Parents' Guide to

Pay Attention, Carter Jones

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Butler with cricket bat rescues family in sweet, funny tale.

Book Gary D. Schmidt Coming of Age 2019
Pay Attention, Carter Jones Poster Image

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What's the Story?

As PAY ATTENTION, CARTER JONES begins, the title character's family is falling apart in the wake of his brother's death and his father's military deployment. Carter answers the doorbell on his first day of middle school to find "The Butler": a very British, traditional fellow in a "funeral suit" who's been left to the family by Carter's late, unknown grandfather. Soon, the butler not only has the kids off to school in good order and their mom slightly less overwhelmed, but also turns out to be a maniacal fan of the sport of cricket and draws half the middle school into the game.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

Gary D. Schmidt delivers a poignant, funny, relatable tale of a middle schooler, his falling-apart family, and the old-school butler who unexpectedly comes to the rescue in a purple Bentley. Young characters have to cope with family tragedy, middle school, sibling squabbles, and adults who let them down, but they also have a steadfast, resourceful guide in the butler.

"'Young Master Carter, when you walk Ned for your mother, when you attend Miss Anne's robotics competition without observing that such attendance is, if you'll pardon the expression, "a pain in the glutes"; when you cheer at Miss Charlotte's football match even though she barely had a touch; when you accompany your sister to a Turner art exhibition; when you take your young sisters to buy Dreamsicles; when you appear as exhibit A for Miss Emily's Favorite Person of the Week event; when you attend two ballet exhibitions despite your unfortunate and undiscerning distaste for the art; you are telling them that it ["Remember who you are" and "Remember who loves you"] is exactly the same thing,'

"'Is that what being a gentleman is supposed to be?'

"'We are what we love, young Master Carter.'"

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stories where unlikely characters swoop in to rescue forlorn kids and get them on a good path, like Pay Attention, Carter Jones. Why is this a favorite storytelling theme? Have you ever seen this happen in real life? Who was involved, and how did that person make things better?

  • Do you play cricket or know anyone who does? If you've ever watched a match, how do you think it compares with other sports you like?

  • Have you ever had to deal with one of your parents being away for a long time? How did you cope?

Book Details

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