Cricket Man

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Kenny Sykes is on a mission. He's determined to make his mark somehow in his new town and his new school. In the meantime, he's appointed himself the secret savior of the hundreds of crickets who seem bound to commit suicide by jumping into Kenny's pool. Why he wants to save them, he's not entirely sure. But once school starts again, Cricket Man finds that there are more important things that need saving. Namely, Jodie Poindexter -- beautiful junior, across-the-street neighbor, and, underneath her com-posed facade, the most troubled and secretive girl in school.

Newbery Medal winner Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has crafted a funny and heartwarming story about how growing up is as much a choice as it is a given.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Friendship

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2008

About the author

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.

Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.

Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."

By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.

Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.

Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been many years since I first read this book, but the impression has lasted. I was young, barely out of middle school when I first read it, and yet the message hasn't really changed now that I'm older.
I came across some of my initial attempts to put my thoughts into a "review". Perhaps it will make sense, perhpas not. I know a lot of this is repeating myself, but perhaps that will get the point across.


There are a few things more appealing than a good story, and one that appeals to pre-teens, teenagers and adults is really an accomplishment, especially in the dumb-downed culture teenagers are exposed to in their reading. But Phyllis Reynolds Naylor seems to have it down pretty well after having written a 135 books and it should be no surprise that her latest book, “Cricket Man” is any different.
Yet somehow it is.
Kenny Sykes is entering eight grade this year: a new school, a new house, and new friends. He doesn’t have much by way of expectations, just getting through middle school without sticking out. Saving the suicidal crickets that jumped into their pool wasn’t something he talked about at school. It was almost a fantasy…where he played god, savior of the helpless insects. Just something between his little brother and him…skateboarding and school is a totally different world. Saving the crickets turns into saving a bunch of other little things too: bugs, baby bunnies and chipmunks…and then suddenly the high-school girl next door.
Jodie Poindexter is a junior in high-school- poised, popular and loved by all…except suddenly her boyfriend isn’t coming around anymore. In fact, no one seems to be. Kenny notices her sitting on the roof at night…her head in her hands. And that’s when he decides she needs a Cricket Man.
And so an unlikely friendship begins.
A wonderful book written in the first person, Naylor has truly written a masterpiece.
Some may say Kenny Sykes is on a mission.
Others may say he is just trying to survive high-school.


Readers may roll their eyes at the almost comical and frustrating relationship Kenny has with his older sister, but there is nothing lame in the wonderful relationship he shares with his little brother. Unlike the typical older-brother rather die than babysit little bro, this book tells of an encouraging relationship- with loyalty and trust.
The book isn’t about any one subject. It’s about him being the Cricket Man, yeah. Saving crickets. It’s about school, about relationships. About the confusing girl across the street. It’s a great book.
The ending is a bit of a shocker, and if anything that is the reason I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone not in middle school, high-school or older.
There is some queer drinking scenes, where pour stuff in their soda. It’s really weird and doesn’t seem to fit with the characters, especially when one of the boys drinks so much he gets sick. It’s played down and rather strange. Perhaps because that is the way life is sometimes.
If there is one thing that most books for teenagers have in common these days is that they’re all junk. Worthless. Pointless. But this book isn’t.


More of the same old stuff.
It wasn’t the first time, and certainly won’t be the last time that I walked through our teenage-reading section at the library and felt myself want to throw up. There was your typical cliché novels where teenage girls struggle with boyfriends and being popular, your action packed adventures that led no-where and left one with an impression of gut-wrenching disgust, the feel-good book about some poor immigrant kid coming to America. The “historical novel” that spoke of one injustice or another. Nothing to deep though. Nothing that made you think.
I’d seen it all before.
At first glance then, The Cricket Man by Phyllis Henry Naylor is more of the usual. Not quite two hundred pages long, my initial reaction that it was more of the same stuff was swiftly proven wrong. Quite wrong.


