Alvin Fernald, Superweasel

Alvin Fernald #5

by Clifford B. Hicks, Bill Sokol (Illustrator)

Alvin's pollution project is geared to expose the biggest polluter in town--the owner of the chemical plant.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction

149 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1974

About the author

Hicks was born in Marshalltown, Iowa in 1920. He graduated cum laude from Northwestern University, then served as a U.S. Marine during World War II, earning the Silver Star. In 1945, he joined the staff of Popular Mechanics magazine, and became a special projects editor in 1963. He wrote the magazine's Do-It-Yourself Materials Guide and edited the Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia.

In 1959, Hicks penned his first children's book, First Boy on the Moon, which was dubbed Best Juvenile Book of the Year by the Friends of American Writers. The next year, he wrote The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald, the first of a series of books about a boy who relies on his "Magnificent Brain" to solve problems. The books inspired a pair of two-part Disney television movies: The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974), and The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper (1976).

Hicks wrote one non-fiction children's book, The World Above (1965), which discusses the Earth's atmosphere and the universe beyond. In 1971, he began the Peter Potts series, which follows the misadventures of a small town boy who often gets into trouble "by accident". Hicks also wrote a two-act play, Alvin Fernald, Mayor for a Day (1992), which was based on one of his Alvin Fernald books.

On September 29, 2010, Hicks died at his home in Brevard, North Carolina at the age of 90.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffor...

Reviews

[Ann C · Rating 5 out of 5]

fucking YEAH reading this on the couch of my dads office literally shaped me into who i am

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alvin, his friend Shoie, and his sister The Pest, tackle both water and air pollution for a school project.

I read this series of books as a kid and loved them all. This is the fourth one I've re-read as an adult and they're still fun. It's a light-hearted look at how kids can make a difference in the world, along with Alvin Fernald silliness (it's a great idea to don a costume with cape and weasel mask, until you're trying to climb a ladder on the side of a smokestack, and the mask is making it hard to breathe!). I'd rank this as my third favorite in the series (best = Alvin's Secret Code, then The Marvelous Inventions of AF). On to "Alvin's Swap Shop"!

[bup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometime between when I read this in the 70's, and forgetting what the book was even called, and re-reading this book, I had forgotten about all the breaking and entering and property destruction and risking death in the name of vigilante ecological activism.

Still, it inspired me to want to keep my town clean as a kid. So that's good.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book, I believe, as part of the Scholastics Book Club as a kid when it first came out.
I remember just tearing through this book; i don't think my folks would have been too pleased to know I was being sent books on ecoterrorism practice! :)

Looking back, I am surprised this book received such broad distribution given the actions of the characters. But, as an 8 year old, it definitely put the idealistic spark in me that i didn't just have to put up with adults doing bad things.

Those embers of resistance have become especially poignant in our current socio-political climate.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Alvin's Secret Code when I was a kid, but never read any of the other books until now. This was a fun adventure, and I would definitely read more in the series next time I'm in the mood for light middle grade book.

The only concerns for content here would depend on how you feel about your kids imitating the vigilante pollution fighting--there's really no strong language or other typical content concerns.

[Rodney Haydon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to go back and re-read the books I enjoyed when I was younger. The Alvin Fernald series was one I really liked a lot. Clifford B. Hicks has a very enjoyable style. This one doesn't seem to be as good as I remember it. A little disappointing, but I still recommend this book to kids in grade 4-6.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I read all of the Alvin Fernald stories in grade school. Halfway through this one now, I started to lose interest, but am SO GLAD I kept reading. I loved it! Power to Superweasel!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Alvin Fernald series when I was a kid. I distinctly remember reading this, and while I enjoyed it, I did not like it as much as other books in the series.

It is about how Alvin, his friend Shoie, and Alvin's sister "The Pest" secretly combat pollution in their small town. They call themselves Superweasel, and The Pest even makes a costume for her brother. It is a really good book to start kids thinking about our environment, and definitely an early ecological book.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alvin Fernald gets all environmentally conscious with another exciting adventure. Not much ecological information in this book, but hey, it's an Alvin Fernald adventure, so you gotta love it for that.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is back in print now as an ebook :) Wondering how I can upload a better cover?