Customer Reviews

Pond Scum

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was aware of the author from his wacky animated work for television, and I picked this up thinking it might be appropriate to read to my 4-year old daughter. It's not, but when she's 8 or so this will be perfect. Silberberg writes with tremendous generosity and humor about a somewhat wry and isolated boy who discovers a magical gem that allows him to transform into any animal he touches. In touching the animals, he is touched by them as well, and learns to appreciate, directly from a spider in fact, the web of life.

If this sounds serious, it is not. At all. This is a very funny book, written with a comedian's ear for dialogue. The humor comes from the author's decision to show the animals thinking like animals. For example, they are cheerful and stoic about the fact that occasionally they eat each other. At the same time, they are well-developed characters, with vividly realized personalities (the head of the frogs talks like the Godfather, and due to age, has some aim issues with his tongue).

Throughout, Silberberg embraces his characters with a warm acceptance of even the most obnoxious ones, while never denying the dark side of the social worlds of the pond and the school room.

This is a wonderful debut that will appeal to all the knowing adolescents out there. Read it now so that your child will have a chance to imagine all of these voices before Pixar or Dreamworks makes the inevitable movie.

I bought this book for my 9 year old son. It is very difficult finding books that engage him. He'd rather be playing baseball or tennis. But from the moment we started reading "POND SCUM" and meeting all the buggy characters like Mooch and Willy, he was totally into it. In fact, he loves reading it out loud, because he wants to share with us all the funny things that happen.

The author obviously has spent time researching insects, birds and fish. (Oh, yeah and real estate agents, too.) It is this substantial knowledge that supports the story and creates characters that feel real. (You'll think twice about stepping on an ant or swatting a fly after reading this book.)

As I read along with my son, I can "see" this story and have no doubt we will find it on the big screen soon.(Jack Black as the hungry salamander?)

I bought a few more copies for gifts.

Bravo for "Pond Scum."

Oliver is a lonely kid. He is unpopular in school, he has no friends, and to top it off, his parents are divorcing and he is forced to move to a new town with his mom and sister. Oliver finds a bit of comfort spending hours sitting in front of the TV, and his hurting heart sparks a tiny bit of pleasure in pulling the wings off of flies. He has no clue of what he is about to stumble into.

Desperate with the lack of channels in their new home in the country, Oliver decides to climb up on the roof to install an antenna. While up there, he is suddenly bombarded by an attack from a crow! What makes it even weirder is that this is the second such mysterious attack from wildlife his family has received since moving into their home. But not stopping to think about this, Oliver tries to escape, only to fall through a weak spot in the roof. Amidst the pile of shingles and other roof parts now in the attic, Oliver discovers a beautiful crystal that he decides to keep for good luck. In no time, he accidentally discovers the magic of the crystal --- which turns him into any creature he wants!

Oliver is soon exploring the nearby pond and forests, not as a kid, but as a bird and a fish and a spider and a rabbit! He is even making a couple of very good friends, like Mooch, the salamander, and Antoine, the crow. Oliver is also learning lots about his animal friends, coming to respect them and their way of life --- no more pulling the wings off of flies! But he also stumbles into a sinister plot to take over the forest and to chase him and his human family out of their home for good. Can Oliver and his new friends save both of their worlds?

Alan Silberberg is no novice when it comes to writing, and this is evident in the talent he pours out onto each page. Lots of puns, funny jokes and exciting adventures make this a fast and fun read. As a bonus, each new chapter greets the reader with a beautiful sketch of an animal. Not only will this story bring many smiles to any reader --- boy or girl, young or old --- it will also help create a respect for the animal world by inviting all to step into their shoes for a little while.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author

My son (age 10) and I LOVED this book!Lots of fun twists and turns. Great characters who we truly cared about. We laughed, we cried (well, I cried) and enjoyed the author's descriptive, delightful writing style. A wonderful, magical reality story about a lonely, young boy who discovers his true potential.

This book is on my Top Five book list- it's awesome! I give it a 10/10!

Hello out there!

You are VERY lucky to have discovered this book. It's AWESOME! I'm 29 and loved it. & I can see how a child of 8 or 12 or 15 or 40 or 60 would love it as well! It's fun, well written and full of 'cleverly delivered' messages about the importance of friendship, family, nature, embracing difference, self esteem & courage.

READ THIS BOOK!

