The War with Grandpa

by Robert Kimmel Smith

Peter thinks the only way he can reclaim his room is by declaring war on his grandfather."Captures the anger and frustration that accompanies a child's inability to control his life."-- "School Library Journal."

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, William Allen White Award, Tennessee Children's Choice Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, An IRA-CBC Children's Choice, Mark Twain Award, Young Hoosier Award, South Carolina Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award, Georgia Children's Book Award.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Family

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Robert Kimmel Smith began dreaming of becoming a writer at the age of eight, when he spent three months in bed reading while recovering from rheumatic fever. He enrolled in Brooklyn College in 1947, and served in the U.S. Army, in Germany, from 1951-1953. In 1954 he married Claire Medney, his editor and literary agent. They have two children: Heidi (1962) and Roger (1967). After writing advertising copy from 1957 to 1969, Robert Kimmel Smith became a full-time writer in 1970.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 1 out of 5]

Editor: We're looking for a new book idea that handles an issue kids deal with often.
Author: Ok, ...how about living with grandparents or having a grandparent live with them?
Editor: Yes! I like it. Let's explore the concept of a grandparent moving in with the family. It has to be moving, powerful and really push a strong moral agenda.
Author: Sure. Ok, I'll have the main character be excited when the parents make the announcement that the grandfather will be moving in with them. Realizing how much he loves his grandpa and knowing how old he is, the main character will offer up his bedroom and try to plan all kinds of things to make the grandpa feel welcome. I'll have the two become even closer friends at the end because of this experience.
Editor: Uh, that's not what we had in mind. We were thinking powerful, as in ... different, controversial. Like having the grandchild NOT WANT his grandpa to move in with him. You know, depict the darker side that parents try to tame or remove. Kids know it's there; they often want to be bad, so lets give them a character they can relate to. Commiserate with. We'll even spark some ideas into them of what reactions they could have if this were them.
Author: So you want me to write about a kid that DOES NOT want his grandpa living with him, but fights with him and does all kinds of mean stuff to him?
Editor: Yeah!
Author: Won't the parents get upset and not buy the book?
Editor: No, we'll just make it funny at moments and at the end, they'll stop fighting and the grandpa can say that it was really fun. It'll be fine.
Author: Well ok, you pay the bills.

Cleanliness: a boy lies to his parents. Someone is called "birdbrain" and "idiot." A man buys cigars. "By God" and "heck" are said. A girl throws a tantrum, throwing herself on the ground. A boy is upset when he finds out his grandpa is moving in with them. He does not wish to give up his room and declares war on his grandfather by taking his things, hiding them and causing all kinds of heartache and hurt.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

Visit my website!

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, nice to read a book written in 1984!
Cell phones, social media, and the Internet are great inventions. But, sometimes it’s really nice to read a book without all those things, too.
A funny, easy read, about a ten-year-old boy learning that sometimes, you can’t have everything your way. And that changes can actually be good, not frightening and depressing.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story. Feels like an old-school sitcom or a Disney Channel Original Movie.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. It's about a ten-year-old boy who has a grandpa who is coming to live with them. He is coming because his wife just died. So, in other words, the boy's grandmother has died. Toby is happy about his grandfather coming, but there is a downside. Grandpa has a bad leg, and cannot live in the attic, which is the guest room. Grandpa has to sleep is HIS ROOM. The boy is very angry and declars war on his grandpa. They play mean tricks on each other. Will the war end? Will the grandfather give up the room? To answer these questions, you should read this book.

[Dumitru Moraru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cum te-ai simți dacă ai fi obligat să cedezi camera ta cuiva? Evident, ai fi supărat, la fel și eu. Cartea este o poveste despre un băiat care-și iubește bunicul foarte mult, dar duce un război cu el pentru a-și căpăta camera lui înapoi. Bunicul e chinuit de singurătate, depresie, suferă mult după moartea soției. Își vinde casa și se mută definitiv la nepot. La început, nu se va lăsa provocat de nepoțel, dar mai târziu își va arăta mușchii. Ce se va întâmpla până la urmă: se va deteriora relația lor sau vor găsi o soluție? Finalul e suprinzător. E o carte drăguță și ușor de citit. Mi-au plăcut cuvintele bunicului: războaiele sunt provocate de lipsa de comunicare. Așa e, războaiele dintre conducători de țară, dintre prieteni, dintre părinți...

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate this book!!!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce carte amuzantă. ;))
Bine, din prisma unui puști cred că e genială, așa dpmdv, e simpatică. (Abia aștept să o citească și fimiu, parca îl și văd... cum va lupta pentru orice lucru pe care și-l dorește 😂).
Este o carte scrisă din perspectiva unui puști de 10 ani, supărat că o dată cu venirea bunicului în casa lor, își pierde camera. Porneste astfel un război cu bunicul, pentru a-l face sa-i cedeze înapoi locul sau preferat. Mi s-a parut tare dulce modul în care bunicul a gestionat problema. Farsele pe care și le fac unul altuia sunt nevinovate, dar atât de haioase. ;))
Cartea are și morală, ceea ce pentru un copil este foarte important. Cred ca este o carte potrivita atât pentru copii cât si pentru adulți.
Îi dau 4 stele și recunosc, mi-a plăcut. 😂😂😂

[Christa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another grade school assignment. Couldn't relate to the characters.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

the war with grandpa is about when peter's grandpa moves into his house he has to live upstairs. this book is funny and serious at the same time.

[Emily Clayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is titled "The War With Grandpa". The Author is Robert Kimmel Smith. The main characters are Grandpa and Pete. In this book Grandpa is getting pretty old and Grandma just died, so Grandpa needs a place to live so he comes to live with Pete's family. Pete is thrilled that Grandpa is coming to live with his family, that is until Grandpa moves right into his room, forcing Pete upstairs. So Pete declares war. Pete gets the help of his friends to make grandpa "surrender" the room. But what Pete doesn't know is that Grandpa is tougher than he looks. Rather than give in to Pete, Grandpa plans to get even. This whole books setting is at Pete's home. There is a little that takes place at school but other than that all of it is at his house.
The character I decided to talk about is Pete. Pete is very nice and excited for his grandpa to come to live with them. Pete is a good kid and he gets good grades and does not have a lot of mischief in him. but that all is going to change. During the book: Grandpa arrives and Pete is still so excited, That is until Pete finds out that Grandpa is staying in his room. Throughout the book Pete (after he declares war) he scares his grandpa, his grandpa scares him. He stole his grandpas clothes and shoes and socks and all sorts of other stuff. He also puts his little sisters pink shirts in with his grandpas white laundry, which turns all of his clothes pink. At the end of the book Pete is a lot nicer to his grandpa because Grandpa gives him his room back. Pete and Grandpa make up and are best friends again. So now Pete is back to his old self and it all works out okay.
I liked this book because it is very fun to read and it has a lot of drama. It is a funny book and has a lot of humor. I love how him and his grandpa fight. And how funny the fights are. But my favorite part is when they end up being friends in the end. I love that part because if has a lot of love. I really liked this book and I would totally recommend it to anyone I know!

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is only moderately well written (it's supposed to be written by a ten year old, so that's acceptable, even if it is annoying) and it's bit dated.[return]My fifth graders hated it last year; it was the least popular book the LA class did.[return][return]SPOILER ALERT[return]SPOILER ALERT[return]SPOILER ALERT[return]I like that Peter learns that war is a bad thing as is peer pressure, but, unfortunately, the BIG lesson he learned (and the audience learns) was that if you whine enough and do enough horrible things, you'll always get your way. The ending of this REALLY angered me. [return]END SPOILER ALERT

[D'ale lui Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

#recomandare
#cartipentrucopii
#vârsta 8-14 ani

Război cu bunicul-Robert Kimmel Smith

Dacă sunteți în căutarea unei cărți amuzante și scurte, atunci acest volum este recomandarea perfectă, cu toate că la sfârșitul ei o să vă doriți să fie puțin mai lungă...dar asta este altă poveste, nu?

Sora lui Peter, Jennifer, cea care îi place cel mai mult pe lumea asta să afle un secret, cu toate că nu se pricepe deloc să-l și păstreze, îl anunță pe Peter că bunicul Jack o să mute din Florida cu ei acasă
Rămas singur după moartea soției, Jack pare că nu-și mai revine din tristețea instaurată de câteva luni de zile, iar soluția a fost să-și vândă casa și să se mute la fiica sa.
Cum are probleme cu un picior, singura cameră în care ar putea să se mute este camera lui Peter, iar Peter să se mute la mansardă.
✍️Camera asta e a mea. O ador. Aici îmi e locul. Și nu vreau să mă mut niciodată altundeva ".

Decizia fusese luată de părinți, iar Peter mutat la mansardă cu toate obiecțiile și obiectele lui, deoarece "bunicul Jack nu trebuie să afle niciodată asta. Altfel se va simți îngrozitor. "

Și îngrozitor s-a simțit și Peter, trădat de familie, incomod în noua cameră, nu putea să doarmă, i se părea înfricoșător, se panica etc. Nici bunicul nu era bine..
✍️...o să mă odihnesc puțin , zicea bunicul.." Uneori stătea degeaba în sufragerie. Și asta era tot ce făcea, stătea. Pur și simplu se holba în gol, nici măcar nu-și lua o revistă sau să se uite la televizor. "

Furia lui Pete este alimentată de cei doi prieteni ai săi, Steve și Billy "bunicul tău este un hot de camere si nu e deloc corect; "ești așa un fraier" ..."Să te lupti, să-ți aperi drepturile "...ce ești tu, un preș de călcat în picioare?...așa că se hotărăște să-i declare război, scriindu-i o scrisoare:

✍️Declarație de război!!!
Ai furat ceva ce îmi aparținea. Mi-ai luat camera și o vreau înapoi. Aceasta este o avertizare. Ai la dispoziție 24h ca sa-mi înapoiezi ce îmi aparține. În caz contrar,va începe războiul.
Semnat:Războinicul anonim
P.s Războiul ăsta e între mine și tine. Nu le spune părinților mei sau nu mai vorbesc cu tine niciodată.

Dacă la început bunicul a fost impasibil, se purta ca si cum nu s-ar fi întâmplat nimic, Peter nu s-a dat bătut, a făcut o nouă scrisoare ce a lăsat-o la 3 dimineața să fie descoperită de bunic, când i-a setat alarma de la ceas să sune.

✍️Cei care fură camerele altora n-ar trebui să doarmă bine noaptea. Predă camera, iar razboiul se va sfârși.
Războinicul anonim. "

Bineînțeles că bunicul nu a fost încântat de ce a făcut Peter, iar războiului continuă.

✍️Singurul moment în care trebuie să declari război este când cineva te ataca
Atunci și numai atunci ai dreptul sa te aperi. Ai înțeles?
✍️Cu războiului nu-i de glumă, Petey, a zis el. Numai copiii, proștii și generalii cred asta.
✍️Războiul doare, a spus bunicul. Rănile se război și omorurile provoacă suferință. Doar un prost vrea să înceapă războiul.

După ce-i fură papucii bunicului, îi lasă un mesaj, dar bunicul este hotarat sa riposteze si el și îi sustrage cartoanele și piesele jocului Monopol, ca prizoniere de război lăsându-i următorul mesaj:

✍️Jocul ăsta se poate juca în doi. Dar tu nu-l poți juca pe cel din fața ta.

Semnat :Bătrânul "

✍️-Va trebui să-mi iau revanșa pentru asta, am spus eu. Războinicul Anonim va lovi din nou.
-Știu asta, a spus bunicul, rânjind. Asta e farmecul. Nu puteam să cred că a spus asta "

Și războiul dintre cei doi nu s-a oprit aici, dar simt că dezvălui prea mult din această carte și înlătur bucuria descoperii acțiunii sau cursului cărții.

Aș vrea doar să mai menționez câteva pasaje dragi sufletului meu.

✍️Poate ca așa încep războaiele de obicei și asa continuă, am zis eu. Inamicul îți face ceva rău, asa că tu îi faci ceva și mai rău. Apoi el se razbună, te razbuni și tu și toată chestia devine din ce în ce mai amplă și din ce în ce mai urâtă, iar la sfârșit cineva aruncă o bombă. Nu cumva așa merg lucrurile?

✍️Eu sunt adultul aici. Trebuia să mă port ca atare. Dar știi ceva? Mi-a plăcut. A fost destul de distractiv. Și cred ca aveam nevoie de ceva ca să trec peste tristețea mea.

✍️Doar pentru că faci pe cineva să tacă nu înseamnă că el nu mai suferă.
.................................................................
Și asta provoacă multe razboaie, Pete: lipsa de comunicare.

✍️Apoi am început sa ma gândesc și la alte chestii. La faptul ca n-ar trebui să faci întotdeauna ce îți spun prietenii tai să faci. Nu ei îți trăiesc viata, tu o faci. Și tu trebuie sa hotărăști ce e bine și rău.

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 2 out of 5]

OLD SCHOOL MEETS NEW COOL

Full disclosure: I grabbed this book after I couldn't stop thinking about the My Brother, My Brother, And Me podcast's "War With Grandpa Watch" episode that was a full hour of them dissecting the absurdity of the movie coming out in cinemas in the midst of a global pandemic. Will "War With Grandpa" save cinema? Probably not. The more they delved into how absurd the movie was, the more I wondered just... what was this movie. Wait, it was based on a book? Wait, that book is getting a sequel?

I had to read it. I was in too deep.

The book is framed as being an essay of sorts that the main character, Peter Stokes, wrote. He was asked to write something "real and true" so he decides to write about the war he had with his grandpa. Grandpa Jack, after his wife dies of emphysema, falls into a deep depression. He's so depressed, in fact, he decides to sell his house and move back in with his family so he's at least around other people. The problem is that his leg is extremely arthritic after an accident on a construction site that forced him into retirement. So, he's going to move into Peter's room on the second floor rather than the guest room on the third floor. You know, because walking up two flights of stairs with a bad knee is difficult. Only Peter isn't having it. No, not at all.

Peter, you see, has always lived in his room. The room is HIS, which he reminds us with repeated mentions of it as "MINE" in all caps throughout the book. He won't stand for sleeping in the creepy cramped third floor room, no way. So he decides to wage war on his grandpa rather than succumb to his fate. This war includes more notes than the Opera Ghost sends in Phantom of the Opera, the stealing of slippers, the setting of alarm clocks at weird hours, and repeated threats. Grandpa Jack, of course, ends up engaging. He steals Monopoly pieces, creates treasure hunts for basic necessities to make Peter late for school. In one instance, he even hits the kid.

Wait, what?

That's right. At once point Grandpa Jack gives Peter a good smacking after telling him how spoiled a child he is and that he doesn't really understand the nature of war. When asked why he did it, and informed that it hurts, Grandpa Jack replies that "War Hurts." He later even mentions how funny it was to do.

A bit awkward, to say the least.

The war manages to bring Grandpa out of his depression, and eventually results in the family actually talking about what to do about the room situation... but all in all it was a bit odd. Peter was horrifically selfish, but Grandpa Jack wasn't exactly innocent considering he hit the kid. What an odd kid's book.

I wonder if the movie will keep that scene in it...

[BookLionQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

This is a very cute children's book. excited to see the movie when it comes out.

[Mermaid · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I am putting down this promise in black and white so I don’t ever forget it. When I grow up and have a kid I will never make him do anything he really does not want to.."
Robert Kimmel Smith, The War with Grandpa

Peter likes his room. The way things are placed and organized is perfect and he sees no room for change and when his parents inform him that his grandfather will be moving in and taking up his beloved sanctuary Peter is livid!  How can he go from living in one bedroom to living in another? A room that is located all the way upstairs?! His grandfather is the one moving in so why is Peter the one moving out?


