Snarkout Boys & the Avocado of Death

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully unique
Review: I remember reading (and rereading) this zany, gripping, urban adventure when I was in third or fourth grade (and its worthy sequel, The Snarkout Boys & the Baconburg Horror). On a whim, some twenty years later and with a law degree to my name, I tracked down a copy at the public library and ... wow! I enjoyed it every bit as much. Daniel Pinkwater deserves major kudos for such a book--someone buy that man a Napoleon or twelve.

The fast-paced story is told from the viewpoint of Walter Galt. Walter is a teenager on the verge of dying from boredom at Ghengis Khan High School, until he meets Winston Bongo, another suffering student and the self-proclaimed inventor of 'snarking out'. The boys' late-night snarkouts eventually bring them into contact with a smorgasbord of oddball characters (such as Ms. Bentley Saunders Harrison Matthews, aka Rat) and places, from Blueberry Park to Lower North Aufzoo Street to Beanbender's Beer Garden and beyond. Ultimately, with the help of the world's greatest living detective, Walter, Winston and Rat must locate the world's largest avocado and save the world (or at least the nations' realtors)--but watch out for stuffed Indian fruit bats!

Pinkwater is a true original and writes this surreal, comic yarn simply, cleanly, and hilariously. Highly recommended for kids, parents, avocado lovers ... and even lawyers who used to be kids. Five stars!

Rating:
Summary: fond memories
Review: My "hippie" aunt and uncle, in New York City, sent me this book, and Fat Men From Space, when I was about eight. I loved it!
I am now almost thirty; yet I remember these books with great affection. Mind you, what you remember and what was true are two different things; but a book that can make you smile more than ten years later is worth the investment.

Rating:
Summary: This is the most fun you can have reading.
Review: The title alone is enough to make you want to kiss Daniel Pinkwater. This book includes: industrial espionage, professional wrestling, a female teenage punk, an adult that believes avacadoes hold the secrects of the universe, and a boy named Winston Bongo.

Three characters, Walter Galt, Winston Bongo, and Rat have more than one adventure while sneaking around in the middle of the night. They discover a city within a city, containing it's own strange cast of characters and rituals.

No adult or child could possibly be bored by this classic. This book is the stuff childhood dreams are made of. And, it will prompt your kids to investigate the odd-yet-wonderful pop culture references Pinkwater makes. I adore this story, and when I really need to escape, I pick it up and read it again. It is a treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Lost memories and great literature: IT'S ALL HERE!
Review: This book is a fascinating expose into the minds and habits of two odd young boys. It was one of my favorites when I was seven. I haven't read it in fifteen years, but I still consider it to be one of the finest books I've ever read. I would heartily recommend it to all people, as well as many other Pinkwater books. It's a damn shame that much of his work is out of print and has been for some time. Children who read this sort of thing are much more interesting than the rest

Rating:
Summary: Greatest book ever. Ever.
Review: Wow. I can't even begin to describe this book. I'm 21 now, but when I was in middle school, I stumbled on this book for the first time. Browsing the racks for something interesting, I see this one titled "The Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death."
Naturally, I had to read it... what a strange title! Turns out, the title is just the beginning. The things that must have gone on inside D. Pinkwater's head in order to come up with this stuff... It's amazing. I loved every minute of this book as a kid. It helped shape my creative scope.. gave me a new perspective on things and really added to my personality. Strange to say perhaps, considering we're dealing with a very fictional, and frankly quite silly book, but it truly did. I would highly reccomend this book to ANYONE. I doubt anyone but me could have such a lasting impression from it, but anyone would find this book fun to read.