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Parents' Guide to

Love Among the Walnuts

By Frances ORoark Dowell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Wacky characters will win over readers.

Book Jean Ferris Humor 1998
Love Among the Walnuts Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Amslovesgod
Amslovesgod Adult
February 13, 2016
age 10+

Amazing book

This book has so many amazing aspects. The characters are funny but each one teaches a good lesson. I have reread this book many times and it is honestly one of the cleanist but yet enjoyable books I have read. Please let your child read this it might just change there lives for the better.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

This big-hearted comedy will win readers with its wacky cast of characters and love-conquers-all attitude. When a dastardly plot leaves his parents in a coma, Sandy takes them to the upscale loony bin next door for care. With the help of Nurse Sunny, Sandy and the patients find friendship, love, and unforeseen inner resources.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

They don't make them like this anymore. LOVE AMONG THE WALNUTS may have been published in 1998, but it has the air of a 1930s feel-good comedy. The good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and the crazy guys ... well, maybe they're not so crazy after all.

There's something satisfying about a story where everyone is transformed by love. A rich man is poor until he finds the love of his life, a fat patient is miserable until a kind nurse helps him reveal his thinner self, and a sheltered young man discovers in himself a longing for adventure after new friends make him aware that the world is larger than he ever thought. Readers of all ages will find this story a heartwarming diversion. The humor is off-the-wall without going overboard, and the plot, while on the implausible side in the manner of all good screwball comedies, motors along nicely.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Sandy changes as the boundaries of his world expand. What about the other characters -- how are their lives changed by exposure to new people and experiences? Has anything like that ever happened to you?

Book Details

  • Author: Jean Ferris
  • Genre: Humor
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Harcourt Brace
  • Publication date: January 1, 1998
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
  • Number of pages: 216
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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