A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Rating:
Summary: Be sure you know what you're buying...
Review: A cute adaptation of the classic "Peanuts" movie, but be sure you know what you're buying before you click on "order." I was under the impression that it was a strip-format adaptation of the film, when in fact it is more of a children's storybook, with pictures and text separate from each other. Not to point fingers, I should have been paying closer attention. Mea culpa.

That said, it is a good adaptation, and I'm not at all sorry I picked it up. If I ever have kids, I'm going to read this to 'em until they're sick of it.

Rating:
Summary: I Love this Book
Review: Be everything that you can be. That's all that anyone can ask of themselves. Sad to see it is out of print. Fond of it, very fond.

Rating:
Summary: I remember this book fondly!
Review: Of all the books I checked out of teh library, this was one that i remember well. I was even more thrilled when I found that the book was based on a movie.

It's just another typical day for Good Ol' Charlie Brown. Everything seems to be going bad for him: he can't fly that kite of his, and his team loses the first baseball game of the season. Going to Lucy for Psychiatric help proves another fatal move. Linus tells Charlie Brown that my'be he should enter the school Spelling Bee. Charlie Brown feels confident, while Lucy and some of the other girls taunt him saying how he'll "just make a fool out of himself." However, Charlie Proves them all wrong, and then wins a chance to go to New York to take part in the "International Eliminations Spelling Bee-2nd Grade." Charlie is beside himself, but with Snoopy and Linus looking on, can he succeed even further? The artwork is actually still images from the film, with some dialogue made simpler and some scenes omitted to make the story move at a better pace. Several musical montages in the movie are also omitted. Still, this is a book I'd recommend for all elementary school students. Almost every student should know and read the "Peanuts" comics. I still read them to this day.

Rating:
Summary: I remember this book fondly!
Review: Of all the books I checked out of teh library, this was one that i remember well. I was even more thrilled when I found that the book was based on a movie.

It's just another typical day for Good Ol' Charlie Brown. Everything seems to be going bad for him: he can't fly that kite of his, and his team loses the first baseball game of the season. Going to Lucy for Psychiatric help proves another fatal move. Linus tells Charlie Brown that my'be he should enter the school Spelling Bee. Charlie Brown feels confident, while Lucy and some of the other girls taunt him saying how he'll "just make a fool out of himself." However, Charlie Proves them all wrong, and then wins a chance to go to New York to take part in the "International Eliminations Spelling Bee-2nd Grade." Charlie is beside himself, but with Snoopy and Linus looking on, can he succeed even further? The artwork is actually still images from the film, with some dialogue made simpler and some scenes omitted to make the story move at a better pace. Several musical montages in the movie are also omitted. Still, this is a book I'd recommend for all elementary school students. Almost every student should know and read the "Peanuts" comics. I still read them to this day.

Rating:
Summary: Selections from the Movie with Beautiful Color Illustrations
Review: On the large pages, the 100 + color illustrations of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and Snoopy look wonderful. The reproduction quality is very fine, and you almost feel like you are holding an art book rather than a strip. This book is a condensation of the story from the 1969 movie, and reissues an earlier book by the same name. You will find the story transitions a little abrupt here, so it is almost like reading several disconnected strips. I graded the book down accordingly.

Charlie Brown opens the book about to pitch. The last time the team won was when he could not play. He's a little discouraged. The pitcher's mound is covered with dandelions. They cannot agree on the signals. Early on, he gets hit by a line drive. No one takes his misery very seriously. Lucy suggests that he can get by with second or third aid. He doesn't need first aid.

Charlie Brown sees himself as a loser, and is getting depressed. While trying to encourage him, Linus beats him at tic-tac-toe.

Linus encourages Charlie Brown to enter the class spelling bee. Charlie Brown assumes the worst, and has a hard time getting his hand up. Finally, he signs up. Lots of practice follows. Charlie Brown wins! Now, he has to compete with the whole school. He's scared of failure. Linus and Snoopy help him study, and "i before e except after c" becomes a big help due to the little ditty he's learned to help remember the rule.

Soon Charlie Brown is on his way to the national competition. More study follows. Linus makes the ultimate sacrifice and gives Charlie Brown his blanket for good luck. Soon Linus is having withdrawal pains. Linus and Snoopy follow Charlie Brown to get the blanket back and to cheer on Charlie Brown.

The rest of the story deals with the competition and its aftermath. The book ends with a classic scene involving Charlie Brown and Lucy that has a predictable result.

After you read this story, I suggest you think about what your definition of being a winner is. For some people, the standard is so high that they can never meet it. For the happiest people, the standard is low enough that reasonable effort ensures good results. Learn from Charlie Brown's example here.

Take pleasure in doing your best!

Rating:
Summary: Selections from the Movie with Beautiful Color Illustrations
Review: On the large pages, the 100 + color illustrations of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and Snoopy look wonderful. The reproduction quality is very fine, and you almost feel like you are holding an art book rather than a strip. This book is a condensation of the story from the 1969 movie, and reissues an earlier book by the same name. You will find the story transitions a little abrupt here, so it is almost like reading several disconnected strips. I graded the book down accordingly.

Charlie Brown opens the book about to pitch. The last time the team won was when he could not play. He's a little discouraged. The pitcher's mound is covered with dandelions. They cannot agree on the signals. Early on, he gets hit by a line drive. No one takes his misery very seriously. Lucy suggests that he can get by with second or third aid. He doesn't need first aid.

Charlie Brown sees himself as a loser, and is getting depressed. While trying to encourage him, Linus beats him at tic-tac-toe.

Linus encourages Charlie Brown to enter the class spelling bee. Charlie Brown assumes the worst, and has a hard time getting his hand up. Finally, he signs up. Lots of practice follows. Charlie Brown wins! Now, he has to compete with the whole school. He's scared of failure. Linus and Snoopy help him study, and "i before e except after c" becomes a big help due to the little ditty he's learned to help remember the rule.

Soon Charlie Brown is on his way to the national competition. More study follows. Linus makes the ultimate sacrifice and gives Charlie Brown his blanket for good luck. Soon Linus is having withdrawal pains. Linus and Snoopy follow Charlie Brown to get the blanket back and to cheer on Charlie Brown.

The rest of the story deals with the competition and its aftermath. The book ends with a classic scene involving Charlie Brown and Lucy that has a predictable result.

After you read this story, I suggest you think about what your definition of being a winner is. For some people, the standard is so high that they can never meet it. For the happiest people, the standard is low enough that reasonable effort ensures good results. Learn from Charlie Brown's example here.

Take pleasure in doing your best!

Rating:
Summary: A Very Nice Keepsake for Fans of the Film
Review: This book is something I remember fondly from my childhood, much like the movie of the same name. "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was the first and in my opinion best of the Peanuts movies. Back before VHS, if you wanted to revisit "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", this was faster than waiting for it to come on TV again. The book has a very well-written text version of the story, but the highlight is the cel art from the film used to illustrate this book. (Despite having drawn the cover, Charles Schulz didn't illustrate this book.) It gives a nice look at the in-between period of Bill Melendez' work, shaking off the uncertain qualities of the early TV specials, but not quite as poished as the late 70's-1980's shows looked.