The Pinballs

by Betsy Byars

You can't always decide where life will take you—especially when you're a kid.

Carlie knows she's got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she's just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her better judgement, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own lives.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Read For School, School

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Betsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!

Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

adult review to come. maybe only four stars this time 'round.

DECEMBER

as part of my personal reading challenges for 2017, once a month i will be revisiting a favorite book from when i was a little bitty karen and seeing if it holds up to my fond memories and determining if i can still enjoy it as an old and crotchety karen.

fingers crossed.

[Dona's (in the hospital) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this one in Libby, but I'm honestly not sure why I grabbed it. I got lucky because it's really brilliant. It speaks to young readers (and young readers inside older readers) softly about terrible things (please see my content note below) that are too common in the real world.

The book contains a collection of motley characters of all ages, as the book really explores many sides of violence against children and the foster system. The characters are by turns loveable and unlikeable. Though at times I thought Carlie was annoying, she and the other characters develop so fully and naturally that I loved them by the end..

This book deals with trauma in an honest and direct way and isn't shy to discuss what happens to children before ending up in foster care. While realistic, however, Byars doesn't smear your nose in the painful parts. The narrative deals with PTSD in children and I think the author does a great job. It's such a delicate subject and I could feel the effort she put into showing us her characters' emotions but also respecting their humanity.

Really an excellent but challenging read. Please see my list of content warnings below. I recommend this one to fans of Bridge to Terabithia or, for something more contemporary and markedly more adult, On the Savage Side. Fans of family dramas and serious fiction will adore this stout MG drama. A quick but heavy but hopeful read.

Honestly I really can't praise Byars enough for her empathy with traumatized and disabled children. I honestly really wish I had read this one as an abused kid. It might have made a real difference for me.

I found an audiobook copy of THE PINBALLS by Betsy Byars in Libby. Libraries pay way more than we do for digital copies, so make sure to only borrow what you will read!

Content notes: violence against children, DV, grievous bodily injury, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, abandonment, mental illness in children, trauma and PTSD, terrible parenting, foster care, CFS, car accidents, alcohol consumption, driving under the influence.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read to be on par with the 6th graders in September.
Byars did a good job crafting a slim, accessible story, with heavy, important themes, for relatively young readers.
I remember this book being one of the first really moving realistic books I read--being surprised by the drama (not melodrama, not overdone...but really serious stuff); it stands up over time. The dated details were dated when I first read it--and don't/didn't interfere with the story. I suspect young readers will think of the pop-culture references as generic "made-up" pop-culture, as I did originally.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: 2/16/23- re-read and yeah, it’s a keeper for me, lol. Up to 4 stars and I’ll probably re-read it again. I really like Carlie. She’s a fire cracker!

Original review below.

Not sure why this was on my "keepers" bookcase. It's a good book. A quick read, it is for ages 10 and up. Not a keeper, but worth reading.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked my house. It's so tiny! So unassuming! A story written in the 70s of three scrappy kids in foster care, what could possibly happen? Holy smokes, this book is brutal, but in that really blunt way kids have—especially in more vintage kids books—that means that, as a kid, I would be totally chill with this book. Some happy parts, some sad parts, overall a good ride. It's Adult Me that's losing it. Land sakes alive.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely sweet little book about how it sucks to be in foster care, even if you have wonderful foster parents, which a lot of kids don't. I recently reread this, and it made me cry. Of course, I cry when I read the front section of the Times or watch a certain Adam Sandler movie, so that doesn't mean much.... This is a great book, though. The kids are all interesting, three-dimensional characters, not at all the big-eyed, trembling punching bags you might expect from a treatment of this subject. It's uplifting and hopeful, which other people might think is cheesy, but I liked that about it. It shows how the kids go from feeling like "pinballs" with no control of their fates, to exerting some agency and asserting themselves.

I'm not sure how a kid in care would feel about this book, especially since the cases here are pretty mild compared to what a lot of kids experience. Based on my knowledge of the current child welfare system I guess it's pretty unrealistic, but I still think it does a good job of helping a kid not in this situation to imagine what it might be like, and the characters felt really real to me.

My edition (from the eighties) has a much better cover.

