Customer Reviews

Tofu and T. rex

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A present-day Texas school district has a troublemaker on its hands. Fredrika Murchison-Kowalski, or Freddie for short, is a vegan and believes strongly in liberating animals, but she goes too far when she nearly burns down the school's football stadium trying to liberate the bull mascot. She is quickly shipped back to her native Chicago where she must live with her grandfather and her cousin Hans-Peter. They live in a traditional Eastern European neighborhood with lots of sausage, pets, and fur. On top of that her grandfather, or Opa, owns a deli/butcher shop where Freddie is forced to work. She is re-admitted into the prestigious Peshtigo School of Chicago. Her cousin desperately wants to get into the school because of its wonderful paleontology program. The vegan and the carnivore must learn to live in harmony to achieve both their goals.

The book was good and it presented two good arguments. I couldn't decide which I agreed with since I am a vegetarian but I am not a vegan. I also saw the culture involved with the meats eaten by the Polish. The book was written in a light, moving style and it did not dwell on any one thing for too long. I enjoyed the two points of view of both characters and some of the hilarity of Freddie's activism. It was a bit simple and not really too developed but it contained some really funny parts and some very true arguments. If you enjoy both giggles and gasping, you'll like this book. From being chased by bees to the emancipation of frogs to an accidental severing, this book certainly earns a `funny mark'.

Reviewed by a student for Flamingnet Book Reviews
[...]
Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

This is the second story by Greg Leitich Smith set in and around the Preshtigo School in Chicago. The main characters in this story are Freddie, a young militant vegan, Hans-Peter, her cousin, and Opa their grandfather. Some of the same characters from Greg's earlier book Ninja, Piranhas, and Galileo are back again as well.

Freddie has been sent to spend the school year at her grandfather's after being suspended for having burned down the football field back in Texas. Soon there are problems in Chicago and it appears as though Freddie is back to her old tricks. But things are not always what they appear. The story is told back and forth between Hans-Peter's and Freddie's perspectives. They are two family members who are very different but still family, and who learn to be there for each other.

I have to be honest - I love these books and wish that Greg would write more of them. They are great stories that are wonderful to read. And I would rather visit the Preshtigo School than Hogwarts any day!