Finding a fascinating, thoughtful fiction book in the teen section that leaves you with something to think about? Good luck. Especially when it comes to finding a books in our teen library, it’s nearly impossible. Maybe that is why “The Cricket Man” sticks out. Or doesn’t stick out…until you pick it up and start reading. It’s a treasure-chest full of wealth to the starving reader who is looking for something a bit deeper then thin relationships and fanatical adventures. It’s something that could happen to anyone. Even you.


See a theme? I sure do. I am pleased to announce that since I wrote that, I have found other books. Unwind for one. But this was one of the first books to give me hope. I do, though, make one last comment. You'll get a different impression depending on your age. For Middle schoolers, this might be their world. For an adult, its as foreign as China. BUT, its insight into kids that age.

[Aaron]

I said that I read this book but truthfully, I read this book halfway through and put it down. This book starts out wayyy to slow and keeps on going that way.I Definitely don't reccomend this one.

[Bakercar2022mnsdtitans.Org · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would give it that amount of stars because it is a good book in general but I couldn't read it over a long span of time. It also has a lot of twists especially at the end. As well as a little attitude and secrecy from our hero, cricket man.

This book in general was very good but after reading it for a long time it did get boring and there wasn't a lot of action besides at certain points and that's all it had. It did entertain me when the interesting points came on and that's what I think made me keep on reading the book all the way till the end.

The end of the book was one of my favorite endings in any book I've ever read by far. When cricket man gets a unexpected call after his sister's wedding he has to come to the rescue (Naylor 169). his best friend, Jodie is in trouble and is bleeding a lot from just giving a baby in the middle of a park as a junior in high school. He uses his smarts and cuts the umbilical cord with his shoe lace and then does exactly what she tells him to do. It had lots of drama and suspense at this part

This character also had a lot of teenager traits. Once called into the office, the principal questioned what the CM on his shirt stood for, He refused to tell him what it meant and it reminded me of a teenager and myself at times. I related to the character and it really made me want to continue to read and let me understand that the character wanted privacy and didn't want his big secret going around to everyone at the school.

In the end I really enjoyed this book because it related to me, had suspense, and a big plot twist at the end is exactly what I wanted in the book, although it was dull at times I really do believe that this book deserves 4 stars and I would recommend it to many of my piers who like a quick read and snippets of suspense.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenny Sykes and his family just moved into their new home in Bethesda, MD and what he likes best is the pool in the backyard. He loves swimming in the early morning and rescuing the dozens of bugs, especially the crickets which seem intent on drowning. Kenny turns into “Cricket Man” in order to save the crickets and other critters which jump in the pool and even designs a homemade t-shirt with the logo, CM on it. He wears the t-shirt under his clothes and secretly believes that his alter ego gives him certain powers like not saying stupid things in front of girls and always coming up with the right thing to say. He develops a friendship with his high school junior neighbor, Jodie Poindexter and soon discovers she needs saving but he feels unequipped to handle her deep depression. There are several undeveloped plot threads and red herring situations that come to nothing, for example, Kenny’s wealthy Latino friend Luis and an increase in gang related activity in Maryland. Several reviewers revealed the shocking climax, but doing so diminishes the impact of the situation for the reader. The book addresses themes of trust and friendship, student privacy, depression, and family relationships. Kenny is a little too perfect and mature for his age to be entirely believable, but he is an engaging character.

[OK Dad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too advanced subject matter for my 9-year old, but I'd let any upper level middle-schooler read it.

Even though the author has written a ton of books, this is my first brush with her works. I liked it.

Skateboarding terminology was a bit forced...as if it were researched and regurgitated as opposed to lived (I was a teenaged skater-dater in my youth), but it provided some unexpected character elements for the main character that I felt helped him "tell" his story and round him out.

We don't kill crickets in our house either, and at times we're seemingly infested. Some Asian cultures believe it's good luck to find one in your house. I just think they're fun to catch and they tickle inside your hand as you carry them out to the yard.

