Freaky Fast Frankie Joe

by Lutricia Clifton

Twelve-year-old Frankie Joe Huckaby can't find anything good to say about Clearview, Illinois, where he must spend the next ten months living with a father he knows only through birthday cards, a stepmother he didn't know existed, and four half brothers intent on making him the "freak" of the town. When life in Clearview becomes unbearable, Frankie Joe hatches a plan to ride his bike back to the Lone Star Trailer Park in Laredo, Texas. For that he needs money, and so he opens Frankie Joe's Freaky Fast Delivery Service. But Frankie Joe hasn't counted on quirky clients, unpredictable winter weather, and his equally unpredictable new family.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Family, Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Lutricia "Lu" Clifton writes novels for both children and adults. Most of her adult novels are set in southeastern Oklahoma and include a mingling of Native American cultural beliefs and traditions. She became interested in those cultural traditions while tracing her mother’s Choctaw roots.

She was born in and spent her early childhood in southeastern Oklahoma, then moved to the Texas Panhandle with her family. She completed an associate degree at Amarillo Junior College in Texas and a B.A. and M.A. in English at Colorado State University. She now resides in Illinois with a gray tabby named Mary Jane that she rescued from a shelter. Her oldest son and wife life in Oregon and her youngest son and wife live in Illinois.

She is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

NEW RELEASE: SEEKING GRACE IN BEULAH LAND, A Novel -- April 1, 2019

HONORS/AWARDS:

FREAKY FAST FRANKIE JOE -- 2012 Friends of American Writers Award for Juvenile Fiction

SEEKING CASANDRA --Winner of the 2017 Oklahoma Book Award for YA Fiction

SCALP DANCE--A Sam Chitto Mystery --Finalist for the 2017 Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction

THE BONE PICKER, A Sam Chitto Mystery Finalist for 2018 Oklahoma Book Award in Fiction

THE HORNED OWL --A Sam Chitto Mystery -- Finalist for 2019 Oklahoma Book Award in Fiction

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic fiction for kids has more baggage than other fictional genres for that age group. Fantasies and comedies and science fiction get to rely on the extraordinary to weave their tales. Historical fiction, meanwhile, has the nice veil of history in place to aid the writer in making their point. What does realistic fiction have? Reality. Cold, cruel, dead dogs and incurable disease-ridden reality. When people think of middle grade realistic fiction their minds sometimes go to deeply depressing works where horrible things happen to perfectly nice kids. Blame schools that equate misery with learning for that crime. My favorite works of realistic fiction move beyond obvious metaphors and big honking deaths to make their points in subtler, more amusing ways. No one's going to necessarily accuse Lutricia Clifton's Freaky Fast Frankie Joe of being a laugh riot, admitted. But with its appealing hero, recognizable cast of characters and strong plot this is one subtle little novel that wins you over before you even realized you needed convincing. Consider discovering it.

Here's a basic rule of thumb. Anytime you run into four boys named Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, odds are you're going to find them less than saintly individuals. That's bad. What's worse is if you suddenly discover you're their big brother. Frankie Joe always led a life that he liked. He had lots of folks in the trailer park to watch over him and a mom that's a lot more fun than the ones that make their kids go to school every day. Everything was just ducky until she went and got herself arrested. Now Frankie Joe's father, a guy he's never even met, appears out of the blue and takes the boy to middle-of-nowhere Plainview, Illinois. The deal is that Frankie Joe will stay there for the ten months his mom's in the hoosegow, but ten months is too long for this boy. Not only are his newfound younger brothers a bother (particularly alpha male Matt) but his father's some kind of stickler for self-improvement. That's when a brilliant idea occurs. Frankie Joe's fast on a bike. Really fast. Freaky fast. What if he started a delivery service and earned the money he needed to buy the stuff he'd use to get back to the old trailer park to wait out his mom? It's a crazy plan but he's sure it'll work. That is, if he can just harden his heart to Plainview and the people who are in it.

Foster boys of the The Great Gilly Hopkins ilk are, as far as I can ascertain, less common than foster girls in middle grade literature. For every Frankie Joe you'll find a dozen Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies or The Road to Paris titles. Why is it that foster girls are appealing but foster boys aren't? To be perfectly frank, Frankie Joe isn't really a foster kid either. He has a loving father and new family just sitting there waiting for him. The kind of situation many a kid would kill for . . . with the possible exception of the snarky younger sibs. Still, in many ways Frankie's a foster kid at heart. He can't connect to his new home, missing his old one, and rejects the family with members that reject him.

Kid and adult readers alike often find characters that stand out and ring true in the books they like the most. You don't have to be likable to ring true, though. Honestly the character that felt pitch perfect to me from the first line onward was Matt, Frankie's eldest little brother. He's great little villain, albeit a three-dimensional one that makes a believable change of heart. Hell hath no fury like a smarty-pants scorned. When Frankie removes Matt from the top of the family, and school, pecking order (inadvertently, I might add) Matt is convinced that Frankie Joe is working on becoming a permanent member of the family. The scene where Matt discovers Frankie Joe's ultimate plan is weirdly satisfying because the kid is just floored by the revelation that someone wouldn't want to be number one. There's a moment later where Frankie says to him, "I'm not sure being all you can be always means being number one, Matt." It's nice when the antagonist gets to have a bit of learning and growing alongside the hero, don't you think?

Not that there aren't off moments here and there. One librarian I know who read the book was baffled by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles references. The book mentions the kids seeing the movie in the theater, which makes you wonder if the book's a period piece. There are cell phones in it, but these days a cell phone doesn't necessarily preclude the idea that the book takes place in the past. We've had cells for a while now. There's a Gameboy reference as well, though, and that confuses the issue a bit more. For me, these blips on the radar didn't throw me off too much, but I was a little unconvinced by Frankie Joe suddenly calling his father "dad" three pages from the end of the book. It's not that I wouldn't be able to see that development coming. I just needed a little more help getting there.

If Frankie Joe has any literary relations out there, his closest kin might be Joey Pigza. What Frankie Joe lacks in Joey's hyperactivity he makes up for in unreliable parentage and a world where he has to take his life in his own hands. And like Joey, Frankie Joe's greatest strength is his ability to win the readership over to his side of things. You may not agree with his logic or his plans, but you like the darn kid. Not just because he's put upon at the start, but because there's something open and honest and original about him. We don't run across too many perfectly nice and smart kids that skip school with reckless abandon in literature these days. Frankie Joe fills that niche and a couple others while he's at it. A good kid in a good book written for good readers with good sense. Worth a reread too, while you're at it.

For ages 9-12.

[KWinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, it is 4 and 3/4 stars. Yes, it is THAT good. I could not put this down. Everything else had to suffer until I finished. It has been my goal lately to read more realistic fiction featuring male characters and I grabbed this one after reading a review. Oh, boy. This is one of those books in which you, as the reader, just want to reach into the book and give this kid a hug.
I am not going to recap the plot here, but I will add my thoughts. I will not get spoilery.
Frankie Joe is a sympathetic character that you adore right away. He is drawn to older folks, and that is very refreshing to see. In fact, one of the first new "friends" he makes is an older woman who is considered odd because of a birthmark on her face. The town itself is very charming.
One of the BEST parts of this story is the positive relationship between Frankie and his stepmom and father. Great male role models are missing from many of the stories I read. The birth mom is a whole other kettle of fish. The school system seems to really care about the kids in this story as well.
The only thing I was a little disappointed in was the ending, because I thought it was wrapped up really fast (a little too fast). I would have liked to have seen the process in which Frankie makes the choice to move in the direction he decides to move on in.
Otherwise, this one is near perfect.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever bike in 32 degree weather? I have. I thought I was shaking my fist at old man winter. Then I hit a patch of ice, found my body levitating from the ground before gravity took over and slammed me to the pavement. I should have cracked my head on the ice. Or at least knocked the wind out of my lungs, but the padding from my backpack stuffed with clothes, two hats, two scarves, two mittens, two pants, and thick insulated parka cushioned my landing like a mattress. Freaky fast Frankie Joe is much more coordinated and younger than me so when he bikes year round making money on a delivery service, he doesn't have to worry about snow and ice slowing him down. In fact, biking is the only good thing that has happened to Frankie Joe. His mom's in jail and he's been sent to live with his dad and four stepbrothers. He has missed so much school that he's a few years behind the other kids in his class. Being 5 feet 9 inches tall doesn't help. When he's put back from 8th to 5th grade, his alpha male 5th grade brother, Matt, is bent on humiliating him. Matt was number one before Frankie Joe bumped him down to number two and he has no qualms about letting Frankie Joe know he's mad, from stuffing his shorts down the toilet, to insulting him, and more.

The development of the characters is one of the strengths of this book and the fact that Matt is a well-rounded antagonist who changes and learns from his relationship with Frankie Joe makes this story interesting and full of tension.The dad's rules-oriented personality is annoying but loving toward his son that he's trying to get to know after being out of his life until now. The dad goes a bit far with the responsibility rules but it makes him more real. Mandy is very outgoing and at times insensitive which is typical of young kids and Elsie Peachcott is a no-nonsense old lady who is quite endearing and also learns from her relationship with Frankie Joe. Frankie Joe's mom is insensitive but in a self-centered, irresponsible way. She reminds me of the mom in Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer Holm. The teachers at the school are insensitive and humiliate Frankie Joe. I hate this type of character, unless they are a buffoon. I know kids like teachers being dopes in books, but it hits too close to home for me as a librarian who teaches 42 classes every 10 days. Have I accidentally embarrassed a kid? Have I been unfair?

The only thing that made me scratch my head regarding the plot was that the librarian and Frankie Joe read, Kidnapped, together but according to the principal, Frankie Joe could only read at a 4th grade level after being tested. Kidnapped is not an easy read and Frankie Joe would have had a higher vocabulary than he displayed in the chapter where he read out loud in class. It doesn't take away from the story. I just wondered about it.

The emotional pull of this story, along with the humor to lighten it, will make it a winner with readers. The line where Frankie Joe says, "I cry because mom sold her remembrance of me" and the climax where Matt gets buffaloed by the fact that Frankie Joe doesn't want to be number one are touching. I even liked the information on farming - of course, the author weaves it in the dialogue and internal changes of the characters in a way that is very interesting. This is a well-written book and I will be looking to more tales from this author to stock our library shelves.

I did debate on getting studded tires on my bike, but decided I'd let old man winter get the last laugh. Except now I'm living in a subtropical climate so maybe I did get the last laugh.

Reading Level 3.9

[K. Thielen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of the year. Frankie Joe's mother has ended up in a bad spot - all a misunderstanding according to her - which lands her in jail. Frankie finds himself in a sticky situation. He is being forced to leave his friends, all retired older adults, who live in the Texas trailer park he and his mother live in and who have served as surrogate grandparents, taking care of him when his mother has neglected to. Now he is being sent to live with his father, step-mother and four half-brothers he's never met. From the time he leaves, Frankie is planning to escape even though he will be living half a country away from the trailer park.

Frankie's dad, FJ and step-mother Lizzie try to make things as comfortable as possible for Frankie, but he doesn't really give things a chance. He misses his mother, his lack of attendance in school the previous two years puts him back one grade with his super-bright and not very nice younger half-brother, Matt. The other kids call him names, led by Matt. He does make one good friend, a girl, who helps Frankie feel better about himself and encourages Frankie to expand his delivery service, which starts as a pizza delivery service to make money to fund his "escape."

Winter is quickly approaching and Frankie knows he will have to wait until spring to set his plan in motion. Will time hinder or help Frankie in his quest to return home to his mother and their friends?

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#

Professional Reviews
Freaky Fast Frankie Joe

Booklist
( April 15, 2012; 9780823423675 )
Twelve-year-old Frankie Joe has a lot of new people in his life after his mom lands in jail and he is sent off to Plainview, Illinois: his father, the four half brothers he is now forced to live with, and a school full of kids all too ready to label the tall boy from Texas as a freak. Nevertheless, the hardworking Frankie Joe struggles through it all to emerge as a winning protagonist. At first the unhappy boy plans on using his trustworthy bike to haul himself back to Laredo. But as Frankie Joe starts a delivery service in an effort to make money for his secret trip, he gets to know his adopted town. The admiration and trust he finds from its disparate inhabitants (a lonely farmer, an elderly woman concocting cosmetics, a perky classmate) begin to change the gangly boy's opinions, just as surely as the steady, no-nonsense affection of his father and stepmother. Readers who enjoy graceful, understated humor in their realistic fiction should find this right up their alley or corn field, as it the case may be.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

*My review and ideas for classroom application:

What was a new learning, confirmed thinking or a surprise?

Much of this professional review confirmed my analysis of this inspiring, heart-felt story of Frankie Joe. Even though he was lonely and homesick, he forged ahead to do well in school, obey his father and step-mother, and even hatch a plan to return home to Texas. When he discovered his mother was content to have Frankie's new family adopt him, it took the no-nonsense affection of his father and stepmother (as Booklist describes) to guide him through the sorrow of this realization.

