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The Manny Files #1
The Manny Files
Manny /ma-ne/ "n" A male nanny or babysitter, known to be handsome, fabulous, and a lover of eighties music.
"Be interesting."
That's what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats's school lunch, but for Keats that's not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he's the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the creative one, and Belly . . . well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School isn't much better. There, he's the shortest kid in the entire class.
But now the manny is the Dalinger's new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny embarrassing, and she's started to make a list of all the crazy things that he does, such as serenading the kids with "La Cucaracha" from the front yard or wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu's "Manny Files" makes his parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?
"Be interesting."
That's what the manny tells Keats Dalinger the first time he packs Keats's school lunch, but for Keats that's not always the easiest thing to do. Even though he's the only boy at home, it always feels like no one ever remembers him. His sisters are everywhere! Lulu is the smart one, India is the creative one, and Belly . . . well, Belly is the naked one. And the baby. School isn't much better. There, he's the shortest kid in the entire class.
But now the manny is the Dalinger's new babysitter, and things are starting to look up. It seems as though the manny always knows the right thing to do. Not everyone likes the manny as much as Keats does, however. Lulu finds the manny embarrassing, and she's started to make a list of all the crazy things that he does, such as serenading the kids with "La Cucaracha" from the front yard or wearing underwear on his head or meeting the school bus with Belly, dressed as limo drivers. Keats is worried. What if Lulu's "Manny Files" makes his parents fire the manny? Who will teach him how to be interesting then?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2006
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798 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
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April 11, 2018Well, I kept waiting for the tone of the story to change into something resembling an actual plot, some "goal" that the book was trying to achieve, but it never arrived.
Instead, this is one anecdotal scene after another (after another, after another), a lot of which were truly funny.
BUT...
I was hoping for a totally different type of story than this one was delivering, maybe with alternating points of view from the Keats AND the manny.
Instead, the entire story seems to have been told from 3rd grader Keats' POV.
I love kids but I really don't need 300 pages of an 8 y.o. kid's perspective , so I'm putting it down at 20% in for now.
I may pick it up again later, but I'm guessing probably not.
It's definitely not a romance, which is my personal reading preference.
No rating, as I didn't finish the book.
October 21, 2007
I wrote this so of course I love it.
August 30, 2011
I'm not sure who this book is written for-- it's about a third grader, but it's long, the language is difficult, and there are oblique (to a child) references to the Manny being gay that don't come out until the final scene, when he kisses the kids' uncle-- this would be confusing for a child young enough to want to read about a third grader. Keats is too young (in physical and mental age) to appeal to teens. He likes fancy clothes and opera music and is made fun of at school for wearing babyish underwear (so there are hints of Keats being gay, too, but it isn't addressed.) The book got good reviews, but I don't see it having much of an audience, and there was also a total lack of plot. It was just a series of anecdotes, and I'm surprised I even finished listening to it. So many better LGBT/humorous/family books out there!
March 7, 2009
This is a cute story about Keats and his family’s adventure with their Manny (Male Nanny). The story is mainly about Keats who struggles with his self confidence. When they get a new nanny Keats loves his kindness, carefree spirit and bold creativity. Throughout the course of their relationship the Manny helps Keats get over some of these fears while learning to garner respect from other people with class and integrity.
The book is well written and filled with many lively moments. I also appreciate the books more tender moments like then the family secretly creates a surprise garden for their ailing grandmother who they are taking care of.
At other times the book seems too long. The text is close to 400 pages and although there are many, many funny telling of the families activities they can get a little tiresome as they don't always move the storyline along. We also find out at the end of the book (literally on the last page) that the Manny is homosexual and in a happy relationship with Keats uncle. This ending was sort of a letdown for me because the author already shows the reader (throughout the story) that the Manny is homosexual and that he is dating Keats Uncle. Their relationship is certainly a secondary story within the larger one but I think ending the story like that detracted from the Manny’s relationship with Keats and the way he helped Keats mature into a more self assured young man. The Manny’s friendship with Keats was the best part of the story! I hoped the story would end on that high note, but oh well.
