The Computer Nut [Paperback]

Betsy Byars (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Ten-year-old Kate begins a communication exchange on a computer with someone purporting to be from outer space, who says he is going to pay a visit to Earth soon.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 5, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140320865
• ISBN-13: 978-0140320862
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,189,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Byars, Betsy

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

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for Children under 10, October 20, 2004

By 

CTRC "activenavychief" (Fort Meade, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Computer Nut (Paperback)

While this book is fantasy and a good read, my wife and I pre-read the book due to it being assigned by our sons elementary school. He is 9 and in the 4th grade. I wasn't ready for him to be exposed to some of the underlying issues in the book. First, THE BOOK STATES that the tale of Santa Claus is a lie. So if you aren't ready for your kid to stop believing. Skip this book. The book is also based on someone that the children meet online by themselves. While it is funny to me as an adult, there are concerns about children surfing the net meeting very bad people who will try to convince them to come meet them just like the "Alien" does in this book. So if you are going to by a book for a young child to read on there own, buy something else.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny and boring, October 7, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Computer Nut (Paperback)

I thought the book was okay. Some parts were boring. Some parts were funny. The parts BB-9 was not in the picture were the boring parts. If you are one of those people who can wade through boring parts, this is the right book for you!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Computer Nut, March 31, 2003

By 

Yvonne Furniss (Lonoke, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Computer Nut (Hardcover)

The Computer Nut by Betsy Byars was funny and interesting, becuase Kate told jokes in the book. The charater BB-9 was funny too. Kate met BB-9 on her dads office computer when she was drawing a self-portrait for fun. I think, the author wrote this book for people who are into Fantasy. BB-9 was a robot that come down from a weird sounding planet. I give this book three stars becuase, the character BB-9 talked way diffrent from people from earth and, he acted weird so, that made it difficult to understand.