Johnny Swanson

by Eleanor Updale

SPECIAL OFFER - THE SECRET OF INSTANT DELIGHT! Be the first to read Johnny Swanson!

The book that's got the nation talking - yours by return of post.

All is revealed:

The truth about the Stambleton murder

The facts behind the TB scare

The real identity of Ada Ardour

And one boy's fight to save his mother's life!


All this, and the answer to the burning question of 1929:

What on earth is a CLONG?


(To find out, send a P.O. for 2/6 to Box 90)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical, Chapter Books, Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2010

About the author

Eleanor Updale studied history at St. Anne's College, Oxford, before becoming a producer of TV and radio current affairs programmes for the BBC. Her first children's novel, Montmorency, won the Silver Smarties Prize and the Medway Book Award.

Reviews

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is utterly fabulous, from the informative historical setting to the lovable characters to the mystery and intrigue and love. Set in the early 1900's, it tells the story of a scrawny boy with a father who died in the war, Johnny Swanson, and his struggles to help his mom and himself survive with little money. What I didn't expect at all was that this book is a mystery with exciting plot twists. The story centers around familial love, friendship, and learning to do what is right even in trying circumstances. I loved it so much.

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Updale, the award-winning author of the popular Montmerancy series, takes us to England in 1929 in her newest historical mystery novel for young people. Our hero, Johnny Swanson, is an engaging young boy who finds himself mixed up in a murder mystery--and his own mother is the suspected murderer! Johnny's sure as can be that she's not guilty, but no one will believe him and the police seem to have already made up their mind. Can Johnny save her before it's too late?

There seem to be three interrelated stories going on in this novel--the above-mentioned murder mystery, the tuberculosis epidemic in England, and Johnny's many schemes to make money to help out his mother. Johnny is enticed by a newspaper advertisement promising the "secret of instant height," just what he needs to stop the bullying at school because of his small stature. When he discovers the ad is a hoax, he decides he can play that game also, and soon is concocting schemes to put advertisements in various publications and collecting small sums of money for bogus answers to problems. As you might imagine, Johnny becomes hopelessly entangled in a comical web of lies around his business, this part of the story very much reminded me of the classic Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald that I enjoyed as a child.

At the same time, a TB outbreak is plaguing England, and Johnny's neighbor, Dr. Langford, just might be working on a secret vaccine for the disease. This work turns out to be dangerous, indeed--for Dr. Langford and maybe for Johnny too, as he learns more than he should know about the undercover work.

Johnny makes an appealing boy detective--a character who's far from perfect, but whose good intentions shine through as he works to help his mother, first through his financial schemes, and then to save her from the hangman's noose. The author combines humor and suspense--a winning combination for young mystery fans. Perhaps we will see more adventures of Johnny Swanson in the future!

[Sibooy]

