The Great Brain

I've read a lot of books to my son. A lot. The Hobbit, all three books of The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books, Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, six or seven of the original Doctor Dolittle books, several Three Investigators books, and far more. And he's loved almost all of them (I selected them carefully, from the books I loved best as I child and teen).

But so far, I think he loves the Great Brain series best.

Partly, I think that because they're so accessible. John D. Fitzgerald writes about his semi-fictionalized younger self in the true voice of a child - and that's quite an accomplishment. When his brother insults the father of a friend, the young John D. tells us that he has visions of that man coming down the street show more after them with a butcher knife. That's not the sort of language that most modern publishers allow in books for children, I believe, but it's how children think - some of the time. And over and over, as I was reading The Great Brain to my son, he'd stop me and ask me if the book really said what I'd just read.

You see, I sometimes can't resist adding a humorous comment or line now and then in some books - always, however, immediately admitting that the book didn't really say that. For this book I didn't add a word - but many of the passages in the book were so funny that my son suspected that I'd added them. I had to show him the lines in the book to convince him!

He pretty much had a huge grin on his face the whole time that I was reading. When I'd finish a chapter, he'd hold my arm and beg for another one. I can't think of higher praise for a book for children.

Each chapter in this book is a self-contained story, written in a beautifully straightforward style that some have compared to that of Mark Twain. John D. Fitzgerald (the author, as you'll note) chronicles his childhood as the younger brother of the infamous Great Brain, the greatest kid swindler in town. He is, of course, frequently the victim of the Great Brain.

In fact the Great Brain is pretty much a complete jerk, as we all noticed fairly quickly. But the stories are so entertaining that it doesn't matter.

A warning: the original edition and most later reissues are perfectly illustrated by Mercer Meyer. For some insane and inexplicable reason, there are a few editions out there that have been re-illustrated by other artists. This makes about as much sense as replacing the classic Tenniel illustrations in Alice In Wonderland (which has, of course, also been done. What were they thinking?).

Another point: the story begins in 1896. Although the town has electricity and street lights, one of the stories features the installation of the first flush toilet in town. It's hysterical, but it's also a great opportunity to explain something about history to young children in a way that they'll enjoy and remember.

All in all, a deeply enjoyable classic. show less

I really liked The Great Brain. Feels like something I would have loved in school.

A Catholic family, with very Lutheran names, living in a very Mormon town has various childhood experiences like getting the first indoor bathroom, a new immigrant moves to town, the Jewish peddler settles down and starts a shop, kids get lost in a cave, and they frame the new one-room-schoolhouse teacher for drinking on the job because he uses too much corporal punishment.

The Great Brain in the title refers to the middle child always scheming a way to make money.

It definitely feels like something they would not allow to be read in public schools now a days, between discussing faith, stereotypes and going through a number of ways for a kid to commit show more suicide I don't think it will make a required reading list. show less

The Great Brain, also known as Tom, is a 10 year old boy living with his family in rural Utah in the 1890's. His younger brother, J.D. (an analogue for the author) is the first-person narrator. Tom uses his Great Brain mainly to swindle other kinds in town and con his brother into doing things for him. At one point, when helping a friend overcome a devastating injury, he almost seems to have a heart, but then returns to his old ways pretty quickly.

This book actually contains one of the saddest things I've ever read, and which I was surprised at its inclusion in this children's book, was the story of how an old tinker was encouraged by Tom & J.D.'s dad to retire and set up a shop in their town, but nobody really shopped there, and he show more died of starvation. In this day and age in which the choice between shopping at the Wal-Mart or the local Mom & Pop shop is probably not a life or death decision, it still helps to be reminded that we should look out for each other.

I'd say this book falls into the category of "things I enjoyed reading as a child that still hold up upon reading as an adult". It didn't come off as cheesy or too juvenile and I enjoyed the setting.

It's interesting to note that the author could easily be very critical of Mormons in his text, since his was one of the only Catholic families in a very Mormon town and even now there are a lot of people who denigrate Mormons, but he does not do this at all, which is good.

Recommended for young and old, although very young children might need some comfort after the chapter about the tinker. Some good life lessons are contained herein, which should spark some discussion about right and wrong, honor, and deceit/manipulation. show less

Tom, a.k.a. the Great Brain, is a ten-year-old silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When several boys from school get lost in Skeleton Cave, the Great Brain saves the day. When Mr. Standish, the new schoolteacher, turns out to be the meanest thing on two legs, everyone knows that he'll regret the day he faced the Great Brain. Whether it's saving the kids at school or helping out Peg-leg Andy or the new kid at school, Basil, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top - and lines his pockets in the process.

Review from my 11 year old: “I liked it and I noticed the Great Brain was interested in making money and coukd usually align it with what people wanted, and he usually got away with it. He is nice..when he wants to be. He did have personal growth at the end. The kindest thing he did was help Peg Leg Andy with a barn. Andy stepped on a rusty nail and lost his left leg which was replaced with a peg. Tom teaches his how to do a lot of things. And there are puppies”.

I really enjoyed this book when I read it as an elementary school child. The only thing I remembered about it was the horror the main character felt at the thought of an indoor toilet. Reread as a middle-aged adult and I found it charming. The "Great Brain" is the hero of the story -- an intrepid boy named Tom, who always has an idea and a plan. I didn't realize there were a series of 'Great Brain' books.

Follow the career of the Great Brain - boy genius growing up in a small Utah town at the turn of the century. Whether he's saving his friends lost in a cave or teaching a Greek immigrant how to be a real American boy, you can be sure he'll turn a tidy profit at it. A charming story about friendship, family, and adventure.