Many meaningful applications for an intermediate class could be made from this children's fiction book. First of all, the way it was written, in log form, could be a very motivational way to set up a writing assignment. The author wrote as Frankie Joe on random dates (yet in chronological order) with entries indicating time of day in order to give the reader a feel of a day in Frankie's life from morning to afternoon to evening. It would be engaging for some students to write in this format about their own lives or that of a made up character. Another writing example, was the writing of letters to and from his mother and the friends from the trailer park as a hook for writing friendly letters. Frankie also wrote interesting vocabulary on index cards and posted them in his room for remembering. A simple idea for a class, but could be very inspiring due to Frankie Joe's example. Lastly, the on-going list of what he would need for his escape-to-Texas plan could be turned into a list writing activity for students. For instance, the students might make a list for the following: camping trip, weekend at the beach, car trip from coast to coast, etc.

Part of the "Escape to Texas" plan required money to fund the purchasing of all the items on the list. Another writing activity could come from brainstorming the perfect part-time job for the students' talents and passions.

The topics of blended families and bullying could also be explored as a way to connect with students who have experienced these difficulties. This book represents the hope of not giving up in the face of hardship. Frankie Joe was believable as a child who experienced loss and pain, yet pushed through it to the other side with the help of love and admiration from his new family and friends.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie Joe thinks his life is normal. He lives with his mother who is always after the next scheme that will get her rich. She is gone all the time, usually on dates, and he is left with the retired people who live in the trailer part around them in Laredo Texas. Now Frankie is moving to Clearview, Illinois to live with his father (who he has never met) and his family because mom has been arrested on drug charges.

Once there, Frankie finds that he his resented by Matt, his half brother who used to be the oldest child and is now displaced by Frankie. Right away conflicts develop. All of his brothers as very smart. Frankie has attended little school, so he is placed in a grade lower because he is behind. Being tall for his age anyway, Frankie is teased mercilessly and is miserable.

Both his father and stepmother love him and try desperately to make his life better. Still Frankie misses his mom and plans to escape and go back to the trailer park to wait until she is out of jail.

What he does not count on is that life in Illinois is good for him. He is doing well in school, has made friends, and is earning the respect of both school and community. But still he thinks he wants his mother.
He finally sees her for what she really is when she sells the quilt he won in a raffle and gave her for Christmas to get cash for herself and her latest man to go to Las Vegas. She sold her memory of him and did not seem to care.

Frankie uses his skill at riding bikes fast to start his own delivery service and earns the respect of everyone including his dad and step mom, who, in the end, adopt him.
Wonderful story. Natural way to teach about the dictionary and vocabulary since Frankie uses and defines new terms throughout the book. Great story.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie Joe was living in a trailer park in Laredo, Texas when his mother wound up in jail. While she may not have been the most reliable of parents, she was what he was used to. So when the father he never knew before collects him and takes him to a rural town in Illinois to live with him, his wife, and his four sons, Frankie's world is turned upside down. It doesn't help that his new brothers resent him and that he's put back a grade in school. While Frankie's a good kid it's hard fitting into a new household where not everyone likes him, and where the chores and the homework pile up. He begins to plan his escape--he'll run away back to Texas. But he's started a small bicycle delivery business, and has some regular customers and even a new friend. And his father and his dad's wife are nice people. If only his new brothers liked him. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, but it grabs you right from the first page and Frankie Joe is such a compelling character that you can't help rooting for his eventual success. Your heart sinks with his troubles, and rises with his triumphs. Ultimately, it's a hard book to put down.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In our classroom we have been reading and writing realistic fiction haven't we? Well today I would like to book talk this great example of the realistic fiction genre of books.

This book is called Freaky Fasy Frankie Joe By Lutricia Clifton.

This book is about a boy who gets sent to live with his father who he does not even know.
This situation is a hard one for a lot of us to imagine because we come from homes where our parents live together.
Franky is sent there because his mother is sent to jail. Another situation that is difficult for us to imagine.

When we talk about realistic fiction as being something that could happen but didn't, this book is not going to be one that most of us could make text to self connections to but it will open our eyes to new and different situations other than our own.

There are two settings in the book and I would like for you to listen for them and compare them as you read.

I would recommend this book for students 5-8 grade.

(2012, August 7). School Library Journal.
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production...

[Sheila Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie Joe is a very appealing character. I found myself rooting for him to make it back to Texas and his mother even while I knew that wasn't likely to happen. Frankie tells his story in first person, present tense, which helps create a feeling of being there with this earnest family as they adjust to a new (temporary, hopes Frankie) member. The oldest half-brother is quite believable, and Frankie's unintentional place as the eldest son creates realistic tension between the two boys. Although it's a current-day story, it feels as if it's set in a slightly earlier time period. But that works for me. I remember moving to the Midwest and feeling as if I'd slipped backwards in time, so the Illinois setting is just right. Big farming is discussed along with county fairs and making quilts, which are part of the mix one hears in this area of the country. The ending is particularly strong and very engaging. I think readers who loved DEAD END IN NORVELT and OKAY FOR NOW will also appreciate this story.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was very sad at times, but the ending was what I hoped it would be. Anyone who works in a school knows some Frankie Joes. The descriptive writing of what he was going through after moving across the country to live with his father and his family, starting a new school, etc., all while missing his mom who was in jail, was so believable. His mom, as described in the book, was always chasing rainbows. His father was a responsible caring person. I only wish that all of our "Frankie Joes" had this situation and a loving, responsible parent to live with when things went wrong with the other parent. I believe the author must have had some personal insight into this type of situation.(less)

[Michelle]

I might have actually bought this for my school library if it weren't nominated for Bluebonnet. It's not awful.

Strengths: A very likeable, realistic protagonist.

Weaknesses: Gaping plot holes. Even a child will realize your loving parents won't let you lay in bed for 8 days with no food or water because you're sad. The author's unclear about the differences among bike tires, frequently inventing reasons characters can or can't do something on a bike because of tires which have no basis in reality.

Comment: If I read the term "Chihuahuan Desert" one more time I will strangle you.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Intermediate

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Discussion Questions using Bloom's Taxonomy:

Remembering: Can you explain why Frankie Joe decided to start his delivery service?

Understanding: Write an outline of events from the story.

Applying: What questions would you ask Frankie Joes's mom if you could interview her?

Analyzing: In your own words interpret Matt's behavior towards Frankie Joe giving 2-3 examples to support your opinion.

Evaluating: How would you of handled moving to a new place, and new family? What choices would you have made?

Creating: Rewrite the ending of the story.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good realistic fiction story about family. It's very character centered and I liked how the family wasn't perfect. Usually you have an evil stepmother in stories, but Frankie's stepmother is really kind, so that was a nice change of pace. This is one of the 2013-2014 Bluebonnet books and it's the first of the chapter books that I've read. Between this and the 3 picture books we're off to a good start for the Bluebonnet list!

[msrouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Golden Sower nominee! I think that kids and adults alike will enjoy this pick.

[Ms. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine out what happens when Frankie Joe, an only child who lives with his Mom in Texas moves to Illinois to live with the Dad he's named after and Dads new family; his wife Lizzie and four half brothers! Frankie plots to return to his Texas home and Mom, will his plan succeed? Find out in this story that's all about broken homes, sibling rivalries and small town rural living.

[Cornmaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very poignant tale about a kid who is ripped from his trailer park world to a steady, rural Illinois world because his mother ends up in prison. The reader gets an interesting look at how a poor, pretty dysfunctional life is viewed by the inhabitant as normal, and the normal life is seen as not quite right. There are many secrets kept and eventually spilled during this tale, which makes it at times hard to read. Frankie Joe is far, far behind in school because his mother didn't send him all the time in Laredo, Texas. So in Illinois he is seen as slow and dim witted when he is anything but. His half brothers don't welcome him with open arms, especially Matt, who is a control freak and bent on being #1 at everything. i did, however, like that he and Frankie eventually come to some sort of detente and Matt begins to see Frankie as a person who has gifts. People in this novel are affected and transformed by Frankie as much as he is transformed by his interactions with them.

I took issue with several of the facts thrown out in the novel. First, I found it hard to believe that, with Texas school funding tied so tightly to attendance, that Frankie Joe was not visited by the truancy officers and his mother hauled into court. Second, Clifton's lesson on corn production was way off - most of the field corn produced in the U.S. is used for animal feed and in people food, not ethanol production, and she could have easily gotten that info from the USDA's Economic Research Service site. Her harvest lesson was right on, though. I also wonder if those farming lessons would really keep most kids interested; they seemed a bit too drawn out.

