Crunch

by Leslie Connor

Overview

By the award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Leslie Connor. Muliple award winner: Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book * Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book for Children * Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choice

Crunch asks: What might happen if the earth’s supply of gas runs out? It’s a perfect classroom read to spark discussions about energy conservation and the future of our planet.

Dewey Marriss is stuck in a crunch. He never guessed that the gas pumps would run dry the same week he promised to manage the family's bicycle-repair business. Suddenly everyone needs a bike. And nobody wants to wait.

Meanwhile, the crunch has stranded Dewey's parents far up north. It's up to Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to look after their younger siblings and run the bike shop all on their own. To top things off, Dewey discovers that bike parts are missing from the shop. He's sure he knows who's responsible—or does he? Will exposing the thief only make more trouble for Dewey and his siblings?

“Charming and original.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061998355
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/30/2010
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Lexile:	HL490L (what's this?)
File size:	372 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Leslie Connor is the author of several award-winning books for children, including two ALA Schneider Family Book Award winners, Waiting for Normal and The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, which was also selected as a National Book Award finalist. Her other books include All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Crunch, and The Things You Kiss Goodbye. She lives in the Connecticut woods with her family and three rescue dogs. You can visit her online at www.leslieconnor.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—Mom and Dad take an annual anniversary drive up the New England coast for a week, and this year, they let 18-year-old Lil and 14-year-old Dewey hold down the fort while they're gone. In an all-too-plausible scenario, though, the national fuel shortage hits crunch level, and there is no gasoline to be had. For the first several days that their parents are stranded near the Canadian border, nobody panics: the older kids get the five-year-old twins to summer camp each day, and Dewey and his younger brother, Vince, keep their dad's bicycle-repair shop running smoothly. But when cars can't run, the townspeople rely on bikes, and as days turn into weeks, Dewey is overwhelmed with the number of repairs coming in and with the parental responsibilities that he and Lil are sharing. And when parts start disappearing and it becomes evident that a petty thief is on the loose, things get even more complicated. Not wanting to worry their parents or admit that they are in over their heads, Dewey and Lil initially resist efforts by neighbors to help. It is only when things reach the breaking point that they both come to realize that there is no shame in trusting in others. While Connor has created a cast of quirky characters and a timely dilemma, she never fully engages readers the way she did in Waiting for Normal (HarperCollins, 2008). Even with Dewey's first-person narration, relationships come across as a little too good to be true, and the story never quite loses a subtle hint of didacticism.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

School Library Journal

When the gasoline pumps run dry, 14-year-old Dewey and his two brothers and two sisters are on their own until their parents can make their way home from their vacation in New England. It’s up to Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to take care of the younger kids in the family. Soon the whole community is faced with a new set of challenges from the lack of gas. Ramon de Ocampo provides Dewey with a calm tone and a deep, mature voice that fit his position as the oldest boy in the family. The voices of the female characters are not as smooth, but de Ocampo completely makes credible the 5-year-old twins, Angus and Eva. Surprises ensue in the family and the town as everyone waits for things to return to normal. E.N. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2010 - AudioFile

Readers are thrust immediately into the trials and tribulations of 14-year-old Dewey Mariss and his family. His parents are away from home, unable to return because of a gasoline shortage. Running their small family business, the Bike Barn, with his younger brother and helping older sister Lil look after the five-year-old twins keeps Dewey plenty busy, especially since the shortage means that more people are depending on their bicycles. Throw in a sneaky thief, a cranky neighbor, some miscellaneous farm animals and a few minor adventures, and there's plenty to fill the 300-plus pages. Connor keeps things moving merrily along, however, and readers will enjoy going along for the (brisk) ride. Characters are colorful but believable, dialogue crisp and amusing. The New England setting is attractively realized, and the underlying energy crisis treated seriously but not sensationally. Perhaps things wrap up a mite too tidily, but Dewey deserves a break, and the whole family is so engaging that anything less than the happy ending would be disappointing indeed. Charming and original. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews