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Johnny Hangtime
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Thyme is a professional movie stunt kid--following in his famous father's footsteps--who doubles for Ricky Corvette, the superstar teen actor, but Johnny's stunts must be kept secret because Ricky wants the public to think he does his own stunts. Original.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
7 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Dan Gutman
364 books1,036 followersThe author of over 80 books in a little over a decade of writing, Dan Gutman has written on topics from computers to baseball. Beginning his freelance career as a nonfiction author dealing mostly with sports for adults and young readers, Gutman has concentrated on juvenile fiction since 1995. His most popular titles include the time-travel sports book Honus and Me and its sequels, and a clutch of baseball books, including The Green Monster from Left Field. From hopeful and very youthful presidential candidates to stunt men, nothing is off limits in Gutman's fertile imagination. As he noted on his author Web site, since writing his first novel, They Came from Centerfield, in 1994, he has been hooked on fiction. "It was fun to write, kids loved it, and I discovered how incredibly rewarding it is to take a blank page and turn it into a WORLD."
Gutman was born in New York City in 1955, but moved to Newark, New Jersey the following year and spent his youth there.
Gutman was born in New York City in 1955, but moved to Newark, New Jersey the following year and spent his youth there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 28, 2020
The rather unrealistic book focuses on 13-year-old Johnny Thyme, a Hollywood stunt kid known in the business as Johnny Hangtime. Ricky Corvette is the superstar film star but Johnny does all his stunts. Johnny’s father was a stunt man as well, but a stunt-gone-wrong took his life.
This book is not my favorite Dan Gutman novel for young readers, but it is full of adventure scenes and a little background into the planning for amazing stunts. Most of the adult relationships are written in a negative light with controlling, ignorant, clueless moms.
This book is not my favorite Dan Gutman novel for young readers, but it is full of adventure scenes and a little background into the planning for amazing stunts. Most of the adult relationships are written in a negative light with controlling, ignorant, clueless moms.
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May 31, 2021This book sucked mega hard. Haven’t read this since fourth grade but I still remember the convoluted ass ending where the dad was like alive in the Grand Canyon or something and I vividly remember the conversation being along the lines of “I broke all my bones but I’m still alive”. To be fair everything up until that point was a standard kids book and was fine. But this ending was just the nail in the coffin. Disgusting. Dan Gutman should be embarrassed for writing whatever this is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 9, 2023I'm not sure i'd be called a daredevil compared to Johnny.
He can do flips and skateboard and I would love to have my own horse!
I adored this book- still remember highlights about his relationship with his parents and friends, some of the stunts and their $$ (falling down stairs and breaking windows).
Part of my childhood before cellphones is captured in this book, run off and have fun.
He can do flips and skateboard and I would love to have my own horse!
I adored this book- still remember highlights about his relationship with his parents and friends, some of the stunts and their $$ (falling down stairs and breaking windows).
Part of my childhood before cellphones is captured in this book, run off and have fun.
November 19, 2012
Review: Johnny Hangtime
By Dan Gutman. Grade: B
This book is a childhood favorite of mine. I checked it out at a public library 10 years ago. After scouring google and praying with all my might that the library still had the book, I found it again. Was it worth the search? Well…
Jumping off the Empire State Building, fighting on the wing of a biplane, and parachuting onto the back of a horse are all in a days work for 13-year-old Johnny Thyme, a stuntkid known in the movie business as Johnny Hangtime. But Johnny’s phenomenal feats are a movie industry secret. Ricky Corvette the superstar teen for whom Johnny doubles, wants his fans to thing he does his own stunts. Johnny’s devoted to repeating the career of his legendary stuntman father, but what’s he going to do when his favorite director asks him to preform the super-dangerous stunt that killed his father? Will following his daredevel dad’s footsteps take him over the edge?
This book was a quick read and that’s charcteristic for a juvenile book. When I was younger I remember liking it because it was depicting a kid doing something incredible. The biggest thing I thought a kid could do. I even wanted to be a stunt kid for awhile after that. Reading it now, I’m not moved to be a stunt kid but it is a great story idea that could empower young kids.
In reality though, this is a book to broaden the imagination of kids. This stunt kid is jumping off of national monuments and doing other slightly inplausible stunts. And it would make perfect sense in a ten year old’s head. You could sit there and rationalize it as an adult saying, not possible. But when I look at the cover and see it’s a juvenile book I kind of give in and find myself asking, why not?
There was also the issue of his reunion with his father. The most tacky and abrupt reunion I’ve ever read in my life. But then again the author only had one thirty pages to work with so maybe I could cut him a little slack.
Again, was finding this book worth my search to the ends of the earth? It was, as a childhood memory. But you know, this book could serve as a good model for your own writing. It is very clean, not a lot going on that you get confused. And it is easy to see the places that could be improved which, some could say, teaches you more than having a perfect book placed in front of you. And if you aren’t a writer then I would just pass this book onto your younger siblings and cousins.
Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/
By Dan Gutman. Grade: B
This book is a childhood favorite of mine. I checked it out at a public library 10 years ago. After scouring google and praying with all my might that the library still had the book, I found it again. Was it worth the search? Well…
Jumping off the Empire State Building, fighting on the wing of a biplane, and parachuting onto the back of a horse are all in a days work for 13-year-old Johnny Thyme, a stuntkid known in the movie business as Johnny Hangtime. But Johnny’s phenomenal feats are a movie industry secret. Ricky Corvette the superstar teen for whom Johnny doubles, wants his fans to thing he does his own stunts. Johnny’s devoted to repeating the career of his legendary stuntman father, but what’s he going to do when his favorite director asks him to preform the super-dangerous stunt that killed his father? Will following his daredevel dad’s footsteps take him over the edge?
This book was a quick read and that’s charcteristic for a juvenile book. When I was younger I remember liking it because it was depicting a kid doing something incredible. The biggest thing I thought a kid could do. I even wanted to be a stunt kid for awhile after that. Reading it now, I’m not moved to be a stunt kid but it is a great story idea that could empower young kids.
In reality though, this is a book to broaden the imagination of kids. This stunt kid is jumping off of national monuments and doing other slightly inplausible stunts. And it would make perfect sense in a ten year old’s head. You could sit there and rationalize it as an adult saying, not possible. But when I look at the cover and see it’s a juvenile book I kind of give in and find myself asking, why not?
There was also the issue of his reunion with his father. The most tacky and abrupt reunion I’ve ever read in my life. But then again the author only had one thirty pages to work with so maybe I could cut him a little slack.
Again, was finding this book worth my search to the ends of the earth? It was, as a childhood memory. But you know, this book could serve as a good model for your own writing. It is very clean, not a lot going on that you get confused. And it is easy to see the places that could be improved which, some could say, teaches you more than having a perfect book placed in front of you. And if you aren’t a writer then I would just pass this book onto your younger siblings and cousins.
Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/
December 20, 2012
By Dan Gutman. Grade: B
This book is a childhood favorite of mine. I checked it out at a public library 10 years ago. After scouring google and praying with all my might that the library still had the book, I found it again. Was it worth the search? Well…
Jumping off the Empire State Building, fighting on the wing of a biplane, and parachuting onto the back of a horse are all in a days work for 13-year-old Johnny Thyme, a stuntkid known in the movie business as Johnny Hangtime. But Johnny’s phenomenal feats are a movie industry secret. Ricky Corvette the superstar teen for whom Johnny doubles, wants his fans to thing he does his own stunts. Johnny’s devoted to repeating the career of his legendary stuntman father, but what’s he going to do when his favorite director asks him to preform the super-dangerous stunt that killed his father? Will following his daredevel dad’s footsteps take him over the edge?
This book was a quick read and that’s charcteristic for a juvenile book. When I was younger I remember liking it because it was depicting a kid doing something incredible. The biggest thing I thought a kid could do. I even wanted to be a stunt kid for awhile after that. Reading it now, I’m not moved to be a stunt kid but it is a great story idea that could empower young kids.
In reality though, this is a book to broaden the imagination of kids. This stunt kid is jumping off of national monuments and doing other slightly inplausible stunts. And it would make perfect sense in a ten year old’s head. You could sit there and rationalize it as an adult saying, not possible. But when I look at the cover and see it’s a juvenile book I kind of give in and find myself asking, why not?
There was also the issue of his reunion with his father. The most tacky and abrupt reunion I’ve ever read in my life. But then again the author only had one thirty pages to work with so maybe I could cut him a little slack.
Again, was finding this book worth my search to the ends of the earth? It was, as a childhood memory. But you know, this book could serve as a good model for your own writing. It is very clean, not a lot going on that you get confused. And it is easy to see the places that could be improved which, some could say, teaches you more than having a perfect book placed in front of you. And if you aren’t a writer then I would just pass this book onto your younger siblings and cousins.