:0)

Have you ever thought, "If I could turn into any animal I wanted too, what would it be?" Well, even if you never have, after you read Alan Silberberg's Pond Scum you may. One day Oliver, an 11 year old boy, finds out about his horrid future; he has to move! Oliver moves into a house by a beautiful pond: however, it's the animals that live by the pond that aren't so pretty. The animals hate humans and will do anything to make sure they are not around. One dull day Oliver is just sitting around his room, boared because Oliver's new house didn't have cable. Oliver has to do something, so he finds junk lying around and climbs up to the roof to find his own way to get cable. Antoine, a crow, in one of his crazy plans to get rid of humans, suicide bombs Oliver. he hits Oliver right in the chest, they both fell through the roof. They find themselves sprawled about the attic. Oliver is fine, but Antoine has broken his wing. As Oliver stands up he sees something gleaming out of the corner of his eye. He looks around and finds a glowing stone. Oliver puts the stone in his pocket and decides he would take care of the crow. One day while he was exploring the pond he finds a salamander, he decides to keep it. Later during one of his classes he catches a fly, ans snaps the wings off. Then he remembers he needs to feed his salamander, so he slips the fly into his pocket. All of a sudden the room starts spinning, Oliver quickly runs to the bathroom. When everything stopps spinning Oliver looks into the mirror. He doesn't see himself. He sees a fly! He was a fly! Oliver can't find a way to become himself again; he starts to cry, the only words he can say are, "I wish I was a kid again." When Oliver says those words everything starts spinning again. When it stops, Oliver is a boy again. He reaches into his pocket to get out the fly, but he accidentally pulls out the stone. Oliver soon finds out what that stone really does, transforms you into any animal it touches. Oliver tries it on his crow and salamander and soon has two new friends. Oliver explores the pond and makes new friends, and new enemies. This is a great book, and I would recommend it to people of all ages. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Both my 9 year old son and his graying balding dad loved this book. Its funny, well written, and has food for thought for kids and adults alike. A must-buy for your collection!

This weekend I read Pond Scum, by Alan Silberberg. I was a bit put off by this book at the beginning. Specifically, I took exception to the introduction of Oliver, a boy who pulls the wings off of flies. What bothered me wasn't so much that Oliver was a boy pulling the wings off of flies (though this is hardly a pleasant attribute). No, what bothered me was this sentence: "He wasn't a bad kid -- just a lonely boy who felt compelled to snatch the flies that kept him company." I mean, shouldn't the author show this, instead of telling us that Oliver isn't a bad kid? Perhaps because I was irritated by this, it took me a while to get into this book.

But Pond Scum grew on me (so to speak). It's a quirky story about a family that moves into an isolated, long-abandoned house, located next to a small pond. The pond and surrounding wood are positively teeming with wildlife. The various birds, animals, and insects make up much of the cast of the book. There are various conflicts occurring between different interest groups: between Oliver and his father; between Oliver and kids at school; between the pond creatures and the humans (especially the real estate agent); between the "kid" pond creatures and the adults; and between the "adult" leaders of the affiliation of creatures. These conflicts swirl about and intersect throughout the book.

But where things really get out of hand (and this is not much of a spoiler, because it's on the back of the book) is when Oliver discovers a way to turn himself into one of the creatures, and interacts with them directly.

On the one hand, this is a fairly simple story, about animals relating to one another, and a boy who has trouble fitting in. But Silberberg manages to address a remarkable number of larger issues, as well as environmental concerns, all with a very light hand. Oh, I still have a few quibbles over some of the writing (show, don't tell, and all that). But overall, I think that kids will find it an enjoyable read, somewhat reminiscent of Hoot. And it might make them think twice about stepping on insects, and certainly about pulling the wings off of flies. (This review is reprinted here, after being initially published on my blog)

If you enjoy an imaginative, funny and suspenseful story, you've come to the right place! Like Oliver, you'll be taken into the world of Antoine, Mooch, The General and the other creatures near his house, and it's an adventure with more turns and surprises you'll ever expect. Not only does Alan create a magical world, but he also knows how to tell a story--if your son or daughter (or yourself!) says, "Aw, just another page or two more!" at the end of a section or chapter, you've been told! Strong odds say you'll continue--I know I did. Now when I see two squirrels running up the tree near my house, I think, "Ollie's made a new friend!" Thanks for a literally wonderful tale, Alan!