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“a really good book”
Sarah M wrote this review Saturday, November 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A hilarious must read, brings a new meaning to talented children!”
Evelyn P wrote this review Thursday, July 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It would get 4 stars but a couple of the novels weren't to my liking or got a little dull. The Boy from Mars, Slaves of Spiegel and the Last Guru were great reads.”
Ehren Cheung wrote this review Thursday, April 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I remember thinking as a kid, that if there were grownups in the world like Daniel Pinkwater, maybe growing up wasn't so bad. These books are amazing. They speak to kids with an absolute lack of condescension which is rarer in the Young Adult genre all the time. Then again, I still read Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars about once a year, and I'm almost 30, so it seems that Pinkwater has a knack with the old adults too.”
Cooper M wrote this review Monday, December 10 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“To this day, I can not fathom the popularity of Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia. Many might try to blame this on my age, or a lack of love for fantasy or adventure. The truth, however, is because I grew up reading books by authors like Daniel Pinkwater, and have since then passed up the painfully melodramatic in preference of the touchingly absurd.
Scott W wrote this review Wednesday, December 5 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This collection of young adult fiction by Daniel Pinkwater offers a generous sampling of the author's favorite subject matters. Aliens, misfits, weird people, rebellious students, and fat men all have places of honor among these tales.
In Alan Mendelsohn, Boy from Mars, Leonard Neeble is such an outcast at school that even the nerds make fun of him. Just when he's given up hope on ever being happy, along comes Alan Mendelsohn, a new kid who seems to enjoy annoying teachers and blowing off the cool kids. Leonard and Alan become quick friends, and in no time at all Alan is showing Leonard how to skip school, smoke cigars, lift objects with his mind, contact alien races, and learn to enjoy who he is without the approval of others.
Slaves of Spiegel, simply put, is about a race of fat people that forces other races into a cooking contest, while The Snarkout Boys are a group of young lads who "snark out" at night and have many bizarre adventures. The Last Guru, is about, well, the last guru. Go figure.
My personal favorite, however, and the grand example of Daniel Pinkwater's bizarre brand of genius, is Young Adult Novel. The story revolves around Wild Dada Ducks, a self-proclaimed dadaist group consisting of Charles the Cat, the Honorable Venustiano Carranza (President of Mexico), The Indiana Zephyr, Captain Colossal, and Igor. They spend their time performing dadaist plays and acts of pointless revolution at their high school, and writing parody young adult novels featuring the fictional character Kevin Shapiro. But when they discover that there actually is a student in the school named Kevin Shapiro, they immediately take him under their wing despite his protests, ignorant to the possibility that their own creation might rebel against them. After all, that is dada.
Very few children's authors, past or present, can successfully inject this much original wackiness into their stories while simultaneously teaching much needed life lessons that many books never touch on. Granted, not all of his young adult novels are meant to inform, but even the ones meant purely for entertainment can't help but leave you feeling better for the experience. Children, young adults, and even some grownups could do with a little Pinkwater influence. ”
“This is kind of a mixed bag, but "Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars" is worth the price of the collection many times over. I want to go to the Bermuda Triangle Chili Parlor and try their Green Death Chili while chatting with the Venusians! Hmm, that makes it sound really weird. Well, it is weird, but in a good way. Who could fail to sympathize with Leonard Neeble, the ur-geek, and thrill to his and Alan Mendelsohn's discovery of their awesome psychic powers?”
Emphyrio wrote this review Thursday, October 11 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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