April Fools Day Books

Brother Fish

I am becoming quite a big Bryce Courtenay fan. I read "The Power of One" several years ago and as many of his other books as I can get my hands on since then. I have just completed "Brother Fish" and am again amazed by Courtenay's ability to create such real characters, fascinating plots, and to take me to so many interesting places. His characters are people that I would like to meet and at the same time I feel that I know. While I am not generally a war story reader I was drawn into the narrative by Courtenay's story telling ability. I could hardly put the book down.

I loved this book. My favorite book of all time is "The Power Of One", and Brother Fish comes a very very close second! Byrce Courtenay has incredible flashes of brilliance in his writing. Can't wait for the next book!

Courtenay tells a terrific story here about the Korean War, POW
camps and life as a veteran in Australia. I really did not want to
put it down and found myself anxious to get back to it to find
out "what happens next".

This is a hard book to review. Parts of it enthralled me, but at the same time, one cannot be unaware of its huge deficiencies. It's a doorstop of a book, and rightfully so. There are at least three separate stories in there, maybe four. Or five. Anyway, first of all, we have Jacko's tale. An unprepossessing lad from a dot of an island off the Tasmanian coast, his family is made up of average joes, and Jacko's mom terms them "not worth a pinch of the proverbial," and she is not referring to salt. Jacko enlists in the army during the Korean conflict and is taken prisoner. He survives horrendous conditions, returns home, and becomes a successful seafood entrepreneur. Okay, that's book one. Book two is about James Pentecost Oldcorn, a Black American GI who is meets up with Jacko when both are prisoners of war. Jimmie Oldcorn is not human. He is larger than life, heroic and selfless beyond sainthood, and probably the most patronizingly written Black character in a novel since Uncle Remus. He repeatedly saves Jacko's life, organizes the POWs, saves their lives, confronts their Chinese and Korean captors, improves POW morale, and becomes Jacko's lifelong best friend and business partner. The Jimmy Oldcorn part of the book is so overwrought and the character such a cheap cartoon, it was almost painful to read. Jimmie's dialect is utterly ridiculous. He is an intelligent, resourceful, brave man, but he jabbers away in nonsense syllables. I have a feeling that Bryce Courtenay had no idea how a Black New Yorker would sound, and his thought process was as follows: "I'll throw in some basic New York accent(where Jimmie was born and raised), leaven with some Uncle Tom's Cabin and Song of the South to reinforce that he's Black." Unfortunately, the dialect is neither New York, Southern, or anything else any real person every spoke. And the way Courtenay depicts Jimmie made me want to toss the book out the door. Jimmie is a whiz with the ladies. Women of the island (who never met a man of color before and apparently were immune to Australia's prevalent racism and "White Australia" policy and equally immune to Australia's appalling attitudes toward their own Aboriginals) lined up to have sex with him and bear his children out of wedlock. Why, heck, Ol' Jimmie was such a nice guy, men were eager to marry up with women who bore his children...it was a badge of honor. Yeah, right. The same people who designated their own indiginous people as "fauna" -- native animal life, were going to open their arms and, well, whatever, to a Black American. Uh huh. I said it was a patronising depiction earlier...I was wrong. It is beyond patronising. The "racism" crops up when Jimmie confronts the "White Australia" immigration policy, but that's solved and Jimmie gets to go back to talking gibberish and behaving heroically. And then there is Book 3, the story of Countess Nicole Lenoir Jourdan, aka Lily No Gin, aka Shanghai Lil. No, I'm not making that up. WOuld that I were. Again, a fascinating story becomes so overblown, it loses all touch with reality. All three stories are intricately connected. Jimmie Oldcorn is, indeed, a hero, if only he had been written as a real person, not a cartoon black, complete with a dialect that is so thick it's comical (although Jimmie speaks the King's English impeccably -- with American, English and Australian accents and intonations when he so chooses). The Countess is merely Deus ex Machina, dropping in to save the day until the last 3rd of the book, when we learn of her improbably--yet fascinating--life story. Anyway, if you want a good read, this is certainly the book. Just try not using all your brain cells when you read it...if you have all your faculties in full gear, the book will drive you nuts. I have not read "Power of One" or any other of Courtenays seemingly endless stream of books. I just ordered "The Potato Factory" trilogy and hope it's as good as the best parts of "Brother Fish" but without the hyperbole and nonsense.

i'm not one to like reading war stories but this is special. so easy to read and would appeal to anyone. very gripping plot. gives powerful look into the korean war and pow camps. among other sub-plots, it exposes racism in the USA and Australia during the 1940s and 50s. set in new york, usa and tasmania, australia. the 2 major characters, an american negro orphan and a poor white australian, are very likeable, even their faults. a big part is also set in shanghai, china during the 1920s and 30s. i found it as good as the "power of one" also from bryce courtenay. he's a marvelous writer.

I like this book because it was a mystery and it was fun to try to solve it. You would like it if you like mysteries. Have fun reading. I hope you like it.

I really liked this book because it was a scary mystery. You should definetly read this book because you can solve it! It was cool because it was a mystery. You'll like it!

I really liked this book because it was funny and interesting. I really enjoy mysteries. You should definetly read it because it's a mystery and they are nice to read because you get to solve them yourself!

I really liked this book because I like mysteries and you get to solve the mystery by yourself. You should definetly read this book because it's a cool book and I'm a second grader and I enjoyed this book. If you read it I hope you'll enjoy it too!!

I really liked this book because it has lots of clues in it and I liked to find out how they solve the mystery quickly. You should definetly read this book because it is a really cool mystery book and you should even read it again!! You should also stop and think about what person in the school stole the school skeleton. This book is really cool!

Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool is the imaginative account of the start of April Fools Day. The mayor of Bakonneggs in France is a horribly grouchy man who doesn't want anyone to have fun. He has even outlawed laughing! But when the mayor decides to change the date of New Years Day, everyone is sure he is pulling a prank.

Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool tells an entertaining, humour filled story while teaching children a little about French culture and vocabulary. Throughout the pages of the story are French words for the objects shown. The book even includes an easy to use French- English translation and pronunciation guide at the back.

This is Pete Welling's best book yet. Although I didn't think he could top Andrew McGroundhog and His Shady Shadow, I think Michael Le Soufflé's illustrations are the best of any children's book I have seen in recent memory.

The story, a comical tale about a happy-go-lucky rooster and an irritable pig, is original to say the least. While I think children (and adults) will enjoy the story, it's the illustrations that steal the show. I was laughing more at the illustrations than at the story. Each page is packed full of humor within humor; the book may be a short 32 pages but it took me half an hour to get through it because I spent so much time on each page looking at the complex, yet fanciful, drawings.

If you have a young child just learning to read or an older child who still enjoys being read to while looking at great illustrations, then buy this book. It will be cherished for years to come.

I expected the book to be full of light-hearted, good-natured practical jokes. Not so. Some of the jokes involve video cameras in bathrooms and other "jokes" are simply mean. A few are funny, but overall, this book was a big disappointment.

I like this book much. Some of the prank are old and or too mean for some people, but for entertainment purposes it is very humorous. This book is not as large as I expected and contains a smaller number of pranks as I expected, but it still is pretty good.

If your a serious prankster then DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. The majority of the stuff in here are things that were probably funny back in the 1800's. I bought this book thinking id have a arsenal of new pranks but was severely dissapointed. Whoever reviewed this and gave it 5 stars was way off. Trust me, find something more updated because this book is not. TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!!!!! If anyone has any idea were i can get a decent prank book, by all means let me know.

I have successfully pestered my whole family, 10 friends and a few enemies with the nasty tricks I learned from this book! Its great! You need it! Every coffee table and bathroom needs this book. Bravo to the Author!

This book is destined to become a cult classic. Its one of those ones you'll have for years next to your toilet, grinning every time you read from its sinister pages.

When the twins decided not to switch identities on April Fools Day[I hate that Holiday!] Things go wrong for Elizabeth,but not Jessica,The Home Ec Class makes Suffles and Elizabeth gets a C, and She gets a detention for something. At Lunch,The Principal says the Buses aren't running and the freezers ice cream is melting,but It was all an April Fool's Day Prank. The the Unicorns made Elizabeth wash Mrs.Riteman's car and told Elizabeth there was a car wash and The Unicorns washed at least 1 car.There was No Car Wash,and It was all Jessica's idea.

It is April Fools Day in Sweet Valley and Jessica has planned her biggest trick ever.Watch out for a twist in the end!

The Sweet Valley Twins books are always fun to read. It's a great series of stories. In this book, it's April Fool's day, and Sweet Valley Middle School is all excited about what tricks they're going to play! Twins Jessica and Elizabeth decide that instead of trading places as they usually do, they're going to do the opposite. They're going to emphasize themselves so much, that people will assume they've changed places, even though they haven't. This backfires, however, and Elizabeth gets stuck with all of Jessica's problems. This story is very unrealistic. I don't know anyone who gets so pumped up over April Fool's Day. Nor do I think everyone would react that way to Elizabeth and Jessica. However, it is a fun story to read and it's worth a try!

Slasher films aren't generally regarded for their sense of logic. APRIL FOOL'S DAY takes the typical ... teens, bizarre killings, and oddly-costumed killer of the genre and adds some decent characterization and a plot filled with more twists than a corkscrew.

The story focusses on a group of friends invited to an island mansion for the weekend. It's not long before an unseen killer starts picking them off one by one. Is it real, or just another prank on April Fool's day? Read the book and find out - provided you can find a copy.

Jeff Rovin's wonderful prose digs into the characters' heads and slowly builds tension before a hair-raising climax that's only the beginning of the end. Several more chapters follow, adding a new twist to the story.

Is the film good? Can't say. I haven't seen it. But the book reads like the teen thrillers of Cristopher Pike or R.L. Stine. So, if your a fan of thrillers, chillers, or just plain blood spillers, I'd definitely recommend a read.

The Rookie Reader Book on April Fool's was delightful! As a first grade teacher, I too enjoyed learning more about this holiday and why we celebrate it each year. My students loved it!

MAXimum boy by: Dan Greenburg
Mystery

Max known as Maximum boy lives in Detroit. He got his powers when he went to a museum and accidentally touched a rock from the moon and it gave him the ability to fly, glow in the dark, have heat ray vision, x-ray vision and the ability to run at the speed of light. After a while his sister got jealous and went to the museum and broke into the rock area and touched the same rock that Max touched and got all the same abilities that Max did. But she couldn't control as good as Max could though they teamed up as Maximum Girl and Maximum Boy. someone put glasses with noses and beards on Mount Rushmore. The president calls and tells them that. When they get someone left a note saying that they were going to pull down everyone's pants in London & France. It's a very exciting and action filled book.
I like it because Max thinks in funny ways and I can relate to him. If you like adventure you would like this book.

- Mikey Pappa

This book has a major continuity problem - Arthur and Buster are shopping on March 31st, they have problems with Binky the next day at school, and then the following day is April Fool's Day (April 1). Somehow, the author managed to wedge an extra day in there.

Other problems include a teacher watching Binky bully Arthur without intervening, and then everyone laughs when Binky falls off the stage at one point, which is not cool even for a bully.

Otherwise, it's a pretty cool book.

This story is about Arthur who is afraid of Binky Barnes.He wants to get stronger so he can beat Binky Barnes! Then, he had nightmares of Binky Barnes chasing him! It was April Fool's Day! I think kids should read this book because it is funny, cute, lovable, and so cheerful. I could laugh forever! My favorite part was when Binky finds out that he has been tricked!

ARTHUR'S APRIL FOOL is one of the earlier books when the drawings of Arthur still gave him the longer head. And because it's an earlier book, all the characters you know from the wonderful TV series are here, but they look just a bit different than we're used to. It's a great story with a lot of depth and a lot of fun. The illustrations are so funny, with a lot of interesting details for kids to find. My favorite is always D.W., and she doesn't let me down here, either. The Arthur series is simply amazing and wonderful. It brings me great joy. I would get every one of the books in this affordable series of paperbacks.

my son loved this book. he was having a problem with a bully at school and this book really help him see that even big bully's have weaknesses.

it was an okay book. I think that D.W. and Arthur make the perfect brother and sister because they always disagree. It was a funny book because Arthur does a good trick on Binky.

Christine Bennett, the Long Island housewife sleuth, finds a body lying in the front yard of a home just up the hill from her local nursery, where she has been shopping for a new tree. Sticking from the man's back is a knife. But when she calls the police to report the murder, she is informed that the whole thing was an elaborate April Fools' Day joke. No one is laughing a few hours later, though when the same man turns up dead --- stabbed to death in his garage.

Thus begins the newest mystery that draws Chris Bennett into the strange and complicated lives of the Platt family. Many people had reasons to dislike the patriarch, Willard Platt, for he had ruled with an unyielding hand and cared little that his unpleasant manner ruffeled many for nearly 50 years. Christine doesn't lack for suspects but she must uncover motives that nearly every member of the family would like to keep hidden.

As usual, she is certainly up to the task, for she has a logical way of collecting information that others overlook or dismiss as unimportant or of no signifigance.

I always enjoy seeing just what kind of twists and turns Ms. Harris will get up to with every new book. She keeps it plausable and still always surprises me. This is another good entry in the series.

I have to say I agree somewhat with an earlier reviewer who stated that it is far-fetched to think that this woman (Chris, the heroine of the story) would be allowed constant access to the murder victim's family, asking them all manner of personal questions, when she is neither a cop nor a detective. I also find it far-fetched that her policeman husband would encourage her to go and talk to murder suspects, most often alone, but also taking her 3-year-old son along for the ride. What mom would put herself or her son in danger like that? The one thing I have to say I did like about this book is that, unlike certain other Lee Harris novels whose titles I will not mention at the risk of spoiling anything for other readers, is that at least the murderer was not first introduced to the readers on page 248 of a 250-page book!

I found it very difficult to get through this book. What began as a refreshing series about a former nun adapting to the secular world and unwittingly becoming caught up in murder investigations, has become boring, predictable, and unbelievable. In this book, I found that I didn't care who killed the victim or why. Chris takes it upon herself to investigate, which I found extremely far-fetched. How many wives and mothers have time to involve themselves in a murder case? There was no need for her to get involved here, and I found myself rooting for the people she interviewed. What makes her think she has any right to question people? She doesn't work for the police.This just doesn't ring true. The reader can't identify with these actions. In addition, the story reads almost like a journal in that all the minutiae of Chris' life are captured: her son takes a nap; he wakes up; he has a snack, etc. Who cares? Chris rarely shows any emotion, and her character even seems bored. For this series to continue, Chris needs to become more three-dimensional, and her involvement needs to be scaled back unless she finally decides to become a cop.

Christine Bennett meets Willard Platt when her three-year-old son Eddie hits him with a shopping cart. Christine learns that Willard has filed many pesky lawsuits. Christine relates the incident to her spouse, New York City Detective Sergeant Jack Brooks, who also says that Willard is a disagreeable individual.

On April Fool's Day, a driving Christine sees a man lying on the ground. She finds Willard dead with a knife in his back, but that proves false because he is working with the high school drama club. However, later that same day someone kills Willard. That night, a driving Christine sees a woman walking on a lonely street. It turns out to be Willard's widow trekking a mile and a half to her son's house. Perhaps it is a vestige of her fifteen years in a monastery, many as a nun, but the Good Samaritan Christine takes the woman to her son's home. There, Christine witnesses the ultimate dysfunctional family, which raises Christine's curiosity and her concern for Willard's wife. She begins to investigate what happened to Willard.

Lee Harris' holiday murders are always a time to celebrate because they are typically among the year's best cozies. The latest tale, THE APRIL FOOLS' MURDER, is the usual well-written suburban mystery that hooks readers from start to finish as a seemingly innocent lamb of a plot turns into a roaring story line cozy-style. In her thirteenth appearance, Christine retains her freshness due to her caring nature and curiosity. Fans of the series will relish the newest entry while newcomers will know that the kudos bestowed on the Bennett novels are not April Fool's Day jokes.

Harriet Klausner

Guess what everyone, Lee Harris is back with one of her best holiday murder mystery novels. "The April Fools Day Murder" was on my "Can't Wait To Read" list for six months, so I was very excited to get my hands on it. I belive it was probably her best one. Christine Bennett and her husband, Jack, are back along with Sister Joseph, to try and solve the murder of Willard Platt, an old grumpy man, who was credited for donating a lot of money to the local high school's drama department. Willard was found stabbed to death at his house by his own cane. Christine Bennett is greatly disturbed by this because she just saw this older man in the supermarket earlier that day and spoke with him. Christine starts to investigate. There are many suspects including, the local high school students who came over for an april fool's day hunt, Platt's mysterious son, Roger, and wife, Winnie, who claims she is deaf in one ear and the local nursery owner who wanted a piece of Platt's land. Christine is having a hard time determining who the killer is, so she returns to St. Stephens covenant and speaks with Sister Joseph for more insight. Can Christine Bennett determine who the killer is before she gets herself killed? This is an excellent novel of mystery and suspense that can easily be devoured in one sitting.