Bucking the Sarge

Booktalk: The town of Flint, Michigan, is a lot like the Titanic: a sinking ship with no way out. At least that's how Luther's best friend Sparky describes it. But 15-year-old Luther and Sparky are hoping to find a way out some day. Sparky plans to get out by suing the pants off someone, like say, Taco Bell if one of their roof tiles blew off and knocked him in the head. Luther's way out is through his college education fund, all $92,510 he's earned working for his mom, taking care of the male residents in her group home. His mom is so tough Luther calls her the Sarge. And it's true, her toughness has helped her become the successful woman she is today. Luther can respect that even if he doesn't agree with all of her life philosophies. show more But maybe it's possible to be TOO tough. When the Sarge comes down on Luther way too hard, he may have just found his way off the Titanic as he hatches a vengeful plan for BUCKING THE SARGE. show less

Bucking the Sarge does some very interesting things to really draw you into the story and develop a genuine care about the characters, but I would be lying if I told you I walked away with a positive impression of the story itself. This in depth look at very intelligent 15 year old Luther T Farrell and his life under the boot of his very harsh con-woman mother, known as the Sarge, does a lot of things right. The book is very well written in the perspective of Luther. In seeing Luther’s thought process about topics such as philosophy and relationships we have the opportunity to see where he is wrong and where his life has influenced this perspective. This bring in an element of comedy. In addition to this, Luther is both aware that his show more situation is not good and has grand plans to leave one day, but also accepts his day to day life as his normal. My issues with this book come in the random sub plots that never really get tied up. Luther’s friend, Sparky, is set on creating a lawsuit to get enough money to get out of Flint. This is never resolved. When Luther finds out that there is no college fund, he ruins his mother’s business but instead of going back to that lawyer, he runs away to Florida with one of his clients. This is so short sighted and the reader can already tell that the aftermath will not truly end well for Luther. Over all this was a “meh”, 3 star book for me. It did not feel like a waste of time book, but I certainly will not be reaching for this book in the future. show less

I knew that Christopher Paul Curtis was one of my favorite historical fiction writers, but boy, he can hold his own with contemporary fiction. Luther T. Farrell has one of the freshest 15-year-old voices I've read in a long time, and the story of how he outsmarts his mom (the Sarge) is both hilarious and heart-rending.

In this ALA Best Book for YA winner of 2005, Christopher Paul Curtis once again provides the reader with a very likable host of characters. Curtis' trademark is to portray serious subjects with poignant humor, and this book follows that standard.

Unlike his other books, Curtis does not delve into historical content. In this modern day story Luther T. Farrell has some problems. First and foremost his mother, nicknamed by him as "The Sarge" is an angry, mean spirited greedy woman. Her tough as nails hallmark to fame is that she is the proud owner of a series of slum housing projects. Also, in addition to being a slum land lady, she also runs a nursing home and scams the poor with her loan sharking schemes.

If there is a person to be bought, show more The Sarge has the cash and the means to do it. If there is a family in her project that cannot pay the rent, the Sarge will happily have her goon throw them out in the street. Using her middle school aged son Luther, aka Sparky as her servant, she forces him manage the nursing home.

Sparky is intelligent and quick witted and was to get the heck out of Flint, Michigan as fast as he can.

While I laughed when reading this well written book, in the end, it fell flat and wasn't up to the standard I've come to appreciate in this wonderful author. show less

Bucking the Sarge is a fictional chapter book that I would recommend for middle school age students. I believe that this book was a challenging book to read personally. The book has a young boy name Luther who is struggling to break free of Flint Michigan and his mother the Sarge. Luther starts to catch on to his moms personal choices when it comes to her business that he doesn't agree with. The book could be relatable with students who are at that stage of disagreeing with their parents. I believe that this book was good but not a book I would recommend for my students. I think the message of the story may not be a great recommendation for students because plotting to run away from parents is not always the best idea.

After discussing this book with some of my classmates, some of them discussed how they felt that this book was boring. Although, I was able to download the audio book in order to help get through it amidst my work/school schedule. Although, I actually found this to give me a much different perspective than my classmates. The audio book helped me to become engrossed into the story through it’s narration. The narration spoke well to exchanges between Luther and his mother- “the Sarge.” Luther’s character had an immense responsibility put on him and these pressures, when put up against his mother’s negligence and rapport towards him, seemed amplified in Luther’s narration of his experience.
I liked Luther’s use of the line show more “A great philosopher, whose name escapes me at the moment, once said…” He mentioned in the beginning of the story of how he once became embarrassed by his troubled pronunciation of Socrates and Aristotle, and therefore now uses that line above. Towards the end of the story, he uses the line again in reference to his mother. This speaks to the development of Luther and how he avoided embarrassment in his journey towards “confidence.” show less

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bucking the Sarge. 2004. 259 pp. $6.99. Wendy Lamb. 385-32307-7. Ages 13 & Up.
Luther T. Farrell is different from a lot of teens in Flint, Michigan. For starters, he is working on his third first place medal in the High School science fair, hoping to beat his crush Shayla yet again. He also has a drivers license that says he’s eighteen, and he gets to drive and $80,000 van. But the biggest difference in Luther T. Farrell’s life is his mother, or the Sarge, who expects Luther to work full-time running her men’s group home and helping out with her other nefarious business interests in exchange for contributions to his education fund - which Luther figures should have at least $90,000 for him to put to use show more to his education to become the world’s most famous philosopher. As much as the Sarge wants him to take over her business, Luther can’t bring himself to kick out tenants or condone the exorbitant interest rates on her “friendly neighbor loans.” When Luther betrays the Sarge’s business interests, it becomes Luther’s turn to take control of his life and buck the Sarge’s expectations - if he can escape alive. A vivid portrait of life in a city gripped by poverty and exploitation. Curtis brings a refreshing and unique voice of an African American teen who is highly intelligent, hardworking, and attuned to the immorality of the world he is trapped in. Reader’s will cheer for this underdog as he finally gains the courage to outwit his dictatorial mother. Highly recommended. Ages 13 & Up. show less