What You Need to Know:
• This is a fantasy about the perfect place to be a child.
• Jack's life in Hokey Pokey is all that little boys dream of, but something strange is happening, and Jack's days there
seem to be numbered.
• Readers will need to suspend disbelief and use their imaginations for this one.
• This book is a great selection for both boys and girls.
• Jerry Spinelli is also the author of Newbery Medal winner, Maniac Magee.
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Sweet Book Summary:
Hokey Pokey offers an incredibly unique perspective on growing up. At first, it may not be obvious. Is Hokey Pokey a real place? Are these kids riding horses or bikes? Are they bikes with horse-like qualities? But as the story moves along, enough questions are answered to reveal that Hokey Pokey isn't just any place. It is THE place and really the time, that every single person on earth can relate to, in some way, shape or form. It is childhood. You may have your own version of Hokey Pokey, but we've all been there.
In Jack's world, Hokey Pokey is a place where kids are truly free. He and his friends, LaJo and Dusty, roam Hokey Pokey from morning 'til night and then sleep where they drop. They cruise through Great Plains where the wild herds of stallion-like bikes run free. They wander through places known as Tantrums, Hippodrome, Gorilla Hill, and Snuggle Stop. Adults are non-existent except for the Hokey Pokey Man who mysteriously appears only to serve crushed ice in every flavor under the sun. Their bikes are sacred creatures, friends stick up for each other and girls and boys are sworn enemies. There is no tomorrow. There is only today, and it is a day filled with ball games, Tarzan calls, cartoons, and bike races. Yes, there are wars fought with pretend weapons, the boys and girls call each other names and there is a bully named Destroyer who preys on young, innocent victims, but mostly this place is filled with freedom and pleasure. Oh, but there are a few basic rules:
"Never pass a puddle without stomping in it. Never go to sleep until the last minute.
Never go near Forbidden Hut. Never kiss a girl."
This is the only world Jack has ever known. It is safe and familiar, and he has never considered anything beyond it, that is, until now. Everything changes on the morning that he wakes up to find that his bike, Scramjet, is missing. It turns out that Jubilee, that girl he hates, has taken it, and his immediate reaction is to round up his friends and get the bike back. But as the day goes on, Jack realizes that he has more to deal with than just a stolen bike. He isn't sure exactly what's going on, but his Hokey Pokey tattoo is fading, and he has a feeling that today may be his last one in Hokey Pokey.
Jerry Spinelli gives us something to think about, and he does it well. The writing is excellent, from the poetic language to the untraditional sentence structure and the nonsense words like "runamucking" "chuckleducking" and "hoprocks". The relationships are enlightening, especially the one between Jack and Jubilee which develops smoothly from confrontation to friendship. Although some aspects of life in Hokey Pokey are left unexplained (how does Jubilee know that Albert is her brother and what do they eat, anyway?), what is clear in the end is what Hokey Pokey is meant to represent. Getting to that point may be tough for some readers, like my son, who want things to be more straightforward ("Are they bikes or horses, mom?", he was desperate to know), but if they give Hokey Pokey a chance, this book will deliver and imaginations will soar.
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Author: Jerry Spinelli Illustrator: n/a Published: 2013, 304 pages
Themes: Books for Boys, Bullying, Friendship, Good Book Club Selection, Growing Up, Self-Awareness/Discovery |
Sweet Discussion Questions:
• Do you believe that Jack's time in Hokey Pokey is real or do you think it is a dream?
• Would you want to be friends with Jack? Why?
• What is the significance of the brown bird?
• Why is it suddenly easy for Jack to enter the Forbidden Hut?
• How do Jack and Jubilee define each other's lives?
• What makes the three amigos such good friends?
• Why does Destroyer bully the other kids?
• Why is it time for Jack to leave Hokey Pokey?
• What do you think will happen in Hokey Pokey after Jack leaves?
• How are the places described in Hokey Pokey similar to those in your neighborhood?
• Why do the kids leave Hokey Pokey at different times?
• Is the dialogue realistic? How Is the interaction between the boys and girls the same or different from your world?
• What would your own "Hokey Pokey" world be like?
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| This recommendation was written by: Melissa G. |
| Support Independent Book Shops: Click Here to Buy this Book on IndieBound |
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