I did like the "village raising" atmosphere in the trailer park, given that Frankie's mother was clearly negligent in that regard. It was hard for Frankie to come to terms with the fact that his mother was not really a good mother, that she was more interested in get rich quick schemes than his welfare. It felt like the facts of that came to Frankie slowly as he lived in Illinois. And it was easy to see how kids in neglect situations don't see themselves as neglected. It's hard to read how cruel the kids and some of the teachers are to him.

Earth mother Lizzie was a great character, the kind of mother everyone would want, but Frankie's father was a guy who scared mean. Kind of a military, great Santini type with his rigid insistence on performance and achievement. He had a bit of a soft heart, but deep down I felt that his desire to take sole custody of Frankie was motivated by some inner need to show the world he could reform the kid, turn him into a success, but more about him than the kid. The Responsibility reports were nuts. What was heartbreaking was the scene where Frankie is pretty much rejected by his mother in the attorney's office. And then the novel ends quickly after that, which I didn't really feel resolved much. The ending felt more resigned than hopeful.

[Tenille Shade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several students recommended I read this book months ago, and I wish I had picked it up then. Perhaps certain books come into our lives right when we need them. The story of Frankie Joe is actually a story about wanting to be wanted. When Frankie Joe's mom get thrown in jail for selling dope, the courts find his birth father, and he is sent to Clearview, Illinois to live with strangers. He has four half siblings who aren't happy about a new brother, and the oldest, Matt, is threatened by Frankie's unique talents. FJ, his father, tries to make up for lost time with his son by instilling values like responsibility and hard work into Frankie Joe's daily routine. The whole book, Frankie Joe has an escape plan to return to his mom in Texas, but what he doesn't know is that his mom is still chasing rainbows. I teared up several times while reading this book because of my own abandonment issues. My birth parents did not raise me, and I've spent my life feeling like a burden. Frankie Joe had convinced himself that his existence made it harder for FJ, Lizzie, and his brothers, and no matter how hard they tried to convince him otherwise, he just wanted to go back to the world he'd come from, a familiar place where the folks in the trailer park made him feel loved. In some ways, I think Frankie Joe's mom was both selfish and sacrificial. She new he would be better off with his dad rather than traipsing about the world with her. As a mother, she recognized she could not offer him the stability he deserved. When she signed the adoption papers, it broke his heart because every kid deserves a mom who makes sacrifices for their kids. Frankie Joe gets a mom like that in Lizzie. I loved this book and I would recommend it to any child who has ever felt the the sting of being unwanted. Powerful story, and I'm glad I finally read it!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am pretty sure my 4th grade daughter liked this book more than I did, so I bumped it up a star. This book is a Golden Sower nominee, and the 8th of 10 books on our reading list. The story is about a 13 year old boy who, until recently, lived with his single (free-spirited, un-mothering to the point of neglect) mom in a trailer park in Laredo, Texas. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), his mother's adolescent activities range to the illegal, and she ends up in jail. His biological father comes to fetch young Frankie Joe, and when they arrive in Clearview, Illinois, Frankie Joe discovers he has four younger half-brothers and a step-mom. Whom he will be living with. While he pines for his old life in Laredo.

Mostly, the story was very sad for me. There are no good answers for the thousands (at least) of kids whose lives parallel Frankie Joe's in the real world. Let me say one thing before I get off the soap box, and that is this: it is one thing to live a non-traditional lifestyle and/or parent in a more free-spirited way, but it is quite another to breach a basic moral code AND a serious law when you have kids at home.

The book was readable, which was good, and paced nicely. My daughter and I looked forward to reading it each night. Of course, the end is much tidier than what usually happens in real life, and for that, I think there are much more deserving titles on the Golden Sower nominee list.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When his mother is sent to jail Frankie Joe is forced to leave his home in Laredo, Texas and all his friends to move to Clearview, Illinois with a father, step-mother and four half-brothers he has never met or known about. Life in Clearview is different. He doesn't have as much freedom; he has to go to school, do chores and report his activities to his father. Frankie Joe plans to run away and ride his bike all the way back to Texas. He needs money to take on the road so he starts a bike delivery service. As his business takes off, he starts making new friends in the people he delivers for. He does better in school and he starts becoming a part of the family.

I found this book entertaining and a quick read. Frankie Joe is a likeable character; he is enterprising and smart even if his school work doesn't reflect it. I liked the small town part of this story and all the characters we meet. I did find some of the family members underdeveloped and a little one-dimensional, but that didn't take away from the story. I thought all the fish-out-of-water bits were pretty realistic. However, I found it questionable that all of Frankie Joe's friends, both in Laredo and Clearview, would be old people; he really only has one friend his age (Mandy) who is as big a misfit as he is.

Fun fast read and one I think kids will enjoy despite its problems.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a very well written and engaging story about a boy who is sent to live with a family he's never met, all the while yearning to escape back to the life he's known with his mother. I do admit that as an adult it was pretty easy to guess what was going to happen to Frankie Joe. The ending was not a surprise, but it was a touching book.

My problem. Maybe someone else can clear this up for me, but I for the life of me cannot decide what the time period in this story is intended to be. Most of it feels like contemp 2012 fiction. There are references to cell phones and corn and soybeans grown for fuel. Yet early on one of Frankie Joe's half brothers has a Game Boy. And there a regular reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a show I remember as being late 80's, early 90's. Frankie refers to having seen the movie in the theatre and the kids use the phrase kowabunga! more than once. I was almost ready to conclude this story took place in the early 90s until Frankie Joe's half brother laments about not getting a cell phone for Christmas.

It doesn't really matter what decade the story takes place in, but the little references all niggled at me. I really like the writing and think the author has a strong talent for story and character crafting.

[Sharon Layburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

5th gr & up
This book made my heart ache a little- in a good way.
Twelve-year old Frankie Joe adores his mother. Sure, his single mom constantly makes bad choices in her quest for a quick buck, she tends to leave him on his own for days on end, and she's not so great at providing the basic necessities, but Frankie Joe knows she loves him and the two of them are meant to take on the world together.
When his mom takes one too many shortcuts in her quest for easy money and ends up in jail for drug possession, Frankie Joe unwillingly finds himself traveling from Texas to Illinois to live with his biological father (a man he's never met), his new stepmother and his four less than enthusiastic half-brothers.
In the midst of missing his old life and friends, and dealing with new problems such as sibling rivalry, lots of new parental rules, trouble with schoolwork and unwelcoming classmates, Frankie Joe finds solace in his secret plan to escape as soon as possible. No one is going to stop him from returning back home- but is he sure that home still lies in Texas?
Frankie Joe's challenges and triumphs are portrayed honestly and with plenty of charm. First author Clifton has created a highly appealing story that should capture the attention of any reader.

[Jacob C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankie Joe has to move from Laredo, Texas to Clearview, Illinois with his dad and his four half brothers. In “Freaky Fast Frankie Joe” Lutricia Clifton used the right words to feel the emotion Frankie Joe felt when he had to move to Clearview. After he finds out that he has to do fifth grade again and has to have the same homeroom as his oldest half brother. He just wants to leave and go back to Laredo. “The walls were a strong pukey green.”(Pg.12) thought Frankie Joe when first looking at his new school. He also has to go to an after school program with his half brothers, The Great Escape. When he heard the name of the after school program he got an idea. He was planned an escape plan back to Laredo. Frankie Joe then started a delivery business. He used his bike to delivery pizzas, cosmetic products, air fresheners, and anything you needed and all that money was going to be used for his escape plan. He forgot about one variable, snow. Will his escape plan work? Will his half brothers find out about his plan? This was a great book mostly because the way Frankie Joe would try to overcome things.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie Joe lives in a Texas trailer park. His mother has been arrested and is in jail. Frankie Joe doesn't have a problem taking care of himself along with the help of his neighbors in the trailer park, he gets along just fine. Things change abruptly when his father shows up to take him back to Illinois to live with him and his new family while his mother "sorts things out". Frankie Joe is a wonderful character who comes into his own with the help of his new community but mostly through his own motivation to get back to Texas.

I loved this book - I thought Frankie Joe was such an admirable, positive character even when faced with difficult dilemmas and situations.

HOWEVER: This book was chosen as A sunshine state reader for grades 3-5. There is one page in the book that talks about how his mother was arrested for having a bag of dope in her purse and how she didn't get in too much trouble because it was "ditch weed" meaning marijuana that was not intended to be sold (I think). What?!?! Would I want my 8 -10 year old children reading about marijuana lingo? And this was the ONLY problem I had with the book because otherwise I absolutely LOVED it.

[Teresa Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankie Joe's has been sent to live with his father and stepmother following his mother's arrest. Leaving his home and friends behind in Laredo, Texas Frankie Joe moves to Clearview, Illinois with a family he never knew he had including his four brothers: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. His step mom Lizzie works very hard to include him in all aspects of their family including established routines and traditions like: chores, after-school activities and Saturday tutoring. Despite everything Frankie Joe misses his former life and plots to ride his bicycle 1,400 miles to return. Frankie Joe starts a delivery service to earn the money he would need and to buy supplies. Everyone in Clearview needs his delivery service. His dad also, Frankie Joe, and his stepmom seems to be keeping their own secrets and his brother Matt resents him since he has usurped his position as the oldest brother. Beyond Frankie Joe's story this is also a story of small town life. I found it enjoyable but some of the characters felt flat and underdeveloped.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's well written, has an engaging cast of characters, and has some great moments--both funny and sad--in it. Frankie Joe is totally believable, his dad and step mom and half brothers are also quite believable. The dynamics between the 5 boys are well done. I thought the ending was a touch abrupt in that Frankie seemed at ease with his dad as "dad" all of a sudden. He'd called him FJ until that point. And, maybe since he had grown to like/respect the man, the calling him "dad" might be believable except that he'd always called his mom by "Marti" instead of "mom" and he'd practically worshiped her. Still the book is a great read. It's a good story about a kid from a dysfunctional family learning about himself and his family--without it being an "issue" book. I had a hard time placing the time period; it feels like contemporary realistic fiction for the most part, but some references felt a bit dated. It doesn't really matter; the setting is a small town so that helps smooth out the quirks (they're almost expected).

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because is was very clear and not confusing. I wouldn't say that this book is beautiful but, it was a relatively easy read and not complicated. There was just one big plot and conflict and very few tiny conflicts in the major one. There also weren't that many characters and it was easy to understand what was happening. I also enjoyed it because this book has a main character that's different from everyone else and I like that part about it. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because the book isn't in a series, it's just by itself and it wasn't as satisfying. However, if it was in a series, I don't think I would read the rest of it because this isn't the kind of book that makes you have a lot of feeling for the characters. There's a lot of good things about this book, but there are still some down-sides. This book didn't have any cliff hangers and it wasn't that intense. It was still interesting to read, but it wasn't enough to make me never want to put it down.

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a fairly straightforward kid-with-challenges story, but Frankie is so full of heart that the book becomes very hard to put down. Frankie's mom has been put in jail. His estranged father comes to Texas to collect him and move him to a new home in Illinois with 4 younger half siblings. Frankie's distressed at having to leave his beloved trailer park and his trio of elderly friends there, and the move to Illinois becomes extra challenging when the extent of Frankie's school deficit becomes apparent. He handles things silently, gracefully, with his own agenda and becomes more embedded in the community as time goes on. Some heartbreaking scenes, some bullying, and a lot of adult conversations that go over his head but lead the reader to some ominous foreshadowing. It's really well done. I like the time and date format -- reads like short journal entries, which are easy chunks of narrative to take in.

[Susan Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completed this Bluebonnet nominee a couple of days ago. Frankie Joe has spent all of his remembered life in Laredo with his mother, who has recently gone to jail. Despite her dysfunctions, Frankie Joe has a loving community of friends in the trailer park where he resides. His mother's incarceration leads to Frankie going to live with his father, stepmother (Lizzie), and the four "legitimate" Huckabys (his father never married his mother). Clifton has created a sweet story of rejection and redemption, and in doing so, she has populated the novel with sympathetic and complex characters.

[Kris Odahowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankie Joe lives with his mother in a Texas mobile home park, his older neighbors take on the role of grandparents and parent at times when his Mom is out with friends. Frankie world changes when he Mother gets arrested, he Dad FJ comes to get him, but Frankie has had no relationship with his father and know nothing of his other brothers and step mom. Lutricia Clifton is gifted story teller who tells Frankie story with wit, warmth and humor. Frankie shows how kids can shine in difficult situation and grow with the help of able and concerned adults. Check it out here-http://bit.ly/1kHPxZ0

[Mary E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging from the first sentence, "I don't like the way the neighbors look at me when I walk by." When Frankie's mother goes to jail, Frankie goes to live with his father who he's never met and already has a family including four sons. Fabulous pacing, plot and characters, but I got lost on the very last page and did not get the symbolism or whatever the author was trying for; and I can't imagine young readers feeling satisfied.