Friday, August 9, 2013

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor

The cover of this book is superb.  It really summarizes the story well!
The story takes place in Carter, Georgia.  Owen Jester and his two best friends try to avoid Owen's next door neighbor Viola, a "know it all" girl, and his grandfather's housekeeper, Earlene.
The summer has two highlights for the boys-Owen capturing the best bullfrog and another discovery that is Owen's "fantastic secret".
The story is refreshing in the fact the boys are acting like boys and using their creativity to play OUTSIDE and to keep themselves busy!  Although they are very nasty  to Viola, they soon realize that they need her brains to help them with their discovery.
As a character Owen's view on a captured bullfrog and of Viola change as the story progresses.  Readers could analyze each character, their traits, and how they develop as a character in the story.

Some cautions/discussion points- the boys are very disrespectful to two elderly ladies in the story; Owen lies and disobeys often throughout the book; church is something he endures; name calling; two times the author says the one character "cusses", "let a string of cusswords fly"; stealing

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