The Great Brain Reforms (Hardcover)

by John D. Fitzgerald (Author) "MY BROTHER TOM and eldest brother Sweyn arrived home for summer vacation on Sunday, June 5, 1898..." (more)
Key Phrases: Uncle Mark, Aunt Bertha, Alkali Flats (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"That turn-of-the-century con man  extraordinaire, The Great Brain, returns...for summer  vacation. He tops his own record for  double-dealing."--Horn Book. -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"That turn-of-the-century con man  extraordinaire, The Great Brain, returns...for summer  vacation. He tops his own record for  double-dealing."--Horn Book. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Dial (January 1, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803730675
• ISBN-13: 978-0803730670
• Product Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 20 inches
• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,517,758 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #19 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( F ) > Fitzgerald, John D.
  #21 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Mystery & Detective > Great Brain

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and realistic..An excellent book for all ages, May 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Brain Reforms (Paperback)

The "Great Brain"(also known as Tom) is one of the most clever characters I have ever seen. He proves to be above both the children as well as the adults with his money-loving heart and his great brain. Tom manages to swindle every single child in his town (especially his simple-minded brother) and gets away with it most of the time. He could argue his way out of everything and he uses this advantage over others to have his own way over everything. I loved this book mainly because it was hilarious and was very realistically written by the author. I would certainly recommend this book to anybody who loves to read!! The "Great Brain" reminds me a lot of what I used to do to my brother, Chandu, when we were little. I used to get my way with him every time just like the Great Brain did with his brother, John.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unforgettable Classic: A Must Read, September 3, 2002

By	Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Great Brain Reforms (Paperback)

John D. Fitzgerald, in the tradition of Mark Twain, wrote a semi-fictitious account of his childhood as a Mormon in Utah. The milieu and time for "The Great Brain" series is a Victorian, early 1900's era, making the stories more in the lines of Tom Sawyer and Huck Fynn. But that does not belittle this timeless classic written in the 70's. The Great Brain is in fact an interesting character to follow. The stories are told from the point of view of his younger brother, as he follows him through many schemes (all of which are money scams) and escapades, which somehow wind down to moral lessons. The Great Brain is a humorous, brilliant and witty work of historic fiction that is sure to touch every reader in some way. I first read the series as a young child myself, growing up in much the same way The Great Brain does- a strict religious family that promotes hard work and academic education. These stories are hard to find nowadays, Victorian morales having slipped away somehow in our modern day. I am glad to know that Amazon.com still has these great books and I recommend them to everyone, young and old. For me, reading the novels was a form of escape, as well as an insightful glimpse of a time that was far more innocent than our own- the violent gangs of today and MTV, Britney Spears, Joy of Pepsi, Ossie Osbourne generation compare nothing to the rebelliousnes of the Great Brain. All of the books are enjoyable, and it is not until the last book in the series, "The Great Brain Reforms" (the name says it all) that we discover the startling growth and changes the punky, swindling, intelligent adult-trapped in the body of a child Great Brain undergoes. A Must Read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trust me, he doesnt actually, August 24, 2002

By	Samuel Krikorian (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Great Brain Reforms (Paperback)

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.