Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka (Paperback)

by Jon Scieszka (Author)
Key Phrases: pagan babies, Cub Scouts, Sister Mary Catherine, Sister Margaret Mary (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 3–6—Just try to keep kids away from this collection. Inspired book design makes the volume look like an old-school comic. The front cover features an elementary-aged Scieszka popping up out of a military tank, surrounded by explosions and bombers, while the back advertises a "Treasure Chest of Fun" and displays chapter titles and excerpts along with nostalgic graphics. Scieszka answers the oft-asked question, "Where do you get your ideas?" with a slew of childhood anecdotes and his family's escapades that have given him plenty of material from which to draw. Born in 1954, the second of six brothers, he writes about Catholic and military schools, buying gifts, chores, and hand-me-downs—all familiar experiences related with a specific Scieszka twist. His mother, a nurse, insisted that her sons use proper terms for anatomy ("rectum" rather than "butt") and bodily functions ("urinate" rather than "pee"), making way for several laugh-out-loud moments. Some stories are just amiably funny, such as wearing recycled Halloween costumes, while others help readers understand more about how the author developed his unique sense of humor. Although it includes the car trip story from Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Knucklehead is aimed at a younger audience. Family photographs and other period illustrations appear throughout. Entertaining and fast-moving, silly and sweet, this homage to family life is not to be missed.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
In this arch, glib, unapologetically shame-free outing, Scieszka, who grew up as the second of six sons, has written an autobiography about boys, for boys and anyone else interested in baseball, fire, and peeing on stuff. The format of the book is perfectly suited to both casual and reluctant readers. The text is divided into two- to three-page nonsequential chapters and peppered with scrapbook snapshots and comic-book-ad reproductions. The accessibly irreverent language pushes the boundaries of moderation even as it reflects a sort of skewed wholesomeness. But the real testosterone payoff here is in the stories, which range from losing battles with fractious parochial-school nuns to taking turns “watching” little brothers (wherein the author watched brother number six eat a cigarette butt and charged neighborhood kids to watch him do it again). By themselves, the chapters entertain with abrupt, vulgar fun. Taken together, they offer a look at the makings of one very funny author—and a happy answer to the dreaded autobiography book report. Grades 4-7. --Thom Barthelmess --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 106 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (October 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067001138X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670011384
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knucklehead, October 3, 2008

By	A. Zadeh "Mom to red headed boys!" (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an awesome funny book. My husband was raised in Michigan and has a sweet routine of telling my two boys ages 6 and 11 stories of his childhood at bedtime every night. He found this book and bought it for our 11 year old. He loves it. Last night he read it outloud to me and we both laughed so hard my faced hurt! Awesome book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book, October 3, 2008

By	12345678 - See all my reviews

As the mother of four boys (and a child of the 70s), I adore what Jon Sciezska has done for male-accessible literature. My sons are reading again and again the adventures of Jon and his brothers who "don't know" how mischief happens. Perhaps my favorite part of this book is his description of how the term "knucklehead" changed from being a deragatory term to a phrase of endearment. My boys love the funny stories of what happens when you get a pack of boys together.

We also love the book he edited, Guys Write for Guys Read, full of great authors that boys/men and the women who love them like to read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Naughty book!, October 24, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Simon Smith (age 9) for Reader Views (10/08)

The "Knucklehead" was very naughty with some crazy tricks. The front of the book makes it look like a comic book but it's really not. It's a chapter book with short chapters and some photos. Jon is a naughty kid who is forever going outdoors or playing tricks on his four younger brothers. This is the story of the author and the funny things that happened when he was a kid.

Once in Sunday School Jon had to write down all of the curse words he knew and show them to the teacher for an assignment. Jon said that the universe stopped when the teacher read the list. She gave him the evil eye, but fortunately, since it was an assignment to write down the curse words, he got away with it.

Another time, when Jon saw this really cool ad that said one-thousand toy soldiers in a footlocker, he bought them all immediately. When they came, he saw that all of the soldiers were no thicker than a dime. He angrily shoved all of the useless soldiers back in the chest. Then the youngest brother Jeff came along and when he asked what it was, Jon showed him the ad and told him that this was one-thousand soldiers in a footlocker and that he could buy it from him for one-dollar and fifty-cents.

His writing is pretty good as writing goes and from the way this is read, it sounds like this information might have been taken from his journal. This book is for people who like sneaky, naughty stories and is probably best for kids, ages seven and up. If you liked "Skinky Cheeseman" and "Other Fairly Stupid Tales," also written by this author, then you'll really like this book, "Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka."