Life's a Funny Proposition, Horatio [Paperback]

Barbara Garland Polikoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994 | Age Level: 10 and up

Adjusting to his father's death and his family's move to a small Wisconsin town, twelve-year-old Horatio is shaken by the death of his grandfather's beloved dog. Reprint. AB. SLJ. C. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although only a slim 103 pages, this tender tale of loss and love contains as much heartfelt emotion as one twice as long. Two years after his father's death from lung cancer, Horatio, 12, feels pretty well settled into his new life in the country with his mother and ailing paternal grandfather, O. P. But when Horatio and his best friend Erik find O. P.'s beloved dog dead, the boy finds himself grieving for his father afresh. Adding to his turmoil is the fact that his dentist mother is dating one of her patients, "Pink Gums" Paul. Horatio feels even more bereft when Erik gets sick, but finds his sister Angie to be every bit as good company--and a big help in convincing O. P. to get another dog. Polikoff writes in spare yet emotionally charged prose; particularly affecting is the passage in which Horatio, his mother and O. P. conduct an impromptu memorial service on the anniversary of his father's passing. Effervescing with humor, sprinkled with apt Shakespearian quotations and sweetened with a hint of first romance, this little book packs quite a wallop. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grades 4-7--Narrator Ramon de Ocampo offers a spirited yet soothing interpretation of Barbara Garland Polikoff's tender, somewhat uneven novel about a boy dealing with life after his father's death (Holt, 1995). Twelve-year-old Horatio Tuckerman moves from Chicago to a small Wisconsin town two years after his playwright father dies of lung cancer. His dad loved Shakespeare, naming Horatio after the character in Hamlet. Polikoff does a fine job of conveying Horatio's love for his father. In one haunting sequence, Horatio wishes he could go to an agency that lets you pick out a new father, a dad just like his dear departed one. Much of the story's action revolves around Horatio's eccentric grandfather, called "O.P." (the Old Professor), whose behavior often reminds Horatio of King Lear. O.P. loses his beloved dog, Molly, in an unfortunate accident, and reacts like Lear in that play's famous storm scene. When Polikoff describes Horatio's feelings for his father, the discomfort he feels around his grandfather, the boy's respect for animals, and the pangs of first love, the results are quite engrossing. However, the passages with Horatio and his dentist mother often feel forced, marred by unconvincing dialogue that even an able narrator like de Ocampa can't make work. This quibble aside, Life's a Funny Proposition, Horatio provides a worthwhile look at grief, with a rewarding message that life goes on even after someone close to you dies. Ramon de Ocampa's sensitive narration brings Polikoff's story to life.
Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014036644X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140366440
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,047,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Life's a Funny Proposition, Horation, August 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Life's a Funny Proposition, Horatio (Paperback)

I am a teacher of 6th grade students and found this to be a fun book for kids. While it is somewhat frustrating to deal with a book that once again has death as the subject, in this book it is handled in a slightly different way. There is a fun witty sense to this book and there are occasional references to Shakespeare which is a great introduction for kids this age. While the plot is weak in some places overall it has some great humor and the main character is likeable as he overcomes his major challenges.