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Summary: Onion John is getting plans,but doesn't want it at all.
Review: Andy Rusch's father is making plans for his friend named Onion John. But the thing they don't know is that he doesn't need future plans for him. Especially because he is the town eccentric. People at Serenity don't seem to like him because he is a homeless and practically lives in a dump. Mr. Rusch is making future plans for Onion John just like he did to his own son, but Onion John is not his son, so he doesn't want any future plans or goals for him. He likes the way he lives right now as the town eccentric.
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Summary: Onion John
Review: In a recent writing assignment, my son wrote the following about Onion John:The events that take place in Krumgolds' Onion John would probably never happen today. For instance, if a homeless man dressed in a strange coat and reeking of onions approached me on the street and spoke in a foreign language, I would not stop to wonder, If I listened long enough, would he start making sense? No! I would walk away - quickly. Not Andrew J. Rusch, Jr. He stops and really listens to Onion John, leading to their friendship and, eventually, the concern and care of their home town, Serenity. I enjoyed the interesting ideas Onion John had; for example, making rain with a parade and driving ghosts and evil spirits away with smells. I also like the part of the story that dealt with the "race to space" and Andy's dad's desire for Andy to get to the moon. I tend to prefer more adventurous stories or stories with a little more "action," which is why I chose to give Onion John four stars.
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Summary: Onion John
Review: My opinion of this book is it's pretty good. People should read this book if they like suspence. This book reminds me of friendship .
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Summary: Onion John
Review: Onion John is a great book for anyone to read. Onion John the town scavenger of the town. He does not have very many friends so he does what he wants. He does have one friend that is not imbarrased about Onion John. Through the story he discovers that all you need is one good friend in life to make it.
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Summary: Onion John Rules
Review: Onion John is a really good book!
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Summary: A very good book
Review: This book just made you feel good. At first, it seemed like Andy was the only one who wanted to help Onion John. But then, the whole town teams up to build him a new house with electricity, a stove where he doesn't need newspaper to light. When his house burns down, you know the people care about him. It is sad when he has to run away from the town of Serenity.
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Summary: A book remembered from childhood!
Review: This book was read to my class by a teacher when I was in the third grade. She read it over a period of about a month and it captured my imagination to such an extent that I wanted to read every book in the library! I am a voracious reader and credit this book (and the teacher!) with lighting the spark which has kept me reading and curious about everything despite the fact that I am now approaching 40! I highly recommend this book for all children and hope that others can experience the joys of becoming aquainted with the written word through reading aloud.
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Summary: TUG OF WAR BETWEEN FATHER AND FRIEND
Review: Twelve-year-old Andy Rusch has lived in a small town named Serenity all his life, working part time in his father's hardware store, but this fall proves anything but serene. In additon to a few buddies his own age, he has added a most unusual, adult, friend, who quietly grows in personal influence on the impressionable youth. Eventually Andy feels the strain and frustration of this emotional tug of war; he writhes under the unfair burden of having to choose to honor his new friend's different background or to obey his father re his future. The book presents this moral dilemma: does a Democracy--with the best of intentions--have the right to force modernization upon a harmless immigrant with a childlike faith in his power over Nature and the human heart? Onion John is the kindly-given nickname of a man from Eastern Europe, whose English is undecipherable to everyone but Andy--who has to work at understanding his speech, until he discovers the trick of translating John's gutteral tongue and bizarre (medieval) ideas. The boy, with no more ambition than to become a shopkeeper in New Jersey, becomes a companion to the strange but friendly hermit; they combine forces and enthusaism as they attempt to produce first rain, then gold. Onion John knows the rites to ward off "evil" spirits, to protect innocent workers, and even to fumigate an entire town. But does Serenity Need to be fumigated out of its expansive good will and generous desire to improve John's living conditions--dragging him into the 20th century against his will? There is NO black magic, just European folklore and superstition. This is a simple, down home story about a boy who views his dad as a hero and his adult friend as a victim. Serious themes with elements of humor and touching family values.
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