Me and My Little Brain (Great Brain, Book 3) [Paperback]

John D. Fitzgerald (Author), Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Tom, a.k.a. the Great Brain, is off to boarding school. Now his little brother, J. D., is free to follow in Tom’s ingenious, conniving, and profitable footsteps. All of J. D.’s attempts at turning a profit fail miserably, and he soon realizes that he just doesn’t have that crafty Great Brain knack. But when his younger brother is kidnapped, J. D. finds that his little brain may not be so ordinary after all....

Editorial Reviews

Review

H “J. D. is ready to apply all the tricks he has learned.... As amusing as the exploits of his brainy older brother!” (School Library Journal), starred review

From the Publisher

When that shrewd conniver, Tom, the infamous Great Brain, is sent to school in Salt Lake City, his favorite victim, J.D., figures he can step into his brother's shoes as town hustler. Nothing's wrong with his technique--it's just that he hasn't got the instincts of a real con man. But when outlaws kidnap J.D.'s four-year-old adopted brother, Frankie, J.D.'s talents find their proper inspiration. And if everybody thinks it looks like curtains for Frankie it's because they haven't counted on what a "little brain" combined with a big heart can do. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142400645
• ISBN-13: 978-0142400647
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,078 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( M ) > Mayer, Mercer

More About the Author

John D. Fitzgerald is the author of seven Great Brain books. He died in Florida, his home of many years, at the age of eighty-one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get the series, they are great, classic children's books, August 28, 2002

By 

Samuel Krikorian (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Me and My Little Brain (Great Brain) (Paperback)

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice change of pace, June 7, 2006

By 

Jesse Rouse (Kenosha, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me and My Little Brain (Great Brain, Book 3) (Paperback)

This book presents a very nice change of pace in the Great Brain series. The Great Brain has gone off to boarding school, and J. D. thinks that he will fill the Great Brain's shoes and try to swindle the kids in town. All of J. D.'s plans backfire, and he learns that swindling people is not something that is to be admired or done. The main focus of the book is on J.D.'s family's adoption of Frankie, a little boy whose parents were killed in an accident. It's a very heartwarming portrayal of a family's acceptance of a new member, and it is not at all lacking in comic relief. Mr. Fitzgerald's humor is not at all lacking in this book, and perhaps is even better than in the rest of the series. I definitely enjoyed this book.

Overall grade: A

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I Only Had a Brain, January 6, 2004

By 

E. Rey "flannelpants" (TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Me and My Little Brain (Great Brain) (Paperback)

I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. In this book, J.D. decides that he can fill the Great Brain (T.D.)'s shoes, while T.D. is away at the Academy in Salt Lake City. It turns out to be a humbling experience, thus the title, Me and My Little Brain. While some people may tell you that this book isn't as good without the presence of the Great Brain, I found this book just as entertaining as the rest. The storytelling is as superb as the rest. You don't want to miss this book because it introduces the character, Frankie, who allows this book to still be about brothers. Towards the end of this book, we find out that J.D. can still do some amazing stuff even though he has a little brain. This book and The Great Brain at the Academy are parallel books, which describe events happening at the same time, however, you should read this book first to have things make sense.