Ending is unexpected (at least I fell for the misdirection) and although mentally I felt some creative license stretching going on, emotionally I was invested -- so I let it go at that.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a 13-year-old boy tried to cheer up his 16-year-old neighbor, he is in for a lot more than he bargained for (her problem is much bigger than depression), but he learns a lot about himself and about friendship. One of the things I liked best about the book were his comments on how tough middle school is. He talks about how a simple incident can get you branded for life or stuck with a horrible nickname, or how nobody really feels confident or like they can be themselves. Very accurate, and a very likable and solid protagonist.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenny is an extremely likable character. His obsession to save the crickets jumping in his pool and his drive to learn skateboarding are all things I can imagine an 8th grader doing. I even enjoyed how Kenny dreams of saving his neighbor from a problem he doesn't fully understand. But the conclusion is just to much for me and I found myself rolling my eyes at what is ultimately asked of him.

[Angeluismanzueta · Rating 3 out of 5]

a teen named kenny known as "cricket man" has just moved and has met this girl across the street he met her at the middle of the night at the roof porch.
a book called the afterlife is like this same book because they both meet a girl and think their the one .
i would give this book 3 out of 5 stars because it did not seems as interesting its mainly about a boy who seems to adore a girl across the street.

[Lucas]

(review written from the perspective of an 8th grader in 2013)
Another book with a thrilling plot twist. This isn't another one of your books: it's a book with another meaning and another character. I mean, who knew, right? I really couldn't put the book down, for its story and character. The first few pages might be a tad boring, but I assure you that you'll be awed from the hints that the author dropped for us.

I rate this book a 5/5, because it deserves so.

[JustWorkAlready · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. <(^w^)>

[P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because it seemed like it would be a Boy Book but it turned out to have a lot to do with Women Things. Which is the problem with trying to segregate books by gender.

[Armand · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so good and the end was even better i was so excited about this book that i even read it in 2 days and i finished it omg this book was so good thank u Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


^_^

[Edward Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book based on happiness that exist but people need to recognize, support and maybe even save the lives of others. Cricket Man by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a fiction book based on a 13 year old boy Kenny Sykes he feels like a lot of other young teens like most of his life is out of his control. Parents make the big decisions, teachers and principals hold all the power at school. Kenny sometimes feels most in control when he's alone or when he's skateboarding with his friends. Kenny feels in control when he's skating feeling like nobody can stop him from doing nothing. The book is a really eye opener because happiness exist people need to help to apply it to their life and for other.

[Anthony Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite book of all time

[Peter lok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cricket Man by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was a decent book. it was about a teenage boy named kenny who called himself cricket man in secret and wanted to help other people like he helped the crickets that jumped into his pool. my favorite part of this book was when kenny helped a girl named jodie when she gave birth to a child in the park. Jodie was a neighbor across the street who kenny thought needed help. he didn't know what she needed but he was determined to help her in one way or another. without realizing it when he became her friend, it was the first step in helping her. he was there when she needed someone to talk to. and at the end of the story, he was also there to help her and her baby.
what i learned from this book is that sometimes when you want something, you already have it. kenny here really wanted to help jodie and at the end, he realized that he did more than help her, he was there for her and also saved he baby. this reminds me of the movie dickie robert former child star, he wanted to be happy and thought that if he became a movie star again he would. and like in the cricket man, he too realizes in the end that what made happy was the family he was living with, something he already had.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (PRN) fan. She is prolific. My boys have read her "Boys against the Girls series" and were entranced. I picked up Cricket Man because I was interested to see how to write about skateboarding. It all sounded authentic to me and I was awed by the way PRN so deftly caught the middle-school boy voice. Great, great scene with Kenny in the Vice Principal's office and the thoughts going through Kenny's head.

The ending was a shocker, and I was moved by Kenny's nobility in helping his friend. I also liked the way PRN handled the portrayal of the adults (as well as the wedding obsessed older sister.)

