Customer Reviews

Donuthead

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No worries! This book is wonderful. It's a funny and winsome story about an anxiety-ridden boy named Franklin Delano Donuthead. FDD spends his days calculating the statistical likelihood of (most likely to be fatal) accidents, while planning to avoid as many as possible, before he meets a girl named Sarah and must risk coming out of his hard, protective shell. An author to watch, able to treat serious issues in a humorous way, while still getting across their seriousness. Perfect for 4th-7th graders.

Franklin Delano Donuthead has a problem or two --- his name, for starters. He also worries constantly about his own health and safety. One side of his body is growing faster than the other. It's less than an inch, yet Franklin measures every day. He memorizes the probabilities of his death in different ways --- car accidents, drowning, etc. --- and is on first-name terms with Gloria, the chief statistician for the National Safety Department. He calls her frequently.

Franklin's concerns never stop: he stresses over girls and ponders the possibility of his mother finding a husband. She points out that she is hampered by his habit of interviewing her dates and handing them medical questionnaires.

New kid Sarah Kervick slouches into Franklin's ordered and hygienic world. She doesn't brush her hair, has a few brown teeth, and doesn't bother to wear warm clothes or mask her attitude. He hasn't known Sarah ten minutes before she's socking the school bully. Franklin's teacher assigns him to help Sarah adjust to her new school. Soon, Sarah and Franklin's mother become friends, and his mom even hires Sarah to help teach Franklin to play baseball.

Before Franklin can say "please wash your hands before touching me," he is involved with "rude, law-breaking and violent" Sarah. He is disgusted with this state of affairs. However, Franklin soon discovers a hidden side to Sarah. Her dreams, abilities and home life challenge his opinion of her. Sarah's life makes him view his own problems in a new light.

Franklin tells his story so humorously that his self-centeredness is quirky rather than obnoxious. The comic tone is balanced by a few surprisingly sad moments. The conclusion, demonstrating how Franklin has changed, is hilarious yet sweet.

Anyone hungry for a helping of belly laughs plus a tender side dish of unexpected friendship should find DONUTHEAD a tasty read.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (...)

Is there any sight more thrilling to the human heart than when one witnesses the start of a writer who will someday be regarded as one of the greats? Sue Stauffacher, as of this review, hasn't that many children's books to her name. This in no way reflects badly on Sue. She's at the beginning of her authorial career and is already wowing audiences left and right with her witty/heartfelt tales. My mother, a bookstore employee in Southwest Michigan (much like the author), turned me onto one of Ms. Stauffacher's first tales by simply quoting the first lines in the book. "My name, if you must know, is Franklin Delano Donuthead. Try saying that in a room full of fifth graders if you think names will never hurt you". And we're off!

Yes, true enough our hero has the unfortunate moniker, Donuthead. It's a family name. Apparently when one of his ancestors emigrated to America, the otherwise respectable title Donotscked was changed to Donuthead. This might be seen as unfortunate, but if Franklin's ancestor was anything like his latest descendent then he probably deserved the change. You see, Franklin likes his life to be orderly to the point of madness. His number one goal in life is to not die. So far, he's done rather well. He makes sure that his mother buys only organic foods (berating her sharply if jellybeans somehow make an appearance on the grocery list). He engages in no sports and he regularly calls the chief statistician for the National Safety Department in Washington (a Ms. Gloria Nelots) for advice. Then, one day, Franklin's matter-of-fact existence runs smack dab into Sarah Kervick. Sarah's dirty (quote Donuthead, "I'd never seen a finer host for parasites... In less than thirty seconds, she would be sitting close enough for her fleas to change their address), gets in trouble all the time, and can't read. But Sarah, unlike Franklin, is privy to a host of fabulous hopes and dreams. And without meaning to, without WANTING to, Franklin finds that if the statistic that states that people who have friends live longer is true, he may soon be set for life.

Stauffacher walks a fine line throughout this book. It might be very easy to interpret the character of Donuthead as someone suffering from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). The fact that the kid has to sing the happy birthday song three times when he washes his hands, and must start over again if she looses track of the song, is evidence enough. But this isn't a story about OCD. Franklin's supposed to be funny, so we must assume that his peculiar tendencies are self-inflicted and not the result of some kind of disorder. This is not, suffice it to say, "As Good As It Gets" for kids. And Donuthead is funny. He talks like a forty-year-old British accountant and treats his mother more like a child than like a parent. He's also funny to listen to. Some of the best parts of this book occur when Franklin calls up Gloria for advice that goes above and beyond National Safety. As a disembodied voice, Gloria represents an adult that Franklin can respect. She also offers him some of the sanest advice in the book, and knows exactly how to talk to a guy who's own mother can't quite figure him out.

The book's rather remarkable in that its hero is a child of a sperm donor. His mom is a single-parent, something that we still don't see much of in children's literature even today. Sometimes, it's a little difficult to understand what Stauffacher's trying to say about non-violence and not liking sports. Franklin finds himself thrown into conflicts and unpleasant sports because other people want him to. I think we're supposed to want him to too, but I had a little more respect for poor Donuthead than that. If the boy doesn't want to learn how to hit a baseball don't make him for crying out loud!

Probably one of the things I liked best about this book was the ending. Not only is the last line in the book the kind of thing that'll put shivers down your spine, but it suggests that a sequel would not be out of place. I would, personally, adore a "Donuthead 2". We'll see if Stauffacher's up for it. If you need a book that reads aloud really really well to large groups of children, this book has it all. A pitiable yet likable protagonist. Really funny dialogue and scenes. And an ending that gives you, if nothing else, hope. A real find and a severely underrated book.

First of all, let me say I loved this book. I enjoyed the humor, the great job the author did with developing the characters, and the message about appearances may be deceiving.


I purchased this book for my elementary school library based on the professional reviews provided above.


Yet, when I read this book, I was surprised to see that this book was recommended for third graders due to the reference to hermaphrodites on page 52 of this book. I am a very liberal person, but I feel like I cannot justify putting this book in my collection because I don't think my precocious readers (those first and second graders who can read anything) are developmentally ready for this. I know some young student will read this book and ask his/her parent what a hermaphrodite is and I will be put on the line about why I chose to put this book in my library.

So with a VERY heavy heart, I must withdraw this wonderful book from my collection. This book was purchased by three other librarians within my district. I was the only one to read this book but when I was feeling so torn, I asked them to take a look at the page that concerned me and they all shocked to find this reference in a book for this age group.

I don't usually write reviews on Amazon, but I think other librarians who purchase this book might find it helpful to be aware that at least that this topic appears in a book recommended for third graders.

When the great scrotum debate happened with "The Higher Power of Lucky" last year, I had no problem placing that on my shelves. But this one pushed it too far.

Please read this book for yourself -- it is a true pleasure. I think middle school students would definitely find a lot to like in this book. I plan to read Donutheart, the sequel, in the near future.

I agree with the other reviewers that this is a wonderful story with a quirky narrator that kids can identify with in one way or another. Franklin is insecure, lonely, and smart. The relationship between Franklin and his mother (Franklin's father is a sperm donor) is the most heart-wrenching in the book. Both are disappointed with one another in some way. Franklin's mother wants him to be more normal, play ball, etc. and Franklin wishes that his mother would undersatand and appreciate him. "At this stage of my life, it might be nice to have a decent friend, I thought, mentally crossing my mother off the list." Franklin's mother has many great qualities, but she is not the perfect mother to Franklin. Franklin is not the "perfect" son to her. I feel like this issue was resolved in the book in a realistic way (Franklin and his mother understand each other a little better) without either character being the hero or the villain. I am a Children's Librarian and I will definitely recommend this book to my mid-grade patrons.

The main character is neurotic and quirky as heck, but he really grew on me (in a good way). The secondary characters are well-developed, showing both sweetness and flaws. I found myself rooting for everyone.

In this original and funny novel, a hypochondriac boy, his baseball-loving mom, and a Washington Bureaucrat a long-distance phone call away work together to change the life of a tough-as-nails girl. You'll definitely laugh, and you may also cry.

This mom, along with her ten-year-old daughter, really enjoyed the book.

I liked this book because it's funny. Donuthead is a nerd who likes to keep everything clean and perfect. I thought it was funny to see how far he would go to keep everything clean. What I didn't like about it was it was very confusing because it would skip from one scene to another and it's hard to follow what's happening. The book Donuthead is about a boy named Donuthead. He's always getting beaten up by the varsity basketball team and all the girls think he's weird. Then he meets a girl who ends up living with him and his mom. His mom wants him to grow up to play 3rd base for the Yankees. The girl that's living with them wants to be a figure skater. I think a reader that likes funny books would like this book because he's always being light hearted and getting beaten up. He always gets in fights and loses or ends up getting hurt.

Parents-- This is a great book for kids!! Donuthead is a neurotic hypochondriac who unwillingly becomes friends with a girl who is his exact opposite. The characters are likeable, even Donuthead, and the pace is fast and fun. Be aware that there is a brief section where he discloses he was conceived via artificial insemination which could lead to a fun discussion.

Donuthead is one of the funniest books you could read! It is about a boy whose name is Franklin Delano Donuthead, yes this is his real name, and he is the biggest neat freak you could ever meet. When he is just walking around the house he has to wear rubber gloves. Then there is a new kid in town, her name is Sarah Kervick, and she is one of the meanest girls you could ever meet. During a class field trip to a dairy farm, Sarah punched a kid named Marvin, giving him a broken and bloody nose. After Donuthead got sneezed on by a cow, Sarah left Franklin sort of a threatening note to meet her in the alley after school. Donuthead was starting to freak out because he thought she told him she was going to smash him into pieces, but she really just wanted him to comb her tangled, mangled hair. He was scared because he thought she had lice in that hurricane of a disaster. When his mom came to pick him up she was surprised that he wasn't into a million pieces. When he got home had to take two showers because he thought he might get rabies. That next day Sarah came over to Franklin's house. Franklin's mom told Sarah she would give her some hair styling types. After that day..............
Opinion
I would recommend this book to those who like to read humor. It is an easy read for someone who is good at reading. If you love to read something about a total germaphobe, then this is the book for you. He is also a big scary cat. The book is laugh-out-loud funny. That's why you should read Donuthead.

4 stars



If you like books that are full of humor, and irony, this is the book for you!
The book donuthead is about an 11-year-old boy who is the most neurotic, goody-two shoes kid you have ever seen! His name is Franklin Delano Donuthead, yes, that is his name. He is so concerned about being killed and getting a disease, and he doesn't let anyone in his room because he thinks they will contaminate his room! And if you thought that was enough, he ends up having to be friends with the dirtiest, messiest, and most contaminated, germ filled girl in the whole world! Her name is Sarah Kervick. She lives only with her dad, is poorly educated and has a dream of being a figure skater. Franklin is always calling the national safety department and never feels safe. Franklin only lives with his mother and I think that's funny because Sarah only lives with her dad. I would highly suggest this book for someone who is looking for a good laugh.

Chaz