کتاب بسیار جالب و خواندنی ای بود بود.
خلاف کاری های خیرخواهانه جانی جالب توجه بود. ماجرا ها خیلی خوب بهم ربط داده شده بود.
دست نویسنده درد نکنه. همیشه کتاب های رده سنی نوجوانان بیش از رده های سنی دیگه من رو جذب کرده.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I love about this author's books--she also wrote the wonderful Montmorency series--is that they are like nothing else being published these days. Her characters are interesting and stick with you after you finish the book. So it is with this one. Eleven-year-old Johnny Swanson is desperate to help his mother out financially in 1929 England. After he is fooled by a come-on advertisement in the local paper, he decides to write his own ads and earn some money. As he does so, he weaves a complicated set of lies that threaten to engulf him. Additionally, a tuberculosis epidemic has many of the town's citizens in a dither, and a doctor who has been working with some of those who are ill and quarantined ends up murdered. Due to circumstantial evidence and some gossipy neighbors who see guilt where there is none, Johnny's mother is arrested for the crime. When the police refuse to listen to Johnny's suspicions, he must take matters into his own hands. This book read seamlessly, revealing quite a lot about human nature along the way. I want more from this author! She has the gift of delivering powerful messages in well-told stories, and while I wasn't surprised at the ending, I certainly enjoyed the ride.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have previously read Ms. Updale's Montmorency books, so I came to the book with high expectations. And they were met. This story is similar to the Montmorency series in the high use of deception by multiple characters, but is different in almost all other aspects. Johnny and his mom are having financial troubles, and Johnny wishes he could earn some money. He figures that if he were taller, he could get more jobs, so he secretly borrows some of his mother's Christmas money to send off for The Secret to Instant Height, as advertised in the newspaper. When it turns out to be a scam ("Stand on a box"), Johnny is angry and devastated. But then he begins to think that maybe he could make ads like that. And thus begins Johnny's season of deception. But his life of crime is anything but smooth, especially when his deception leads to his mother being suspected of a murder she did not commit! And Johnny is the only one who can free his mother and find the real killer. Fast paced, interesting, and very enjoyable. Johnny, his mother, the doctor, Hutch, and Olwen all make great characters, and the tuberculosis epidemic adds an interesting twist as well as historical context. Highly recommended for fans of mystery or adventure.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title character, Johnny, hates being short so when he sees an advert in the newspaper that promises the secret to tallness he steals some money off his mum to send away for the secret. Unfortunately this is a con, but it gives Johnny an idea for his own money-making scheme to help pay back the money he stole and to help his mum pay the rent. He places his own adverts in the paper to trick people into sending him money. Some of his adverts were really clever and funny, and even though he was technically breaking the law I really wanted his plans to work.
Later on the focus of the book shifts as a murder is committed and Johnny's mum is the prime suspect. Johnny knows he must clear his mum's name, even if it means risking getting into trouble himself.

The book is set in 1929 and a lot of the story is centred around Tuberculosis and the treatment of the disease. This historical aspect made for interesting reading and I certainly learned some facts about TB that I didn't know before. But the book is so much more than just a historical story, it's a fun mystery story with a fantastic character who I couldn't help but love.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this children's/young adult novel by Eleanor Updale. The novel was set in late 1920's England. I liked the mystery mixed with historical fiction and history. Johnny Swanson is a great character, and there are many others who are well loved. I found the TB plot of the story to be very interesting and informative. I think that this book may be a little too much for little people though. I would say it is much more YA/adult then children's.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun mystery, but don't read it late at night or when you're by yourself!

[Nisa Mohd · Rating 5 out of 5]

■ The plots were unravelled beautifully and in place. Reading this book as an adult, it is light yet the storyline is complex, so many aspects are touched, and I’m impressed! Of course, as you read on, you kind of can guess what’s going to happen. But, the narrative keeps you wanting to know what else Johnny will do, meet or encounter.

■ Johnny Swanson is a small kid who lived in England back in 1929 when the BCG vaccine was still not approved by the government and there was a TB outbreak. He came from a poor, single-mother household, and is bullied at school. So, of course, he has a part-time job. Initially, I thought he would be a timid boy, but he strives and goes for what he believes in, amazing. It is very interesting how he navigates his life. SPOILER ALERT! He got scammed and became a scammer himself. After quite some time, his mom becomes a murder suspect, and how he deals with the situation is also quite an adventure.

■ The adventure style is similar to Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew books. All the grumpy and typical English characters we usually see, you’ll witness in this book. It’s amusing. The messages in this book are quite deep, too. How society is formed and behaved. How dangerous gossip and false assumptions are. And many more!

■ This is a decent children's book. I love it as an adult, imagine if I read this book back when I was a kid. Highly recommended!

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's taken a long time to read this book aloud to Class 5 (now Class 6) but that is no reflection on its quality.
An exciting, funny and poignant book set in the 1920s, it was much enjoyed by the class.

[Roderick · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty dull & forgettable

[Maggie C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First impression: a fun read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice unexpected find

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A post-war historical fiction turned to be an exciting who-done-it mystery. Who would have thought? Clever and engaging.

