Brave Potatoes

This is my children's all time, hands down, flat out, for sure, tru dat, favorite book for forever.  And ever.


I actually don't really know why... it's a little strange, a little nonsensical, a little bizarre.  The rhymes are odd and change patterns.  The illustrations are cute but they don't really pop and they aren't full of bright colors.

There's just something about it though...



Basically the plot is this:  the potatoes are spunky little moms and dads and spuds who sneak off from the county fair at night and head out to ride the Zip.  They're fearless, you see.

But Hackemup the chef is a ruthless vegetable killer and he's got his mouth set on some taters...

He potatonaps the heroes and brings em back to his kitchen...for his soup, for his stew, for his chowder and his brew...


What other book will teach your four year French cooking terms?

Of course, our brave potatoes rebel and what comes of Hackemup we'll never know...
...would you care to taste the soup?


We no longer own our copy which is a shame because I believe it's out of print.  Nevertheless, we all have the entire thing memorized and like to shout out things like,

Get in line, potatoes! Now the end is near!  The cabbages are quaking! The onions are in tears!


or

Have you heard the story yet of Idaho and Juliette?  A spud by any other name is still a spud and tastes the same.


or

Potatoes never listen.  Potatoes have no ears.


 Read it to your spuds today.  You'll be quoting in no time.

Wednesday Wars

Guest writer:

Delaney McDonald

"Wednesday Wars"

This was a funny book about a boy named Hooling Hoodhood and all his junior high suffering from his teacher Ms. Baker, his family and other kids in his classroom. It takes place during the Vietnam War, and Mr. Baker’s husband is in the war and MIA (missing in action). Heather, Hoolings sister is a war sympathetic and is very strange. She becomes a flower child and her parent’s disapprove of her support against the war.   Hooling is a boy who thinks his teacher is out to get him and make his junior high days miserable. This story is great because there are rats, fighting, adventure, family problems and so much more. It made me think about my own life in some ways too, so that was cool. The main theme is all about Hooling and how he copes with becoming his own person, instead of a gutless wimp that his sister calls him.  His teacher Ms. Baker makes him read Shakespeare, tear apart complicated sentences, etc. He has a active imagination and loves books about adventures. When he gets suckered into doing a Shakespeare play he finds out how much he loves Shakespeare and how good of an actor he is. He even makes people cry. In the end everything works out. Ms. Bakers husband is found, Hooling finds out Ms. Baker actually is helping him and not torturing him and the bullies stop picking on him. I give this book 3 ½ stars. It would get more, but it’s really long!