Canned

Fergal is a self-confessed nerd with an eccentric hobby: tin collecting. He likes the lucky dip aspect of buying tins that have their labels missing. he innocently opens up a tin to find... a bloodied human finger. His next tin discovery is a note with the word 'Help'. From here, with the help of his friend Charlotte, they are are kidnapped and unwittingly are forced into working in a canning factory that produces pet food. A good read for intermediate children.

I was annoyed by the title of this book. As a total Anglophile, I kept thinking, "Aren't these people British? Why isn't the title 'Tinned." I am pleased to discover I was more or less right, although I've now shown you all how crazy I am.

I loved the back cover of this book, that had a can label with nutrition information on it.

I loved the beginning of this book, wherein we meet Fergal. Fergal, whom adults think must be clever because he collects cans.

Yes, cans.

Cans without labels, to be exact. He found his first one in the bargain bin, and it was so cheap, since one really couldn't know what was in the can. Fergal liked the idea of the promise the cans held, and had soon amassed a collection of fifty. That's when his mother told him he show more must open one before he could purchase anymore.

And that's how he found the finger in the can.

It was while snatching up a new can that made an interesting rattle that he discovered Charlotte, another can collector! It turns out Charlotte had found a few interesting things in cans as well, and now they had a mystery to solve.

I loved the gruesome humor in this book, I loved Charlotte, and I loved the mystery.

I did not love the end, which felt a little weird and rushed, although it was the most natural and obvious conclusion. I did not like the sections that began as "Fergal's Diary" because they added no action or content to the story. I have no idea why they were there.

But I loved the last line.

Canned is definitely for the dark-humored among us, will be great for male and female reader (I'd say more of a boy book if you forced me at gunpoint), and best for ages 10 - 13. show less

Good mystery for fifth and sixth graders. No bad material in it; quirky and funny at times. A little outrageous at times, but enjoyable.

Feral is clever - everyone says so. He collects cans --- ones without labels usually found in the bargain bin. When he opens one of his cans, he finds it empty except for a gold stud earring. More similar cans yield very disturbing finds. Soon he discovers a friend who also collects cans, Charlotte, who has also had some disturbing finds. Together they try to solve the msytery.

Great book. Fergal is ‘awfully clever” & needs to find something to do that proves this, so he collects tins (but only ones without labels from the bargain bin). His parents put a cap on how many he can collect so when he gets to 50 he has to open a tin b4 he can buy a new one. When he does he finds an earring, and then he finds a chopped off finger! This leads him to Charlotte who also collects tins & has found a ring and an ear! They both find a tin with “help” written inside & after a search Fergal goes missing! (it’s a child slave factory making dog food where the kids get adopted from o/s and when they get too old they get put in the tins!p.32-34 [F has to open a tin.]

I loved this book. It was an odd story about two odd kids. I laughed my way through this book. The characters and the mystery were well developed and the pace was good too.

intermediate kids loved this book, they enjoyed the suspense and twists of the story line. The question remains 'did delinquent or stolen kids get minced up as pet food?' what do you think?