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read this shortly after Byars passed away. I still have my tattered Apple paperback copy, and I will always associate Kentucky Fried Chicken and halter tops with this book. When the NYT recently published its mayonnaise cake recipe, I imagined a 58-year-old Carlie scoffing at Melissa Clark. "Whoo, I've been making my famous mayonnaise cake since I was a kid, but does anyone ever listen to me?"
Reading it as an adult, it's scary to see how close to the brink Harvey was. And I still hope that the Masons will adopt Thomas J. "I guess if mothers want you to tell them you love them, they should start real early, training you to do it."

[Emmitt and Enzo Razo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is good but this is not the one I read. It still is the same.

[Scott Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about 3 foster kids that find themselves living together under the same roof.
I love finding the rare vintage books that still feel contemporary today. Carlie is an awesome character!! Nearly every page she has relentless comments that date to make me laugh out loud. I enjoyed this quick read and will recommend it to my students.

[Tamara York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read aloud to my kids. This childhood favorite still holds up
today. Highly recommend.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel relly bad for Harvey. His dad ran over his legs,and now hes an acoholic.And Carly's life is real hard because her dad said he would cut off all her hair!


Thomas J. never had a birthday well atleast he didnt know when it was. So when Carly heard about that she said Thomas J. could have the same birthday as her. He said yes because everyone needs a birthday there birthday will be on April. 7th. That same day Harvy was in the Hospital because his toes along with his legs were infected! And it was the day of his birthday!! So Carly and Thomas J. got Harvey a puppy and named it Spots. They wanted to get him a white because they wanted to name the dog Snowball but they all had spots. When Harvey saw the dog he wasnt so excited because he didnt know it was for him. But when they told Havey thats it was his dog he got really really excited. But he couldnt get up to play with the dog because his legs were infected! s Thomas J. and Carly had promised that his legs would get better so he can play with his new puppy!!!

[Deborah Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book packs an emotional punch. Three Kids settling into a new foster home have brought all sorts of emotional baggage. The gentle experienced foster parents give all three of them time to relax into their new lives and start blooming. Carlie watches. a lot of TV, and reads popular 1970's magazines, so a lot of the cultural references are dated. But this book stands up because of its heart. The original Chicago Tribune review says it all..."a story that has poignancy, perception and humor." It's easy to read, and has a positive ending, too. Foster kids may enjoy this peek into the lives of these three characters and relate to them. I liked it a lot. I've always been a Betsy Byars fan, she really gets how children think.

[Heather Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only book I remember an adult reading aloud to me as a kid was The Pinballs by Betsy Byars. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Raines, read it to the class, and it was my favorite thing of the whole year. It was the highlight of my day when she’d pull the book out and sit on her desk and start reading. All this to say that I wondered if 35 years later, it’d hold the same magic for me as I read it aloud to my daughter. It did. The Pinballs makes for a fantastic read aloud as the characters each have unique voices, and the story (while wholly giving that 70’s vibe) has kids that live through pain and learn to cope while creating community. Highly recommend as a book to share with kiddos.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really confusing, and not that good of a book, anyway.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for the young but interesting for any age.

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Pinballs
As the story starts it says there are 3 kids (2 boys 1 girl) that went to a foster home. One of the boys had two broken legs. His name was Harvey. He got them when he was run over by his dad’s car. He had just won an award for a report he wrote. He and his father get into an argument about his father driving him. His father tells him to go. He’s in a hurry to get to a poker game. He pushes him out the car and he runs around the car. His father accidentally puts the car in drive and the court takes him away until his father can control his drinking.

The second boy is Thomas J. Someone left him in the front of a farmhouse. Thomas J stays with a set of twins for six years until they break their hips. The girl is Carlie and she’s tough. She goes to the foster home because she can’t get along with her stepfather. He’s mean and resents everything she does. He hits her with a broiler and she hit him back. She’ll be there until her mother and stepmother work out their problems so she’ll be there a LONG time.

Carlie doesn’t trust anyone. She especially doesn’t like the nurse. The nurse tells her two boys will be coming to stay there. She tells her the one that’s 13 has two broken legs. He arrives and asks about his legs but he’s saying. But she says something must have. You can’t just get a cast for nothing. So, he tells her he broke them playing football. He tells her he’s a quarterback, but Carlie sees right through him. Since he’s sticking with the lie, she turns her attention back to her soaps.

Thomas arrives and the nurse says he can help Harvey if he needs it. That night they watch TV and Thomas thinks about the twins and how this show reminds him of them. He also thinks about how they broke their hips. Carlie is admiring the room she has to herself when Thomas J comes in and brings the earring she lost earlier. He likes her and wants her to like him, Carlie tho thinks he stole it. Earlier she warned that she was going to search everyone’s room. Because the earring is pure gold. He insists he found it and after a while, she tells him she believes him. That night, Carlie has a hard time being there and the nurse tells her a lot of the kids get homesick on the first night. The nurse tells her it’ll get better the next day.

The boys share a room. Thomas J is trying to pray. Harvey brings up his broken legs and then continues to tell the lie about him playing football. Then Thomas tells him about his situation. After that, they run out of conversation. Harvey lays there and thinks about his mother who ran away to a convent to “find herself”. The next day Harvy is brought a breakfast tray. Carlie gets upset because he doesn’t want to trade insults. She’s even more offended when he thanks her for bringing the tray. Harvey doesn’t eat and the nurse says they have to be extra nice to him, But Carlie wonders why someone can’t be extra nice to her. Carlie describes her Harvy and Thomas as “pin balls”. Harvey thinks of his father and how he always thinks kids his age have it easy.

Harvey decides to write a letter when he sees Carlie and Thomas writing a letter. He’s not sure who he’s even writing it to so he fronts and asks how to spell things. Carlie is writing her mother to plead with her to let her come home. Thomas is also having a hard time with his letter. He doesn’t know what to write them other than how are their hips. Harvey decides to write a list of bad things that happened to him inspired by Carlie. Thomas has an appendectomy on his list. Carlie tells him he should add two more things (right leg, left leg, broken).

Harvey starts to enjoy making lists and wishes his mother would have and maybe she wouldn’t have had to go to Vermount. While they’re hanging out, Carlie asks Harvey if he’s ever thought of running away. She says she’s thought of it a lot. There hasn’t been any mail from her mother. She asks if she runs away will he miss her. He says he doesn’t know.

Carlie asks can she go with Thomas to visit the Benson twins. She says no. Carlie lies and says she has a cousin there who owns a boutique. Mrs. Mason says no and shd says she can just go to the boutique. Harvey asks can he go because it’s close to where he lives and he wants to go to Kentucky Fried Chicken. He doesn’t get to go either. Mrs. Mason tries to teach Carlie how to sew and starts on a lesson on how to make a halter top. She tries to get Harvey to watch her sew. She and Mrs. Mason talk about why she didn’t have kids of her own. She says she did but she couldn’t have any. Carlie wants to know why she didn’t adopt. She said she was but she was asked to be a foster parent but she wanted a child of her own that would never leave.

Thomas goes to visit the twins. They tell him not to let things go down at the farm, tend to the peas, and go get them Papa’s gold watch. He asks about their hips and they say they operated on them and put pins in. He goes home after and does what he’s told. The farm is a wreck because there’s been no rain. Mr. Mason tells him best not tell the twins bout the garden. On the way back, Thomas has a feeling it’s the last time he’ll see the house. When they get back Harvey is in a funk because they didn’t bring him back any chicken.

Carlie helps Mrs. Mason make hamburgers. She tries to tell them there’s a Sunny and Cher contest to cheer up Thomas and Harvy, but they don’t think she looks like Cher. Harvey makes another list of his disappointments. He talks about how he wanted a dog but his dad got him an electric football game. So for Christmas, he dedicated to get himself a guinea pig because his mother once raised guinnea pigs. But when he bought one and all the supplies, his father took one look at it and took it. He never found out what he did with it. Thomas says the twins once gave him a gift. One time it was pencils. Another qA gloves. Another a book. (Bible Stories For Little People). He wishes he would have gotten the book when he was there. They also gave him three, gold, coins. After this Harvey gets Carlie to push him up the hill to the library. They make up who’ll be on a list for who all has done them in. Harvey finally confesses what really happened to his legs.

