The Mayor of Central Park [Paperback]

Avi (Author), Brian Floca (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2005 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Life is good for Oscar Westerwit. He's the mayor of Central Park -- the greatest place on earth for the squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and other animals who live there. He's the shortstop and manager of his baseball team. What could be bad?

Plenty! Big Daddy Duds, jewel thief, all-around thug, and leader of rats, is about to take over the park. And when he does, the other animals who live there will be turned out of their homes. Everyone looks to Oscar to save the day, but he may not even be able to save himself. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Avi reinvents himself with every book, and this lighthearted venture is no exception. The time is 1900; the place is New York City's Central Park; the protagonist is a dapper squirrel named Oscar Westerwit, who is the locus of sociability and the manager of the Central Park Green Sox baseball team. Unfortunately, trouble's a-brewin' with the team. Oscar's star pitcher has gone missing, and an army of rats, led by the nefarious Big Daddy Duds, has invaded the park and cut down the tree where Oscar's mother lives. Twinned to this plot is the story of Duds' sweet, sassy daughter, Maud, who leaves the family home to find a better, more wholesome life as a nurse. Oscar tries to save the park from the rats, Maud and baseball help serve up the thrilling denouement, and the whole thing is written in delicious period slang ("youse" and "dear boy" and "this ain't too half bad"). A quick, fun period piece. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Avi is the author of more than sixty books, including Crispin: The Cross of Lead, a Newbery Medal winner, and Crispin: At the Edge of the World. His other acclaimed titles include The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth, both Newbery Honor Books, and most recently The Seer of Shadows. He lives with his family in Colorado.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060515570
• ISBN-13: 978-0060515577
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( A ) > Avi
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels > Squirrels

More About the Author

Avi has published more than sixty books. Among them is Crispin: The Cross of Lead, winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal. Other novels with nineteenth-century settings, like The Traitors' Gate -- his grand nod to the work of Charles Dickens -- are listed before the title page, and include the Newbery Honor Book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Avi and his family live in Denver, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Mayor of Central Park, August 3, 2010

By 

KAthy (Sacramento) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mayor of Central Park (Paperback)

I couldn't get into this book at all,but many of my students read it and really liked it. This was an Avi unit in 4th grade.

4.0 out of 5 stars A kids review!, November 21, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Mayor of Central Park (Paperback)

I like chocolate, but we're talking about books. The Mayor of Central Park is a great book. I recommend this book for people who like talking animals. It's about rats taking over central park. Oscar the squirrel is trying to prevent that from happening. My favorite character is Big Daddy Duds. He likes diamonds. All the other characters are animals too.

My favorite part is the big baseball game. The characters changed a lot. For example, Arty the pitcher, changed into a Hollywood star.

The book is well written. The author is good at surprising you. I loved this book.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars fairly good story, May 23, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mayor of Central Park (Paperback)

The setting of this book takes place in 1900. The main character in the book is Oscar Westerwit, a squirrel who loves baseball and Broadway musicals. He heads up a team of animals to over come a gangster rat named Big Daddy Duds who ties to bring trouble to the park area. Find out if their plan works in The Mayor Of Central Park!

The book was easy and fun to read.

The characters in the book are animals. Children enjoy animal stories most of the time.