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Fleabrain Loves Franny
This gem of a novel takes place in Pittsburgh in 1952. Franny Katzenback, while recovering from polio, reads and falls in love with the brand-new book Charlotte’s Web . Bored and lonely and yearning for a Charlotte of her own, Franny starts up a correspondence with an eloquent flea named Fleabrain who lives on her dog’s tail. While Franny struggles with physical therapy and feeling left out of her formerly active neighborhood life, Fleabrain is there to take her on adventures based on his extensive reading. It’s a touching, funny story set in the recent past, told with Rocklin’s signature wit and thoughtfulness.
Awards
Bank Street Children's Books "Best Books of the Year," Fiction Ages 9-12
Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers
Praise for Fleabrain Loves Franny
"Heartwarming and endlessly funny, Fleabrain Loves Franny will delight readers of all ages. Rocklin’s sharp wit and exuberant writing style are refreshing. This book is not to be missed."
-- VOYA
"Franny—a compassionate, thoughtful and sympathetic protagonist—is believably erratic in her emotions and reflections on her illness and its effects on her previously carefree life."
-- Publishers Weekly
" Rocklin perfectly captures the era of 1952 and creates a sympathetic, realistic character in Franny, who begins to accept her condition, rejoin her friends and even protest her school’s inaccessibility."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Comedic and philosophical, readers will find multiple levels to enjoy."
-- School Library Journal
Awards
Bank Street Children's Books "Best Books of the Year," Fiction Ages 9-12
Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers
Praise for Fleabrain Loves Franny
"Heartwarming and endlessly funny, Fleabrain Loves Franny will delight readers of all ages. Rocklin’s sharp wit and exuberant writing style are refreshing. This book is not to be missed."
-- VOYA
"Franny—a compassionate, thoughtful and sympathetic protagonist—is believably erratic in her emotions and reflections on her illness and its effects on her previously carefree life."
-- Publishers Weekly
" Rocklin perfectly captures the era of 1952 and creates a sympathetic, realistic character in Franny, who begins to accept her condition, rejoin her friends and even protest her school’s inaccessibility."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Comedic and philosophical, readers will find multiple levels to enjoy."
-- School Library Journal
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2014
14 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Rocklin
37 books54 followersI was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the land of four distinct seasons. The winters are so long!
Wintry days and nights inspired me to read many, many books, the most important thing a writer can do. Of course other seasons inspired me, too! And as soon as I learned to hold a pencil I began writing poems, stories, and diaries.
I have always owned cats (or they have owned me, a cliché, but true!) Coincidentally, all our cats have been authors, and I’ve compiled their writing secrets in the essay “Why Cats Write.”
And I have always lived within walking distance of a library. (O.K. in California, within almost-walking, but driving distance!) I love to read and write, but I also love to talk--especially about writing.
Wintry days and nights inspired me to read many, many books, the most important thing a writer can do. Of course other seasons inspired me, too! And as soon as I learned to hold a pencil I began writing poems, stories, and diaries.
I have always owned cats (or they have owned me, a cliché, but true!) Coincidentally, all our cats have been authors, and I’ve compiled their writing secrets in the essay “Why Cats Write.”
And I have always lived within walking distance of a library. (O.K. in California, within almost-walking, but driving distance!) I love to read and write, but I also love to talk--especially about writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 3, 2023
We Delight To Inform You That The Flea Book Is Wheelchair Positive
so was my experience rereading Fleabrain Loves Franny, a book i first read when i was maybe ten. i remember liking it then, the same as i remember liking the same author's The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook, but i didn't remember it particularly well--not the pathos, not the kindness, and certainly not the startlingly good disabled rep. i say startling because, well, the bar in current media is pretty low, but this book clears it and i've got things to say.
before that, though: there are some people in the goodreads reviews for this book who declare it is too unbelievable, too out-there. i am forced to believe these people are not and have never been ten years old. when you’re ten years old and you pick up a book where the concept is, roughly, “a girl in a wheelchair recovering from polio befriends an extremely well-read mutant flea whose magical powers let the two of them fly around the world in her wheelchair,” you aren’t thinking, “wow, this is too unbelievable.” you’re absolutely delighted. sometimes this happens when you’re twenty, too. if you are reading this review right now and thinking that this sounds too fanciful for you, i mean, i respect your opinion, but i think we're very different people.
come on. this is hysterical.
anyway. let's talk about the disability rep. i'll preface this by saying that i'm physically abled, so take my analysis with a grain of salt, but overall i was impressed. the book is set in 1952-53; when it begins, the main character, eleven-year-old franny, has just recovered from polio and returned home. she is now in a wheelchair, and she has a live-in nurse whose attempts to "cure" her and make her walk again are offset by her cruelty toward franny. i was a bit apprehensive going in this time, because i feared the entire book might hinge on franny's woe that she's ~tragically wheelchair-bound~ and ~her life is over~. instead the book combats both of those ideas, while also allowing franny to have a full range of emotions about her disability. she gets to be angry! she gets to be upset! but she also gets to enjoy popping wheelies in her wheelchair, and she gets to rage righteously at the kids in her class for treating her like an alien now, for avoiding her, for dancing around her disability, for refusing to touch her for fear of contagion.
