A Day No Pigs Would Die

Rating:
Summary: Violent and crude
Review: Enticed by the phrase on the cover - "a modern classic!" - I picked up this book expecting to find a pleasant "coming of age" story. What I got was something quite different.

The narrarator, Robert Peck, is a 12-year boy old in Vermont, living a Shaker life and helping his father on the family farm. The story does follow his passage from boyhood to manhood, but the way it does so is what I found troubling.

For one, there is a serious disrespect for animals and nature in the story. The narrarator talks about catching bullfrogs to eat their legs, shoots squirrels so his mother can use the squirrel's digested food (nuts) to sprinkle on their cake, helps his neighbor to subject a dog to a "death match" with a weasel, and worst of all, assists his father in killing his own pet so the family can eat it! I know of no child that would kill or eat his pet, and I know of no father that would actually think of such a thing. Just ridiculous.

On top of this, there were sexual innuendos and references made in the story, which I can't see having any place in a book for young adults. The suggestion that a widowed neighbor who had been mean to people "is some improved" now that a handyman was around is patently offensive.

I don't know how much of the story is autobiographical, as the book is defined as a novel. But the author uses his own name for the boy in the story, and his father's name and profession for the father in the story. And the story is set in Vermont, where the author grew up. I sincerely hope much of this book was fictitious; if not, Robert Peck had an absoultely horrible childhood, and certainly not one to be remembered fondly.

What a disappointment. I gave it 1 star because I had to give it at least 1.

Rating:
Summary: A Day No Pigs Would Die-
Review: First of all I thought is was filled with great details. I didn't like it at first but in the end when Robert's father dies it is sad but it makes Robert the man of the house. He has to do tons of work like check the eggs to see if they are good. Secondly, he has to milk the cow and lay the hay down. Robert lost his freind Pinky, a pig and he felt bad. He had to eat him and he didn't even cry! He just cared for his father then cause he knew his father was going to die soon. It almost made me cry!! I liked the book a lot and i give it a four in half star rating because the author explains to you how evertything happens. There are so many lessons I learned and we learned the birth/death situations. Their is lots of humor in the book like when Rob has nothing on and the cow is dragging him around in prickles. I hope more people will read the book and will have mixed emotions.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Is Informative But Short.
Review: I thought that the book A Day No Pigs Would Die was a good book by the author Robert Newton. I don't read a lot and I thought that it was a good book for middle school students and up. It has content that I would have considered unusual or uncomfortable two or three years earlier. Robert Peck, the main character of the book goes through many changes over the course of this book (one year) and eventually becomes a man. This book contains little bits comedy, like in a part of the book when Rob goes to a fair with his neighbors and it shows his innocence, or with his vocabulary. Finally the story is has a large amount of thinking to it, you have to wonder what is going to happen in the next chapter. I chose four stars because this book informs me about the life of a shaker boy on a farm and how it is exciting and boring at the same time! If you like to read informative books than I recommend this book to you.

Rating:
Summary: Best book I read in school.
Review: In 5th grade this book was required reading in my English class. It has stuck with me the rest of my years. The story line was fantastic. It is deffinitly a "growing up" book about a boy, his family, life on a farm, and pigs. A MUST read for every young boy and girl!

Rating:
Summary: A Day No Pigs Would DIe
Review: Maturity is to become fully developed or ripe.In the book A Day No Pigs Will Die Robert Newton Peck is faced with the dilemma of growing up to be a man at a young age.At age 13 his father died leaving him to be the man of the house and to run the farm.Robert learns from growing up that he has to do what has to be done.Robert Newtown Peck was not like any other child .He did not spend his days going to school fulltime and playing in the outdoors.He did exactly the oppisite.He was a fulltime provider.He provided help for his family to maintain their life without becoming financially unstable.He had to live by the Shaker way and was never allowed something that was not necessary. Robert Newtown Peck really did not experience a regular child's life style that you would experience today.For example, As I grew up I only had simple chores around the house.My chores were usually to wash the dishes,vaccum,and take out the garbage never had to milk a cow or work on a farm.Robert Newtown Peck had to experience being a man at an early age.He had to do the work that his father did daily.Maturance from a boy to a man is the most important topic in the book ,A Day No Pigs Would Die.This book has funny moments. Although it also has some gooey things but if you think you can manage check it out

Rating:
Summary: What a book
Review: The book A Day No Pig Would Die written, by Robert Newton Peck is a must read book. As I was reading this book it shows how a boy (Robert peck) values a pig given to him by his neighbor (Mr. Tanner). He names the pig Pinky. He got Pinky as a reward. What did he do? As you read the book you will discover shocking events. What are they? Read and find out. This book is for all ages but if you like action, adventure, or sci-fi, this book might not be for you but try to. I recommend this book for people to read. Read the book to discover what happens as the relation between Robert and Pinky grow closer.

Rating:
Summary: Inappropriate for kids
Review: This book is disgusting. The fact that it's foisted upon 6th graders is a real curiousity to me. My daughter was forced to read this book when she was 11 and could barely make it through. The teacher seemed to delight in her uncomfortableness with the book. I may be old fashioned, but this is not an appropriate coming of age book for children. The sex and the violence are just too graphic! If you have a sensitive child avoid this book if you can. If your teacher assigns it pen her down on what redeeming value it has.

Rating:
Summary: Day no pigs would die
Review: This is a kind of book that when you start it you can't put it down. A boy named Rob, decides to skip school. He sees a cow giving birth to a baby cow. He takes his shirt off and wraps it around the baby cow and pulled the cow out of its mom's stomach. He pretty much gave birth to the baby cow. The cow that gave birth to the baby cow had a goiter in it's esophagus so Rob thinks of another stupid idea and pulls it out of it's mouth. He got his arm stuck in the cow's mouth because the cow bit down and went rolling down with a very injured arm. For doing this, his neighbor (whos cows they are) rewarded him with a cute pid which Rob named Pinky. One day Mr. Tanner was going to the Runtland fair and wanted to know if Rob wanted to go to tshow Pinky. He did and of coure won first place which was a blue ribbon. A couple of weeks later, Papa couldn't find any food for their family so he had to kill Pinky and eat her. After that Papa, started to sleep in the barn. When Rob and his family wre going to eat dinner, Papa wasn't going to join them. He died in his sleep. Rob just didn't have aperfect life after he won the blue ribbon with Pinky.

Rating:
Summary: A Day No Pigs Would Die.
Review: This is a wonderful book. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply told in keeping with it's Shaker characters, you almost get the impression that not much is happening and the narrator is just rambling. At the book's conclusion though, you realize that so very much has happened, and the lessons this book teaches young (and not so young) readers are quiet and powerful. The slow and pastoral pace of this short novel may not lend itself to the tastes of young readers today, but it's an easy read and an effort richly rewarded. This book is one of the few that has actually moved me to tears, not because of any overbearing sentimentality, but through its matter-of-fact honesty. Highly recommended.