The Great Brain

To my knowledge, John Dennis Fitzgerald never won any of the prestigious children's book awards or accolades for this book or any of the others in the series, but it is my opinion as an avid reader from childhood that these books constitute some of the best available children's literature. Fitzgerald was in his sixties when he started this series, but he clearly never lost touch with his childhood self and all of these books are brilliantly written so that J.d. and his big brother seem like kids you know, even though they lived in a small Utah town at the turn of the century. These books have it all: an interesting historical setting; believable characters that develop as the series progresses; plenty of humor, of both the laugh-out-loud and subtler varieties; tenderness and pathos; and even a few good scares.

I picked up a copy of More adventures of the Great Brain, the second in the series, at a book fair in elementary school. (It isn't strictly necessary to read the books in order, though of course it's nice.) I was the most avid reader in my family, though the youngest, and for some reason one summer day when we were bored I started reading the book aloud to my older sister and my uncle, who was only five years older than me (I was nine or ten at the time.) Pretty soon, all three of us were devouring the rest of the series, swapping them among ourselves. I can't be sure, but I think the books may have started my sister's love of reading, though my uncle had always been a reader and had turned me on to the Lord of the Rings. At any rate, these were favorites for years.

Parents, please, please don't be put off by the fact that these books are about a mischievous boy with a penchant for swindling his pals out of their prized possessions. I have not raised children myself, but from my own reading I think children's books that don't have an element of mischief and rebellion in them or quite dull, and as a kid I hated nothing worse than to read a book where I felt like I was being preached to. T.d. gets into plenty of trouble, but his conscience develops as the books progress and he learns that his great brain can be used to help others as well as to cheat them. Unlike some other kids' books where the grownups are simply the bad guys, the adults in these stories are firm but supportive, strict but loving. Despite their tendency to disobey, T.D. and his brothers love and admire their parents and their beloved Uncle Mark, the town's marshall and deputy sheriff who is portrayed as both heroic and down to earth. J.D. says at one point that he really likes his uncle because "he never talked down to Tom and me, but treated us just like grownups," and like his fictional uncle (who may have been based on a real person) Fitzgerald never makes the mistake of condescending to his readers. The tragic story of Abie Glassman in this first volume isn't the last time readers will encounter hard truths in these stories, but Fitzgerald writes about the ups and downs of life in a way that kids will find delightful to digest. The author also lets kids know that grownups screw up, too, and that we all have to learn from each other.

The Great Brain series, as a whole, has the very best of a Wild West adventure, one of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer stories, and the best coming-of-age fiction. There are a few old-fashioned notions here that might not go down well with the PC crowd, like the episode in the second book in which the Fitzgerald family takes on the task of trying to get a tomboy to act more feminine, but none of this should keep you from reading these great stories or giving them to your kids. Despite J.D.'s quip in the first chapter of this book about there being noone more tolerant or understanding of your differences than a kid you can whip in a fight, these books are all about tolerance and treating your fellow man with decency and fairness and love. I am glad these books are still in print and I sincerely hope a whole new generation discovers them, as it would be nothing short of tragic for them to be lost in the dustbin of forgotten kids' lit. Buy them, read them, and pass them on.

We listened to this in the car on a long drive. I am always looking for books for my son about boys and he likes historical fiction. This book held his interest with tales of boys' adventures in the late 1800's in Utah, where we were traveling. However there is some content that is outdated and inappropriate by modern standards. I wish I had read the book prior to getting it for my son. There is an emphasis on fistfights as a way to be a "true American boy" which is against our ideals. The most disgusting chapter is toward the end when a disabled boy wants to "off himself" (commit suicide) and his friend helps him, thinking it a way to be a good friend. I would never suggest to my child that helping a sad friend commit suicide is how a true friend would act. And even worse, there are details of the planned suicide which I find extremely offensive - the acts are described in excruciating and unnecessary detail. So what child needs to hear about how to commit suicide? I don't think details about tying the boy in a sack and throwing him the river or tying a noose around his neck and sitting on a horse, then trying to get the horse to run away to hang the boy are good subjects for children's literature. It all works out in the end, but I probably would not have chosen this book if I had known it included instructions for suicide.

This is a WONDERFUL old series that EVERY parent should read with their kids, especially sons. I'm on book two doing a chapter or so a night with my 6 and 10 year olds. They are absolutely fascinated by "How people lived way back then."

The story is set around the turn of the century in a small rural town, where indoor plumbing is a new and exotic prospect. The story is fun because, in part, it is told from the perspective of the younger brother who idolizes his older brother, the "great brain" -- a charming conniver. Great read-aloud for 6 and up. You will have to explain things like outhouses and the fact that 10 cents a week allowance was worth working for, or that children had a lot of freedom to explore and play a hundred years ago. It's a great story with some social history mixed in. I really love this series.

The title pretty much says it all. I read these books as a child and am re-reading them as a 35 year old adult. They haven't lost anything. The most interesting thing I've discovered as an adult is that the stories are structured as moralistic tales. The chapters are often, at least in the early books I'm re-reading, nearly self-contained stories and each teaches some valuable moral lesson.

This book has many outwardly racist, physically abusive, and horribly conniving themes inappropriate for children. I guess it is an opportunity to talk about these issues, but I think there are other ways to more positively discuss these injustices or older ways of thinking about things than in a story meant for children.

I thought the story was too sarcastic. Decided not to share with my son.

The whole series of "Great Brain" books were my favorite when I read them as a kid. I've since read the series to my kids and I still count them as some of the best books I've ever read.
The stories are told by John (J.D.), younger brother and often-time victim of Tom's (T.D.'s) "great brain" and "money-loving heart." They take place in small-town southern Utah at the end of the 1800's, but kids (and grownups) of all generations can easily relate. Tom, the Great Brain, uses his cleverness to outwit and swindle most of the other kids in town, and many of the adults. And while religion is often a force in the stories, it's handled with such tolerance that a lot of people could take a lesson from it today.
But the real magic of these books is that they're not just comedies, although many of the schemes are positively hillarious. Sometimes Tom's plans have near-disastarous results, and the consequences that follow are very real. Sometimes it can even be a bit frightening in the realism of life in the old west. And quite often the stories can even bring a tear to your eye - one of my favorites (I think it was in the 2nd book) was "The Taming of Britches Doty."
Again, I can't recommend this series highly enough. They're not only fun to read but make you wish you could have grown up in a place like that. I liked it even better than "Tom Sawyer" or "Huck Finn." And after you've finished this series you can read "Papa Married a Mormon," also by the author, but written a little more for the grownups - if you can find it in a library, that is!

The antics of the Great Brain as told by his brother are some of the funniest, twisted, and gut-splitting moments in popular literature. I remember reading the entire series when I was a kid and I was stunned to find every moment as hillarious at age 40 as they were back when I was 10. My nine year old is reading the series now. It's a real pleasure to hear her giggles and howls of laughter coming from her loft as she experiences the adventures and hijinx of JD and the gang for herself.

In terms of reading pleasure, JD Fitzgerald's style and use of language, subtle dry whit and sideways descriptions add to the plot & character driven moments, making these tomes some of the best of American literature. Adults who can hammer down a David Foster Wallace novel can sink their literary teeth into JD's reflexive fiction with just as much sophisticated vigor. If you have one of those little Great Brains in your own home, you'll instantly recognize the genuis and perverse brilliance in Fitzgerald's characters. In an age of labels and neuroses run amuck it feels good to see, yeah, here's a fictional (?) character who's just like my kid.

This stuff is beyond funny. Just be sure you have a massage afterwards because your muscles will ache from the laugh-reflex.

I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. The Great Brain book is as good as I remembered. Some things may seem goofy at first from an adult perspective, but give the book a chance and read the whole thing. Many things come together later or at the end. John Fitzgerald gives every book a complete feeling, so you feel satisfied after completing each. Keep in mind the time and setting of the book and you'll be able to enjoy it. The book is written from JD's viewpoint, but is largely about TD aka the Great Brain. I enjoyed these books a child, I am enjoying them now, and my friends in their 50's are enjoying them too. These are for all ages and are my all-time favorite children's series. Now, I hope that they re-release the books or I'll have to look for them used.