Never So Green
School's out in Big River, Iowa, and Tex Donleavy, a kid who keeps his nose in the books and his deformed right hand deep in his pocket, is looking forward to a blissful summer in the company of Linda Volesky, the vivacious beauty who happens to be his father's girlfriend. Instead, Tex gets dumped on his mother's doorstep, where Farley Dickerson, the big oaf she's just married, and his two kids have made themselves at home. Nobody's more surprised than Tex, then, when he discovers he likes his new stepfather, that he actually wants to spend the summer at Mom's, and that he - Tex Donleavy - is going to play ball on Farley's Little League team. And then there's the plucky and brooding Jack, Farley's daughter, who becomes Tex's closest ally, as well as his greatest source of confusion. In all, it's shaping up to be a summer full of surprises - though nothing can prepare Tex for the biggest surprise of all, a secret so terrible that it will change the lives of every member of his family. Through his careful, lyrical prose, Tim Johnston expertly balances the pain of inching toward maturity with sly humor, making his fiction debut an auspicious occasion.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0374355096
ISBN13:9780374355098
Release Date:October 2002
Publisher:Farrar Straus Giroux
Length:227 Pages
Weight:0.30 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.8" x 8.4"
Age Range:13 to 17 years
Grade Range:Grades 8 to 12
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
A Glorious Novel, Moving and Beautifully Written
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
The characters come alive; I can practically see them walking around in front of me. This is a terrific book. The protagonist may be 12 years old, but the book is geared for adults or teens. The world author Tim Johnston creates and the people who inhabit it delight me (I laughed out loud), touch me and stay with me long after I've finished the book. It is a glorious book - I plan on re-reading!
Never So Green
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
I think this is one of the best books I ever read. I compare it with Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows it is so good. How he struggles with his family and becomes a great baseball player.
An elegant and haunting depiction of adolescence!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
This is an elegant and haunting depiction of adolescence. I came across this book while browsing... and was stuck by its cover. I expected a lighthearted book about little league baseball. I discovered something much greater. This story and these characters have strayed with me for weeks. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Johnston's work.
Realistic, involving fiction
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
Tex gets something quite different for the summer when instead of spending the time with his father and his new girlfriend, he lands in the lap of his mother and her new family. Tex's friendship with his new stepfather is uncertain, until a common connection in baseball introduces him to a new world and brings new family ties. Just as all seems to be coming together, Tex makes a discovery which will again change his family's life. Realistic, involving fiction.
Not necessarily a boy's book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I am a fifth grade teacher and am always on the lookout for new books to challenge students. I picked up this novel and looked at the jacket. It seemed innocent enough for a fifth grader. Upon reading it I felt that the subject matter was far to advanced for my classroom. I believe that the seventh grade might be a better spot for this novel.The book itself was very engaging. The author uses baseball as a venue for healing. I think that Mr. Johnson has quite a future ahead of him.
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