6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious, rollicking read for kids and parents, October 13, 2009
This review is from: Leaving the Bellweathers (Hardcover)
LEAVING THE BELLWEATHERS is just so funny, I could simply say "read it if you enjoy humor" and leave it at that. But there are some other things to note about this book. First of all, I was surprised at what a page-turner it was. I started reading it while in the middle of a project, thinking it would be a great book to pick up and put down, a nice little ten-minute-at-a-time break from serious thinking. How wrong I was! I tried hiding the book in a hard-to-reach cupboard. That solution didn't work--I had to bring it back down and finish it! Secondly, although Tristan Benway, stuffy and unappreciated butler to the Bellweathers, is an unlikely hero, I loved his character so much that by the conclusion of his delightfully absurd journal entries I was quite upset that the book had ended. Thirdly, the humor is layered so both children and their parents can find plenty to laugh about. Puns, both sly and silly, are everywhere. Witty commentary on human nature is slipped in next to hilarious character names, zany exploits, and out-and-out pranks by the Bellweather children, Spider, Ninda, Spike, Sassy, and Brick. Rollicking fun!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Fun!, December 13, 2010
A fun read that would make a great family movie!
I had been wanting to read Leaving the Bellweathers for a while, but moved it to the top of my reading pile when I learned that Kristin Clark Venuti's sequel, The Butler Gets a Break, was coming out. I can't read the sequel if I haven't read the original! The cover hooked me, the characters were quirky and funny, and the storyline simple and fun.
The Bellweathers' butler, Tristan Benway, has been serving them, and their ancestors for just under 200 years, to fulfill an Oath of Fealty. Most of the book are excerpts taken directly from the butler's journal.
"The happy news is that the two hundred years are nearly up, and I will be free of this circus which masquerades as a household."
Even though Benway, the Bellweathers' butler, is planning his escape from the lighthouse, it doesn't take the reader long to realize that Benway is soft on these crazy kids. His complaints are justified, sure! The eldest girl hosts a troupe of circus performers, and their pet seal, in her bedroom; the eldest boy thinks a hungry endangered albino alligator is the ideal pet for a lighthouse; and the triplets...well...
"...it is an unfortunate fact that the triplets never communicate at a decibel below earsplitting unless they are Up to No Good."
..and they are often Up to No Good. Ah, yes, Kristin Clark Venuti loves to capitalize in Benway's journal, to emphasize his dislike for certain nuances of the Bellweather family. He counts down his finals days in the house, but finds the faults of the children charming, as does the reader. Still, even when he begins to doubt his plans to leave, Benway reminds himself:
"I only know that any action ever taken by any Bellweather family member has always, and will always, result in crisis"
Maybe it was the their-crisis-is-bigger-than-mine aspect that made this such a fun read for me!
I only have one criticism, which isn't really a negative when you see the big picture. While the content was fun and imaginative and appropriate for children, I felt a lot of the humor and vocabulary may be lost on younger children, and would go over better for the pre-teen set. No one understands sarcasm better than a twelve-year old.
Interestingly, this one criticism I have is the one thing I love about some of my favorite children's movies. Don't you just love going to see a movie with your kids, and there are little one-liners that are benign to the kids, but hilarious for the parents? There were a few times I felt that way about this book. So, if you're going to get this book for your Middle Grade reader, read it together!
Oh, and when you're finished go read Kristin Clark Venuti's Butler Tristan Benway's website - hilarious!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky and Fun, October 1, 2009
This review is from: Leaving the Bellweathers (Hardcover)
Leaving the Bellweathers is an imaginative and fun ride through the eccentric lives of the Bellweather family and their butler Benway. Entertaining and humorous throughout it will undoubtedly keep the attention of any middle-grader.
Venuti did a wonderful job of creating characters with individuality -- each was spirited in a odd but completely relatable way. The children in particular were socially conscious (though not as one would suspect) and well rounded in their beliefs. Educated, artistic and all around fun each brought something unique to the story. For example, in an interesting twist I found it ironic that Ninda was known for fighting persecution and injustice yet it was already prevalent in her own home with the Oath of Fealty Benway was required to live under.
All in all Leaving the Bellweathers is a whimsical tale that I would recommend to parents looking for an amusing story that demonstrates the power of dedication, family and ultimately individuality in a positive and interesting light.
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