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Tofu and T. rex
Militant vegan Frederika Murchison-Kowalski returns to the Peshtigo School after a brief 'hiatus,' but she then discovers that she has to live with her grandfather, who just happens to own a butcher shop and sausage deli. Not only that, Freddie's cousin, Hans-Peter, is a diehard carnivore but needs Freddie's insider knowledge to get accepted into the Peshtigo School himself. Throw in a flaming dinosaur, a recipe for vegan kielbasa, and an accidental amputation, and this battle of generations, wills, and diets will have readers laughing out loud.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 4, 2023
This is the second story by Greg Leitich Smith set in and around the Preshtigo School in Chicago. The main characters in this story are Freddie, a young militant vegan, Hans-Peter, her cousin, and Opa their grandfather. Some of the same characters from Greg's earlier book Ninja, Piranhas, and Galileo are back again as well.
Freddie has been sent to spend the school year at her grandfather's after being suspended for having burned down the football field back in Texas. Soon there are problems in Chicago and it appears as though Freddie is back to her old tricks. But things are not always what they appear. The story is told back and forth between Hans-Peter's and Freddie's perspectives. They are two family members who are very different but still family, and who learn to be there for each other.
I have to be honest - I love these books and wish that Greg would write more of them. They are great stories that are wonderful to read. And I would rather visit the Preshtigo School than Hogwarts any day!
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the authors on my blog Book Reviews and More. And a link to an interview with Greg leitich Smith.
Freddie has been sent to spend the school year at her grandfather's after being suspended for having burned down the football field back in Texas. Soon there are problems in Chicago and it appears as though Freddie is back to her old tricks. But things are not always what they appear. The story is told back and forth between Hans-Peter's and Freddie's perspectives. They are two family members who are very different but still family, and who learn to be there for each other.
I have to be honest - I love these books and wish that Greg would write more of them. They are great stories that are wonderful to read. And I would rather visit the Preshtigo School than Hogwarts any day!
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the authors on my blog Book Reviews and More. And a link to an interview with Greg leitich Smith.
November 9, 2015
Tofu and T. Rex was a hilarious book that was almost was always finding ways to make you laugh. Hans-Peter and his cousin Frederica, Freddy, absolutely despise each other, and now have to live together, go to the same school, and work at the Kowalski Delicatessen, while Freddy is a vegan. The two go on an adventure that is hilarious and ridiculous, but at the same time you know this could actually happen in real life. Both Freddy and Hans-Peter learn a moral lesson that family is always the most important thing, and was even about to risk getting kicked out of a very well known, educated school, The Peshtigo School, to make sure the other person got to learn at the Peshtigo School. This book is a great read for kids in 5th-7th grade. The reason why I believe so is that there are many new words that you could learn, and there are many old fashioned things that we don't use today, that could confuse younger children/people who didn't listen in history class. I also liked this book since it also got me thinking to have a positive perspective, or else you'll miss the great things in life. I hope more people read this fantastic book, and I would love to read it again if I ever have time.
January 4, 2015
A vegan living in a carnivore world. That is what Frederika is confronted with when she is expelled from her current school in Texas and sent to live with her Opa and cousin Hans-Peter in Chicago. You see, Opa owns Delicatessen Kowalski and Hans-Peter is working on a new recipe for sausage when he isn't reading about dinosaurs.
Frederika reputation for staging dramatic events in her promotion of veganism, that tended to go awry, was well known at the prestigious Peshtigo School, a private school by Lake Shore Drive. She had been attending there before her family moved to Texas. This was to be of no help to Hans-Peter who had just applied to attend it.
There was also the trials of living in a small bungalow house with one bathroom, two bedrooms, two teens and an Opa who didn't put up with shenanigans. There are also two bullfrogs and a paper-mache dinosaur in the mix.
This was a fun and quick read. Written from both perspectives presented alternately throughout the whole book, you get the story from both sides. Both kids have goals and how they go about it is pretty humourous. With Opa keeping the helm on track life seems to somehow weather the small storms that arise.
Frederika reputation for staging dramatic events in her promotion of veganism, that tended to go awry, was well known at the prestigious Peshtigo School, a private school by Lake Shore Drive. She had been attending there before her family moved to Texas. This was to be of no help to Hans-Peter who had just applied to attend it.
There was also the trials of living in a small bungalow house with one bathroom, two bedrooms, two teens and an Opa who didn't put up with shenanigans. There are also two bullfrogs and a paper-mache dinosaur in the mix.
This was a fun and quick read. Written from both perspectives presented alternately throughout the whole book, you get the story from both sides. Both kids have goals and how they go about it is pretty humourous. With Opa keeping the helm on track life seems to somehow weather the small storms that arise.
December 11, 2010
Synopsis: In trouble again for her "civil disobedience," radical vegan high-schooler Freddie is sent to live with her Grandfather and cousin in Chicago where they run a decidedly non-vegan deli. Much hilarity ensues as Hans-Peter tries to get into the exclusive school that Freddie is trying to Not be thrown out of.
A solid, if not particularly memorable, juvenile. I learned more about sausage making than I ever expected - or necessarily wanted - to, but I won't hold that against it. I found the cultural tidbits about life in early 21st century Chicago interesting, even if the plot was nothing to write home about.
A solid, if not particularly memorable, juvenile. I learned more about sausage making than I ever expected - or necessarily wanted - to, but I won't hold that against it. I found the cultural tidbits about life in early 21st century Chicago interesting, even if the plot was nothing to write home about.
July 22, 2007
Young Adult books are the new chick-lit. Because I say so.
Pretty much everything you would expect. Young characters, life lessons learned, clean (as in PG-13) and can be read in one sitting. It's better than watching tv. Unless that TV is Hell's Kitchen. Gordon Ramsay! Who probably would not make tofu! And if he did he would say 'fuck' a lot!
Pretty much everything you would expect. Young characters, life lessons learned, clean (as in PG-13) and can be read in one sitting. It's better than watching tv. Unless that TV is Hell's Kitchen. Gordon Ramsay! Who probably would not make tofu! And if he did he would say 'fuck' a lot!
January 16, 2017
Freddie is a militant vegan. Hans-Peter is her sausage-making cousin. Throw in an Old World grandfather, eccentric private school faculty, and a large dinosaur head and you have a fun story that will keep the pages turning. Enjoyed this book immensely.
September 16, 2009
Vegans and sausage fans clash in Chicago! Who will come out on top?
April 25, 2012
Pretty good, Ninja's Pirhana's and Galileo was better though.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews