Book Review of
Summer of the Monkeys
The last thing a fourteen-year-old boy expects to find along an old Ozark river bottom is a tree full of monkeys. Jay Berry Lee’s grandpa had an explanation, of course–as he did for most things. The monkeys had escaped from a traveling circus, and there was a handsome reward in store for anyone who could catch them. Grandpa said there wasn’t any animal that couldn’t be caught somehow, and Jay Berry started out believing him . . . But by the end of the “summer of the monkeys,” Jay Berry Lee had learned a lot more than he ever bargained for–and not just about monkeys. He learned about faith, and wishes coming true, and knowing what it is you really want. He even learned a little about growing up . . . This novel, set in rural Oklahoma around the turn of the century, is a heart-warming family story–full of rich detail and delightful characters–about a time and place when miracles were really the simplest of things…
Grace's Review
Most people have either heard of or read Wilson Rawls other book Where the Red Fern Grows, but have not heard of Summer of the Monkeys. This book definitely is a good read for boys and girls in middle school or junior high. While the book has funny and joyful scenes, there are also life lesson taught about given and caring for others needs. The book is written similarly to Rawls other book and takes place in the Ozarks. The book does reference magic in certain things and wishes that are said in a certain way so that the wishes will come true. He also disobeys his parents a few times.