Customer Reviews

The 18th Emergency

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Betsy at her best: funny, original, perceptive, and sensitive. This book does a highly comendable job at teaching an admirable lesson, by focusing on the humorous idiosyncracies of her main character and the sympathetic plight he finds himself in rather than being preachy and heavy-handed, and slips the lesson in quietly and slyly at the end.

Apparently, however, not everyone catches Byars' perceptive humor, though this book is an amusement park of wonderful wit. If you don't find her funny, then it is probable that the story will not hold your attention. Most of the book stays inside of Mouse's (the protagonist) head, so if you aren't charmed by Mouse, then you will quickly lose interest.

My reaction was one of complete enthrallment in Mouse's perception of and grappling with his predicament. Byars draws the supporting cast and environment of her heroes with the familiarity and perspective of their ages. I frequently find myself laughing in recognition and remembrance of similar childhood perceptions and people. Her humor, also, runs freely and easily and frequently and compellingly.

Don't let this author pass you by. The 18th Emergency is a wonderful introduction to her, and a must for familiar fans!

I don't know why everyone thinks this book is predictable! When i read this book for the first time as a kid, i thought either Benji would either find some way to make things right with Hammerman (so he wouldn't fight), or teachers (or other adults) would find out about the cloud of Marv hanging over Benji's head and stop Hammerman. The fact that there WAS a fight still surprises me.

I think the suthor has a great way of writing children's books-she doesn't talk down to kids, but she relates Mouse's thoughts and feelings in the way a child can relate to. Also, i like how it gives a good perspective on urban life.

If anything, i don't like how disinterested Benji's mother was, but sadly many parents just don't take enough time for their kids

I purchased & read this book in middle high school, attracted by the promise of trying to figure out how to deal with bullies. Yes, there were a few funny bits, but it never really "worked" for me -- never engaged my attention. (Didn't have much helpful to say about bullies, either.) The tone and scenery struck me as dismal, Mouse's life seemed pretty pointless and depressing. I re-read it several times, thinking I must be missing something, or needed to give it more of a chance. Nope. Anyway, just fossilized point of view from a kid who read it back when it was new.

ISBN 0140314512 - Previous reviews indicate that everyone thinks the story is predictable, and I have an issue with that. One problem is that I've never read a kids' book that wasn't predictable; second, I find it surprising that people think the way Benjie goes about handling his problem was really all that predictable!

Benjie, aka Mouse, likes to write funny notes with arrows pointing to things. On a crack in the wall of his apartment building he wrote "To open building, tear along this line" and, on a picture of a Neanderthal man, he wrote the name of the school bully. Now he's running for his life, certain that Marv Hammerman will kill him when he catches him! Benjie and his friend, Ezzie, once created a list of emergencies and solutions but none of that prepared him for this emergency. Boa constrictors and gorillas, maybe, but not Hammerman.

In the end, Benjie learns a little about honor and realizes that even bullies have feelings that can be hurt. What he does to make right what he's done wrong takes all the courage he's got. Really not as awful as other reviewers would have you believe - the worst of the book is Benjie's mother's apparent lack of interest in her son, but even that is something most kids can relate to on some level.

- AnnaLovesBooks

This book is some type of suspense book and I think that everyone should read it. It isn't a really good book but it is good enough. After the first 10 pages, you still have your interest in the book so I recommend that you read the book.

I did a book report on this book every year from 3rd grade to 8th grade. It was also an ABC Afterschool Special in the 70s, featuring that kid who always had a stuffy nose.

This story is about a boy who loves making little notes onthings. One day he writes a note on a science poster about ealyman. He puts the name of the school bully with an arrow pointing to the neanderthal man. The school bully was right behind him and saw him write it! He runs from the bully throughout the story and... well you can find out for yourself. END

I recently read this book, and it is a good story. The plot is very simple, therefore the author, Betsy Byars, has to ramble on about unneeded information and go on into different boring things. It has an interesting twist with the different emergencies Mouse's friend had made up, but besides that and the always exciting plot of a typical nerd being chased by a huge, dumb bully the book is just okay.

The 18th Emergency had bold and interesting characters. I liked how the author expressed the characteristic traits through metaphors and simlies. The author also did a nice job relateing the charaters to a real life. The problem with the book was it was to predictable and not as exciting as I hoped it would be.

One of the worst children's books I've ever read. Used for reading material in a year 5-6 class, it was predictable and dull. I would not recommend it to anyone - young or old - kids have more brains. The very obvious moral is not supported by any humor or interesting writing.