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Car Trouble
- By Jeanne DuPrau
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Duff finds trouble while driving cross country.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is a somewhat ambiguous attitude toward stealing here. It is labeled as wrong, but the thief is charming and is never punished.
What's the story?
Recent high-school grad and computer genius Duff Pringle decides to forego college for a job at a Silicon Valley startup. He also decides it will be much more interesting to drive there from his home in Virginia, so he buys a used car and heads west. But only a few hours out his car dies, triggering an improbable series of adventures involving a hitchhiker with dubious ethics, a young musician with a con-artist mom, a pair of crooks, stolen money, a biker bar, and more.
Is it any good?
While Duff's misadventures on his quixotic cross-country journey are entertaining, it is Jeanne DuPrau's ability to crawl inside his head that lifts this above the standard road-trip story. Descriptions of his Desperate Octopus Mind, his way of translating his life into computer code, his excitement over new ideas, and his self-recriminating interior monologues all ring true and will cause a flash of recognition in many readers. DuPrau manages what few authors do: integrating technology seamlessly into the story without showing off or getting it just slightly wrong.
The story, like many road movies, is humorous, improbable, and quirky. None of the characters are quite what they seem: the bad guys not really bad, the good guys not completely good, and no one seems securely comfortable in his or her life or skin. As a nice finishing touch, Duff learns that ultimate lesson that goes with the transition from teen to adult -- that his parents aren't quite as stupid as he thought they were.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the ways in which Duff changes, and the ethical dilemmas he faces.
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AGE
Car trouble
I think this book is the best.It is very educational.It gives you life lessons.Like not to get into trouble
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AGE
Good for ages 10 and up
It is a good book. Has some drinking/drugs at a part in story when they stop at a bikers bar for something to eat but only a couple of pages. No real kissing or seual things except a kiss on the cheek. Other than that it was a very good book and i enjoyed reading it!
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AGE
Car Trouble- A REALLY good book!
(OMG! I'm the FIRST person to do a rating on this book!) I read this last year and I couldn't stop reading it! It's so full of detail with action at every corner! It's about this boy named Duff. He's driving cross country and picks up some trouble along the way. It's a really good book and I hope you read it!
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AGE
You WILL Get Hooked
This book is one of the best book i have read i dont get into bookes at all,but this book is so addicting to read your kids will love it you might even get into it. This book just keeps you thinking whats going to happen next?
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| Author: | Jeanne DuPrau |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | October 22, 2005 |
| Number of pages: | 274 |
| Hardcover price: | $15.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 11 |
| Read alone: | 11 |
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