also made clear is that franny's doctor and nurse don't know everything, and they're not exempt from patronizing, mistreating, and speaking over her. franny is allowed to furiously wish to punch her doctor in the nose, in fact, after he condescends about her in the third person.
and franny's nurse is painted, ultimately, as wrong for forcing franny to try to relearn to walk--not easy, comfortable walking, but an uncomfortable forced movement of her legs that franny dislikes. because franny, in the end, prefers her wheelchair. her nurse calls it "awful" and "confining," but franny thinks otherwise:
down with the idea that disabled life is a prison, that assistive devices are a curse instead of a gift, that a wheelchair "confines" you instead of giving you the power to go anywhere you can roll! and down with the idea that a disabling illness means your life has ended, that you'll never have another friend, that you'll never see another adventure. at no point does the aforementioned magical talking flea cure franny; instead, he makes her wheelchair fly so she can go anywhere in the world.
i have less to say about the rest of the book, except that i really enjoyed it! the flea is whimsical and he delights me. the writing is lovely. the 1950s setting is alive and detailed without weighting the book down in unnecessary factual rambling, because that's not what this book is about. there's also a beautiful emphasis on learning and books--Charlotte's Web is very dear to franny, and fleabrain, of course, is a broadly-read intellectual--but also on the fact that being well-educated doesn't mean everything. it's possible to be very smart and still a selfish friend, and it's possible to be kind without knowing anything about literature. there's more to life than understanding kafka, after all (but isn't it beautiful when we do!).
speaking of kafka, the jewish rep is something i noticed more clearly this time around, too. there's some discussion of different jewish experiences during WW2 that verges into understandably tragic territory, but there's also a great deal of everyday jewish happiness in the life of the katzenback family. in the afterward, rocklin discusses her intention to weave the concept of tikkun olam into franny's story (a concept her grandfather tells her a story about to inspire her to work to change the world); similarly, there's a running thread of intertextuality with kafka's metamorphosis, which is funny because haha bugs, but also interesting in that kafka's writing was heavily impacted by his jewishness. this book isn't jewish in that the characters randomly happen to be, but jewish thematically, all the way through.
and finally, i have to reiterate what i said about Our Cat Zook: this is a book that is, at its core, deeply kind. it made me very happy. it got me a little teary-eyed. i think the sign of a truly good book is that it transcends its genre; it becomes more than a children’s book or a YA book or an adult book, a fantasy or a romance or a contemporary, and becomes simply a Good Book, something you would recommend without compunction or classification. this is one of those. it's a book i can see playing a very important role in the lives of every franny out there, but it's also the kind of book all of us shakespeare-reading vergil-quoting fleabrains should double back and check out, too. <3
Sometimes, while rereading, he was shocked to discover that a book had magically changed. It was as if the author had tiptoed into the professor's library, plucked the book off the shelf, and created a brand-new one, without changing a single word.
so was my experience rereading Fleabrain Loves Franny, a book i first read when i was maybe ten. i remember liking it then, the same as i remember liking the same author's The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook, but i didn't remember it particularly well--not the pathos, not the kindness, and certainly not the startlingly good disabled rep. i say startling because, well, the bar in current media is pretty low, but this book clears it and i've got things to say.
before that, though: there are some people in the goodreads reviews for this book who declare it is too unbelievable, too out-there. i am forced to believe these people are not and have never been ten years old. when you’re ten years old and you pick up a book where the concept is, roughly, “a girl in a wheelchair recovering from polio befriends an extremely well-read mutant flea whose magical powers let the two of them fly around the world in her wheelchair,” you aren’t thinking, “wow, this is too unbelievable.” you’re absolutely delighted. sometimes this happens when you’re twenty, too. if you are reading this review right now and thinking that this sounds too fanciful for you, i mean, i respect your opinion, but i think we're very different people.
"I must say, I've grown quite fond of Alf," said Fleabrain. "I'm learning to appreciate his generosity, and his pragmatic, down-to-earth attitude toward life. And, of course, the friend of my friend is my friend, to paraphrase the ancient proverb 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' There is some quibbling as to whether that proverb is of Arab or Chinese or Indian provenance, although all cultures eventually discover similar truths, I have learned. In any case, I do prefer my paraphrase. The dog and I are pals."
"I'm really glad about that," Franny said.
come on. this is hysterical.
anyway. let's talk about the disability rep. i'll preface this by saying that i'm physically abled, so take my analysis with a grain of salt, but overall i was impressed. the book is set in 1952-53; when it begins, the main character, eleven-year-old franny, has just recovered from polio and returned home. she is now in a wheelchair, and she has a live-in nurse whose attempts to "cure" her and make her walk again are offset by her cruelty toward franny. i was a bit apprehensive going in this time, because i feared the entire book might hinge on franny's woe that she's ~tragically wheelchair-bound~ and ~her life is over~. instead the book combats both of those ideas, while also allowing franny to have a full range of emotions about her disability. she gets to be angry! she gets to be upset! but she also gets to enjoy popping wheelies in her wheelchair, and she gets to rage righteously at the kids in her class for treating her like an alien now, for avoiding her, for dancing around her disability, for refusing to touch her for fear of contagion.
"We miss you, Franny," called Teresa.
But which Franny? Franny wanted to ask. Which Franny do you miss? Because, actaully, I've been here all along. In the flesh.
also made clear is that franny's doctor and nurse don't know everything, and they're not exempt from patronizing, mistreating, and speaking over her. franny is allowed to furiously wish to punch her doctor in the nose, in fact, after he condescends about her in the third person.
How dare he talk about her as if she weren't there, as if she were a strange, unlikeable girl just because she'd gotten polio! As if there was no hope that things would ever get better; as if she didn't have, couldn't have, a good friend or two!
and franny's nurse is painted, ultimately, as wrong for forcing franny to try to relearn to walk--not easy, comfortable walking, but an uncomfortable forced movement of her legs that franny dislikes. because franny, in the end, prefers her wheelchair. her nurse calls it "awful" and "confining," but franny thinks otherwise:
"I wear glasses to help me see," she told her parents. "My wheelchair helps me move. I'm not a pedestrian anymore. Sure, it's a tight squeeze through some doorways, but most of the time this chair is my noble steed."
down with the idea that disabled life is a prison, that assistive devices are a curse instead of a gift, that a wheelchair "confines" you instead of giving you the power to go anywhere you can roll! and down with the idea that a disabling illness means your life has ended, that you'll never have another friend, that you'll never see another adventure. at no point does the aforementioned magical talking flea cure franny; instead, he makes her wheelchair fly so she can go anywhere in the world.
A polio-free world may be at the fingertips of a Pittsburgh scientist...But the news report was about vaccines and prevention. Not one single word about curing those already stricken.
Aren't I a part of the world? she thought.
i have less to say about the rest of the book, except that i really enjoyed it! the flea is whimsical and he delights me. the writing is lovely. the 1950s setting is alive and detailed without weighting the book down in unnecessary factual rambling, because that's not what this book is about. there's also a beautiful emphasis on learning and books--Charlotte's Web is very dear to franny, and fleabrain, of course, is a broadly-read intellectual--but also on the fact that being well-educated doesn't mean everything. it's possible to be very smart and still a selfish friend, and it's possible to be kind without knowing anything about literature. there's more to life than understanding kafka, after all (but isn't it beautiful when we do!).
speaking of kafka, the jewish rep is something i noticed more clearly this time around, too. there's some discussion of different jewish experiences during WW2 that verges into understandably tragic territory, but there's also a great deal of everyday jewish happiness in the life of the katzenback family. in the afterward, rocklin discusses her intention to weave the concept of tikkun olam into franny's story (a concept her grandfather tells her a story about to inspire her to work to change the world); similarly, there's a running thread of intertextuality with kafka's metamorphosis, which is funny because haha bugs, but also interesting in that kafka's writing was heavily impacted by his jewishness. this book isn't jewish in that the characters randomly happen to be, but jewish thematically, all the way through.
and finally, i have to reiterate what i said about Our Cat Zook: this is a book that is, at its core, deeply kind. it made me very happy. it got me a little teary-eyed. i think the sign of a truly good book is that it transcends its genre; it becomes more than a children’s book or a YA book or an adult book, a fantasy or a romance or a contemporary, and becomes simply a Good Book, something you would recommend without compunction or classification. this is one of those. it's a book i can see playing a very important role in the lives of every franny out there, but it's also the kind of book all of us shakespeare-reading vergil-quoting fleabrains should double back and check out, too. <3
April 19, 2021
I was attracted to this story about a girl adjusting to life after contracting polio, and I like Franny and find her struggles believable. I'm even willing to read a story about a girl with a very active imagination who wishes she could fly around on a horse and do good deeds. But that I'm supposed to believe she's actually doing these things--and with the help of a magic flea, no less--well, that doesn't work for me.
This book was trying to do too many things. I knew it was going to be about a friendship between a girl and a flea, and I was willing to give that a try. But it just went too far. Really.
This book was trying to do too many things. I knew it was going to be about a friendship between a girl and a flea, and I was willing to give that a try. But it just went too far. Really.
May 21, 2014
This is an editor’s nightmare.
The strongest parts of this are those descriptions of what the polio epidemic was like during the early 50s – Franny has been crippled by polio and when we learn a little of what it must have been like to be in an iron lung and then what if felt like to be unable to walk and isolated from your friends since the belief was that a polio victim could still give it to others.
But what doesn’t work is the use of the flea here. Franny’s favorite book is Charlotte’s Web, yet her flea friend doesn’t treat her with the quite the kindness Charlotte treated Wilbur the Pig, but is something of an intellectual prig, memorizing writers and their dates and reading material that adults and academics read and not being the friend Franny really needs at this time – he is in fact a humbug flea.
There is the odd business of the flea taking Franny on kind of magical horseback rides through the air doing good things for people and that just doesn’t make sense, even for those of us with extraordinary imaginations – or the flea shrinking Franny till she is his size –Rocklin is no Lewis Carroll or E.B. White or Stephen King, who is able to make the unbelievable only too believable or J.K. Rowling also gifted at making the unbelievable very real.
If Joanne Rocklin had stuck to the polio theme and perhaps used Fleabrain to write to Franny much as Charlotte communicates with Wilbur or Archy the Cockroach with Don Marquis – a work ignored by
Rocklin – this might have been better.
Oh, and given the vocabulary used in the book as well as the hodge podge of material – this is no children’s book. I seriously doubt children will pick this up.
The strongest parts of this are those descriptions of what the polio epidemic was like during the early 50s – Franny has been crippled by polio and when we learn a little of what it must have been like to be in an iron lung and then what if felt like to be unable to walk and isolated from your friends since the belief was that a polio victim could still give it to others.
But what doesn’t work is the use of the flea here. Franny’s favorite book is Charlotte’s Web, yet her flea friend doesn’t treat her with the quite the kindness Charlotte treated Wilbur the Pig, but is something of an intellectual prig, memorizing writers and their dates and reading material that adults and academics read and not being the friend Franny really needs at this time – he is in fact a humbug flea.
There is the odd business of the flea taking Franny on kind of magical horseback rides through the air doing good things for people and that just doesn’t make sense, even for those of us with extraordinary imaginations – or the flea shrinking Franny till she is his size –Rocklin is no Lewis Carroll or E.B. White or Stephen King, who is able to make the unbelievable only too believable or J.K. Rowling also gifted at making the unbelievable very real.
If Joanne Rocklin had stuck to the polio theme and perhaps used Fleabrain to write to Franny much as Charlotte communicates with Wilbur or Archy the Cockroach with Don Marquis – a work ignored by
Rocklin – this might have been better.
Oh, and given the vocabulary used in the book as well as the hodge podge of material – this is no children’s book. I seriously doubt children will pick this up.
April 2, 2015
there wasn't anything wrong with it, it just wasn't my cup of tea due to the fantasy flea plot (i might have gone up one star if he didn't provide the month and day with each birth and death year)--but i did enjoy the shady avenue, squirrel hill, oakland, etc. references, and enjoyed the memories of waldorf's bakery, rosenblum's, hearing about the horse stables in frick park, etc.
September 15, 2014
Franny Katzenback is a young girl recovering from polio in 1952. Franny knows that her neighbor is one of the scientists working with Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh to prevent polio but what do you do if you already have the disease and can't go on with your previous life and attend school with your friends? You seek other avenues like reading a new book that has just been published--Charlotte's Web and wish and have faith you'll get your own Charlotte. Franny does get Fleabrain, a well-read flea who takes Franny on some fantastic journeys and then Franny takes her own journey into the unknown world, at that time, of living with a disability out in the world.
The story took me back to the days I collected dimes for the March of Dimes and knew kids who wore braces because they had polio.If only my teachers in the 1950s knew children's literature. I didn't discover Charlottes' Web until the 1960s.
Franny's clarinet references were spot on!
The story took me back to the days I collected dimes for the March of Dimes and knew kids who wore braces because they had polio.If only my teachers in the 1950s knew children's literature. I didn't discover Charlottes' Web until the 1960s.
Franny's clarinet references were spot on!
May 5, 2025
I actually read this 19 times because I read it with each of my classes. Great Pittsburgh book.
October 19, 2015
Fleabrain Loves Franny is about an 11 year-old girl named Francine, or Franny, for short, who has polio. The story is set in Pittsburgh in the 1950’s. Nurse Olivegarten is the nurse that does exercises with Franny every day at 9:00A.M. and 4:00P.M. To Franny, the hot water packs and the exercises hurt ALOT, and to her frustration they don’t appear to be working. She has a dog named Alf, and a sister named Minot, or Min, for short. She has a dad named Sammy, and a mother named Muriel. But, one day she found the very thing she was looking for, a friend. Specifically, a flea, named Fleabrain.
I like Fleabrain because even though he is tiny, he has a huge brain filled with lots of smart information. He is also interesting because he can make things like a formula, FB saliva #1- #3, that can miniaturize you. My third reason is that he doesn’t care how big or small he is, he can still do great things and can have a giant mind.
I am a little bit like Franny because I also have a copy of Charlotte’s Web, and it also one of my favorite books. I think that Franny is inspiring because to her, polio or not, she can still do great things!
My favorite part was when she and Fleabrain visited the Seven Wonders of the World; Stonehenge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Colosseum, The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, The Hagia Sophia, The Taj Mahal, and The Great Wall of China. It was fun to learn about all those sights and see their Travel Journal, which held interesting facts about the places.
The author, Joanne Rocklin, has a good vocabulary that she used in the book. I think that the newspaper clips were a great touch! She made the story exhilarating and fun adventure with the flea being a friend!
I felt it was a little challenging to keep track of all the professors, scientists, dates and sayings the author provided. There was even some German and French used in this book!
Review by Brooke Z., age 8, Delaware Valley Mensa
I like Fleabrain because even though he is tiny, he has a huge brain filled with lots of smart information. He is also interesting because he can make things like a formula, FB saliva #1- #3, that can miniaturize you. My third reason is that he doesn’t care how big or small he is, he can still do great things and can have a giant mind.
I am a little bit like Franny because I also have a copy of Charlotte’s Web, and it also one of my favorite books. I think that Franny is inspiring because to her, polio or not, she can still do great things!
