McBroom Tells the Truth

Adventures of McBroom

by Sid Fleischman

"There's been so much tomfool nonsense told about McBroom's wonderful one-acre farm?." It's a good thing Farmer Josh McBroom is back, setting matters straight in this pair of hilarious, homespun, illustrated chapter books, issued in an easy-to-read paperback format for the very first time!What better way to find out how it all began than by starting at the beginning-as McBroom, his wife, and their 11 redheaded children pack up their homestead and head West!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Fantasy

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

As a children's book author Sid Fleischman felt a special obligation to his readers. "The books we enjoy as children stay with us forever -- they have a special impact. Paragraph after paragraph and page after page, the author must deliver his or her best work." With almost 60 books to his credit, some of which have been made into motion pictures, Sid Fleischman can be assured that his work will make a special impact.

Sid Fleischman wrote his books at a huge table cluttered with projects: story ideas, library books, research, letters, notes, pens, pencils, and a computer. He lived in an old-fashioned, two-story house full of creaks and character, and enjoys hearing the sound of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Fleischman passed away after a battle with cancer on March 17, 2010, the day after his ninetieth birthday.

He was the father of Newbery Medal winning writer and poet Paul Fleischman, author of Joyful Noise; they are the only father and son to receive Newbery awards.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

The McBroom stories are sure to be winners with your kids since the tall tales are a hoot!

Ages: 5 - 10

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Katie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells about a family having bad luck and running into a mischevious man. McBroom buys land from the man but it was land that was at the bottom of a pond. McBroom didn't know he was suckered by the man. The family had wonderful luck because the water dried up quickly and crops grew like crazy. The man tried tricks to get the land back but ended up failing. This book would be a small read for children. It could be discussed with the reader about being honest.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars -- The McBroom family leaves Connecticut and their rocky, stumpy farm to find their fortune in California. They are stopped and swindled by Heck Jones who sells them 80 acres of his own farm for $10, all the money Josh McBroom has in his wallet. The 80 acres, however, winds up being a 1-acre pond, and the other 79 are layer-thin, stacked on top of each other. Any other man would have been angry or broken. Not Josh McBroom. His fortunes change considerably when the pond dries up leaving INCREDIBLY fertile top soil. Then the fun - and tall tales - begin! Sid Fleischman was a genius! And a lot of fun! (This is the first of a series of 12.) All 7 books read from this series are 4 stars, except the last. It is 3.5 stars because I am not a fan of the illustrations in this edition.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my humor class, and our first unit was on tall tales, and boy was this a tall tale if I've ever seen one.  Exaggeration of the totally normal, the use of an oral storytelling narration, and the illustrations all lend to the McBrooms and their fantastical farm.  This was just truly enjoyable, and made me nostalgic for all those tall tales I'd heard as a kid!  This is a great place to revisit those memories.  

Review cross-listed here!

[S. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first entry in the classic children's book series, McBroom Tells the Truth introduces us to the McBroom family and the origin of their amazing farm with soil so rich that it will grow anything, and I mean ANYTHING. As with every McBroom book, this one is full of amusing exaggerations and tall tales sworn to be the truth, with the humorous confession of a minor fib at the end of the tale.

[Sarah Overvaag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exaggeration is the name of the game in Fleischman’s McBroom stories. Farmer McBroom has taken his whole family out west hoping to find a better life. He finds a miraculous farm that is only one acre square. I love reading this to middle grade students who find McBroom’s boasts to be outrageous, unbelievable and hilarious.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! McBroom's shady neighbor tricks him once, but the trick's on him! No matter what the neighbor tries to do to get the wonderful one-acre farm back, McBroom and his family and too quick and too clever to lose.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

We didn't realize that this story was included in the collection McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm, so we'd read it already. But no one was too disappointed because it's one of our favorites and Daddy's voices are excellent.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

We just loved this magical trip to the past.

[emyrose8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first one in the series, and it’s just as good as I remember!

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute kids book, very clever

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

In the tradition of American tall tales comes the story of Josh McBroom, his wife, Melissa, and their family of eleven red-headed children. Swindled by Hector "Heck" Jones, McBroom hands over his last ten dollars in exchange for a marshy pond eight acres deep. He figures he's completely doomed, but his luck changes when the pond suddenly dries up and everything he plants on the farm grows at record speed. Heck Jones would do anything to go back on the deal he made with McBroom, but the McBroom family is too smart for that!

This story is a fun tale of good triumphing over evil against all odds. Kids as young as four can appreciate the silliness of McBroom's good fortune, and they will love cheering him on against mischievous Heck. The repetition of the kids' names as one continuous word - "Willjillhesterchesterpeterpollytimtommarylarryandlittleclarinda - is a fun aspect of the story and one that would make it an instant read-aloud hit with any group of early elementary schoolers. I also like that each of the kids has a signature move that he or she does each time the family gets excited about something. Nose twitching, arm flapping, and teeth whistling are great actions that kids listening to the story could even try to imitate.

Kids love to be silly, and they love to feel like they are in on a great joke. This book understands that natural inclination and plays with it, giving kids a great story that will inevitably give them the giggles. Recommend McBroom to readers who have loved stories about Pecos Bill and Library Lil, and to readers with wild imaginations who enjoyed The Stories Julian Tells and love to spin yarns of their own. Other McBroom stories are also available, including McBroom and the Big Wind, McBroom's Ear, and McBroom's Ghost.

[Shayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a family who gets tricked by this nasty old man. But it works out for them because they gain access to the greatest farmland ever. They over come the nasty old mans tricks, and they thrive as a huge family on this land.
I like this book because it has a lot of trickery and adventure. The food on this farmland grows super fast that it is really fun to read.
I would use this book with my children because it has a good moral lesson that they could learn from. They would love the illustrations, and they would enjoy the story.

[Partridge Public]

Fleischman, Sid

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read-aloud with my 4-year old. She thought the family was fun and their farm was funny.

[Jennifer Wilcox]

Great Children's book, or a book to read to a smaller child.

[Eric Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Good ol' country story-telling!

I'd read it before, with illustrations by Quentin Blake. The style of Walter Lorraine's pictures here isn't all that different.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Homespun storytelling of the tallest tall tales.