Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is nothing to be concerned about here, and the characters have an easy-going camaraderie that is admirable.
Families who read this book could discuss the scenario of the book. What would your town or city look like to someone who had never seen anything but their own home? What would be surprising? What would they misunderstand? What assumptions might they make? With your own background and experiences, what kind of environment would be completely alien to you?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
If you take a writing class they will tell you that the essence of fiction is conflict, and that there can be no story, or at least no interesting story, without it. This is one of those books that proves them wrong. There is no conflict here, no drama, no tension, very little suspense -- and it's absolutely delightful. Your kids will be grinning ear-to-ear throughout.
There isn't even (gasp!) a villain. Even the team they play against in Vancouver beats them politely, and then offers to teach them how to play. The world in this book is a world filled with smart, kind, if eccentric, children and adults -- easy-going, humorous, friendly, and utterly charming. The pleasure in the story comes from watching them hatch and carry out their dingbat plan (hanging up fishing nets so they can practice throwing and hitting without losing the ball in their village teetering on the edge of the sea), and then seeing the city through their eyes.
THUMB ON A DIAMOND is just for fun -- no great issues (other than "why can't we all live a little more like this?"), no mystery to solve, just pleasure. And (aside from some rather ugly cartoon illustrations), this book is a lovely experience.
From The Book
I promised you a baseball story, but I wanted you to have some sense of our village first. You may have noticed something. If you didn't, I'll make it clear. There is no grass in New Auckland. There is no field in New Aukland. Our tiny group of buildings hugs the sandy shore between a tall, rocky mountain and the deep, salty ocean.
This is not an ordinary baseball story.
Plot Summary:
In this sequel to Thumb in a Box, Leon (called Thumb) and his friends live in an isolated coastal village surrounded by mountains in British Columbia. They have no road or cars, and no way in or out except by boat or seaplane. Most of them have never been anywhere else. They would like to see a city, and Thumb's father, the school principal, wants to take them on a field trip to Vancouver. But the school district won't pay for it.
The district, however, does pay for sports teams to travel to championships. So they decide that if they form a baseball team, they can go to the championships, since no other school in their district plays baseball. The fact that they've never played baseball either won't be a problem -- once they're in Vancouver, a couple of them can pretend to be sick and they'll forfeit the game, and still get to see the city. It's a good plan ... if only they didn't want to actually try playing.
Related Books:
Other Books by Ken Roberts:
The Thumb in a Box
Hiccup Champion of the World
Crazy Ideas
Past Tense
Nothing Wright
Pop Bottles
More Fish-Out-of-Water Stories:
Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
North to Freedom by Anne Holm
Shoebag by Mary James
All About Sam by Lois Lowry
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
A Woman of Her Tribe by Margaret A. Robinson
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Social BehaviorEveryone in this story is kind, friendly, and cheerful. |
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CommercialismA soft drink brand is mentioned. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAn adult smokes a pipe. |
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