My favorite part was when she and Fleabrain visited the Seven Wonders of the World; Stonehenge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Colosseum, The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, The Hagia Sophia, The Taj Mahal, and The Great Wall of China. It was fun to learn about all those sights and see their Travel Journal, which held interesting facts about the places.
The author, Joanne Rocklin, has a good vocabulary that she used in the book. I think that the newspaper clips were a great touch! She made the story exhilarating and fun adventure with the flea being a friend!
I felt it was a little challenging to keep track of all the professors, scientists, dates and sayings the author provided. There was even some German and French used in this book!
Review by Brooke Z., age 8, Delaware Valley Mensa
July 10, 2020
I loved this book. I loved the delightful vocabulary. I loved the fantasy aspect. Most importantly, I loved how very true the family and human nature elements feel. Two scenes at the end, Franny and her grandfather, then Franny going back to school on a horse, made me cry. These are not sad scenes, they are heart-warming and lovely. I'm an adult(!) crying over a kid's book!
I thought that the historical aspect of what life was like in the 1950's during the polio epidemic here in the United States could be an excellent point of discussion/comparison to the current Covid19 pandemic. Students could contribute some astute observations and also perhaps take some level of comfort in realizing that scientists are always trying to solve medical problems.
I loved this author for her creative storytelling. The author's notes and bibliography at the end were a revelation too, as it is testament to the careful research some authors give in order to accomplish the honorable task of writing well for children.
I thought that the historical aspect of what life was like in the 1950's during the polio epidemic here in the United States could be an excellent point of discussion/comparison to the current Covid19 pandemic. Students could contribute some astute observations and also perhaps take some level of comfort in realizing that scientists are always trying to solve medical problems.
I loved this author for her creative storytelling. The author's notes and bibliography at the end were a revelation too, as it is testament to the careful research some authors give in order to accomplish the honorable task of writing well for children.
November 5, 2014
Lexile: NA
Age 8-12 years
Length: 6.5 hrs (288 pages)
Summary: 11 year old Franny get polio and during her recovery befriends a flea. Both perspectives are told throughout the story. They both enjoy reading and his super powers help free Franny from the effects of polio.
Comments: I think this book would be better read than listened too. It had some very fantastical fiction right alongside of historical and scientific non-fiction which hopefully doesn’t confuse younger readers. There was a nice progression to the story and the ending didn’t feel rushed like in other books I have reviewed lately, however it was setup for a sequel if the author was so inclined. I enjoyed this book and it had a fun twist to the story that other books about polio have not.
4 of 5 stars
By: Emily K.
Age 8-12 years
Length: 6.5 hrs (288 pages)
Summary: 11 year old Franny get polio and during her recovery befriends a flea. Both perspectives are told throughout the story. They both enjoy reading and his super powers help free Franny from the effects of polio.
Comments: I think this book would be better read than listened too. It had some very fantastical fiction right alongside of historical and scientific non-fiction which hopefully doesn’t confuse younger readers. There was a nice progression to the story and the ending didn’t feel rushed like in other books I have reviewed lately, however it was setup for a sequel if the author was so inclined. I enjoyed this book and it had a fun twist to the story that other books about polio have not.
4 of 5 stars
By: Emily K.
August 30, 2014
It is 1952 and 10-year-old Franny has been stricken by polio. She first hears the newly published “Charlotte’s Web” read aloud by a nurse in the hospital where she is recovering. Of course she longs for a Charlotte of her own, and as it happens, Fleabrain is the sole survivor of her mother’s application of Be-Gone-With-Them flea powder to the family dog. Fleabrain and Franny become friends. I liked this but not as much as I thought I was going to. Franny is an interesting character, as are her family, friends and neighbors. And Fleabrain, of course. What I didn’t enjoy though were the magical elements; I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief about their heroic adventures and travel. I think the story is trying to do too much.
July 5, 2015
bookaday #53. 4.5 stars. Who won't fall in love with the voice of Fleabrain or spunky Franny. Lovely friendship story in the vein of Charlotte's Web, Franny's favorite new book. I admit to a small tear of happiness at the end of this one. Love the theme at the end, page 256: "freeing the light form the world's broken shards." Author's note details her research into polio and the search for a cure.
November 14, 2024
Combination of audio (Libby) and physical book. My daughter received this book in one of her Future Leaders Book Club subscriptions, but she never read it. However, she loves giving me recommendations (she has a pretty good track record!), and she said I should read this one. She was right yet again--I loved this book from the very first page!
I honestly had no idea what it was about, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this middle-grade historical fiction novel is about a girl recovering from polio in 1952. I learned LOTS about what it was like to be a polio survivor during that time (the author extensively researched stories and memoirs), as well some background about the vaccine development that I wasn't very familiar with.
As Rocklin writes in her author's note, she wanted to write about "someone who is able to find great solace in books, good people, the delights of the imagination, and the power of her own voice."
This book is a gem!
I honestly had no idea what it was about, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this middle-grade historical fiction novel is about a girl recovering from polio in 1952. I learned LOTS about what it was like to be a polio survivor during that time (the author extensively researched stories and memoirs), as well some background about the vaccine development that I wasn't very familiar with.
As Rocklin writes in her author's note, she wanted to write about "someone who is able to find great solace in books, good people, the delights of the imagination, and the power of her own voice."
