A funny story about 12 year old Eric Greene, who devises a plan to make some money fast and in the process makes some surprising discoveries. His reasons are that he can't let the boy he babysits for go without the red and black cowboy boots he's set his heart on - even though he will never walk. Eloise McGraw is the author of "Mara, Daughter of the Nile" and "Master Cornhill" both published by Puffin.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7 Eric Greene, 12, looks after little Jimmy, his next door neighbor who is confined to a wheelchair. Jimmy covets a pair of red leather cowboy boots that he spotted in a newspaper ad, and Eric sets his heart on earning the $17.99 needed to buy the boots. Thus begins an adequate but not particularly engaging plot in which Eric wheels and deals and creates a swap system among his friends that will eventually turn up enough assets to buy Jimmy the boots. The long, complex sentences and the often difficult vocabulary slow down the predictable and not very convincing plot. The drive that Eric feels to buy Jimmy his boots is touching, as is their relationship, but the story lacks credibility or a hint of suspense. For a similar lesson about earning money, with a more original edge, try First Things First (Atheneum, 1986) by Kristi Holl. Karen Levi, Albany Public Library, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpectedly Charming,
By
This review is from: The Seventeenth Swap (Puffin Books) (Paperback)
I just finished pre-reading this book, which I assigned as part of my 10 year-old son's home school curriculum. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected I would as an adult, and could not put the book down until I had read through the last 3 chapters to find out how it all came together!
The main character, 11 year old Eric Greene, works as a companion for a boy who is wheelchair-bound and often ill and, therefore, cut off from his peers and much of the world. When the boy becomes unusually enchanted with the seemingly impractical idea of dressing his non-working limbs with a pair of red cowboy boots he sees advertised on sale, Eric desperately desires to see the boy's simple wish fulfilled, though neither his family nor the boy's have a dollar to spare. He selflessly pursues the idea of making enough money to buy the boots for the boy through an intricate series of swaps. As he encounters seemingly insurmountable obstacles along the way and battles discouragement amidst the seeming insignificance of the project, he discovers that the challenge means more to him than just getting the boots for the boy. Should a person pursue an impossible dream, or accept the apparent limits and parameters of his life without even trying or knowing what might have been (as his father and life so far have always taught him to do)? Amidst all of the deliberation about possible swaps and logistics described in the story, I found myself quietly charmed and inspired by the example of selfless compassion, ingenuity,persistence, and honest soul searching provided by the young protagonist. I am happy that my son will have such an example to consider within this enjoyable story.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book,
By donald duck "insideofadog" (new zealand) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Seventeenth Swap (Paperback)
This is a well written book with a solid plot and likeable characters. It
is no wild fantasy, neither does it have any breathtaking new ideas. It is one of those books that comes back to you years after you read it with a sense of familiarity, as if you saw a old friend of congenial acquaintance in a crowd of strange faces who you wander over towards, a mild feeling of suprise and a looking forward to chatting with again washing over you. I suggest reading it, but I will not write a synopsis of the book, as that has been done admirably well by the person who read the back of it in the previous review.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
11yo daughter enjoyed it,
By
This review is from: The Seventeenth Swap (Paperback)
Part of SonLight homeschool curriculum. I never had to fight with her to do her reading and she answered the comprehension questions easily.
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