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!

View all my reviews

THE AVENGERS: Watch a movie for a cause!

It's only THE most awaited film of 2012. And it's being shown in THE finest cinema in Metro Manila. We're selling tickets for a cause!

Buy a ticket and help send U.P. students to school! Our NGO, Ex Libris Philippines, is inviting you to attend a special blocked screening of "The Avengers." We're holding this movie fundraiser in order to help send U.P. "iskolars ng bayan" to school. Our past three fundraisers have helped fund the education of eleven (11) U.P. students!

"THE AVENGERS," showing at April 25, 2012. Wednesday. 7:00 p.m.

Rockwell Power Plant Cinema 2.

Tickets are at P500.00 each! For tickets, please contact me at 0920 947 08 35.

Be cool, and help someone go to school!

See y'all there!

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Ex Libris Philippines is a nonstock, nonprofit organization for book enthusiasts. We believe that the nobility of ideals and great vision should not just exist in the pages of books or in the minds of authors long-dead and gone, but in reality. Our organization’s Scholarship Project helps send deserving but financially needy U.P. students to school.

In March 2007, we held a special screening of Frank Miller's"300" in the Powerplant Cinema, Makati. The proceeds went to Gerico Prince Punzalan and Hanna Keila Garcia (Mr. Punzalan graduated on April 26, 2009, BA Speech Communication, cum laude). In April of 2008, we held an opera production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale held at the UP Engineering Theater, Melchor Hall, UP Diliman. The proceeds went to Mikael Angelo S. Francisco (BA Communication Research), Vincent B. Parrenas (BA Philosophy), Maricar F. Verano (BA History), Jessa Chryzl R. Orosco (BS Statistics), and Dave Capule (DCPMA Piano). More recently, in May 2010, we held a concert in the UP College of Music, the proceeds of which went to fund the education of Frederick G. Precillas (B.A. Fine Arts), Claudine V. Enduma (B.S. Tourism), Mark Bryan F. Manantan (B.A. Broadcast Communication), and Dancille Villarey (B.S. Nutrition). Mark Bryan Manantan graduated this past 2011 magna cum laude, and was also nominated for the Best Thesis Award.

http://exlibrisphilippines.multiply.com/

MIBF 2011 and the First Pinoy Reader Conference

I'm very proud of my twinnie! She was invited to be a panelist at the first ever Pinoy Reader Conference, recently held at the Manila International Book Fair. She joined a distinguished group of book bloggers and book club representatives as she spoke about Ex Libris Philippines. Many thanks to Charles Tan for uploading the mp3 file of the panel! Click here to listen.

Reading is something I love but nowadays get very little time to do... Reading for pleasure, that is, and not required texts or essays written by students. So the MIBF was a very welcome breather, in that I got to immerse myself in an idyllic world surrounded by people who are every bit as crazy as (if not crazier than) myself!

It's always a pleasure to meet with people who love the same things you do. You feed off each other's passion, and it can translate not only to good times, but hopefully, also to good deeds that will contribute towards making our country not only a literate one, but a literature-loving one.

Among the many issues raised during the conference was the one of literacy vs. love for reading. In the Philippines, we have a high literacy rate, indeed. But being able to read is very different from choosing to read, for fun!

Some people may think reading is for the elite minority whose intelligence is above the norm. My book club and I beg to differ.

Those of us who have the resources have an obligation to look for our own little ways to "spread the corruption," as Tata jokingly put it.

It's like what I told my preschool students today, when the birthday celebrant gave away one book per classmate instead of the usual loot bags.

5-year-old: Teacher, nasaan yung candy?

Me: Books are even better than candy! Once you eat candy, it's gone forever, but when you read books, you become smarter forever!!!