This book is a gem!
December 29, 2021
I am not only an adult, but a senior citizen, I read this book just because I saw it was written about the polio vaccine and takes place in Pittsburgh/Squirrelhill. I grew up in a community about 10 miles away and so the timeline interested me.
I also had a dear friend who had gotten polio because she just didn’t get the vaccine in time, so very much like Franny. The residual side effects of the disease had gotten worse over the years and eventually claimed her life.
I learned a few interesting facts about, not only polio, but a few other things. The problem was that learning those facts was not worth the loads of extraneous material in the book.
I cannot imagine how a young reader would ever appreciate so much useless information. A waste of time.
I also had a dear friend who had gotten polio because she just didn’t get the vaccine in time, so very much like Franny. The residual side effects of the disease had gotten worse over the years and eventually claimed her life.
I learned a few interesting facts about, not only polio, but a few other things. The problem was that learning those facts was not worth the loads of extraneous material in the book.
I cannot imagine how a young reader would ever appreciate so much useless information. A waste of time.
November 16, 2020
Strange story about a likable protagonist. Stuck in her house battling polio, Franny becomes friends with a flea. Fleabrain is very knowledgeable about many things and well read. He connects with Franny over books. Meanwhile, all of Franny's friends shy away from her because they think she is contagious. Her nurse is not kind. Her family is there but busy with their lives. On the rare occasions her sister takes her outside, Franny make friends with an elderly neighbor who is German and knows Dr. Salk. Franny is hopeful for a cure so she can go back to school.
Historical ficiton mixed with fantasy.
Historical ficiton mixed with fantasy.
September 24, 2019
I have no idea how this ended up on my to-read list because animal fantasy stories aren't generally my favorite. When I realized that's what it was I didn't want to like this book, but Rocklin won me over with her fantastic world-building. She make 1953 Pittsburgh with the aftermath of the polio epidemic come alive for me. Even Fleabrain grew on me by the end :)
The story came across as very true-to-life for me. I look forward to reading more of Rocklin's work.
The story came across as very true-to-life for me. I look forward to reading more of Rocklin's work.
March 17, 2018
Well-written, an accurate and interesting look at the experiences of a child with polio in the 1950s. I was less enamored with the flea part of the plot but I understood its meaning to the character; it is a part of her growth. And I loved all the Pittsburgh references, especially since I spent a year in the very neighborhood the story takes place in. A quiet, thoughtful story.
September 8, 2017
I'm not totally sure what to even say about this one.
In some ways it's got too much going on and is just so odd.... and yet somehow that works.
Overall, I liked it a lot.
In some ways it's got too much going on and is just so odd.... and yet somehow that works.
Overall, I liked it a lot.
September 25, 2018
very funny and entertaining
April 28, 2019
Completely brilliant.
sony-or-android
January 23, 2020dtb at okc, e-audio at Rolla
April 5, 2021
A young girl feels isolated when she contracts polio (in 1952) and is befriended by an exceptional flea. Interesting portrait of an earlier pandemic.
October 28, 2022
The literary references and the history of polio is interesting, but the novel just did not hold my attention. If the flea was a ghost the story might be more readable. I left off on page 74.
February 11, 2023
I read this so long ago, and only remember that it was ~ok~.
December 19, 2016
When Franny is stricken with polio and disowned by her friends, she finds solace in an unlikely friendship with a tiny flea who enjoys great works of literature and has special powers.
Joanne Rocklin's 2011 novel, One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street revealed her to be a talented writer with a gift for lyrical description and deep character development. This latest novel, though beautifully written in many parts, seems very odd by comparison. Franny's unfortunate plight and the details surrounding it - the nurse, the physical therapy, the wheelchair, the obsession with the work of Jonas Salk - are perfectly evocative of the historical time period and well-described for an audience for whom any part of the 20th century feels like ancient history. By contrast, dreamlike sequences where the flea takes Franny on late-night wanderings through her Pittsburgh neighborhood come out of nowhere and seem arbitrary and out of place. The entire friendship between Franny and Fleabrain seems unnecessary, especially since it seems that the flea is meant to be real and not just a figment of a bored girl's imagination. (If he turned out not be real, this would be a different - and better - book.)
What also does not help this book is the fact that it's coming out just months after Flora and Ulysses was awarded the Newbery Medal. Both stories involve impossibly intelligent creatures with literary talent and there is no real need for a second novel covering this same ground. Fleabrain Loves Franny doesn't even really work as a read-alike for kids who like Flora and Ulysses, because Fleabrain's powers are poorly defined and his personality and voice are grating and tiresome.
Rocklin's author's note and Q & A section at the back of the book are testaments to the research and thought that went into the book, and these additions almost make the story's randomness forgivable. Unfortunately, the reader is likely to become confused and bored long before the ending and may not even see the final pages. Overall, Fleabrain is not Charlotte A. Avatica, and this book is a disappointing offering by an otherwise wonderful writer.
Joanne Rocklin's 2011 novel, One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street revealed her to be a talented writer with a gift for lyrical description and deep character development. This latest novel, though beautifully written in many parts, seems very odd by comparison. Franny's unfortunate plight and the details surrounding it - the nurse, the physical therapy, the wheelchair, the obsession with the work of Jonas Salk - are perfectly evocative of the historical time period and well-described for an audience for whom any part of the 20th century feels like ancient history. By contrast, dreamlike sequences where the flea takes Franny on late-night wanderings through her Pittsburgh neighborhood come out of nowhere and seem arbitrary and out of place. The entire friendship between Franny and Fleabrain seems unnecessary, especially since it seems that the flea is meant to be real and not just a figment of a bored girl's imagination. (If he turned out not be real, this would be a different - and better - book.)
What also does not help this book is the fact that it's coming out just months after Flora and Ulysses was awarded the Newbery Medal. Both stories involve impossibly intelligent creatures with literary talent and there is no real need for a second novel covering this same ground. Fleabrain Loves Franny doesn't even really work as a read-alike for kids who like Flora and Ulysses, because Fleabrain's powers are poorly defined and his personality and voice are grating and tiresome.
Rocklin's author's note and Q & A section at the back of the book are testaments to the research and thought that went into the book, and these additions almost make the story's randomness forgivable. Unfortunately, the reader is likely to become confused and bored long before the ending and may not even see the final pages. Overall, Fleabrain is not Charlotte A. Avatica, and this book is a disappointing offering by an otherwise wonderful writer.
September 9, 2014
genre: part historical fiction/fantasy
summary: Franny has just gotten over a (literally) crippling case of polio, shortly before the advent of the vaccine in the 1950s. She is finally home for the hospital and forced not only to deal with frustrating circumstances of her disability but the attitudes and apprehensions of others. Her old group of friends, 'the Pack' refuse to come near her for fear of catching the disease, even though she is no longer contagious. Franny spends most of her days in the company of her imagination, a grumpy, and somewhat abusive nurse, and the book, "Charlotte's Web". Franny longs for a wise and understanding friend like Charlotte, and ends up catching to attention of an overly intelligent, self-indulgent, pretentious flea named Fleabrain. They begin a correspondence which leads to strange friendship and fantastic journeys around the world via horse using the magic of flea saliva (too weird and abrupt to be actually interesting and fun).
notes: all the makings of a great historical fiction book infested/ruined by encounters with a pretentious flea
for kids who like: historical fiction (and can handle fleabrain)
age group: age 10+
my review: without Fleabrain this book would be AMAZING! Fleabrain came off too weird and pretentious and unnecessary to be an enjoyable character for me. Meanwhile, I was intrigued and impressed by the Doctor neighbor, the rude nurse, the Pack, Zadie, and Min. I think the Fleabrain-less parts made for detailed and relatable historical fiction. Too bad.
summary: Franny has just gotten over a (literally) crippling case of polio, shortly before the advent of the vaccine in the 1950s. She is finally home for the hospital and forced not only to deal with frustrating circumstances of her disability but the attitudes and apprehensions of others. Her old group of friends, 'the Pack' refuse to come near her for fear of catching the disease, even though she is no longer contagious. Franny spends most of her days in the company of her imagination, a grumpy, and somewhat abusive nurse, and the book, "Charlotte's Web". Franny longs for a wise and understanding friend like Charlotte, and ends up catching to attention of an overly intelligent, self-indulgent, pretentious flea named Fleabrain. They begin a correspondence which leads to strange friendship and fantastic journeys around the world via horse using the magic of flea saliva (too weird and abrupt to be actually interesting and fun).
notes: all the makings of a great historical fiction book infested/ruined by encounters with a pretentious flea
for kids who like: historical fiction (and can handle fleabrain)
age group: age 10+
my review: without Fleabrain this book would be AMAZING! Fleabrain came off too weird and pretentious and unnecessary to be an enjoyable character for me. Meanwhile, I was intrigued and impressed by the Doctor neighbor, the rude nurse, the Pack, Zadie, and Min. I think the Fleabrain-less parts made for detailed and relatable historical fiction. Too bad.
December 18, 2015
I chose the audiobook edition for Fleabrain Loves Franny written by Joanne Rocklin and narrated by Julie Marcus. The year is 1952 and ten year old ,Franny Katzenback is learning to cope with the paralysis that was caused by her bout of polio. While at home from school recuperating Franny meets a flea with an extensive vocabulary and a bold personality and the two begin a friendship. Although, Fleabrain is exceptionally intelligent his social quotient isn't quite as high and there are some lessons to be learned along the way. I'm glad I chose the audiobook version for this book because I think I would have rated it lower if I was reading it myself. Julie Marcus' Fleabrain voice was just hilarious and helped add to the story which was somewhat slow at times. This book which is targeted to middle grade audiences is well written but a bit disjointed at times with the sections that feature Frannie and Fleabrain together being out in left field. While not a bad book I don't see that it will have a large appeal to its target audience because of some of the thematic elements, such as agape love, Kafka and Nietzsche. Although, the more mature middle grade student might understand the concepts I think the story line drags too much to hold their interest. 3 stars, interesting concept but lackluster execution.
