The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown [Mass Market Paperback]

Betsy Byars (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Bingo Brown

When Bingo has to keep a notebook for school, all he can come up with are questions. Like how could I fall in love with three girls in three minutes? But not even his teacher, Mr. Mark, has the answers. In fact Mr. Mark has been acting pretty weird lately, and he's getting weirder. Is there more wrong with Mr. Mark than Bingo can handle?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Whether experimenting with styling mousse or engaging in "t-shirt wars" with the class Rambo, the irrepressible Bingo faces life with considerable panache. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7 In the tradition of Cracker Jackson (Viking, 1985), Byars has created another humorous and poignant novel in which the main character is on the cusp. About to leave the comfort and security of childhood behind, sixth-grade Bingo Brown realizes that the coming years will be full of doubts and uncertainties. These he records as ``Burning Questions'' in his school journal. Bingo's concerns are far-ranging: how he fell in love three times during English class; how long it will be before the class Rambo, of whom he is terrified, discovers that he is moving next door to Bingo; and foremost, what exactly is wrong with his favorite teacher? Mr. Markham gives strange writing assignments, and the latest, to convince someone not to commit suicide, is disturbing. When Mr. Markham is involved in a motorcycle accident without his helmet, Bingo suspects a suicide attempt; the love of his parents and teachers help him to realize that Mr. Markham betrayed his students' trust and that Bingo's class, no matter how unconvincing their letters, is not responsible for his accident. Byars' accurate characterizations, developed through believable dialogue and fresh language, give this tremendous child appeal and read-aloud potential. Although Mr. Markham is somewhat of a mystery and therefore may command too much of readers' attention, and Byars' light handling of a serious subject may disturb some adults, there is no doubt that she has created another memorable and immensely likable hero who is learning how to appreciate and help himself when life threatens to be a ``personalized tornado.'' Ellen Fader, Westport Public Library, Conn.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (May 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140324798
• ISBN-13: 978-0140324792
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,576,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betsy Byars began her writing career rather late in life First, she married and started a family. The writing career didn't emerge until she was 28, a mother of two children, and living in a small place she called the barracks apartment, in Urbana, Illinois. She and her husband, Ed, had moved there in 1956 so he could attend graduate school at the University of Illinois. She was bored, had no friends, and so turned to writing to fill her time. Byars started writing articles for The Saturday Evening Post, Look,and other magazines. As her family grew and her children started to read, she began to write books for young people and, fortunately for her readers, discovered that there was more to being a writer than sitting in front of a typewriter. "Once a wanderer came by my house and showed me how to brush my teeth with a cherry twig; that went in The House of WingsThe Summer of the Swans." Since that time, Byars has written more than 45 books for young readers and has won numerous awards, including The American Book Award, which she received in 1981 for The Night Swimmers. The humor, compassion, and insight Byars brings to each of her books won her a large audience of admirers both in the United States and abroad. Six of her novels were presented on national television, and her books are translated into nine languages. Six of Byars' novels have been named ALA Notable Books, and in 1971, The Summer of the Swans -- a story about a 14-year-old girl and her mentally retarded brother -- won the Newbery Award as the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the year of its publication. Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 7, 1928. Unlike many of the characters in her books, Byars grew up in a normal, loving family. Her father was an engineer and worked as a bookkeeper in a cotton mill. He was stern and hardworking and had a strong sense of humor. Her mother was a lively woman who loved acting and music. Byars's sister, Nancy, two years older, was sometimes an inspiration and sometimes an evil nemesis. Byars has always been adventurous and never allows a few setbacks to prevent her from doing things she wants to experience, like petting a blacksnake and flying planes. The snake was named Moon and became the subject of her 1991 autobiography, The Moon and I. Betsy Byars and her husband live on an air strip in South Carolina, and have traveled widely throughout the United States in pursuit of their interest in gliding and antique airplanes. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have a schoolgirl crush on Bingo Brown, February 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown (Mass Market Paperback)

Bingo writes that he falls in love with three girls in one day! That gets me. Better yet: he falls in love with one (Melissa, by far the most charismatic of the three) because in an assignment she says she wants to be a scientist by day and a rock star by night. I don't know about you, but that gives me new career aspirations. I love everything Bingo does. He wears a "Mozart Rocks" shirt. He gets freaked out by the neighbor's misty eyed poodle. He misconstrues his mother's sarcasm and starts a schoolwide rebellion. He writes many, many burning questions. This is a witty, emotional book, the best of the Bingo Brown series. Read it to a kid, or just read it for a fun, light read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's no one else like Bingo Brown!, September 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book more than 10 years ago in elementary school. It was such a memorable experience that I bought a copy of it recently. Its quite charming - funny and serious at times. Bingo Brown reminds me of one of those kids from the Francois Traffaut film Argent de poche (Small Change). I would recommend it for 4th-6th graders and to those grown-ups who remember that they were children first.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bingo Brown battles censorship and oppression, November 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown (Mass Market Paperback)

Bingo Brown is an ordinary kid who tackles The Man and battles censorship in this action packed laugh-a-minute snap of a read