Rag a Bone and a Hank of Hair

by Rh Value Publishing

In the twenty-third century, when children have become scarce, an unusually, bright boy is sent to live with an experimental family of reborn 1940 Londoners.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Post Apocalyptic, Classics

123 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 1984

Reviews

[W.R. Gingell · Rating 5 out of 5]

welp, it made me cry again this time around

love that Fisk never condescends to his audience, despite writing MG and YA protags. love the richness of the world building. this book is most of the reason why i love scifi so much, and why i read so much of it.

it stands up beautifully to a re-read that has been something like 25 years in the coming

so glad i found this again at the library sale!

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started strong, with an interesting premise, decent writing, and strong if spare characterization. In fact, it was a book I enjoyed most of the way through. However, the last quarter or so did not make a ton of sense and the ending was weak. It seemed like all set-up and then -- fizzle. I don't know if Fisk was limited as to page count but I think this would have been much better had it been substantially longer and gone somewhere. Even if he just wanted to make some sort of philosophical point rather than telling a story (which is what it felt like) that would have been better served by more development and a less abrupt termination.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was described as a Children’s Modern Classic, the dust jacket promised that I would not be able to put it down half read, and I had seen some 5 star reviews from readers I trusted. So, I was really looking forward to reading this tale, and even forked out money to buy the book. I began it about six months ago, read about a third, then gave up until last night (I suppose that means I didn’t abandon it half read) when I finally finished it.
I found the first third of the book frustrating. I liked the premise of a future earth having to deal with a sharply falling birth rate, and of the precious few remaining children being lionised. The idea of cloning new humans is reasonably standard SciFi – and believable (even if the source material used is a bit dodgy). But, with all the available future scientific expertise, why on earth did they go about it the way they did? Why program the clones? Why lock them up in a WWII scenario (the explanation given is really feeble)? Why experiment on them? Why not let them grow up normally and integrate them into modern human society?
The main character, Brin, develops considerably throughout the story. At the start he is an arrogant, know-it-all spoilt child, thinking only of his innate superiority. By the end, he is a caring, humane person, more concerned with the welfare of others, than with his own well-being. This contrasts him greatly with most of the adults in the book.
Once I got half way through the book, I did not want to put it down (as promised!). I still had massive misgivings about the basic premise of the Reborns, but the pace wound up considerably. There were several really unexpected twists, and a philosophical strand relating to the soul and memory. I had to see how it all panned out.
I would describe this a definite dystopian novel – not because of the failing birth rate – but because of the really horrible, amoral adults left running the world.
Not a great book, but worth reading.

[Trin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was ~13 years old. I'd 'borrowed' it from the school I was at for something to read while I was waiting for my mom to drive by and pick me up. The book never made it back to school.

Brin is a young boy with a secret. He's part of an experiment, designed to find out for The Seniors whether or not the 1940s 'reborns' they've created could ever fit in to their peaceful world. Fisk tells this interesting story predominantly from Brin's point of view.

I would *seriously* like to read an extended, adult version of this book as, while the story is there, there is so much more that could be done with it. It does make a good book for a younger teen to read though.

[Chie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is science fiction as it should be. By george!Its so very dynamic.I dont even know my own conclusion about this book, at first I sided with the 'good guys'felt sorry for them, but what they dish out for the 'bad guys'. I dont who to feel what for. I was awe stricken. The ending haunted me, that i would now have a hard time reliving the experience of re-reading it.

You must read this book.

[rachelish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, it's good - in fact it might be *very* good - but it scared me to death when I was ten so who knows now? I did not see the twist coming (when I was ten) and it's stayed with me enough that I can still feel the shock 15 years later.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

How was this a children's book?

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first book i ever read and adored kick started my reading life

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found A Rag, A Bone and a Hank of Hair by Nicholas Fisk quite elusive. From the start, I felt as if I was missing something, and I don't really understand now what it was supposed to be about. It was unpleasant and seemingly pointless, as well as confusing. Several of the characters acted very unconvincingly at times, and I didn't like any of them enough to get emotionally involved with what was going on. I'm sure there's much more to it than I comprehended, but I probably wouldn't have finished it if it had been more than 125 pages.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don’t know what to make of it, straight science fiction with the most arresting ending. I am still trying to puzzle it out. I think there are limitations to the story though, and wonder at its appeal to modern youth of today.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful and thought provoking book. It made a powerful impression on me when I first read it. The ending is not typical for a children's book, and in some ways it would require slightly more mature readers - but then that just adds to the power of the story.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it as a child and again as an adult. It had such ideas with potential, ripe for discussion and stuck with me.

[Sharon Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A science fiction book for young people. An advanced future society penetrates the society of 1940 England--I'm not sure why. The ending was disappointing.

[Sarah Rigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brief review from my 1985 journal says, "I enjoyed it."

[David Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent short SF for kids that will really make them think. A real joy to read again - looking forward to rereading other stories by Nicholas Fisk.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Rag, A Bone and a Hank of Hair
5 out of 5 stars
Fisk’s futuristic novel was one that captivated my attention throughout the entire book. The story, for the majority, was told in chronological order. The story was about a futuristic society in which everyone is perfect and cannot feel pain, similar to the society in The Giver. The main character is a, “reborn” which means he has been cloned. He is forced to live out a scenario with other reborns, and he does not find out he is a reborn until the end of the book. Fisk did a marvelous job of keeping the reader interested by his mysterious way of writing. There was quite a bit of dialogue in the book, which was interesting and kept the reader’s attention. I found it rather strange that the author did not break the text up into chapters. Because of the high level of mystery in the text, I think it would have added more suspense if Fisk had used chapters.
I gave the book five out of five stars, because of the way Fisk wrote the book. It was one that I could not put down, and the text made the reader think and analyze what was occurring. The recommended reading level for the book would be for students between the fifth and sixth grades. I do not think children younger than this would be able to follow the intricate plot. Students will be able to relate to being deceived, and to forming a strong bond with people unlike themselves. Two subject areas into which the book could be integrated could be language arts and science. For a science lesson, students could delve deeper into the process of cloning. For older grades, a discussion about the ethics of cloning could be a good tool.

[Dami (Damiellar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just loved this book when I was younger. It had some 'fun' ideas in it and was short enough to finish in a single night.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was still in junior school. So I was maybe 8 or 9. That was 1982. It had a profound affect on me.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this sometime around age 11-ish, I think, and thoroughly enjoyed. Just found a copy and looking forward to a re-read. A book whose title sticks 30+ years after reading is worth a revisit.

[Andrew Kozma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historically interesting in terms of YA, but not as interesting or engaging as I'd hoped. In some ways, more of a classic dystopia.