Originally reviewed at : http://vaultofbooks.com/
This book is a childhood favorite of mine. I checked it out at a public library 10 years ago. After scouring google and praying with all my might that the library still had the book, I found it again. Was it worth the search? Well…
Jumping off the Empire State Building, fighting on the wing of a biplane, and parachuting onto the back of a horse are all in a days work for 13-year-old Johnny Thyme, a stuntkid known in the movie business as Johnny Hangtime. But Johnny’s phenomenal feats are a movie industry secret. Ricky Corvette the superstar teen for whom Johnny doubles, wants his fans to thing he does his own stunts. Johnny’s devoted to repeating the career of his legendary stuntman father, but what’s he going to do when his favorite director asks him to preform the super-dangerous stunt that killed his father? Will following his daredevel dad’s footsteps take him over the edge?
This book was a quick read and that’s charcteristic for a juvenile book. When I was younger I remember liking it because it was depicting a kid doing something incredible. The biggest thing I thought a kid could do. I even wanted to be a stunt kid for awhile after that. Reading it now, I’m not moved to be a stunt kid but it is a great story idea that could empower young kids.
In reality though, this is a book to broaden the imagination of kids. This stunt kid is jumping off of national monuments and doing other slightly inplausible stunts. And it would make perfect sense in a ten year old’s head. You could sit there and rationalize it as an adult saying, not possible. But when I look at the cover and see it’s a juvenile book I kind of give in and find myself asking, why not?
There was also the issue of his reunion with his father. The most tacky and abrupt reunion I’ve ever read in my life. But then again the author only had one thirty pages to work with so maybe I could cut him a little slack.
Again, was finding this book worth my search to the ends of the earth? It was, as a childhood memory. But you know, this book could serve as a good model for your own writing. It is very clean, not a lot going on that you get confused. And it is easy to see the places that could be improved which, some could say, teaches you more than having a perfect book placed in front of you. And if you aren’t a writer then I would just pass this book onto your younger siblings and cousins.
Originally reviewed at : http://vaultofbooks.com/
August 5, 2013
Dan Gutman has written over 100 books, this was the sixth book by Dan that I have read and with each one I have a greater respect for his skill, talent and diversity as a writer. This was a great story that I could not put down. I read it in two sittings, and then went back and reread it because it was so fun. It's is a great story that children and some parents or older readers will really enjoy. I mean how awesome is a book that begins with jumping off the Empire State building. In some ways reading this is like reading a back story to the Mission Impossible movies, but with a kid 13 year old kid as the action hero, and man does he love his action.
Johnny thyme aka Johnny Hangtime is a stunt man, or really a stunk kid. You won't see his name in the credits because he is sworn to secrecy about the stunts he does for the handsome and famous Ricky Corvette! His contract is so severe he can't go to gym class, school dances or anything that could prevent him from doing stunts or as they call it pulling a gag. But this latest film has a gag that just might be too much. Johnny's dad was one of the all-time best stuntmen, who perished trying to go over Niagara Falls. Now Johnny has been asked to do the same.
This story has a number of plot twists that took me by surprise. It was an incredibly enjoyable read. My highest rating for a book is my level of desire to share it with my kids. This I one I know they will love when they are older, and I will enjoy rereading with them!
Another great book by an amazing author!
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the author on my blog Book Reviews and More. And also an author profile and interview with Dan Gutman.
Johnny thyme aka Johnny Hangtime is a stunt man, or really a stunk kid. You won't see his name in the credits because he is sworn to secrecy about the stunts he does for the handsome and famous Ricky Corvette! His contract is so severe he can't go to gym class, school dances or anything that could prevent him from doing stunts or as they call it pulling a gag. But this latest film has a gag that just might be too much. Johnny's dad was one of the all-time best stuntmen, who perished trying to go over Niagara Falls. Now Johnny has been asked to do the same.
This story has a number of plot twists that took me by surprise. It was an incredibly enjoyable read. My highest rating for a book is my level of desire to share it with my kids. This I one I know they will love when they are older, and I will enjoy rereading with them!
Another great book by an amazing author!
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the author on my blog Book Reviews and More. And also an author profile and interview with Dan Gutman.
March 23, 2016
Really liked the first 3/4 of this book--it was full of great stuff for boy readers (and yes, many girl readers, too). A stunt boy taking after his father after his father is killed in the biggest stunt of all time. This kid is jumping off buildings! Falling out of airplanes! Landing on a horse! Fights! Fake deaths! All that sort of stuff drew in my son Ben as we read this together.
The bit before the ending--when Johnny is about to do his final "gag" or stunt--I really hated. His father appears out of nowhere, having pretended to be dead for three solid years??! Talk about something to give a boy (or girl) issues for the rest of his life... But the book ended in a solid role reversal that was satisfying for kid readers (and this adult one); everything tied up pretty neatly. Except for the whole father-faking-his-death thing, which gets little mention.
