with her friends. They spend lots of time going to movies or plays, playing sports, having meals together.

When she's alone and not writing, she is usually reading. She reads mysteries a lot, always has, which is probably why many of her books are mysteries.

Reviews

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason this book freaked me out as a child. Maybe because it's about a boy who stole something and then the guilt was really crushing and realistically handled. That and the main character's parents were obsessed with whether nuclear war with the Soviets was going to destroy the world so the protagonist sort of had a morbid outlook on life. A game the main character and his friends created for one of their anti-nuclear-war presentations used a Dungeons & Dragons theme to play dice with the fate of people who experience nuclear war, and the luckiest roll is the one in which you die instantly. There was a lot of gruesome commentary on the effects of nuclear war. I guess that really bothered me.

I liked this protagonist even though I couldn't imagine wanting something enough to plot an in-depth plan to steal it. Adam is a kid who is obsessed with chess and really wants to learn how to play better, but feels he's at a disadvantage because everyone he knows is rich and he's the poor kid, and they all have opportunities he doesn't have so it just destroys him that he lacks the advantages they have--especially when it comes to being able to afford a chess computer. (It's pretty interesting how his friends don't really even seem to recognize their privilege; just like real rich kids, they don't really get why some kids CAN'T "just get one.") Adam would even like to take some responsibility to get some money for what he wants, but he's not allowed to get a job or do odd jobs because his parents depend on him to watch his two-year-old sister, and they sort of guilt him into understanding this as his responsibility for helping out the family. He's kind of trapped. His frustration over the situation is really well-written.

The actual plot he makes to steal a chess computer starts as kind of a game for him--like a what-if--so it's written almost like he's surprised at himself when he actually carries it out. And I was really impressed that he personally manipulated people during his plot--got strangers to unwittingly assist him in stealing, used his baby sister to mask a smaller theft so he could cover up the big one, and lied to a sales clerk to get her on his side. The guilt he actually feels at succeeding in his plot--which is no longer a game the way it is when he plays Dungeons & Dragons--is probably more of a punishment than anything his parents or law enforcement could have dreamed up.

[Alexa White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute 80s book!

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam's a smart kid and really into chess, living in the shadow of possible nuclear war with the Soviets. He's "the poor kid" out of all his friends, and he's jealous of their access to learning tools like chess computers. His family expects him to be involved with babysitting his sister and participating in anti-nuclear-war demonstrations, and he kind of enjoys plotting what-ifs through his Dungeons and Dragons games and extracurricular activities, but what he really wants is to become a chess master. He fixates on how he might be able to steal a swanky chess computer and accelerate his game, and though he tells himself he's plotting the nefarious plan just as an exercise, he surprises himself by carrying it out. But how can this be? Adam's not a criminal, and yet now he's got a stolen computer in his home! How can this be? What has he become?

Obviously this is dated, and was current when it came out, but I love that. (I grew up in this era too, but never really felt the threat the way Adam's family seemed to.) Adam's characterization was flawless. He's a nerdy, fundamentally nice, ambitious kid who's used to stepping up to do the right thing, and when he scares himself by "heartlessly" manipulating various people to help him steal the chess computer, it's really convincing. I also loved the deep understanding of inequality in this book. Adam's the only kid who can't just get his parents to get him a chess computer--something his friends just don't grok--and unlike his friends, he doesn't have spending money and can't even go out and earn it because his parents need him to watch Allison. There were also all these great touches of reality, of family dynamics, of micro-myths and history between friends. The realities of nuclear war were really interesting too. For the record, there are some gory images in their descriptions of people affected by radiation sickness and horrible images, so sensitive readers might want to be aware of that.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a kid named Adam. He loves playing chess. He playing a game with one of his friends. She beat him in it. Though this is the start of his problem it not what prompt him to do it.

You be surprise what prompt him to do it and how he does it and everything about it. This book also teaching you about trust and stealing. It also teaches you about right from wrong. It can happen to anyone.

[Laurie]

http://www.urlesque.com/2011/03/23/vi...

I never read this as a kid, but spotted it in the book order. I think I need to get my hands on a copy i time for my husbsnd's birthday. (Of course, I'll read it first.)

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes us back to the days before the common use of the Internet and cell phones. I remember reading this book back in the fifth or sixth grade.

The plot line is not that original.. boy wants something and plans to steal it. It's the method he uses that is original.