The TV Kid [Paperback]

Betsy Byars (Author)

Book Description

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

Lennie is addicted to television. Even reruns are more exciting than real life, and Lennie likes to pretend he's the one experiencing the drama. But Lennie's daydreams lead him into a real situation that could cost him his life-and suddenly he's in trouble more terrifying and dangerous than anything he's ever seen on TV. "Byars infuses the story with her special magic. Lennie is a likable, funny, moving, and always entertaining character." -Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A daydreaming television addict encounters the real world in this comic novel by a Newbery Medalist. "Byars infuses the story with her own special magic," said PW. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140388265
• ISBN-13: 978-0140388268
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Byars, Betsy

More About the Author

Betsy Byars began her writing career rather late in life First, she married and started a family. The writing career didn't emerge until she was 28, a mother of two children, and living in a small place she called the barracks apartment, in Urbana, Illinois. She and her husband, Ed, had moved there in 1956 so he could attend graduate school at the University of Illinois. She was bored, had no friends, and so turned to writing to fill her time. Byars started writing articles for The Saturday Evening Post, Look,and other magazines. As her family grew and her children started to read, she began to write books for young people and, fortunately for her readers, discovered that there was more to being a writer than sitting in front of a typewriter. "Once a wanderer came by my house and showed me how to brush my teeth with a cherry twig; that went in The House of WingsThe Summer of the Swans." Since that time, Byars has written more than 45 books for young readers and has won numerous awards, including The American Book Award, which she received in 1981 for The Night Swimmers. The humor, compassion, and insight Byars brings to each of her books won her a large audience of admirers both in the United States and abroad. Six of her novels were presented on national television, and her books are translated into nine languages. Six of Byars' novels have been named ALA Notable Books, and in 1971, The Summer of the Swans -- a story about a 14-year-old girl and her mentally retarded brother -- won the Newbery Award as the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the year of its publication. Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 7, 1928. Unlike many of the characters in her books, Byars grew up in a normal, loving family. Her father was an engineer and worked as a bookkeeper in a cotton mill. He was stern and hardworking and had a strong sense of humor. Her mother was a lively woman who loved acting and music. Byars's sister, Nancy, two years older, was sometimes an inspiration and sometimes an evil nemesis. Byars has always been adventurous and never allows a few setbacks to prevent her from doing things she wants to experience, like petting a blacksnake and flying planes. The snake was named Moon and became the subject of her 1991 autobiography, The Moon and I. Betsy Byars and her husband live on an air strip in South Carolina, and have traveled widely throughout the United States in pursuit of their interest in gliding and antique airplanes. They have four grown children and seven grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, still love it..., April 9, 2003

By 

Jaina Solo "[e-mail]" (Not Telling, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The TV Kid (Paperback)

What a shame this book has gotten some bad reviews here--it happens to be one of my favorites!

I first read it at age 10 or so, and really liked it then. In fact, I kept my copy all these years (I'm now way more than 10!), and it sits on my shelf with other childhood "classics."

I appreciate the characterization of Lennie, a lonely boy who wishes he were on his favorite TV shows. His constant daydreaming is causing him problems at school, and his dangerous hobby of breaking into unoccupied summer cottages near his home leads to a life-threatening encounter with a snake. But the plot (boy meets snake) isn't really the issue here--this book is really a character study. Lennie is a good kid--well-meaning, but somewhat lazy. As a kid, I felt drawn to his predicament. Perhaps you will, too.

Does Lennie learn anything in The TV Kid? Yes (and it's not "too much TV is bad for you"). I think the other reviewers here have missed the point (it's not about the TV, people!). AND I think Byars' book is top-notch writing. Funny, touching, and exciting, too! Give this one a chance--it deserves it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Psychological Study, November 3, 2004

By 

Professor (Middle Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The TV Kid (Paperback)

The TV Kid uses discussion of tv-watching and other lonely activities (including housebreaking and falling asleep in someone else's bed!) to indicate the difficulties of not having the ideal American Dream family and home. Our hero has to learn to appreciate what he has and who he is. And he does. But he apparently has to get bitten by a snake first. Not a brilliantly constructed narrative, but a good case study of the complexities of today's families.

2.0 out of 5 stars An Ok Book, August 26, 2010

By 

Karen J. Traver (Tunkhannock, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The TV Kid (Kindle Edition)

it was an ok book. I think it's more for boys than girls. Not one of my favorites.