Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier: A Novel in Stories (Tom Bodett Adventure Series) [Paperback]

Tom Bodett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tom Bodett Adventure Series | Publication Date: November 9, 2004

NORMAN TUTTLE IS, in a word, awkward. He falls off his father’s fishing boat into icy Alaskan waters. He quietly sweats on gorgeous Laura Magruder at the school dance. He gets himself on the bad side of Leonard Kopinski, an overgrown eighth-grader who shaves. As Norman contemplates a long and lonely adolescence on the Last Frontier, he’s sure there’s more to life than being the klutziest kid in Alaska. In 15 closely linked stories that follow Norman from age 13 to going-on 16, Tom Bodett combines rugged Alaskan adventure with a warm and funny story of a boy who may not be as lonely as he thinks.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–This coming-of-age story is told in 15 humorous episodes that chronicle a teen's growing pains and evolving relationship with his father. Falling off his dad's fishing boat in the middle of the night is business as usual for self-proclaimed klutz Norman Tuttle. Afraid that his father won't realize he is missing in the cold Alaskan waters, the 13-year-old vows to change his ways. He is rescued, but his awkwardness lasts for two more years. The boat accident makes the elder Tuttle want to become more involved with his clumsy deckhand by sharing army stories and taking him hunting. Norman strives to live up to his father's expectations but backslides when his attentions are diverted by matters of the heart. Bodett masterfully captures the voice of the love-struck adolescent. Trying to win the affections of Laura Magruder comes at the expense of time spent with his family and his best friend. While his parents are away, she sets him up by suggesting that he take her to his house, where her brother stages a beer party. In the end, Norman's life takes on a new and rewarding perspective when he spends the summer working on a family friend's farm in Oregon. The subtle humor and keen sense of both father and son make this well-paced story a heartfelt read. Bodett's best so far.–Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-10. Interconnected stories follow Alaskan teenager Norman Tuttle through the ups and downs of adolescent rites of passage: Norman's first job working on his dad's fishing boat, his first dates, and first deer hunt. Bodett skillfully conjures up the setting, avoiding cliches of the frozen North. At times the stories seem more geared toward adults than toward young readers, but in the best ones Norman's adolescent confusion, jealousy, anger, insecurities, and growing maturity are effectively conveyed, as is the complicated relationship with his often irritated but ultimately wise father. A well-drawn, gentle portrait of a boy growing up in a loving family. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (November 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679890319
• ISBN-13: 978-0679890317
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,971,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A humorous look at the challenges of growing up, December 10, 2004

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier: A Novel in Stories (Tom Bodett Adventure Series) (Paperback)

The first story in NORMAN TUTTLE ON THE LAST FRONTIER has Norman falling out of a fishing boat into icy Alaskan waters. "There is probably no good time to be in a situation like this," author Tom Bodett writes, "but being in this situation at age thirteen has got to be the worst of them. You're too old to cry and too young to swear, and you don't even have much of a life to go flashing past." This sets the tone for the collection of short stories about the life and adventures of Norman Tuttle, eldest son of an Alaskan fisherman, as he faces the challenges of growing up.

NORMAN TUTTLE ON THE LAST FRONTIER is a hilarious account of a boy growing up on the last frontiers of civilization and adolescence. Some tales are unique to the setting, like those about Norman helping on his father's fishing boat. Others are common to young people anywhere in North America, such as the stories about bullies, friendship, or first loves.

Tom Bodett makes an unusual choice in placing Norman in a loving, two-parent home. His close relationship with his father is especially noteworthy. Most young people in literature come from families that are missing a parent or experiencing some sort of trauma, such as a recent death or alcoholism. NORMAN TUTTLE ON THE LAST FRONTIER proves that there is plenty of drama available in a young person's life without resorting to trauma. The strongest stories in this collection are pitch-perfect renderings of perfectly mundane moments in a young person's life.

There are two standout stories in this collection of humorous tales. "Thanksgiving Cheer" is about the first Thanksgiving when Norman is allowed to sit at the grown-up table. Sent to the basement to look after his younger siblings and cousins, Norman ends up pounding a screwdriver into his father's workbench. His father, unaware that Norman has disobeyed one of the cardinal rules of the house --- to stay out of the tools --- invites Norman to join the adults. Norman knows he should enjoy being included as an adult member of the family, but all he can think about is how to repair the damage in the basement before his parents find out.

Another great story is "A Bump in the Road." Norman, who is recently grounded and seething against the unfairness of the world, reacts to his father's annoying tendency to say, "Bumpity-bump-bump-bump!" whenever they hit a rough spot on the road. The simple set-up and Bodett's direct use of language make the story an ideal way to explore the dynamics and feelings behind adolescent outbursts.

Never condescending, NORMAN TUTTLE ON THE LAST FRONTIER can be enjoyed both by people experiencing these things for the first time and those who remember going through them. In a world full of teen trauma novels, this book is a refreshing breath of positive realism. I look forward to what Tom Bodett will offer next.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing up with Tom Bodett, September 9, 2006

By 

Baddyo - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier: A Novel in Stories (Tom Bodett Adventure Series) (Paperback)

As 'coming of age' stories go, I consider Stephen King's "The Body"/"Stand By Me" the gold standard. Norman Tuttle is short of that standard. Still, it is a very worthwhile read. As a 57-year-old adult, I identified with most of the anecdotes that Mr. Bodett included in this fast-paced read. I am certain, without a doubt, that young readers will enjoy this book as well. Young or old, you will enjoy this book. Like "The Body," Norman Tuttle would make an excellent film that would draw a wide range of viewers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete, June 26, 2010

By 

Stoney (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier (Audio CD)

"Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier" is the third chapter of Tom Bodett's "American Odyssey." As such, it is very incomplete, and little more than a long short story.

On the otherhand the complete "American Odyssey" is extraordinary. The printed novel and the CD version titled "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings" are in fact the entire "American Odyssey"---VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Free Fall of Webster Cummings, The - the American Odyssey Collection (Odyssey Series)

Caution: the audio-cassette book titled "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings" is only the first chapter. Don't buy cassettes audiobooks in the "American Odyssey seriies, regardless of how cheap they are---they are just individual chapters of the "American Odyssey". Don't buy "Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier" (on cassette or CD) it is only the fourth chapter of the "American Odyssey". Instead, buy the entire complelation on CD titled "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings".

Why 2 stars? Not a reflection on the quality of "Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier", but rather a warning to buy "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings" instead---even though my copy of "Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier" is one of those for sale.