On the Road to Mr. Mineo's
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Leisurely small-town comedy of homing pigeon on the lam.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Mr. Mineo, who lives in a rusted trailer by the lake in sleepy Meadville, SC, and runs the local bait shop, took in his brother's homing pigeons when the brother went to live in a nursing home. Everything's fine until one day Sherman, a one-legged bird who's a bit full of himself, doesn't come home from the daily flight. Before the tale winds to its happy conclusion, Sherman and his new friend, the little brown dog, are being pursued not just by Mr. Mineo but also by assorted kids and adults determined to capture the bird -- not to mention some hungry cats bent on having pigeon for lunch.
Is It Any Good?
The leisurely, repetitious pacing of the narrative lends itself to being read aloud and serves to keep young readers well grounded in the story, but may be too slow for those who prefer fast action. The plight of some of the characters -- Stella, who's given up hope of persuading her parents to let her have a dog, but now dreams of capturing Sherman; her wimpy friend Gerald, frequent recipient of the Knuckle of Death from Stella's brother Levi and his gang of bullies; Mutt, from the wrong side of the tracks, who's got such a reputation as a liar that no one believes him when he tells the truth -- will strike a sympathetic chord with many kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why stories about kids and animals are so appealing. What do you think makes a good animal story? What are your favorite books or movies featuring animals or birds?
Stella and Gerald have a lot of trouble with bullying and taunting from Stella's older brother and his friends. Have you had this experience? How did you deal with it?
How does Sherman's adventure wind up making things better for just about all the characters in the story?
Book Details
- Author: Barbara O'Connor
- Genre: Animals
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date: October 2, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 192
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate