Weird Stories from the Lonesome Cafe [Paperback]

Judy Cox (Author), Diane Kidd (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

Ten-year-old Sam is spending the summer in the middle of Nevada, working at the remote Lonesome Café. And the Help Wanted sign in the window brings some very strange visitors--Bigfoot, Elvis, a jolly fat man from the North Pole, and a young girl and her dog who blow in on a tornado from Kansas. And then there's the spaceship that crashes nearby and its little green passenger. . . . Sam is kept busy distracting the nosy TV news team so they don't discover the identities of the odd visitors, but it's not easy. Come along for a visit to the Lonesome Café--it's the place to be.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As she did in Rabbit Pirates, Cox chooses an amiable eating establishment setting as the setting for this cheerful spoof. Sam's Uncle Clem, an aspiring author, wishes something would happen at his remote Nevada caf? so that he would have something to write about. Yet narrator Sam spots some mighty strange occurrences right under their noses. Just after an enormous, furry stranger whom the duo names Harry arrives for some chow, a TV news crew appears in search of Bigfoot, who has been spotted in the area. Next, a fellow with dark hair "slicked-back and waved up high" pulls up in a 1950s pink Caddy and introduces himself as "El." Mr. C, a jolly, round gent with a big white beard on vacation from his workshop up North shows up next, followed by a pigtailed girl who blows in on a small tornado and announces to her dog, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Sam's oblivious uncle hires them all, still insisting that "nothing ever happens here" each time the reporters return in search of a story. Cox sprinkles her quick-moving if predictable narrative with double entendres and references that range from obvious to waggish ("Must be all shook up," says El after an alien emerges from his crashed spaceship). The Lonesome Caf? doesn't set out to serve up substantial fare, but the light snack it offers will satiate kids with an appetite for shenanigans, and Kidd's black-and-white cartoon art dishes out an extra dollop of fun. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Sam moves with his uncle to the middle of the desert for peace and quiet. Uncle Clem is supposed to be a writer, but his severe lack of imagination keeps him from seeing that the Lonesome Caf? he opens employs Bigfoot, Elvis, Santa Claus, Dorothy and Toto, and E. T. It's Sam who recognizes their incredible paranormal good fortune, and Sam who tells the story. It's Clem who inadvertently saves each of the newcomers from being discovered by the persistent Channel 54 News team. While Cox stretches the story idea fairly thin, she succeeds in writing an early chapter book with appeal to more sophisticated older reluctant readers. They'll appreciate the repetition as well as the joke on Uncle Clem. Kidd's plentiful, black-and-white illustrations provide comic relief without looking too childish for the older audience.
Pat Leach, Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 2000 Reed 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 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439219426
• ISBN-13: 978-0439219426
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,043,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in San Francisco. I'm the oldest of five children and enjoyed telling stories from an early age. I am a reading teacher at a small rural school. I am inspired to write children's books by my own love of good literature, by raising my son, and by teaching my students.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A QUIRKY LITTLE STORY THIS IS. Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this one., January 21, 2012

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Weird Stories from the Lonesome Cafe (Hardcover)

Here we have a book written by Judy Cox and illustrated by Diane Kidd. When I first laid eyes on this book the first thing that came to my mind was the descriptive term "The dynamic Duo." My goodness! Do a bit of research and take a look at what these two writers have produced over the past few years.

Weird Stories from the Lonesome Café is specifically written for young folks (and I have to be truthful with you - for older folks too), that have a sort of quirky outlook on life and a rather dry sense of humor - an understated sense of humor to be exact. I read this book to a group of students recently and to be honest with you completely messed the reading up as I kept snickering and giggling throughout the reading which sort of broke the rhythm of the story. But giggles I found are contagious and I quickly found I had a room full laughing with me.

This story is about a young lad to is living with is uncle who is an author over summer vacation while his folks are gone. His uncle Clem has purchased a small café in the middle of nowhere in the waste land of Nevada. He has done this so he can write. Uncle Clem's chief complaint is that "Nothing ever happens here," ergo, there is nothing to write about. Oh my! How wrong he is. This story is told by the young boy and to be quite frank, the boy is somewhat more observant and somewhat brighter than his uncle Clem the writer.

Imagine having Big Foot as your chief cook. Santa Clause as your repairman, Elvis as your bread delivery guy and then throw in Dorothy and Toto and a space alien for good measure. Add to this a very typical and somewhat obnoxious television news team and you have quite a tale on your hands.

The humor is subtle. The gentle fun being poked at the clueless news team is quite fitting as is the nice but rather clueless Uncle Clem. The young boy telling the story is the bright one; the observant one and holds the entire story together quite well.

The author, Judy Cox indulges in some very nice word play which is absolutely delightful. What the younger reader will miss, most adults will certainly pick-up on. When you throw in the black and white cartoon illustrations by Diane Kidd you have a complete winner here.

The only complaint I have about this entire work is that there appears to be no sequels and this story simply cries out for one, two three and more...this would make a wonderful series and I admit that I crave more!

Give yourself a treat and pick this one up. I promise you will not be sorry.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Humor for Young (and not-so-young) Readers, April 1, 2003

By 

David LaRochelle (White Bear Lake, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Weird Stories from the Lonesome Cafe (Paperback)

I read this short chapter book while passing some time in an elementary library and was delighted with the genuine humor and the breezy writing of this original tale. Adults who read this story aloud to their children will enjoy the humor as much as their kids, and readers who have graduated to chapter books will find this one funny and entertaining.

I'm always impressed when I come across a fresh storyline in a children's book, and this tale of the mysterious (yet strangely familiar!) visitors to the Lonesome Cafe is definitely an original idea.

5.0 out of 5 stars Objective Perspective, December 28, 2010

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Mature shopper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weird Stories from the Lonesome Caf (Hardcover)

I truly enjoyed reading this book with my son. Anyone that purchases it will not be disappointed with the beautiful illustrations or stories. This is a delightful tale that both children and adults can enjoy. But don't take my word for it, read it for yourself. You'll be glad you did.