5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
by Daniel Pinkwater
List Price:
Our Price: $4.87
You Save: $9.12 (65%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.19 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Daniel PinkwaterForeword: Jules Feiffer
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1997-09-30
ISBN: 0374423296
Number of pages: 656
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Book Reviews of 5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
Book Review: The master of bizarre young adult novels!
Summary: 5 Stars
To this day, I can not fathom the popularity of Harry Potter or the Chronicles of Narnia. Many might try to blame this on my age, or a lack of love for fantasy or adventure. The truth, however, is because I grew up reading books by authors like Daniel Pinkwater, and have since then passed up the painfully melodramatic in preference of the touchingly absurd.
This collection of young adult fiction by Daniel Pinkwater offers a generous sampling of the author's favorite subject matters. Aliens, misfits, weird people, rebellious students, and fat men all have places of honor among these tales.
In Alan Mendelsohn, Boy from Mars, Leonard Neeble is such an outcast at school that even the nerds make fun of him. Just when he's given up hope on ever being happy, along comes Alan Mendelsohn, a new kid who seems to enjoy annoying teachers and blowing off the cool kids. Leonard and Alan become quick friends, and in no time at all Alan is showing Leonard how to skip school, smoke cigars, lift objects with his mind, contact alien races, and learn to enjoy who he is without the approval of others.
Slaves of Spiegel, simply put, is about a race of fat people that forces other races into a cooking contest, while The Snarkout Boys are a group of young lads who "snark out" at night and have many bizarre adventures. The Last Guru, is about, well, the last guru. Go figure.
My personal favorite, however, and the grand example of Daniel Pinkwater's bizarre brand of genius, is Young Adult Novel. The story revolves around Wild Dada Ducks, a self-proclaimed dadaist group consisting of Charles the Cat, the Honorable Venustiano Carranza (President of Mexico), The Indiana Zephyr, Captain Colossal, and Igor. They spend their time performing dadaist plays and acts of pointless revolution at their high school, and writing parody young adult novels featuring the fictional character Kevin Shapiro. But when they discover that there actually is a student in the school named Kevin Shapiro, they immediately take him under their wing despite his protests, ignorant to the possibility that their own creation might rebel against them. After all, that is dada.
Very few children's authors, past or present, can successfully inject this much original wackiness into their stories while simultaneously teaching much needed life lessons that many books never touch on. Granted, not all of his young adult novels are meant to inform, but even the ones meant purely for entertainment can't help but leave you feeling better for the experience. Children, young adults, and even some grownups could do with a little Pinkwater influence.
More 5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Summary of 5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
5 Novels -Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars
Slaves of Spiegel
The Last Guru
Young Adult Novel
The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
There are many words that could be used to describe Daniel Pinkwater's books. Wacky comes to mind. Outrageous. Lively. Real. Unreal. Comic genius Jules Feiffer, in his foreword to 5 Novels, says, "Pinkwater's thoughts don't connect like yours or mine. His 'tab A' does not fit into 'slot A' the way it's supposed to in a well-thought-out thought. More likely, his 'tab A' will fit into 'slot 14' or 'slot X79,' the kind of fit that might drive you or me crazy if we tried it, but when Pinkwater does it, you read it and say to yourself, 'Why, of course, this is how it should be.'"
Performing chickens, a New Jersey Martian, an orangutan orchestra conductor from Ceylon ... the details are what jump out of his novels. The ice cream dish in Slaves of Spiegel, for example, consisting of an eggplant, two slabs of whole-wheat pizza dough, 16 flavors of ice cream, fresh figs, pistachio nuts, a lobster, and assorted fresh garden vegetables and fruit. (It's served piping hot from the microwave, in a freshly laundered regulation army knapsack, to the accompaniment of Franz Liszt music.) This is what Pinkwater is all about. A junior-high schooler's dream of an author.
In 5 Novels, you can feast upon five beloved and quirky favorites: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, Slaves of Spiegel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, The Last Guru, and Young Adult Novel. And if you still need more Pinkwater novels (and you definitely do), explore 4 Fantastic Novels. (Ages 9 and much, much older.) --Emilie Coulter
Staff Favorites Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Staff Favorites Books
The Adventures of Pippi Longstockingby Astrid Lindgren, Michael Chesworth
Viking Juvenile; Published: 1997-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.92
Price in other shops:
The New Way Things Workby David Macaulay
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; Published: 1998-10-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.00
Price in other shops:
Eleventh Hourby Graeme Base
Harry N. Abrams; Published: 1993-09-20; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.83
Price in other shops:
5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Deathby Daniel Pinkwater
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); Published: 1997-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
All-of-a-kind Familyby Sydney Taylor, Helen John
Yearling; Published: 1980-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.57
Price in other shops:
All Creatures Great and Smallby James Herriot
Bantam; Published: 1985-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.91
Price in other shops:
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawingsby Shel Silverstein
HarperCollins; Published: 1974-11-20; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.84
Price in other shops:
D'aulaire's Book of Greek Mythsby Ingri d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
Doubleday Books for Young Readers; Published: 1962-10-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.14
Price in other shops:
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles 30th Anniversary Editionby Julie Andrews Edwards
HarperCollins; Published: 1989-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.02
Price in other shops:
Ella Enchanted (Newbery Honor Book)by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins; Published: 1997-05-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.63
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Yggyssey: How Iggy Wondered What Happened to All the Ghosts, Found Out Where They Went, and Went Thereby Daniel Pinkwater
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; Published: 2009-02-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
The Big Orange Splotby D. Manus Pinkwater
Scholastic Paperbacks; Published: 1993-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.64
Price in other shops:
The Education of Robert Nifkinby Daniel Pinkwater
Graphia; Published: 2005-05-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.90
Price in other shops:
Little Brotherby Cory Doctorow
Tor Teen; Published: 2008-04-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.67
Price in other shops:
Fat Men From Spaceby Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Yearling; Published: 1980-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $70.71
Once Upon a Blue Mooseby Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Yearling; Published: 2006-03-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.83
Price in other shops:
Lizard Musicby Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Yearling; Published: 1996-01-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.99
Price in other shops:
The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilizationby Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Houghton Mifflin Company; Published: 2007-04-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.49
Price in other shops:
The Hoboken Chicken Emergencyby Daniel Pinkwater
Aladdin; Published: 2007-09-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.71
Price in other shops:
4 : Fantastic Novelsby Daniel Pinkwater, Scott Simon
Aladdin; Published: 2000-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.50
Price in other shops: