The Great Brain at the Academy (Great Brain #4)

"If any of you kids want a bar of candy," Tom said, "it will cost you a dime." "But they are only nickel bars of candy," Rory protested. "That is the price in a store," Tom said. "Ten cents is the price in the academy." Rory was completely flabbergasted as he stared at Sweyn. "What kind of a brother have you got?" he asked. "An eighteen-karat conniver," Sweyn answered. In this fourth chapter of the Great Brain books, John D. is left behind when Tom joins the oldest brother, Sweyn, at a learning institution. Tom's naturally independent nature, his demand to know the reason that things work as they do, and his self-righteousness combine with his smarts to get him into trouble at the academy. Every time he uses his brain to distinguish himself from his peers, he is slapped back down by the strict staff. This book distinguishes itself from its predecessors by having a more cohesive storyline than the others. While many of the books involve stand-alone episodes in which Tom employs one scheme or another, this book has far more continuity, as Tom finds himself in an ongoing struggle with the academy administration, led by the harsh Father Rodriguez. Partially because of this, the chapters deviate from the familiar formula of Tom extracting money from those around him. Instead, he has to use his wits to accomplish other feats, such as unlocking a locked door, for example, when he lacks the key. This difference is generally a positive one, as we get more and more invested in the story as it develops. We are also treated to the inside of the religious academy, and we really get a sense of its inner workings and how students lived there. As always, the language is engaging, filled with colloquialisms that are easily understood, even though they are far outdated. The books allow us to see a slice of American history while still being completely accessible to modern children. Kids will love to place themselves in Tom's shoes, and imagine how they too can put one over on their peers and loved ones.

When I was in third grade or so, my mother bought a boxed set of the first five Great Brain books for us for Christmas. This one (the fourth in the series) was my favorite; I read it until the pages were so dog-eared that it was almost impossible to slide them back into the box, and then I read it some more until I had it nearly memorized, and then I read it some more until it fell apart.I still have the books; I ran across them when we moved recently and realized that I need to look for hardcover editions. They are all in bad shape, despite attempts at mending them over the years.The books are still funny, and they still develop the important critical and analytical thinking skills needed to imagine a different time, place, and way of life. I think that the books are well suited to the 9-to-12 age range that is usually recommended. Each chapter is typically a separate story, which makes the series ideal for the reader who struggles with longer works. They're officially "boys' books," but the publisher's notion of the primary market segment didn't stop me or my sisters from enjoying them. (A slightly technical aside: what makes a publisher think of a book as a "boy's book" or a "girl's book" is not just the gender of the main characters (which are all boys here). It's also the style: boys usually buy action-oriented books, and girls usually buy books which invest more time in thought, dialogue, and emotion.(To give one example of this phenomenon, Bridge to Terabithia, whose main character is a boy, is definitely a girl's book.(While the Great Brain stories are almost always action-driven, there is a fair bit of thought analysis in these books, so I think they're a little closer to the midpoint of the gender spectrum than the typical "boy's book." (For example, something will happen, JD (the narrator and the Great Brain's younger brother) will then analyze the situation: if I do this, my friends will think this, Papa will think this, and Mama will think this. If I do this other thing, then everyone except Mama will react this way. So I will do this other thing, and be prepared to give Mama this excuse for what I'm doing.)I want to add for the sake of those who might have to listen to complaints (e.g., those on school library committees) that various bias and sensitivity organizations which review children's literature have occasionally rated books in this series as racist, sexist, materialist, individualist, and conformist.That is, the various stories (many of which are at least semi-autobiographical) in the series depict things like:* the horrible treatment of a new Greek immigrant boy at the hands of the town bully (as well as the silent compliance of most of the boys -- isn't that just like real life?), and the town people's shocking indifference to the welfare of an elderly Jewish man (thus the racist label: people behaved badly at times in the books -- just like they do in real life -- except that here, they're all sorry for it

And book number four, The Great Brain At The Academy, is the best out of the whole series. Tom, a boy genius, who has a 'great brain' and a money-loving heart, is always conning people out of money, candy or whatever else they might have. His father sends him to a Catholic Academy for boys in Salt Lake City, figuring that the priests there will tame him. But Tom refuses to be tamed and does his best to get around the rules, outwit the superintendent AND make money in the bargin!Watch Tom become the fastest potatoe peeler in the west, open an illegal candy store and introduce a new kind of game called basketball. I plan to get the rest and enjoy my childhood memories. The better parts, anyway.

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

Driving into work today, I suddenly had a flashback to this wonderful series of books. I don't know what jogged my memory, but I cannot forget how much I loved reading the Great Brain series. The Great Brain at the Academy was by far my favorite. I am almost tempted to read them again -- for, what would probably be, the 6th time. Great books for your kids.