The misadventures of the family Fletcher

Format:

Book

Title:

The misadventures of the family Fletcher

Author:

Levy, Dana Alison author

ISBN:

9780385376525

9780385376549

9780385376556

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : Delacorte Press, [2014]

Physical Description:

260 pages ; 22 cm.

Series title(s):

Family Fletcher ;

Number in series:

BK. 1.

General Note:

"A Junior Library Guild selection"--Jacket flap.

Companion: Family Fletcher takes Rock Island.

Summary:

The start of the school year is not going as the Fletcher brothers hoped. Each boy finds his lans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes diastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most. -- From amazon.com.

Reading Level:

750L lexile

Sentence length: 4 (hard) Word frequency: 3 (medium) Lexile.

Program Information:

Accelerated Reader 4.8.

Reading Counts! 4.6.

Accelerated Reader AR MG 4.8 8.0 167385.

Subject(s):

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Brothers -- Juvenile fiction.

Adoption -- Juvenile fiction.

Children of gay parents -- Juvenile fiction.

Family life -- Fiction.

Brothers -- Fiction.

Schools -- Fiction.

Neighbors -- Fiction.

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	+ FICTION - LEVY	Searching... Unknown
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	Levy, D.	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Newberg Public Library	J FICTION LEVY	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Stayton Public Library	JF LEVY	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"Fans of Beverly Cleary's Quimbys, Judy Blume's Hatchers, and, more recently, Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks will fervently hope that more Fletcher misadventures are yet to come." -- School Library Journal, Starred

The start of the school year is not going as the Fletcher brothers hoped. Each boy finds his plans for success veering off in unexpected and sometimes diastrous directions. And at home, their miserable new neighbor complains about everything. As the year continues, the boys learn the hard and often hilarious lesson that sometimes what you least expect is what you come to care about the most.

Praise for The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher

A Junior Library Guild Selection

[set star] "Their banter is realistic, and the disorder of their everyday lives, convincing. The Fletcher family rules!" -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"Dana Alison Levy has gloriously reimagined the classic family story into a thoroughly modern mold, and it works perfectly." --Bruce Coville, bestselling author of My Teacher Is an Alien and the Unicorn Chronicles

[set star] "With its semi-episodic structure, laugh-out-loud humor, and mix of zaniness and love, Levy's debut offers something truly significant: a middle-grade family story featuring gay parents and interracial families that is never about either issue." -- School Library Journal, Starred

"Levy provides a compelling, compassionate, and frequently hilarious look at their daily concerns. By book's end readers will want to be part of (or at least friends with) this delightful family." -- The Horn Book

Author Notes

Dana Alison Levy was raised by pirates but escaped at a young age and went on to earn a degree in aeronautics and puppetry. Actually, that's not true--she just likes to make things up. That's why she always wanted to write books. She was born and raised in New England and studied English literature before going to graduate school for business. While there is value in all learning, had she known she would end up writing for a living, she might not have struggled through all those statistics and finance classes. Dana was last seen romping around with her family in Massachusetts.

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-7-Two dads and four adopted boys of varying backgrounds make up this sweet and loving family. The family's life is actually pretty ordinary, with few misadventures beyond the regular problems of school stress, grouchy neighbors, and trying to fit in with peers. Sam, age 12, prides himself on being an athlete but finds there is more to life than just sports. Brainy Eli, 10, discovers the private school he begged his parents to let him attend is not what he expected. Ten-year-old Jax is challenged by a school project and the complicated world of adolescent friendships. The youngest brother Frog, age six, is full of life and is excited about everything-especially his new "imaginary" friend, Ladybug. Although the family is nontraditional, the story has a quaint, old-fashioned feel. The focus on the story is not the sexual orientation of the parents but rather the love that binds the family together. Dan Woren does an admirable job of switching between the harried dads and energetic boys. This is a great choice for libraries wanting to diversify their collections.--Theresa Horn, St. Joseph County Public Library, South Bend, IN (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

One year with the Fletcher family: four brothers, two dads, several pets, one grumpy neighbor, and a whole lot of excitement. The cheerful story, a succession of unforgettable holiday celebrations and changing friendships, moves along at a lively clip, with every Fletcher getting his time in the spotlight. A distinctive voice and narrative style for each of the four boys ensures that every story line is easy to follow. Woren switches deftly between a preteen's attempts at sounding casual, for example, and a six-year-old's bursts of energy regarding turtles or imaginary friends. Regular interjections of good-humored advice from Dad and Papa keep the story -- and the energetic dialogue -- grounded. Listening to these "misadventures" feels like eavesdropping on the little struggles and encouraging victories of your favorite neighbors. sarah berman (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Four lively adopted boys, two dads and a grouchy new neighbor star in this modern family comedy.Trying new things, dealing with difficult choices, and the joys and frustrations of life in a large family are all pieces of this humorous tale. Changing points of view in each chapter track each boy's particular issues as the third-person narrative chronicles the school year. Readers who get past the slow beginning will end up fully engaged with these characters and wanting more. Soccer-playing sixth-grader Sam stars in the school musical. Fourth-grader Jax can't find a way to connect with their unfriendly neighbor for an interview for a school reportand he's losing his best friend. Eli has chosen to spend his fourth-grade year at a school for academically gifted children that supports his talents but offers few physical outlets or social rewards. And who can believe in the existence of 6-year-old Frog's new friend when he's accompanied to kindergarten by an invisible cheetah? This book is notable for its matter-of-fact depiction of an atypical family, the same-sex couple and their ethnically diverse childrentwo white, one African-American, one adopted from India. The boys are very different from one another but closely tied with warm family bonds. Their banter is realistic, and the disorder of their everyday lives, convincing.The Fletcher family rules! (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Two dads, four sons, one dog, one cat, one imaginary cheetah. That's the family Fletcher. This delightful offering is reminiscent of Jeanne Beardsall's Penderwicks books, along with other stories that hearken back to an earlier, golden age of family stories. Levy makes some bold choices here. The chapters are alternately narrated by the brothers, who each has his own problem to work through. Twelve-year-old Sam is an athlete but toying with acting; fourth-grader Eli thought he wanted to go to a strict academic school, but it's not working out; Jax, also in fourth grade, has to interview the grumpy neighbor for a project on veterans; and kindergartner Frog can't get anyone to believe his school pal isn't imaginary. If the book has one problem, it's excess. Four brothers and all their friends make for a lot of characters and a lot of story. However, the warmth of this family and the numerous issues that readers will easily identify with make this a welcome choice, especially for boys. An interview in a local paper explains how this family became one.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist