The Great Brain

Rating:
Summary: One Great Brain
Review: I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. The Great Brain book is as good as I remembered. Some things may seem goofy at first from an adult perspective, but give the book a chance and read the whole thing. Many things come together later or at the end. John Fitzgerald gives every book a complete feeling, so you feel satisfied after completing each. Keep in mind the time and setting of the book and you'll be able to enjoy it. The book is written from JD's viewpoint, but is largely about TD aka the Great Brain. I enjoyed these books a child, I am enjoying them now, and my friends in their 50's are enjoying them too. These are for all ages and are my all-time favorite children's series. Now, I hope that they re-release the books or I'll have to look for them used.

Rating:
Summary: Ditto Everyone Else
Review: I just got online tonight to see if the Great Brain series was even still in print, and was so suprised to read all the wonderful reviews of it. I wanted to add mine to the long list of positive reviews! My mother read to all 4 of my siblings and me everynight for as long as I can remember. We had a vast library of childrens books--all the classics, but the Great Brain series was, along with Anne of Green Gables, the favorite.

The love of reading, and sharing books, was passed on to each of my mother's children and we all took turns reading to eachother at night, after we "went to bed" ;). I have many fond memories of laying in bed as one of my sisters read me these books, and also reading it to my younger siblings. I even had a stuffed dog named "Brownie" after the pet dog in these books.

I recently found my mother's set of the Great Brain, and it is falling apart with love!! All the books are held together with elastic bands to keep the loose pages from falling out.

I have my own son now and want to own the set to share with him. I wish they still sold it as a set, but its worth the money to buy individually.

HIGHLY recommend this book, and all in the series!!!

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Locker's 4/5 grade class reading group, loved this book!
Review: Mr. Lockers 4/5 grade readers, Oliver,Tori, Madison,Luc,Sam & Nick, January 26, 2004,
Mr. Locker's 4/5 grade class reading group, loved this book!
The Great Brain was a very funny book. I liked how the Great Brain figures out funny solutions. I think the author did a very good jobwith the book. I like how the author took his childhood and fit it into the book. I thought it was really GREAT!-Oliver M.age10 The Great Brain is a very interesting book. It is based on the funny happenings of the author, J.D.Fitzgerald's childhood.The story is told by J.D., the youngest brother. He tells of the exciting things that his older brother Tom(aka the GREAT BRAIN)does.THis is a very good book.-Madison C. age 9 The Great BRain is a great book to read when you are just having fun. THis book is about a boy named Tom who has a 'GREAT BRAIN'. HIs younger brother J.D., always wants to be like Tom. Sometimes Tom's 'GREAT BRAIN' gets him rewards and sometimes it get him into trouble.-Tori T.-age 10 'Tom (THE GREAT BRAIN) is hysterical with his weird ideas'! I liked this book and hope others do too.-Sam F.-age 11 MR. Locker's 4/5 Grade Reading Group @ Carter Elementary-Palm Desert, CA Loved the GREAT BRAIN!

Also recommended: The Great Brain at the ACademy, Me and my little Brain, THe GREAT Brain does it again, More Adventures of The Great Brain

Rating:
Summary: I hope these never go out of print
Review: John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: I've only read the "Great Brain" out of all his series but it was great!It kept my interest all the time. It's about a kid, named Tom (out of three kids) who has a great brain, meaning he's smart. His great brain has never failed! But will it fail? You'll have to read it to find out. I reccomend this book for readers ages 9-13 and for readers who like stories with action and who like books that come across problems and solutions. Hope this is helpful to you and I hope you enjoy the book!

Rating:
Summary: Two stars in the story--Tom D. and John D.
Review: Many books have complex plots or narration and attempt to pull together many characters or ideas, or they take place in some annoyingly exotic location. John D. Fitzgerald's books feel natural being in the town of Adenville, Utah and chart the progress of two brothers. Best yet, it introduces you to Adenville so you feel like you're there in a few pages and is overall nice and short--the chapters can stand alone as stories, but the book's short enough you'll have no problem reading it in one sitting. But the best part about this short book is--it has several sequels at least as good.

On the one hand, there's John D., the narrator, who's sentimental and well-meaning but easily pushed around. Being eight he also overreact to everything, yet at the same time the narration tells you exactly what's going on. Then there's Tom D., who uses his Great Brain for swindling and occasionally for helping schoolmates and even adults.

One chapter involves his charging money for kids to see the first instance of indoor plumbing in their hometown and trying to swindle John D., whom he hired to do the dirty work, into paying more than he should when things go wrong. Another involves his teaching a Greek immigrant boy how to be a 'real American'--for a fee, as he pulls some sharp deals along the way. But later Tom helps a friend who is seriously depressed without looking for repayment. You sense it can't last, and you don't want it to, because his hijinks are amusing, and as a reader, you don't have to worry about getting caught by them.

Mercer Mayer's illustrations fit the book wonderfully, and the whole Great Brain series tends to cover issues of potential inferiority without being the least bit whiny. Although this book doesn't contain any of my favorite Great Brain swindles, it focuses more on emotions and people trying to fit in. The whole series is an overlooked set of contemporary classics.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite from my childhood
Review: The whole series of "Great Brain" books were my favorite when I read them as a kid. I've since read the series to my kids and I still count them as some of the best books I've ever read.

The stories are told by John (J.D.), younger brother and often-time victim of Tom's (T.D.'s) "great brain" and "money-loving heart." They take place in small-town southern Utah at the end of the 1800's, but kids (and grownups) of all generations can easily relate. Tom, the Great Brain, uses his cleverness to outwit and swindle most of the other kids in town, and many of the adults. And while religion is often a force in the stories, it's handled with such tolerance that a lot of people could take a lesson from it today.

But the real magic of these books is that they're not just comedies, although many of the schemes are positively hillarious. Sometimes Tom's plans have near-disastarous results, and the consequences that follow are very real. Sometimes it can even be a bit frightening in the realism of life in the old west. And quite often the stories can even bring a tear to your eye - one of my favorites (I think it was in the 2nd book) was "The Taming of Britches Doty."

Again, I can't recommend this series highly enough. They're not only fun to read but make you wish you could have grown up in a place like that. I liked it even better than "Tom Sawyer" or "Huck Finn." And after you've finished this series you can read "Papa Married a Mormon," also by the author, but written a little more for the grownups - if you can find it in a library, that is!

Rating:
Summary: It's a shame you can't buy the series in a set.
Review: I like most of the other reviewers loved these books as a kid. I recently saw a copy at a relatives house and remembered how much I enjoyed them. I wanted to get the series in a set to give to my 8 yr. old daughter for Christmas this year but can't find it available anywhere. My mother teaches English as a second language to foriegn students and last quarter she used The Great Brain as the book they had to read and report on. She has taught this class for a couple of years and always has a difficult time getting her students to read the book she has chosen. Last quarter was different, most of the class read the book ahead of schedule and she had to come up with something else to finish the quarter. I highly recomend the whole series for children and adults.

Rating:
Summary: Best book ever
Review: I rate this book five stars because of the suspenseful mysteries Tom Dennis Fitzergerald,(T.D., also known as the Great Brain) has to figure out. When the Jenkins boys were lost in Skeleton Cave the plan Tom had was pure genious. I shouldn't leave out the main character (also the author) John Dennis Fitzgerald (J.D.) Tom sometimes uses his great brain to swindle J.D. out of money. This book has suspense, and some comedy. That's is why I'm telling you this is a great book for readers of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I was so excited to see that these books are still in print. I have ordered all of them for my two sons. I can not wait for them to arrive. I have the fondest memories of these books. I remember lauging at how The Brain would get in trouble, but yet his parents always loved him. Unconditional love, the silent treatment and all. These are great books and I look forward to sharing them with my children and some day grandchildren. Thanks Amazon for making my day!