Customer Reviews

William S. and the Great Escape

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

William S. Baggett is planning to run away . . . when he's older. Since their mother died, life has been miserable with an abusive father, uncaring stepmother and mean older brothers. But when his sister Jancy's guinea pig is flushed down the toilet, the two decide they can't stay to be tormented by their older siblings any longer. They escape along with a younger sister and brother and head to their aunt's house. They are forced to take a brief detour with a rich girl who admired William's rendition of Ariel in Shakespeare's The Tempest and talks them into hiding out at her house for several days. They eventually make it to their aunt's house but trouble follows them . . .

The author is a three time Newbery winner so obviously she knows how to write. The main characters are endearing and the story arc satisfying -- however, I did have a few problems with this book.

- This is supposedly set in the late 1930's -- but the only way the reader knows that is because it says on the first page that it is 1938 -- and the depression is mentioned once. Other than that, the language and lifestyles, activities and food are exactly the same as today. They ride on a Greyhound bus . . . does it look like the buses we have now. There are cars driving all over . . . do they look different. Expressions like "lame brain" are used. Did they really say that back then? If this is supposed to be 1930, we should know that and feel that and learn about that time period . . . the author telling us should not be the only clue.

- There was way too much backstory and "telling". The first 3 chapters were all telling us about stuff that already happened -- and the same thing happened at the end. It made for rather boring reading -- I want to be in the story and experiencing it along with the characters.

- In the middle of the book, we were in the present story which was great but there are so many scenes of William acting out Shakespeare's play and while I appreciate the effort to introduce children to Shakespeare, again it made for dull reading.

- The book seems to be written for young children but toward the end, there is some really violent stuff with William getting beaten senseless and the younger sisters being forced to watch. This seemed really disturbing and didn't match the lighter tone of the rest of the book.

Overall, this book seemed to have a lot of promise but the book read more like a first draft too me -- with some of the dull parts omitted, the backstory turned into present, more details about the time period and more action, this would have been a 5 star book.

11-year-old William S. Baggett (emphasis on the "S") is ready to make his escape. For too long, he's suffered under his abusive father and apathetic stepmother, but he's waiting until he's a little older to leave. When circumstances force him to take action and run away sooner than he hoped, he takes three of his siblings with him on a journey to their Aunt Fiona's house, hoping to permanently leave behind the Baggett house and find a home.

It's a bittersweet story, and William is an admirable character. He doesn't lose hope, and through his love of Shakespeare and dreams of acting, he helps impart some hope to the other children. Some reviewers are saying they can't stomach the violence, but unfortunately, it happens to kids and Zilpha Keatley Snyder doesn't shy away from the hard issues.

One thing that did seem odd about the book, though, was how the Depression was more of a backdrop than any part of the story. I thought there could have been more historical color, but the only thing the Depression setting seemed to do was give Big Ed a reason to reclaim his children (the New Deal welfare plan). But it wasn't strong enough, and the story could probably have been set in any time period and not really have been affected plot-wise.

Overall, a good read and recommended for mature middle school/junior high readers, or for young children with parental/teacher discussion.

I was looking forward to this book based on the premise-kid needs to excape homelife and has dramatic experiences. I found that as I read it I felt like I'd read it before-in fact, over and over before!! The storyline, writing style, and plot are so typical of kids books 30 years ago. The story felt contrived, the plot was boringly predictable and there was ZERO drama. Pass on this one and read some classic adventure stories instead.

The premise for William S. and the Great Escape sounded really good. However, I felt that the book simply didn't deliver on the premise. I wanted to read it because the author had won so many awards, so I was surprised to find this book a letdown. It makes me wonder if this was perhaps and "off" book for her.

I found it difficult to really connect with the characters. They didn't seem flesh and blood to me, so there was never that magical reading moment where I forgot that they were creations on a page. I think the major problem with William was that he was defined too much by his role as Ariel in The Tempest. I would also have liked some more background on William and his sisters. I wasn't looking for a graphic depiction of the abuse and neglect that they'd suffered, but it seemed like their experience growing up as Baggetts was mentioned in a sort of off-hand manner. As a reader, I connected with a character like Harry Potter because I saw and experienced what he was experiencing. This didn't happen with the Baggett children.

As ardent a lover of Shakespeare as I am, I didn't enjoy the incorporation of his works. I thought the middle section of the book was little more than a retelling of The Tempest. I was anxious for the action of the Baggetts to continue to unfold, and so I felt as though the scenes with William reenacting his role as Ariel were disruptive to the overall narrative flow. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would say a novel contained too much Shakespeare--this one did.

Lastly, I did not like the resolution of the novel. I think it would have been more effective to play this out a little more, rather than having one long, complicated explanation at the end. I also kept wondering why no one had ever before reported the Baggetts to the authorities. It all just came together far too neatly for me. I enjoy children's literature when it's done well, but this book just left me cold.

I had high hopes for the book and though I enjoyed it, it falls short in important ways. In the end I find it is merely okay, hence three stars.

Zilpha Keatley Snyder is a prolific author, having written more than forty books for children since her first in 1964. She has written three Newbery Honor books: The Egypt Game (1968), The Headless Cupid (1972), and The Witches of Worm (1973).

William S. and the Great Escape is a fictional Depression-era account of four children who run away from an abusive family. The story focuses on William, a twelve-year-old who has long made plans to break free of a home with an explosive, iron-handed, lay-about father, violent older siblings, and meager pickings in the pantry. William has found some succor in the plays of Shakespeare and a supportive drama teacher, though William must hide this love from his cretinous and insolent family. The story kicks into action when William's younger sister, Jancy, decides it is time for them to take flight with their two youngest siblings and go live with their aunt on the coast.

I am disappointed in the book on two counts. First, the escape itself is not terribly exciting. For much of it the four children are merely waylaid in a basement. The situation is both improbable and humdrum. Running away becomes reduced to choosing toys that the children can play with all day long. I find this to be a lost opportunity. Second, this is not the Great Depression that I am familiar with either through family stories or my own studies. The Baggetts are destitute and often hungry, yet their rural house sports indoor plumbing. The older kids get occasional odd jobs, but have enough disposable income for motorcycles, hot rods, and alcohol. Ed Baggett, the father, exists as a welfare dad, conniving support checks out of the government by feigning a leg injury and keeping his brood as large as possible. And then there is Clarice, a child left at home alone (with short daily visits to her aunt's) by two working parents (of some means) who are both attorneys. While none of this was impossible in the 1930s, taken together it seems decades later. This actually feels like a contemporary account.

Finally, as a small aside, I am not bothered by the violence that appears at the end. Frankly, it seemed to me to be the most historically accurate part of the book. You'll have to judge whether your children are ready for such portrayals, but at some point it is important to learn how poorly people treat each other.

William S. Baggett, soon to be 13, has had an escape plan for a few years. However, he thinks he's too young to strike out on his own just yet so he's putting his pennies away in an 'escape fund' for when he gets up his nerve. Then, one day, his younger sister Jancy tells him that day is today! She is fed up with the Baggetts. Her montrous older brothers flushed her beloved hamster down the toilet. It was murder, plain and simple.

We, my daughter and I, thoroughly enjoyed this Depression Era story about four kids who simply can't take being bullied by their no account father and older brothers any longer, so they escape in the middle of the night with their dead mother's sister, Aunt Fiona in Gold Beach, California, as their ultimate goal. They're hoping and praying that she'll take them in.

Seems that their father, Big Ed Baggett, only wants them around to collect more welfare money, anyway. He ignores them for the most part, but can be mean and cruel when the spirit strikes him. And he lets his older sons beat up the smaller kids on a regular basis. Plus, they rarely get a good, solid meal. In other words, anywhere would be better than living with the Baggetts.

On their journey they run into some interesting people, especially Clarice, a poor little rich girl who is more than a little lonely because her parents, both attorneys, work long hours.

What will happen if they ever make it to Gold Beach and Aunt Fiona's house. Will she protect them, or will mean Ed Baggett and their brutish big brothers come and drag them back home?

We enjoyed their story and were relieved by the edge-of-your-seat ending!

I'm a big fan of Zilpha Keatley Snyder and was definitely pleased with her latest book, William S. and the Great Escape. The story is a quick read and one that families can read aloud and discuss together, with spots of humor, a great cast, and an interesting storyline.

I did have a few "issues" with the story, namely the violence towards the end. Though the story seems geared toward the 8-12 set, I would be a bit uneasy reading the last couple of chapters to an 8 year old, as the main character is described as being beaten, with his younger sisters forced to watch, as their own punishment. Violence is referenced in many spots in the book, but much more subtly than the end. I think it could have been a little toned down to be more age-appropriate.

I love Snyders cover choices and her characters always stand out and shine. The main character, William, was a great male character and one that I think would appeal to boys of the same age set.

This could be a great read aloud in a classroom, though again, be aware of the violence at the end, or within your family, possibly using the violence as a great discussion starter.

"William S. and the Great Escape" tells the story about 7th grader William S. Baggett and his younger sisters and brother who run away from their abusive/neglectful father and step-mother. William loves drama and performing in plays and especially loves Shakespeare. William quotes lines from Shakespeare throughout the book and it's interesting to see the lines used in a context that kids can relate to. The book is set in 1938, but most of the book feels more like it is set in current times.

I liked the book, but it is not perfect. The cover says the book is for ages 8 to 12, but I have mixed feelings about that. Most of the vocabulary is aimed at the younger end of that range, I'm not sure about some of the Shakespeare passages. While the lines from Shakespeare that are included are interesting, there are a couple of parts in which William actually acts out parts of "The Tempest". I had a hard time getting through those scenes, so I think an 8 year old would lose interest pretty quickly. In addition, some of the scenes with William and his father may be disturbing for some 8 or 9 year olds. (He is beaten with a belt, and his younger siblings are forced to watch.) For those reasons, I think the book may be more suited to either boys or girls aged 10 to 13.

Overall, I do think this is a good book, but one that is more suitable for those in 5th through 8th grade. I cared about the characters and what would happen to them at the end and think kids would, too. It was also refreshing to read a new book for tweens that was unique, but did not have any supernatural characters in it!

What kid hasn't thought about running away? Most of us haven't actually gone through with it. But in this story, William S. Baggett and his sister Jancy don't see any other way out. They aren't like the rest of the Baggetts. They get beat up by their siblings and by their no-good father, especially if he's been drinking. Their step-mother doesn't care about them. William's only escape is Shakespeare and acting, which the other Baggetts would never understand. So when Jancy's gerbil gets flushed down the toilet by the older Baggetts, she throws in her lot with William and they come up with a way to run away and take their two youngest siblings with them. The four kids set out to find their aunt, their mother's sister, and hope that she will take them in.

I'm torn about the story. In some ways, I think it's a great story with an introduction to Shakespeare, which most kids will learn that he's the stuffy playwright they have to read about in high school. It's great to see Shakespeare portrayed as a fun read, someone who was best enjoyed on the stage. But I felt like part of the story was missing. It took a while for me to realize that it took place in the 1930's. There is a brief mention of the New Deal and hamburgers that cost a quarter. It threw me and changed the way the scenes looked in my head. I went back to the beginning to see if I missed something but nothing seemed to stand out. This book isn't meant to be historical fiction but when something historical like the New Deal is mentioned, it might be helpful to explain that somehow, esepcially since the audience is kids aged 8-12.

Twelve year old William S. Baggett is skinny, often called wimpy, but very smart. He doesn't fit in with most of the other Baggetts: Big Ed, Gertie, Babe, Gary, Rudy, Little Ed, and the twins, Al and Andy. The no-good Baggetts live in a condemned farmhouse on the outskirts of Crownfield, California during the Great Depression. When some of the older kids in the family flush sister Jancy's pet guinea pig down the toilet, William and his three younger siblings decide it's time to run away. Jancy is eleven, a Shirley Temple lookalike, who is mechanically inclined. Trixie is six and Buddy is just four. It seems like home is a hopeless place, since Mom died and Big Ed married Gertie. Big Ed hardly works, he drinks like a fish, and he loves to fight. His older children all take after him, and William is often beaten and teased. At home, he can't talk about his love of Shakespeare, or even let on that he played Ariel in The Tempest. That would only set him up for more ridicule and torment. William reflects, "Straight-A brains might be good for something, even if some careless but all-powerful director, like God maybe, had cast you in the role of a Baggett." The four children set out to visit their mother's sister, who took care of Buddy and Trixie for two years after their mother died. The story follows their flight and, of course, provides a happy ending.

All in all, this is a fun, sweet story, told with humor and an old fashioned style. It reminds me of the Ed Eager "Magic" series. Highly recommended as a read-aloud for ages 4+ or read-alone for 7+.