Rating: 
Summary: I am confused!
Review: As an adult who has read other of E.L. Konigsburg's books, I do NOT "Get" this one. What was it about. I expected so much more. I kept thinking it would go in one direction or another, but it never did and suddenly, it ended and I said, "What was that about? Why did I read this?" I was most certainly confused. I figured out early on that the young girl and Mom that Max (Bo) met were "con" artists, perhaps that is the adult in me, of not being trusting of everyone's motives and that all is NOT what they appear to be. I did not like the main character very much and he was not someone who you felt a great deal about. The father comes off as being so much nicer especially since he had made so many good friends and acquaintances on all of his trip. The son was always so disappointed, humiliated and ashamed of his father. Perhaps it is because he felt so different from his Father and his Mother taught him her "snobbish" values etc., His Dad was just "ordinary folk" who were kind and caring for each other. I liked his Dad and the weird cast of characters that they both met along the way. The Mother did not fit into the story, nor did the blazer from Fortnums and what happened when he got back to his Mom, his permanent life, his school etc., ? I was really confused and expected this story to go somewhere and it just didn't. I read the book jacket back cover of how E.L. came up with the idea, but felt it could have been developed and explored better, especially when adults are reading the material. Kathryn
Rating:
Summary: I am confused!
Review: As an adult who has read other of E.L. Konigsburg's books, I do NOT "Get" this one. What was it about. I expected so much more. I kept thinking it would go in one direction or another, but it never did and suddenly, it ended and I said, "What was that about? Why did I read this?" I was most certainly confused. I figured out early on that the young girl and Mom that Max (Bo) met were "con" artists, perhaps that is the adult in me, of not being trusting of everyone's motives and that all is NOT what they appear to be. I did not like the main character very much and he was not someone who you felt a great deal about. The father comes off as being so much nicer especially since he had made so many good friends and acquaintances on all of his trip. The son was always so disappointed, humiliated and ashamed of his father. Perhaps it is because he felt so different from his Father and his Mother taught him her "snobbish" values etc., His Dad was just "ordinary folk" who were kind and caring for each other. I liked his Dad and the weird cast of characters that they both met along the way. The Mother did not fit into the story, nor did the blazer from Fortnums and what happened when he got back to his Mom, his permanent life, his school etc., ? I was really confused and expected this story to go somewhere and it just didn't. I read the book jacket back cover of how E.L. came up with the idea, but felt it could have been developed and explored better, especially when adults are reading the material. Kathryn
Rating: 
Summary: Wow! Neat Book with Excellent Theme!
Review: I loved the book Journey to an 800 Number! It was a very fun read. The author provided an eccentric cast of characters from a camel keeper to a taco seller. The characters made the story fun, and captivated my attention. Also, the theme was great, and makes one ponder and think after finishing the book. I love how the authour tied in the theme with the "800 Number" part. This book is defintitly a page turner and kept me at the edge of my seat throughout this fast-paced book. Also, the author's writing stlye is very interesting, presenting text in a wonderful and new manner. I loved the settings in this book because in several parts I felt I was actually there. I loved this book and I'm sure everyone who reads it will love it!
Rating:
Summary: Nicely touches several issues our children are facing!
Review: Max is snaughty young boy who really doesn't know who he is, and this is the quiet essence of the entire book. Max's journey leads him not only to the truth of an 800 number, but the truth about himself. I was surprised at some of the content of this book and seriously considered not suggesting it for my ten year old daughter's book club. After a day of ponderance, I realized that my child and her friends are fully aware of issues like these of the characters in the book and talk about them on a regular basis. I am going to suggest it, without upsetting the other moms hopefully, and look forward to their discussion of this well done title. I hope to see a sequel where Max and his "dad" become closer. I would like to learn about how he finds his maternal grandparents and whether he can bridge the gap between them and his mom. My daughter is adopted, so Max finding his birth dad would be interesting also. Get to the computer Konigsburg!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Where in the world did this story come from?
Review: This book was so confusing the first time through I actually had to read it again to the get the "deeper meaning" of the text. It is a wacky and zany story about a boy who grows up with his divorced mother who marries a very rich man, and gains his stepfathers snobbish ways, and when he goes to visit his "father", a camel keeper who travels around the country scraping off a very minimal payment per "show", he is often ashamed and embarrased of his father, but as they travel from Texas to Oklahoma to Colorado to Las Vegas, they meet a number of people who help show Max (Bo), that his father is not such a bad guy, and that who he really is, is quite different from who he has been pretending to be. The confusing part for me was the constant meetings with Sabrina and her mother, Lilly, and I understood that they were con artists early on, but how did they befriend Max, and why did they always seem to be traveling the same route that he and his father were going. What the purpose of these two convention addicts were in the book, I still have not figured out. Since the book has some interesting twists, I would reccomend it for a short afternoon read. (I finished it in an hour), but it is not one of E.L. Konigsburg's best.
Rating:
Summary: Where in the world did this story come from?
Review: This book was so confusing the first time through I actually had to read it again to the get the "deeper meaning" of the text. It is a wacky and zany story about a boy who grows up with his divorced mother who marries a very rich man, and gains his stepfathers snobbish ways, and when he goes to visit his "father", a camel keeper who travels around the country scraping off a very minimal payment per "show", he is often ashamed and embarrased of his father, but as they travel from Texas to Oklahoma to Colorado to Las Vegas, they meet a number of people who help show Max (Bo), that his father is not such a bad guy, and that who he really is, is quite different from who he has been pretending to be. The confusing part for me was the constant meetings with Sabrina and her mother, Lilly, and I understood that they were con artists early on, but how did they befriend Max, and why did they always seem to be traveling the same route that he and his father were going. What the purpose of these two convention addicts were in the book, I still have not figured out. Since the book has some interesting twists, I would reccomend it for a short afternoon read. (I finished it in an hour), but it is not one of E.L. Konigsburg's best.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Book!
Review: This book was very enjoyable and a very easy read. It was entertaining and kept my interest -- I read it in one evening. It is full of humor but also contains some very truthful, thought-provoking messages in it. I Highly Recommend it for anybody who wants a fun, easy read.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable!!
Review: Though a big fan of Konigsburgs other works (like many of the other reviewers) I thouroughly enjoyed this book (unlike those reviwers)! Maybe it's just my love of characters that made me love this book, but I was increadibly pleased. It's a very strange and out-of-the-blue plot, I'll admit, but Konigsburg, like always, manages to pull it all together into a story of friendship and love between some very different people. I'd recommend this book for just a joy-read rather than using it for any type of book project becuause the deeper meanings are buried way in there. Hope you enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: What I Really Think
Review: Unlike most of the other books by this author, I find this one unsatisfying. It has no big mystery, no interesting thing to focus on. The fact that this boy has divorced parents, with a poor camel-keeper as a father and a mother marrying some rich guy, the most he learns is that his mother was pregnant with him when his first parents got married because of a different man. I don't recommend buying this book, as it has none of the good flavor like other books I've read.
Rating:
Summary: World's Best Dad!
Review: Young Max is furious that his mother has dumped him on his camel-driving father for the summer, while she is off honeymooning with a much older husband. Barely civil to his eager father
because of his vagabond existence and his lowlife companions,
Max learns more valuable lessons on the road than he did at the fancy private school he attends. As he makes the rounds of malls, fairs and conventions with his father, Max discovers how to identify Real people from the cons and the snobs--how to sort out the freaks from the phonies. But will he ever become comfortable with the fact that his father is just a regular guy with an usual lifestyle? He struggles to accept a broader definition of Family. A clever story which will entertain middle school readers.
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