When there there, Carlie gets bored after a short while. Harvey says he’s trying to find an article about his mother who's in Virginia so he can try to find and contact her so she’ll come get him. Harvey finds the article and reads about the farm and the people. Harvey’s father comes to visit. Carlie wants to see him but the nurse tells her to give them some privacy. She says she just wants to see the creep who’d run over his son. But she promises to come in when he gets there. The mail comes. Nothing for either. Carlie says maybe his mom isn’t at the farm anymore. Harvey says he knows she got the letters. Carlie starts to talk about running away again. They can go find his mother. Harvey says he’s in a wheelchair but she says this could only help them get rides. But he says he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore and she drops it. He asks about the kids and apologizes for running over his legs. He tells him he got him a present and then invites him out to eat. There’s an awkward moment when they eat when he tells his dad he wrote to his mom. He then gets up the nerve to tell his dad he thinks she wrote him but his dad got rid of the letters. His dad says he never wrote him. He realizes his dad is telling the truth. Then he starts to think maybe she hates him because because he looks so much like his father. He tells Carlie the visit with his dad was just ok. Carlie tells him one of the Benson twins died that day and that Thomas will be going to the funeral tomorrow.

Harvey tells her he doesn’t think he’s going to make it, but Carlie tells him he has too. They’re all a set and she promises him he can make it. But he says he doesn’t think he will. Carlie says when she gets her license the first thing she’s going to do is run over Harvey’s father’s legs.

Mr. Mason and Thomas bond over not having affectionate guardians and not being able to say anything to them before they died. The other twin tells them she and her sister promised to die together. She says maybe she can (die) to be on time for the funeral but then sees she doesn’t have enough time. Harvey is so upset that night that he doesn’t even eat the KFC Mr. Mason brings him back and gives it to Carlie when she teases him. Carlie is furious with Harvey’s dad but Mrs. Mason said she’s helping Harvey by making him feel better and don’t give up. She says she never does when it’s someone she cares about.

A package comes for Harvey and he tells her his birthday is Friday. She opens it for him and finds out it’s a portable, color, tv. But he already knows what it is because he saw his father carrying it in. Harvey still looks so sad that Carlie offers to go to Virginia and get his mother. She even tries to put decals on his toenails because people are always looking at his feet. She notices something looks off about his toes. They all talk birthdays and Thomas says he doesn’t know his so Carlie gives him the same as hers and an age. Harvey has to go to the hospital because his leg is infected and this makes Carlie mad again at his father.

They visit him in the hospital and Carlie tries to make him guess what she’s going to give him for his birthday, but Harvey doesn’t respond. Carlie keeps trying to talk to him. No response. Before they know it there time is up. Harvey’s father comes to visit and he says whatever the price he’ll pay it. Again this makes Carlie see red! Carlie comes up with a plan to get Harvey a puppy. It was the first thing on one of his lists. So, they do. He continues not to stare and look at the ceiling. They bring out the puppy and sits him on the bed. Harvey still doesn’t move. Then Harvey speaks and asks if it’s his and then can he keep him. Harvey then starts to cry. The nurse comes in and they quickly hide the dog under the sheets. She sees it but says nothing because it’s the first time she’s seen him smile. Harvey shows the nurse the dog and she tells him if she “sees” it she’ll have to send him out. Harvey asks if they’ll bring him back and Carlie says yes but he’ll have to get out of the hospital.

They feel so good on the way home, they decide this must be what it feels like to be famous. They tell Mrs. Mason about the puppy and she says it’s a lovely thing to do. The other twin dies shortly after Thomas goes to the funeral and gets a new hair cut and thinks about when the twins tried to cut his hair. He never really knew what to expect. Carlie visits Harvey and after experimenting with his hair and glasses she tells him never try to look like anyone else. Carlie and Thoams visit their new school and Carlie decides she and Thomas aren’t pinballs, They can control what happens to them. As long as they try they aren’t pinballs and that’s what she’s going to do when they go to their new school.