   I think what the author did really well was convey the emotions of Peter while making sure that Peter did have some valid points. When someone is moving into a household (not just a room) I feel that the decision should be discussed as a family and not told the week before what is taking place. Even though Peter is too young to make a decision of this magnitude and his parents should ultimately do what they feel should be done his feelings are still valid and he should have been given time to take in his new living arrangements. However, I dont think he realized what a brat he truly was! He was contradicting himself all the time. He wrote about how he did hold a grudge and when his mother tells him to do1 something he does it and doesn't whine until he gets his way like his younger sister does. My biggest issue with Peter is that in the end he ended up getting his way without feeling an ounce of guilt or understanding of the words empathy or sacrifice.


  I will say that the talk Peters dad gave him the night he moved into the guest bedroom was well done. I think by telling Peter that he shouldn't make his grandfather feel like an intruder it was his way of explaining that his grandfather was experiencing the loss of his wife harder than expected. It was a warning that Peter didn't hear!


All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone simply because I don't agree with the ending or how things were handled by the adults in the household. I could feel my brain cells depleting as I read this book.

[Julie Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War with Grandpa is the story of a young boy whose grandfather has to move into his home. Under normal circumstances, this would be great, but unfortunately, Grandpa has to take Peter’s room! Peter is forced into the scariest room of the house, and this causes a prank war between the two.

I enjoy reading this book with my fourth graders at the beginning of the school year as they also write their own narratives. The novel is written as if an assignment for Peter’s teacher and is useful as a mentor text for my students as they do their own writing. There are plenty of examples of quotations and descriptive language to point out along the way, and there are silly pranks that keep the students laughing! The War with Grandpa will be a book I read with my classes for years to come!

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Peter is kinda a brat, and Grandpa lets him get away with it. Also I feel like there is no good message for kids in this book. Yes, it's nice that Peter ends the war because he loves his Grandpa, but it really bothers me that he gets just what he wanted by being stubborn and awful. Change is a part of life, kids will not be able to stay in their childhood bedrooms forever, but this book shows them that they should never accept a change and they don't have to move on - they can just wage a war and get what they want.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book written in 1984 (36 years ago!), the message is still applicable today. The book was awarded ten state reading awards and is still a recommended book for juvenile readers - in my opinion, adults could also learn a few lessons by reading it also. The main character, Peter, must learn to share and adjust to changes when his grandpa comes to live with them. By the end of the story, Peter, and the reader learn much about conflicts, solutions, love and human dignity. Very good!

[~just one hopeless romantic~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I’m rating this book five stars because of the “knock the heck out of ya” plot. I like the characters and the details and of course, the humor. I watched the movie 🎥 The War With Grandpa, and it was absolutely NOTHING like the book. First of all, Peter only has one sister named Jenny, and not two sisters. Second of all Peter is in 5th grade not 6th grade. And lastly, there were not much scenes from the book that got put into the movie. Anyways, this book was really short and I read it in like an hour. I loved it though.

[Zoë B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a horrible book. Fighting about a room? Get real people! Peter was a major brat and his grandpa let him getting away. I hope that this will not be recamended to anyone in my family. It was a boring to read. I want to never read it again. I want to never see it again. I do not get the whole point of fighting over a dum boring room the had no meaning. In conclution I think this was a dum book.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lame book,but I read it for a school assignment.

[Josephine (biblioseph) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fun enough when I read it, but it's really a book for younger kids.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really remember this book. I read it in 4th grade. So i'm jusst giving it a 4.

[Maddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun, funny and interesting. Not much realistic in it but teaches you a lesson. It is fine for a school picked book.

[Wesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

there was very short chapters and confusing.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a very long time ago for school. I remember loving it. It was so funny & impacting at the same time. It was a great read for a 10 year old & I really enjoyed it.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't say I really cared for this book.

[Lindsey Spoon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had 2 4 school

[Rochi Peyrano · Rating 1 out of 5]

disgusting

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.