Is there a Gutman book where the parents are not divorced? Curious.
The bit before the ending--when Johnny is about to do his final "gag" or stunt--I really hated. His father appears out of nowhere, having pretended to be dead for three solid years??! Talk about something to give a boy (or girl) issues for the rest of his life... But the book ended in a solid role reversal that was satisfying for kid readers (and this adult one); everything tied up pretty neatly. Except for the whole father-faking-his-death thing, which gets little mention.
Is there a Gutman book where the parents are not divorced? Curious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2009
I'm a HUGE Dan Gutman fan- this was my least favorite of all the books I've read from him. He mentioned it was inspired by Hatchet.. and that might have put my expectations too high.
I felt it fell short of Hatchet. But entertaining-- a bit unrealistic and a part where they are dancing naked in the woods in the rain?? seemed strange? But if you have a son who likes extreem skateboarding.. he might like it.
I felt it fell short of Hatchet. But entertaining-- a bit unrealistic and a part where they are dancing naked in the woods in the rain?? seemed strange? But if you have a son who likes extreem skateboarding.. he might like it.
May 24, 2011
For me this book was awsome because it has lot's of action and get was very hollywood. it was like acting it had stunds the actors.Family difficute bacause the parents won't not so sure to let thire son or family to do stuff that is reallt dangouse.One this guy was falling for a big tall buddling and it was not really safe. Another girl , she had to kiss this guy but her was not letting her until she told her mom how she felled and she talked back to her and did what she wanted.
May 24, 2011
it was a really good story and I enjoyed it. It was about a stunt kid who jumped off buildings like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. There was a lot of action in this book, so it was very exciting. There was one scene at Niagara Falls where one of the characters almost died.
May 24, 2011
this book was a good book because i like when there is action in the book but i got confused with all the people in the book i would read this book if i was you because this tells you what kids can do in their life and because you alwya sdont have to tell your kids what to do they need to discover it themselves
June 23, 2016
I liked this book, but when Johnny's dad showed back up was random. There was like one sentence that made me think maybe it would happen, but I was like "No, that's crazy." and then he showed up. Maybe it need more foreshadowing. Although I suppose they did say they never found the body, but when you don't find a body, that doesn't necessarily mean the person is alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2011
This book suprised me. It stared off as an adventure book with a touch of humor and in the end it seemed to turn to a sad book as well. Still a grat book but not your typical Dan Gutman style in the end.
May 24, 2011
Johnny Hangtime was a cool book for kids i thought that in the begining it was kinda boring but then it started getting very amazing but it teaches you that there certin things you cant do to become a famous person risking your life isnt worth a movie geg!
April 27, 2011
I like the book alot it is so cool!!! " When you're a stuntkid playing it safe can really hang you up "
May 24, 2011
i like it because it tell how a stunt kid do all these kinds of stunts and he not scared to jump or blow up in stuff but he still gets bully at skoo so yeah i liked it.
May 24, 2011
This book was very amazing because of all of the stunts in the whole book. There was nothing bad about this book I sugge3st that you read it.
May 24, 2011
ITS BEAST BOOK ITS ABOUT A KID WHO STUTS AND HIS DAD DIED OF A STUNT ACCSIDENT OR DID HE MUWHHAHAHAHA~!!!!!!!!!!!
May 24, 2011
it fun to read
May 24, 2011
its was a good book but it was boring in some parts and it was slow at first
May 24, 2011
i think the book was ok. what made it a good book was he was just a kid following in his dads footsteps trying to become a professinal stunt kid.
May 24, 2011
it was a good book because it had a lot of actions,stunts,romance,Johnny likes t do alot of stunts just like his dad
May 24, 2011
it was a good book with alot of stunts
May 24, 2011
i thought it was a good book because it had alot of action,it had people falling in love,fighting witth parents,and alot of drama.
May 24, 2011
This Book was Okay.
There was alot of stunts. Dealing with Devorce parretns. Alot of Action,there was love.
There was alot of stunts. Dealing with Devorce parretns. Alot of Action,there was love.
May 24, 2011
THIS BOOK HAD A LOT OF ACTION AND WAS REALLY EXITING AND AWSOME I REALLY ENJOED IT
May 24, 2011
it all about stunts who he and his father was a stunt man .
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May 24, 2011it was a book with a lot of dangerous stunts
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May 24, 2011Well this book was okay but it was boring & i didnt understand it that much!
June 25, 2014
it was so so awesome
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews