From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 - This episodic tale vividly conveys life in a small California town during the 1950s. The main characters are 12-year-old Paolo, his 6-year-old brother, and their cousin Billy, who is deaf. After their dog shows up with a half-eaten 20-dollar bill, the boys scour Orange Grove City in an attempt to track the source of the money, eventually discovering that funds from the Catholic church collection have gone missing. Paolo is a keen narrator, as he describes characters (the kindly and wise Monsignor, a rich boy who's a bit of a jerk, the girls who are more interested in boys than the boys are in them) and events (his first driving lesson, the first car wash ever done to raise money, rescuing Billy from almost drowning). Above all else, his voice comes across with originality and verve: "I have a reputation of stretching things toward the interesting, but only as to make my point, so you'll understand that if this isn't exactly the whole truth, it
is as close as you want it to be." A list of who's who at the beginning of the book helps readers keep track of Paolo's huge family. Fans of Kristine L. Franklin's
Grape Thief (Candlewick, 2003) will find in Paolo another bright boy determined to solve the abundant mysteries of his world. Smith's mastery of language makes this novel a read-aloud, laugh-out-loud hit.
- Carol A. Edwards, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gr. 5-8. Set in the small town of Orange Grove City, California, in 1951, this episodic tale involves 12-year-old Paolo, his younger brother, and their deaf cousin, Billy, who together set off to solve a mystery that begins when their dog, Rufus, shows up with a half-eaten $20 bill. Thinking the money may have come from a buried treasure, the boys eventually discover that the bill belongs to the local Roman Catholic church. In the course of their sleuthing, the boys learn surprising things about themselves, their families, and their neighbors. Narrator Paolo has an appealingly distinctive voice and a keen eye for observing people, and the supporting characters are equally memorable, including the kind and wise monsignor and an obnoxious rich boy. Middle-school readers should enjoy this engaging, frequently funny coming-of-age story.
Ed SullivanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
