Winchell Mink: The Misadventure Begins [Hardcover]

Steve Young (Author)

Book Description

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

All he wanted was to experience life (whatever that means) -- and now he's trapped on a high and dangerous cliff with only his pet turtle, Hannibal, around to help!

Fortunately, Hannibal is one of the Great Mystical Turtles of the Tortoissaic Period. Thanks to Hannibal's bizarre powers, Winchell finds himself time-hopping and body-morphing with baseball-playing dinosaurs, on trial for his life in a courtroom full of dancing tortoises, and fighting off bullies along with the appropriately nicknamed Bobby Plungerbutt.

Can Winchell survive all these encounters and still manage to get home in time for apple pie? Only author Steve Young knows for sure! But whatever happens, just don't expect Winchell's story to be like any you've ever read before.

Unless, of course, you've read Winchell's story before.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Constantly bullied by the inventively articulate Clayton Moore, quirky Winchell Mink, 11, finds solace with his box turtle, Hannibal. One day, it begins communicating telepathically with him and encourages him to go out and experience life, but he ends up falling off a cliff. After Hannibal goes for help, Winchell thinks that if he were a turtle, he'd have saved himself by now. Zap! He's in his pet's body. The situation grows ever more bizarre when he finds that he has become a brontosaurus playing on the herbivore baseball team against the carnivores to determine the fate of life on Earth. He also experiences life as five-year-old Bobby Dungermutt, whose rear end is shaped and operates just like a toilet plunger, which makes picking up his toys a real cinch. In every episode, Winchell is bullied by some form of his nemesis. Eventually, the two boys swap bodies, affording Winchell the opportunity to learn that Clayton behaves the way he does because another bully killed his cat. Peace is made. It's all very exhausting and odd, with decorative text, musical notes, and smart-aleck footnotes enhancing the chaotic feel. The plot certainly moves quickly and the story is just gross enough to appeal to reluctant readers. However, Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" books (Viking) are a better bet for those looking for short, intelligently humorous adventures.–B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY
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Review

“This ought to circulate well on the school bus.” (Publishers Weekly )

“One laugh-out-loud read” (Family Fun Magazine )

“Children used to the quick pace and sometimes-gross humor of... Captain Underpants... will feel at home in Winchell’s world.” (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1St Edition edition (May 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060534990
• ISBN-13: 978-0060534998
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,728,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for *almost* any age, June 2, 2004

By 

Mark Widawer "www.LandingPageCashMachine.com" (West Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winchell Mink: The Misadventure Begins (Hardcover)

Okay. I must admit that I'm not entirely done with the book, but I had to stop reading for a moment to pet my turtle and wipe the tears from my eyes. Been launghing WAY too much.
Young's characters are so colorful, and the only thing better than the great narrative are the mental gymnastics the main character goes through.
It's a great book for 9 to 14 year olds, 17 year olds, 32-37 year olds, anyone older than 53 (provided they still have a sense of wonder and imagination), and dinosaurs who can read. And no matter what your age, I recommend reading it to someone else. It's funny in my own warped head, but EXTREMELY funny when you have to say this stuff out loud.
That all said, it's a great lesson to any reader about the importance of finding the good in anything bad and overcoming adversity.
Read it to someone you like to giggle with today.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More fun for adults than kids, November 9, 2006

By 

Andrew Rudiak (Pleasanton, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winchell Mink: The Misadventure Begins (Hardcover)

I have a 6-year-old relative who has epilepsy. He also has parents who seem more intent upon imposing their personal ideologies upon his condition than in getting it properly treated. They don't take him to movies, or let him watch television, and the diet they make him follow is one that prevents him from attending parties or snacking at a friend's house (or, for that matter, having friends).

The blurbs for Winchell Mink made it appear that Winchell Mink might have a premise that would appeal to a young person in this predicament: don't be afraid of your differentness.

However, when I actually sat down to read Winchell Mink, I found that this theme wasn't really developed. The book seems more of a forced, almost random exercise of whimsy, aimed more at adults than children. Some of the jokes are bound to go over the heads of anyone under 40. How many 8- to 10-year-olds (the apparent target demographic for this book) are likely to know that Clayton Moore, Winchell's nemesis at school and in other manifestations throughout the book, is the name of the actor who played The Lone Ranger on TV back in the 50s? (Well, maybe if they watch Nickelodeon.)

Winchell Mink has its moments, but there are too many other moments that remind you very pointedly that it is more about an author meeting a contractual obligation with his publisher than an effort to tell a story of lasting interest.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WAY TO GO, WINCHELL!, July 29, 2004

By 

Linda Joy Singleton "Linda Joy Singleton" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Winchell Mink: The Misadventure Begins (Hardcover)

What a fun and totally wacky book! The wild humor will delight both kids and adults. I especially loved the stories within the story -- so bizarre you can't help but laugh. And Steve Young's twisted history scenes are wonderfully creative.

Teachers will find WINCHELL MINK a hilarious choice for reading aloud to entertain and encourage reluctant readers to love books. I can't wait to read Winchell's NEXT adventure!