The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis
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3.9 • 31 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From Barbara O’Connor, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish, comes a charming tale that is a humorous and heartwarming look at the joy that can come out of being a Royal Rule Breaker, and learning to find one’s own adventures. Perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo.
Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That's what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring, boring. But things start to look up when the Jewells' Holiday Rambler makes a wrong turn and gets stuck in the mud, trapping Elvis and his five rowdy siblings in Fayette for who knows how long.
Popeye has never met anyone like Elvis Jewell. He's so good at swearing he makes Uncle Dooley look like a harp-strumming angel, and he says "So what?" like he really means it. Then something curious comes floating down the creek—a series of boats with secret messages—and it sends Popeye and Elvis into the big world on the hunt for a small adventure.
Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other heartwarming middle-grade titles:
Wish
Wonderland
How to Steal a Dog
Greetings from Nowhere
Beethoven in Paradise
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s
Halfway to Harmony
Dream
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With humor and authenticity, this beguiling tale of summer friendship mines the small, jewellike adventures of a rural childhood. Popeye (so named after a fateful BB gun accident) is utterly bored in rainy Fayette, S.C. But when a passing motor home gets stuck in the mud, he befriends one of its unruly inhabitants, a devil-may-care boy named Elvis. In the creek, the boys discover boats made from Yoo-hoo cartons that carry cryptic messages a mystery that launches the "small adventure" of tracking down the boats' creator as well as Popeye's struggle between obeying his overprotective grandmother, Velma, and venturing out with his new friend. O'Connor's (How to Steal a Dog) easygoing, Southern storytelling crafts an endearing protagonist and irresistibly quirky cast. Velma recites the names of English monarchy to avoid "cracking up" and teaches Popeye new vocabulary words, which surface comically in his observations ("Velma's appearance at the edge of the cemetery, arms crossed, face red, was definitely not serendipity. It was much closer to vicissitude"). Undercurrents of poverty and dysfunction are handled with gentle humor as Popeye discovers the magic of a little adventure. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
Awesome edge of the seat story
If you like mysteries but not to much, this book is for you. I can relate to Elvis because I had siblings as well. I can relate to Popeye by having a friend that’s always lazy or getting in to trouble. This book also teaches some lessons like it’s not okay to lie or listen to your adult. Very good story for children my daughter loves the book.
The Small Edventure Of Popeye and Elvis
Good
Charming!
The characters in this book are all delightful and very believable. It proves adventures don’t have to be big to make great stories. Can’t wait to share this with my class!