Zack Files 01: My Great-grandpa's in the Litter Box [Paperback]

Dan Greenburg (Author), Jack E. Davis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Zack Files

Zack wants to adopt a kitten from the local animal shelter. But what he takeshome instead is a scruffy old tomcat who not only talks, but claims to be thereincarnation of Zack's long-departed Great-Grandpa Julius!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5. Zack is a normal 10-year-old boy with a knack for getting into weird situations. In Wanda, he attempts to rid his apartment of a rude eight-year-old poltergeist who communicates by spelling out words with peanut M&Ms. In Litter Box, he plans to adopt a kitten but instead acquires a cantankerous talking cat that claims to be the reincarnation of his great-grandfather. He sees his reflection in the Medicine Cabinet mirror and falls through into a skewed world that its inhabitants consider much "cooler" than ours. An electrical accident occurs at school and Zap!?Zack can hear thoughts, including a bloodthirsty voice expressing an eagerness to kill. The stories have a whacked-out, off-the-wall humor that is reminiscent of the work of Daniel Pinkwater. At the same time, they neatly poke fun at the conventions of popular horror series. Kids will find some of the episodes tremendously funny. Great-Grandpa the cat threatens to "take a leak" on the sofa if Zack doesn't provide him with his preferred food (herring with sour cream!); Wanda and a fellow ghost yank down a bully's pants. The books are short without looking babyish and would appeal to reluctant readers as well as those with a taste for oddball humor.?Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (August 6, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448412608
• ISBN-13: 978-0448412603
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #307,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dan Greenburg has known success as a humorist, a novelist, a journalist, a screenwriter, and a playwright. Now he has turned his considerable talent to writing an original new series of books for a younger audience. Inspired by his own son Zack, for whom the hero of his new series, The Zack Files, is named, Greenburg has combined his love of humor, his interest in things paranormal, and his talent for writing to create books that kids like Zack will want to read. With 18 books to his credit, Dan Greenburg's work has been translated into 19 languages and is available in 22 countries. His best-selling titles for adults include How to Be a Jewish Mother, How to Make Yourself Miserable, Scoring, Love Kills, How to Avoid Love and Marriage and Exes. His previous books for children include Young Santa, The Bed Who Ran Away From Home, Jumbo the Boy and Arnold the Elephant. His articles have appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Ms., Time, Newsweek, Life, New York magazine, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times Book Review, Vanity Fair, Playboy, and have been reprinted in 33 anthologies of humor and satire in the United States and England. Born and raised in Chicago, Dan Greenburg received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois, and his M.A. from UCLA. He is the father of Zack, a teenage son, who played the title role in the motion picture, LORENZO'S OIL, and served as the inspiration for The Zack Files. Mr. Greenburg lives in Westchester County, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This opening book hooked my 7 year old on the series!, June 16, 2005

By 

Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Zack Files 01: My Great-grandpa's in the Litter Box (Paperback)

I've been looking for a while for a nice long series of books that my 7 year old really liked. I wanted to read to him each night, and perhaps even tempt him to read to himself when I made myself too busy! He has an interest as many kids do in the supernatural, but I didn't want anything too extreme in this direction. The Zack Files are perfect! To start with, they are hilarious, especially for kids, but somewhat to me also. They are clearly written, fast moving, not lots of description, and have great plots. This first entry is about Zack adopting a cat that turns out to be a reincarnated relative of his. My son especially loved the fact that characters, including the cat, show up over and over in later books. You could probably jump into this series at any point, but I would start here---it's one of the strongest titles and a lot of fun to read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For ages 9-12? How about 4-90?, July 13, 2004

By 

Kate "kalohe" (Apex, NC, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zack Files 01: My Great-grandpa's in the Litter Box (Paperback)

I have a little trouble with the idea that the reading level is 9-12. I really enjoy it still and I'm 50. I read it aloud to my dad and he's over 80...

How I came across this. My daughter was a non-reader. I am a voracious reader. I used to think that if you could find the right books you could turn anyone into a reader. Maybe this is true if you count Manga as reading. I'm not sure that I do. My daughter started the fifth reading at a third grade level and this is one of the series I discovered while trying to find things that she could read and wouldn't find boring. The series was up to about 12 books when we stopped buying it, year-round school and a desire to read the first Harry Potter came along that year and ended the inability to read, even if the desire isn't all I would have wanted. I read all of these that we bought, and enjoyed them for the characters and the stories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zack Files Great-Grandpa's in the Litter Box, April 13, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Zack Files 01: My Great-grandpa's in the Litter Box (Paperback)

The Zack Files:
Great Grandpa Julius Is in The Litter Box
A review by: Lauren Richardson age, 8

This book is about a boy named Zack. Zack goes to the shelter for a cat. He comes back with a talking cat that say's he's Zack's great-grandpa Julius. Great Grandpa Julius the talking cat told cat lies can Zack trust him?

If you like books that have people in their fictional lives, Zack Files are good books for you! I liked this book because I really like fiction.

I like the T.V. show too on HBO. I give it 10 stars

This is the first book and the greatest in the Zack Files series. My favorite part was the shelter. It was funny and easy to read.

I recommend this book to 2nd graders and up.