The Blue Man [Paperback]

Kin Platt (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Scholastic (June 1972)
• ISBN-10: 9990371482
• ISBN-13: 978-9990371482
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,795,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful characters and a twisted trail, November 3, 1998

By 

Sean T. Dwyer (St. Cloud, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blue Man (Paperback)

The quirky title caught my eye when I was nine years old; I pulled the book off my school library's shelf, sat at a table and read nonstop for an hour. This was my first experience with science fiction, and perhaps my first experience with a truly exciting story.

Steve Forrester, a teen who is trying to find himself, goes to spend the summer at his uncle's hotel. The first guest he registers is bundled up in an overcoat and gloves despite the heat. When Steve takes the man his towels, he learns why: the man's body is cobalt blue, from at least the waist up. Stunned, Steve frets about whether he should tell his uncle and aunt about their guest. The blue man makes up Steve's mind for him the next morning; instead of checking out, the blue man kills Steve's uncle and escapes.

Steve climbs into his uncle's Hudson Hornet and gives chase. Over the course of the next couple of days, he learns that he is suspected of his uncle's murder. Now, as he chases the blue man, the state police are chasing him. A sensible girl gives Steve temporary shelter, but he knows he can't rest until he captures the blue man. At last they meet in New York City, in an exciting confrontation that answers the question of how the man came to be blue.

This juvenile novel, a precursor to Mr. Platt's stellar "Sinbad" books, starts with a memorable paragraph and proceeds through a plot as twisty as a luge ride with an equally brisk pace. There is no good moment to put the book down; fortunately, an average reader can finish the novel in a reasonable time.

When the book was published in the 1960s, America's librarians warned that the characters spoke in ungrammatical English. In other words, Steve and his cohorts sound natural, real. This book was ahead of its time as juvenile mysteries go; Mr. Platt did not concoct a '50s-style sedate story. It has guts, a raw, lively structure that does not shield its intended audience from reality. As such, Mr. Platt deserves praise for being willing not to treat his audience with condescension, and the book makes as good a read for adults as it does for nine-year-old boys who are lucky enough to discover it at the library.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Blue Man is back!, May 21, 2005

By 

Blue Man Fan (Gary, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blue Man (Paperback)

This great book has been out of print too long. Fans will be glad to know The Blue Man will be back in print, in hardcover, from Two Lakes Press this summer. You can get info at their site, and they are looking forward to featuring the book here on Amazon.com. Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me love books, December 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Blue Man (Paperback)

My fifth grade teacher read this book to the class twenty six years ago and I have never forgoton how I couldnt wait everyday for him to read it. This book made me want to read more. I am buying for my sixth grade son hopeing it will do the same for him.