I'm recommending this to my 7th-grade son.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Language - PG13 (17 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Kenny goes to school, has friends, skateboards, and gets in trouble like everyone else, but what no one knows is that he has a secret identity. Summer mornings Kenny is Cricket Man. He goes into his pool every summer morning and saves bugs from their doom. But can Cricket Man save his friend Jodie from herself if she doesn't want to be saved?
I believe that everyone can be a hero if they want to. Cricket Man does a good job of presenting the idea that you can be a hero by just being a friend. I think that this book belongs in every collection.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenny loves swimming in his pool in the backyard of his new house. He makes friends with James and Luis at the skatepark. He watches the high school girl Jodie from his rooftop and she watches him. In maintaining the pool for his family, he rescues many crickets and for his younger brother, gives himself the name Cricket Man (CM) and creates a shirt for himself with the secret CM on it. His 8th grade year at school is a rough start, and Kenny decides to keep true to his cricket man persona by helping those in need. Great story, fast read.

[Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that Cricket Man was a really good book, it was funny and it got weird by the time I finished it which I didn't expect to happen. The book is about a kid named Kenny who makes up a superhero for himself called "Cricket Man". He thinks of it close to the end of summer vacation, when he would save crickets and other bugs from drowning in his pool.

[Tracy Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about a middle school boy whose wants to be a superhero. By just being him and doing normal things, he is more of a hero than he realizes. There is some edgy content, so 8th grade and older.

[Cormac Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book. funny and witty. kenny sykes is a boy superhero.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

well it's intresting so far...

[Kathleen Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

quirky but entertaining.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

kind of dramatic book

[C. McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story about a young boy and a girl in trouble who needs someone who listens. He does and he makes a difference he never could have expected. A great book about growing up.

[Marci Glasgow-Haire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the hero, Kenny, i a little to noble to truly accept, this is a great story about friendship and loyalty.

[Roey Marom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read as a child. I really got into this book and loved every word in it!

[Darwin Duron · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first this book is a little bit boring, but while you're reading trough it becomes interesting. I think if you like to read novels or stuff like that you'll enjoy this book.

[Austin Hennecke]

I give Cricket man a 4 out of 5. It was a good book, but there was some slow parts in the book that weren't needed. Thirteen-year-old Kenny Sykes feels like a lot of other young teens, like most of his life is out of his control. Parents make the big decisions, teachers and principals hold all the power Kenny sometimes feels most in control when he's alone or when he's skateboarding with his friends.
"What I think about when I ride the skateboard is control. Middle school, see, is like an ocean, but you don't even ride the waves. You're swept up by the current, one swirling mass of arms and legs tumbling down the halls together. On a board, though, you call the shots. Your eyes, your brain, your nerves, your muscles --- your grip, your speed, your spin, your curve…Whether you land on your feet or your butt, it's all up to you." This about Kenny and how his sister is getting married and the attention of his family is all on her.
Kenny has a tee shirt he made himself and it wound up in the schools psychologists office. “Today after gym I forgot to take off my Cricket Man shirt. You know the one I made over the summer?.....yeah. Two upperclassman got it and now I am the Joke of the School.” This is after Kenny gets his Cricket Man shirt taken away from him. He starts to become laughed at and bullied.
This next quote is about how Kenny and a girl sit of their rooftops in the summer and look at the sky. “I feel out of control and powerless in real life much of the time, but Jodie Poindexter, the gorgeous high school junior from across the street, must be my complete opposite. That is, until I notices that she's spending an awful amount of time sitting on her porch roof staring into space. She's also staying in instead of dating, going to dances, or doing just about anything except studying.” They spend a lot of time of the summer on their roofs at night. This is his version of an escape.
This book overall was a good read and an even better book. 4 out of 5 stars and definitely worth a read. If you like realistic fiction this book is definitely a book for you.