January 16, 2015
It’s 1952 and Franny Katzenback is recovering from polio, undergoing painful physical therapy and wondering if she’ll ever walk again. During her illness she imagined she was being tended by angels, so when she starts to receive letters from a flea who lives on the tip of her dog’s tail, it seems like just another part of the strange, magical time in her life. Fleabrain comforts Franny as she frets over losing her fiends and her formerly active life. But eventually she finds that she must re-engage with the world despite her new circumstances.
Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin portrays the unlikely friendship between a girl and a flea. It captures well the days before the polio vaccine, when those with the disease suffered because of their new disabilities and because they were ostracized by friends, who were afraid to catch it. Franny loves the story of Charlotte’s Web, and Fleabrain becomes her Charlotte, her personal champion.
Franny’s is a story of having courage in the face of adversity, finding friendship in surprising places, and learning when to speak up and act on injustice. Those are all interesting issues to discuss in a book club as well as the historical time frame. I recommend Fleabrain Loves Franny for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin portrays the unlikely friendship between a girl and a flea. It captures well the days before the polio vaccine, when those with the disease suffered because of their new disabilities and because they were ostracized by friends, who were afraid to catch it. Franny loves the story of Charlotte’s Web, and Fleabrain becomes her Charlotte, her personal champion.
Franny’s is a story of having courage in the face of adversity, finding friendship in surprising places, and learning when to speak up and act on injustice. Those are all interesting issues to discuss in a book club as well as the historical time frame. I recommend Fleabrain Loves Franny for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 13, 2015
Franny contracts polio and is confined to a wheelchair. During her convalescence she meets the flea, Fleabrain, and they have some pretty incredible adventures together. This book is one part historical fiction, one part animal fantasy, and one part a tribute to Charlotte's Web.
The historical fiction is spot on; the reader gets an authentic glimpse of the disease and the fear and misinformation that surrounded it. Franny is not the only one who is suffering. Her family, friends, and community are impacted and their reactions are an honest reflection of the time period.
The animal fantasy part is trickier to pull off. Fleabrain is an erudite flea with extraordinary powers. As much as I loved his esoteric ramblings about literature and philosophy, his lectures while heartfelt are not easily understood. Kafka is referred to quite a bit and the text will definitely be much richer for the reader if they are acquainted with The Metamorphosis.
I appreciated all the literary references, but none as much as those concerning Charlotte's Web. Fleabrain is jealous of Charlotte and his feelings about the book are humorous and at the end quite poignant.
The ending brings it all together. Both Fleabrain and Franny are transformed by their experiences and it is clear that their metamorphosis will make their part of the world a better place.
The historical fiction is spot on; the reader gets an authentic glimpse of the disease and the fear and misinformation that surrounded it. Franny is not the only one who is suffering. Her family, friends, and community are impacted and their reactions are an honest reflection of the time period.
The animal fantasy part is trickier to pull off. Fleabrain is an erudite flea with extraordinary powers. As much as I loved his esoteric ramblings about literature and philosophy, his lectures while heartfelt are not easily understood. Kafka is referred to quite a bit and the text will definitely be much richer for the reader if they are acquainted with The Metamorphosis.
I appreciated all the literary references, but none as much as those concerning Charlotte's Web. Fleabrain is jealous of Charlotte and his feelings about the book are humorous and at the end quite poignant.
The ending brings it all together. Both Fleabrain and Franny are transformed by their experiences and it is clear that their metamorphosis will make their part of the world a better place.
August 11, 2014
Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin
Amulet Books, 2014
Historical Fantasy
288 pages (ARC)
Recommended for grades 4-6
Well, this book certainly caught me off guard! Of course the cover and title suggest a fantasy-a girl and a bug as friends... But the story starts with such a realistic feel to it that when the fantasy begins you're almost not expecting it.
Franny is a young girl recovering from polio in the 1950s. When the story opens she is in an iron lung-not a light and fluffy opening. I was immediately drawn in to this historical story, and enjoyed the way the author explained what Franny was going through in a way that would build background knowledge for young readers.
Now, once Fleabrain the...flea, enters the story, things start to get a little crazy. This flea has super powers, which are in his saliva. The things Fleabrain and Franny do together are a bit out there, and in one way I was confused by the odd direction of the story, and in another sense I understood Rocklin's choices in how the relationship between bug and girl played out.
The author's note provides a nice historical background to the story, and following that is a series of discussion questions.
This is a book geared toward girls that enjoy high fantasy.
Amulet Books, 2014
Historical Fantasy
288 pages (ARC)
Recommended for grades 4-6
Well, this book certainly caught me off guard! Of course the cover and title suggest a fantasy-a girl and a bug as friends... But the story starts with such a realistic feel to it that when the fantasy begins you're almost not expecting it.
Franny is a young girl recovering from polio in the 1950s. When the story opens she is in an iron lung-not a light and fluffy opening. I was immediately drawn in to this historical story, and enjoyed the way the author explained what Franny was going through in a way that would build background knowledge for young readers.
Now, once Fleabrain the...flea, enters the story, things start to get a little crazy. This flea has super powers, which are in his saliva. The things Fleabrain and Franny do together are a bit out there, and in one way I was confused by the odd direction of the story, and in another sense I understood Rocklin's choices in how the relationship between bug and girl played out.
The author's note provides a nice historical background to the story, and following that is a series of discussion questions.
This is a book geared toward girls that enjoy high fantasy.
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