Book Review: THE GREAT BRAIN by John D. Fitzgerald

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My sister entered my room unannounced last night and balked at the expression on my face.

"Did someone die?" she asked.

"Yes," I choked out, holding up my copy of this book.

I haven't been this affected by a character's death since you-know-who passed away in Little Women. (Keeping it spoiler-free, baby!)

One of my favorite books, as a child, had been John D. Fitzgerald's "The Great Brain at the Academy." I remember loving everything about it... the black and white illustrations by Mercer Mayer, the crazy adventures of the biggest ten-year-old con man growing up in a Catholic school in 1890's Utah (getting several demerits on his first day, haha) ... it was magic!

That book, sadly, has been lost to history. But when I found the other books in the series for sale online, I ordered the first two. I've had them for several months now, but only got to pick up the first one last week. If I'm being honest, a part of me was scared to re-visit the character of someone I grew up with. I was scared that the magic would go away, now that I'm an adult.

My fear was unfounded. If anything, the magic has grown stronger! 

"The Great Brain" is the first book in the series, and brings the reader back to 1896 Adenville, Utah, where 80% of the population was composed of Mormons. "The Great Brain," or TGB for short, is ten-year-old Tom, the middle child in a Catholic family with three sons. And a naughtier boy has never existed in real life nor in print! 

Told from the point of view of the youngest brother, we follow TGB in his escapades that bring to mind Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but told in language far more accessible and with a better sense of humor (I think)!

It's heady stuff! I just couldn't tear myself away. As an educator, I appreciated the life lessons taught in each chapter. The thing with TGB is, his self-proclaimed mission in life is to promote himself and "swindle" his townmates out of money. What an endearing cad!

But as the book progresses, the reader sees that, unlike men of commerce, there are things that TGB holds dearer than money. Things like honor and justice. And sometimes, when his greed or pride temporarily blinds him, his incredible father and mother jump in to help straighten him out.

Parents need to be warned, though, that this is serious children's literature, with serious themes discussed: racism and bigotry included.

For instance, there's the chapter that broke my heart: the case of a wandering Jew who pays the ultimate price for anti-Semitism.

And then there's the case of the playmate whose leg got amputated, and when he couldn't do his chores properly, his father shouted in anger: "You're plumb useless," making the poor boy wish to "do myself in."

But it's not all doom and gloom. Most of the early chapters had me grinning all the time that I was reading! 

This is one of the best examples of children's literature. You know it's a classic when adults have even more fun reading it than kids. I've been fortunate enough to be both, at different times, and I can definitely say that this one is a keeper for the ages, for all ages.

Now on to Book 2! And a search for the other books in the series!

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