[Elenikan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute, award-winning children's book that has it all; humour, history, mystery and adventure, with a totally lovable character.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1929, and Johnny and his mother live in an English village where money is scarce. Johnny delivers newspapers, but he wishes he could contribute more to the family’s savings, especially now that the rent is being raised. When he is fooled by an advertisement in the paper promising to sell him the “secret to instant height” inspiration strikes. Soon he is running his own ads and making money off of innocent people who believe he will send them instant cures to whatever ails them. While Johnny does his best to get away with his petty crimes, a much greater offense is committed in another part of town. Dr. Langford, who has been working in secret to bring a tuberculosis vaccine to England, is found murdered, and Johnny’s own mother is the lead suspect! With his mother being held in jail, and only his boss at the newspaper to look after him, Johnny realizes he must take matters into his own hands. Even if it means coming clean about his own criminal acts, he won’t let his mother hang for murder!

Johnny Swanson is one of the most interesting children’s historical fiction novels I have ever read. I think American kids will find it especially interesting because they probably haven’t been taught very much about what things were like in Europe while the Great Depression was beginning here in the U.S. Seeing the threat of tuberculosis and the perils of poverty through Johnny’s eyes really brings them to life and makes it easier for kids to empathize with people living through events that might otherwise seem remote, or even irrelevant. The mystery elements, too, are intriguing, and even kids who don’t care much for history won’t be able to resist watching Johnny solve a murder. Kids will also like the get-rich-quick scheme Johnny creates with the newspapers, and they will worry, as he does, about the girl in his class whose family suddenly falls ill with TB.

This book is well-written and interesting from the beginning, almost right up until the end. The ending is really the only thing that disappointed me, and it was mostly because it didn’t do justice to the rest of the story. What happens is predictable and contrived, and it ties things up much more neatly than is really necessary. I’m all for a happy ending - and I think kids generally are, too - but it always strikes me as inauthentic when every last string is tied up in a neat bow. That said, the cheesiness of the ending doesn’t take away from the overall reading experience. The final moments feel more like an epilogue than an actual part of the story proper, and I chose to treat them as I did the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - which is to say, I ignore them in favor of the things I enjoyed.

Johnny Swanson will appeal to readers who enjoy 20th century history. Pair it with Great Depression titles such as Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, and Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. It might also be interesting to include in a unit of study about newspapers, along with The Landry News by Andrew Clements, The Candy Smash by Jacqueline Davies, and the Dear Know-It-All series by Rachel Wise.

[Ringo The Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleanor Updale is probably most known for the Montmorency series. In Johnny Swanson, set in London in 1929, with a couple of actual historical places (the Welsh Craig-y-Nos sanatorium) and events (TB scare, importance of newspaper ads) in the background, she also takes the historical fiction route and introduces us to 11-year-old Johnny, the shortest boy in his class, and the unlikely hero of this crime adventure.

The shortest boy in his class, Johnny decides to ‘borrow’ money from his mother’s Peace Mug to send a letter to the person who seems to have answer to the “secret to instant height”. When he receives a note advising him to “stand on a box”, he is too embarrassed that he was tricked, to tell his mother. The ad trick (he saw the ad in the local paper), though, does inspire Johnny to start running his own advert scam to gain back the money that he borrowed from his mother and then some… Johnny has the best of intentions but it soon spins out of control and he finds himself inventing a sick Aunt Ada who supposedly lives in with Johnny and his mom. The actual crime part of the book doesn’t start until well into the second half when the retired town doctor Langdon ends up dead… somehow everything is related to a recent TB scare and the invention of a vaccine and Johnny even finds himself at the heart of the murder mystery when his mother Winnie is arrested. As he feels responsible (if he hadn’t started the ad scam, his mother wouldn’t have been upset with Johnny and run out of the house in the first place), he is desperate to clear her name, which he tries to do together with shopkeeper Hutch.

The first part of the novel in which we get to know Johnny is definitely the strongest part. I feel that the events of the murder mystery are all a little bit too convenient and too coincidental. I’m sure that the reason for this is that it’s aimed at a younger audience, but still… it’s all a bit too neatly tied up for the cat… Johnny Swanson is still a nice book though, although the beginning promised more than just nice. Kids interested in a great adventure story with a very likeable main character will be in for a treat.

http://ringothecat.wordpress.com/

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly entertaining read for me. It's quite bulky for a YA mystery novel, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

It started out a little slow as it set the stage for the murder that occurs halfway through the book, by introducing us to Johnny Swanson, his very unpopular life at school, the financial hardships he faces at home with his mother who had to take on extra work to make ends meet, and on top of all that his own personal difficulties. Johnny made the mistake of stealing money from his mother's money jar to respond to an ad that promised to give him the secret to becoming taller (as he leans towards being small for his age). In order to respond to this ad without alerting anyone to what he was doing, not only did he steal the money from his mother, but he's had to create an imaginary aunt to pull it off. He then realized that the ad was a scam, and in his devastation at all he's been through to respond to it he comes up with an even better idea - making his own scam adverts in the newspaper to make money that would help him and his mother, but that meant keeping imaginary Aunt Ada in the picture.

From then on, a full series of events take place leading up to the murder of the town Doctor, and accusing Johnny's mother of the act. It is now up to Johnny and Hutch - ex-army man managing the shop Johnny works at - to prove otherwise.

As already mentioned, a very entertaining mystery read. I kind of figured out who did it from the very beginning, but it was still very interesting to see the whole thing unfold through the eyes of a young boy, and watch his transformation and the development of his character through to the end.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is unlike anything I've read before. It's historical fiction with a mystery and yet, I'd be reluctant to recommend it to the readers in the library. Johnny, the main character, is very smart and wants to help his mother. He's also very small and is picked on because of his height. When he reads an ad that promises to help him grow, he steals some of the money his mother has saved and sends it off, assured that this will answer all his problems. However, it's a fraud. But, Johnny, after the shock wears off, decides that this is a great way to make money to help his mom. So he starts running his own fake ads, lying to the postman when he rents a postal box and hiding his money in a stuffed animal. Then, the town doctor is killed and his mother is arrested. Johnny is determined to find the real killer and save his mom. I realize that Johnny is portrayed as young and supposedly not really understanding that what he's doing with the fake ads is wrong, but I just couldn't really buy it. He's too smart. So - the book gets three stars - good writing but not that good a book.

[Kathy]

Johnny Swanson Review

By: Margaret Gregorich



Johnny Swanson, by Eleanor Updale is about a boy named Johnny who lived in England in 1929 with his widowed, hard working mother and they were very poor. He saw an ad in the newspaper one day and takes money from the jar that was used to buy Christmas presents. He gets nothing back and is very angry. Then Johnny joins that business himself. He sends back useless information to the innocent people that paid him, using the fictional Aunt Ada to cover his tracks.

Then, when Johnny’s “business” is going better with his mother working at the TB sanitarium, a local doctor is killed and his mom is blamed. With help from the shop owner, Hutch, and a child whose family all died of TB, Johnny attempts to investigate to save his mother and finds a terrible plot involving the doctors wife and a TB vaccine.

I really liked this book because it had a lot of action and I really like mysteries. It kept you wondering all the time who was really behind it all and I was reading it non stop to find out. I would recommend it to people who like suspense and action.

[Andrew Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading and enjoying Updale's Montmorency series when I found she'd written this, too. I think it's even better.

Johnny, the main character, perpetrates a bit of mail fraud after being a victim himself. He sends money for advice, which turns out to be a paper with an unfunny joke. But he is too ashamed to do anything about it. Then he figures adults might be, too, and since he needs some extra money, he finds he is good at writing ads and shoveling out more "advice."

All this eventually ties up with a murder mystery, and what I really like about this book is how Johnny's scheme isn't glossed over at the end--he sees how and why it's wrong--but it plays a part in catching the criminal and he's also earned forgiveness in a way, not just from the postmaster who half figures what he's using a post office box for, but from the reader.

I've read a lot of young adult literature that sweeps worse than what Johnny did under the rug, starring older characters and being meant for older readers, which leaves me groaning. Johnny Swanson throws in a lot of maturity with its playfulness and is a very quick read, too.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnny tries to think of a way to make money when the landlord raises the rent but he causes problems with his scheme. When the local doctor and his wife leave town, Johnny's mom is out of a job. When the doctor is found murdered Johnny's mom becomes the only suspect because of what others perceive of odd behavior. Now it is up to Johnny and Mr. Hutchinson to clear his mother.

I enjoyed this book. Johnny tries his best to help out but it does not work out as he planned. When his mother is accused of murder, no one will listen to him or believe in her innocence. Johnny has to deal with a lot of garbage. I like that it is set in the late 1920's. The period comes through very well. A lot was happening in the world that affected Johnny and his mother. I learned more about this period.

I figured out why the murder was committed but not who until it was explained at the end. The mystery kept my interest. The secondary characters were interesting. Some I disliked. Others I liked. I will be reading more of this author.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Updale's Montmorency books are truly some of my favorite juvenile historical literature, so I was really excited about this. And it is very good, an engrossing & well-written story: but it's very dark. Of course, dark things have happened aplenty in the Montmorency saga, but there is a fair amount of humor there, too. This book doesn't have any rest from sad & seemingly inescapable events happening to the main character, Johnny Swanson. Luckily, things do get straightened out at the end & it is an interesting mystery, but it kind of hurts to see what Johnny has to go through at the hands of his neighbors & former friends to get there. It's also interesting to see what a terrifying scourge tuberculosis was in the 1920's, & something kids may find interesting if weird to read about: the almost universal usage of the vaccine in America may have some kids wondering what TB is.

[Lisa]

Johnny Swanson is desperate to make some money. His paper route hardly pays enough to buy the weekly comics, but the rent his mother pays is being raised 3 shillings a week, and, in 1928, there aren’t that many jobs for an 11-year-old bullied little boy. After being tricked himself, Johnny places advertisements in the newspaper to fool people into sending money to him for worthless advise. One thing leads to another, and before long, Johnny turns amateur detective to help solve a murder and to get his mother out of terrible trouble. I really enjoyed this historical mystery. Johnny is a capable detective. The bits of history – WWI information, post office rules and a TB scare add to the realistic feel of this well written detective story. Look out Hardy Boys, Johnny Swanson is here!

Review also posted to Kiss the Book check it out at http://www.kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Michaela Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful tale. I wanted to read this book because Johnny, the hero, was born in my parents' era, and I thought it might give me an insight into their childhoods. Indeed, it did.

There was not really any new information that I had not been aware of before, but to see that era through the eyes of a child of the time was informative. It gave me a better idea of why my parents held some of the attitudes and approaches to life that they did.

The story is beautifully told, and things which might be difficult for a modern-day child to comprehend were explained. All of this without any loss of pace or excitement in the plot.

Some things never change, however, and the author captures well the way that children (and indeed adults) can be extremely cruel to anyone who does not conform to the norm.

Well worth a read.

[Arthur Pengerbil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Level: Grades 4-6

When 11-year-old Johnny, the very shortest boy in his class, steals money from his mother and answers an ad promising to give him the "secret to instant height", he is dismayed to receive a note advising him to "stand on a box." Angry and ashamed, Johnny begins his own mail order scam thus setting a series of events in motion which may lead to his own mother's death.


Other stories of questionable young entrepreneurs include:

The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald

The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron R. Hawkins and

The Beloved Dearly by Doug Cooney


For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.

[Barukisu (Balqis) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its something like The Mysterious Benedict Society but more thrilling involving murder and real public taunt. It started first as interesting story about a boy trying to help her mother raised their financial income through fraud adverts. However everything turn nasty when a murder of and old town doctor occur and his mother was charged with guilty. Its all down to Johnny now to prove that his mother was innocence and to find the real murderer. Who could have guess? Me not. But well, overall, its a very creative, I'd say worth reading story-book.

[Sarah Tilatitsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty good. I really love Eleanor Updale's books. They are soooo good. Anyway, the story of Johnny, his tricks, and the ingenous of stupid ads are carzy, but cool (in a way). I mean, thinking up of ads to trick people into giving money is funny! Still, it's wrong. Well, read and enjoy! ☺

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during the depression a kid trying to help his mother out by posting fake adds, “Want to get your baby to stop peeing the bed?” send in a penny and get the answer, “Have him sleep on a chair.”Also, tuberculosis is a part of the back drop. I lost interest ½ way through and did not finish it but it was not a bad book. Good for 3-5 grades.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative story about a boy whose family falls on hard times. To help make ends meet he starts swindling people by placing false advertisements in the newspaper. The book soon becomes a mystery when his mother is accused of murdering her employer. Johnny helps solve the case.

I thought it was a relatively good kids' book. Well written with a unique story line.