My Thoughts:
This was one of those “classic” books you’ve read in grade school and you see nothing but good reviews and high praises for it but really it’s just average and you just don’t see why. But what I did really like about it was it hows that you never know when people can come into your life and complete strangers can in a short time become “family”, I did feel bad for every single one of these kids. Carlie’s mom was just as bad as Harvey’s dad. She actually was kind of worse. Harvey’s dad may have run over his kid's legs and crippled him (and yes this was HORRIBLE and there was NO EXCUSE for it) at least he came to see Harvey and try to make amends. He apologized. He took him out to dinner. When his legs got an infection he took RESPONSIBILITY and offered to pay whatever cost. So it did look like he was trying. I think he also needed to go to a AA program but the thing is he was PRESENT. Carlie’s mom wasn’t even that. If I’d married a man that were abusive to my child. my BIOLOGICAL child or was seeing a man that was abusive to my child he’d be OUTTA THERE. I would have been to see MY CHILD every day until she was back with me. I wanna say that no doubt if this man was abusive to Carlie, he also is to her mother, and possibly he’s threatening her (and probably much worse), and *that’s* why she’s not been to see Carlie or written her back because he might physically be stopping her from it. I don’t know if in these kinds of situations there’s some kind of rule against contacting your kid but this also might be the case. But if this IS the case, I definitely think Carlie should be told what’s going on. This would make it easier than her believing her mother just doesn’t care about her. But then Harvey’s mother may have won the prize for the worse parent because she just ups and leaves her kid to go live on a colony in Virginia and forgets that she even has a kid while he’s stuck in a foster home thinking that she’s been contacting him but his father has just been negligent in giving him letters. I felt bad for Thomas J simply because he lost the twins and doesn’t even know what his birthday is or how old he is. The more I look at it all these parents SUCK. But it was heartwarming in the end that found each other and made their own family. I think a great ending would have been if the Marlow’s would have adopted Thomas, Harvey, and Carlie and they all became a family.

Ratomg” 6

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foster kids story from the 1970s, I remember picking this one up for the title. Even though I didn't know what it was fully about or what the catchy title meant in regard to the story, I do remember finding it a page turner as the three kids learn to trust and love each other and the world around them.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when I read this for school in grade six, I would have gave it a three. I liked it, but purely plot wise I felt like there were serious issues I couldn't overlook. Ask anyone who knew me at the time, all I would do is complain about the ending of he Pinballs. "you can't leave more questions than answers, you just can't!" mm I think this part is spoilers so.... so anyways... I just hated how it ended with them on the bench at the park (I can't remember exactly. Where is Thomas's mother? Does Carlie ... I don't eve remember exactly what.
I think the reason I though this is because I like mystery, while this book was mostly character driven. It wasn't meant to cause the suspense.

SO, I guess in retrospect, I like this book more than I did. I think the title is very clever, and it almost makes up for the ending. not because it's good, but it makes sense:
There should not be a sequel. It needed to end. Single book format is the best for this story. But, these kids are pinballs, they can't just fix their whole life because the book ended. It doesn't work like that. They will be forever bounced around (maybe a little less bounce once they become adults). Where the book ends their story of infinite bouncing continues. You know how in The Fault In Our Stars, a character mentions how the book is finished. The characters are finished. They are dead, they don't exist anymore (or something like that)" The Pinballs is the exact opposite of that, and that is why Ii think the title is extremely appropriate to the story.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in my last year of primary school.

It was recommended to me by my maths teacher (my memory now fails to remember her name) and back then I didn’t understand why she told me about the book. Now that I’ve reread it as an adult, I sort of have a better understanding of the book and the themes in it, and why the teacher thought it would be a good choice.

Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2022/...

[Shanley Mahsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Byars skillfully portrays three children with vastly different backgrounds who find themselves living under the care of a compassionate set of foster parents. Despite facing their own personal struggles, the three characters ultimately learn to work together and rely on each other, as well as their foster parents, to overcome their challenges and find the strength they need to persevere.

[Madelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book is Mainly About 3 Kids that Live in A Foster home Together. I Like This Book because Is Mainly Explains About Self Control and How Adults make Mistakes at time. I Predict that what is going to Happen next is That they will Change their Behaviors and Try to change so that They can have a better life.

[Katie Kemple · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a copy of The Pinballs at a thrift store recently. I don't remember reading many books as a kid, but I remembered this one and picked it up. As an adult, I was moved by its brevity and characters. Betsy Byars achieves quite a bit for a 22,000 word novel, particularly one that deals with a difficult situation for children.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book in elementary school and feeling heartbroken for the characters. The characters in this book are called Pinballs because they are foster-children bounced from house to house. If you want a quick read that will have you feeling some emotion, check this book out.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in middle school. I remember it being about encouragement and power through childhood during a very conflicted time for 3 foster children. They learn more about each-other, their past,and their hardships. I definitely recommend this book to children and teens.

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2021 : I read this book 12 years ago and I loved it. I was afraid it wouldn't hold up so many years later but I LOVED it. This book just lives in my heart.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to apologize for something I said. Last year when I moved back home I read Betsy Byars' Newbery winning novel THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS, and I hated it. Couldn't believe it was published, let alone win such a prestigious award. I decided I hated Betsy Byars and swore to never read another thing by her again. She just wasn't for me. She was blah, like that baby shit yellow color some people paint their houses. But then, a few months ago, a friend of mine mentioned a book about foster care children, called THE PINBALLS. It sounded interesting until this friend of mine mentioned that the author was Betsy Byars. It was then that I almost lost respect for this friend, but luckily that didn't happen, and lucky for me, I found an old used copy at a bookstore and bought it, and that's where the apology comes from because the book was actually very good. Yes, the book I just finished was THE PINBALLS by Betsy Byars, published in 1977. Like I said already, it's about three foster care children, each brought there because their parents or guardians were incompetent. A father to one of the boys actually ran over him while he was driving drunk, just to give you a clue as to the kind of impotence we're dealing with in this story. That's Harvey. Then there's Thomas J who was left with two old ladies on a farm, abandoned. And then there's Carlie, a feisty young girl who is the unhappiest about being placed in foster care. I really enjoyed this book because it really went into why kids lash out and that everybody is who they are because of the road on which they've traveled. The title is a reference to foster care children not having direction in their lives, being bounced around like balls in a pinball machine. You don't see many books about foster care either. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it ended pretty quickly. I think this has something to do with the time in which it was published. In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, I notice a lot of books are well below 200 pages, this one is under 150 pages because I believe publishers didn't think kids would read longer works, and let's be honest, that's probably true up until the Harry Potter phenomenon. I enjoyed the shot episodic chapters, and just wish that it had ended more satisfyingly, for me. But above all, it did restore my faith in Betsy Byars. Now I would consider myself to be a civilized and reasonable adult who is able to admit when I've misjudged something or somebody, in this case, Betsy Byars. I still think THE SUMMER OF THE SWANS was a complete dud of a book, but my respect for her as a writer has been restored. So basically this review is more of an apology and a lesson to all about the value of forgiveness and giving authors of rotten books a second chance. And it does make one wonder, why didn't this book win a Newbery? Life, just like life for these foster kids in the book, isn't always fair, and nobody ever said it was, either. And if they did, they were lying to you. THE PINBALLS by Betsy Byars. 4/5 stars.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Library copy

Harvey is in foster care because his father is an alcoholic and ran him over with the car when he pushed his son out because the father wanted to go to the Elks Club to play poker instead of taking Harvey to an awards banquet. Carlie has an abusive step father, and Thomas J was abandoned at a farm when he was a baby, and the elderly twins who found him never turned him over to the authorities. When they both break a hip, he ends up in care. All three are with Mrs. Mason, who is very patient and has had many foster children. Harvey, 13, is understandably depresssed and dealing with his physical limitations, while Thomas J misses his "aunts" and is trying to get used to a new life. Carlie wants to watch television and is fairly rude to everyone. The three have to deal with their own issues and learn to get along with each other.
Strengths: For 1977, this was a great title about children who might not have traditional nuclear families, and the children are portrayed sympathetically. Carlie is the kind of smart mouthed, rather rude character that was considered innovative at the time. There was an Afterschool Special film of this that was very true to the book, starring a young Kristy McNichol. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZzAr...)
Weaknesses: There are so many dated references that this is hard to read. Sonny and Cher? Television programs at certain times? You go to the library to check out magazines? Like everything else, foster care has changed, and it seems unfair to give modern readers such a dated view of an experience they should try to understand if they are not part of. Granted, there are not a lot of books about foster care, which is why I think this one has persisted. Byars (who died in February of 2020) was also a much beloved and prolific author, and there are a lot of fond memories of her work.
What I really think: The copy I have is not in great shape, and having good memories of the Afterschool Special or of a letter I received from Byars is not enough reason to keep this title around.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Betsy Byars was my favorite author as a kid, and my very favorite of hers was The Midnight Fox. She has also won the Newbery medal for The Summer of the Swans; but for some reason, her books sit untouched on the shelves of the middle school library where I work, no matter how much I promote them. So, I have decided to start rereading her books to find out why. This one is a slim, easy read, but it packs quite a punch. I do get why it may not interest a tweenager of today however, it is quite dated. Granted, it was first published in 1971, so the technology is pretty nonexistent, limited to only television, and the shows referenced are mostly soap operas and Sonny and Cher. A middle grader in 2020, has no idea what that would even mean, and this would not hold their interest. Also, not much happens in the plot of this book; it is about character development and emotions. Teens these days are inundated with fast paced, dystopian adventures; magical realms full of wizards, outer space, or super heroes; or painfully true and necessary stories dealing in social justice. A slow paced, non-diverse tale of three lost kids learning to trust is not something young readers of today seem to be that interested in. All that to say, I loved it. Of course, I grew up in the '70's, when there was not too much to do besides play outside and read books, so I have different point of reference. I probably would have given it five stars as a child, but I can't do that as an adult, because it truly hasn't withstood the test of time. I still love Byars, and will put my personal copy of The Pinballs in the free lending library in our yard, but this book will probably be weeded from our school library shelf.

[Shelly Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book despite never having heard of it. It was set in the 70's with lots of references to the pop culture at that time - halter tops, Sonny and Cher, etc. I got a kick out of that since I was a little kid back then. The title seemed off to me until you hear one of the main characters explain why the 3 kids in this story are pinballs. Ingenious. The 3 kids have lousy families and they are in a foster home and as Carlie, the spunky one you can't help but like and admire a bit, explains that are nothing but pinballs bouncing all over the place. You learn a little about each child's family but it is told plainly and as a school teacher I felt like the characters thought, spoke, and sounded like kids would. The girl, Carlie, is outspoken, brash, and matter-of-fact about her circumstances and one of the boys, Harvey, is quiet, give terse answers and doesn't want to admit what happened to him. The last character, Thomas J is quirky and was severely sheltered most of his life. He blossoms and adjusts to having other kids around and loves the conversation that he and his foster dad have. All in all, a great book and one I would have probably never picked up but I'm so glad I did. The book deals with heavy topics in the most kid friendly way exposing students to a world that may be very different from their lives while not be overly sentimental and not wrapping everything up with a perfect cookie cutter ending.

[Vicki Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a Southern hardship junior novel. Super readable and straightforward. No dodging around what the adults were responsible for and no victim blame against the kids. If the kids are sad, honey, it's developmentally appropriate and reflective of reality.

The book doesn't come off as preachy even though it is probably meant to be, considering the ideal foster home and kids it portrays. I mean, sure, they're unhappy with their lives and a little rough around the edges, but that doesn't mean they don't make the best of things. This is more convincing than a book that tries to portray jaded kids as morally bad. These kids grow to accept the reality of their situations but are never expected to internalize fault. They even get help feeling better (because the situation is bad enough and it's appropriate) instead of being expected to be grinning automatons.

If it were a truly realistic book, the kids would have developmental issues that would be too complicated and disturbing for a junior novel. The foster parents would suck (and actively cesspool the nicer kids with the down-dragging ones) and blame the kids for reacting in turn. I can't ignore how unlikely the healthy scenario of this home is.

However, there is a place for a story that teaches like this. Especially when it's perfectly frank (even a bit graphic) regarding the kids' original guardians.

One thing that was really cool was how the writing portrayed a boy's biological mom. The author has him explain where she went in such a way that child readers wouldn't know an inappropriate level of details, but adults who knew the news (or in the case of reading it this far into the future, the historical context) would understand.