The book is well written and filled with many lively moments. I also appreciate the books more tender moments like then the family secretly creates a surprise garden for their ailing grandmother who they are taking care of.
At other times the book seems too long. The text is close to 400 pages and although there are many, many funny telling of the families activities they can get a little tiresome as they don't always move the storyline along. We also find out at the end of the book (literally on the last page) that the Manny is homosexual and in a happy relationship with Keats uncle. This ending was sort of a letdown for me because the author already shows the reader (throughout the story) that the Manny is homosexual and that he is dating Keats Uncle. Their relationship is certainly a secondary story within the larger one but I think ending the story like that detracted from the Manny’s relationship with Keats and the way he helped Keats mature into a more self assured young man. The Manny’s friendship with Keats was the best part of the story! I hoped the story would end on that high note, but oh well.
February 4, 2019
A 3rd grader named Keats lives in a busy family that has employed many nannies. None of them have worked out until they meet the Manny. The Manny is full of fun and creativity and is a new light in the household for everyone except oldest sister Lulu. She begins keeping a log of all the unconventional and (to her) embarrassing occurrences she can find to build up a case against keeping the Manny. Our main man Keats loves the Manny and does not want to lose him. While I thought this book was very entertaining as an adult (who wouldn't want to have the Manny brighten up their life?)
I think it would be confusing for a child Keats age. With my adult perspective I can clearly see that the Manny and Uncle Max are a couple. Keats is clueless, so either make it more clear by making Keats older or leave that relationship out of the book. It would still be a really great read and less confusing.
I think it would be confusing for a child Keats age. With my adult perspective I can clearly see that the Manny and Uncle Max are a couple. Keats is clueless, so either make it more clear by making Keats older or leave that relationship out of the book. It would still be a really great read and less confusing.
May 10, 2018
As told by a perceptive young boy who feels overshadowed by his older sisters, Keats finds a role model in the new charismatic and eccentric "male nanny" his parents hire.
This book really surprised me! I guess I was expecting it to be a little corny, but I actually found it light, fresh and inspiring. The audiobook was easy to listen to and the story was well thought-out and interesting.
This book really surprised me! I guess I was expecting it to be a little corny, but I actually found it light, fresh and inspiring. The audiobook was easy to listen to and the story was well thought-out and interesting.
October 2, 2013
This is a really sweet story about the entrance of a male nanny (the Manny) into the life of a family. He is entertaining, eccentric, eternally patient and becomes more of a family member than an employee. He and the kids' uncle become instant friends and eventually it becomes clear that they are falling in love. I like that the gayness of the Manny does not cause any dissonance: it is a subtext and a natural part of the story. The storyteller, Keats, who is a middle-school, middle child--sandwiched between sisters, identifies so strongly with the Manny that there is the possibility that Keats is gay--but the question is as inconsequential, as it should be for a boy his age.
The Manny makes everything a fun adventure: conducting picnics under tables and on rooftops, spelling words with pancakes, chasing the school bus and barking at it with the dogs, dressing up in various outfits to meet the kids at the bus. This stuff mortifies Keats' eldest sister Lulu, a tween who keeps a record of the Manny's antics in her "Manny Files". The main conflict is about whether Lulu will get the Manny fired. It is pretty obvious that he is beloved and becoming a permanent family fixture, but Keats sees anyone older--including Lulu--as more powerful than himself and fears Lulu might win the struggle. The parents handle the conflict in a wise way that gave me some ideas about handling family drama.
With help from the Manny, Keats overcomes a lot of fears, learns to have compassion for a bully and triumphs in a spelling bee. I like this boy so much better than the boy in Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Like Wimpy Kid it is diary/timeline driven, stringing together anecdotes in the year of a family life. Keats is the narrator and he frequently segues to cute memories, often via a word he recently learned so it is educational without being tedious. My 9 year old boy and 12 year old girl enjoyed it equally.
Our family listened to it on CD during long drives and laughed a lot, rerunning passages that one of us had missed. I am not sure I would have enjoyed reading it as much as listening to it, since it is not necessarily a "page turner". I really loved the voice of the CD reader as well. I just learned from the author's Goodreads page that there is a Manny Files 2 and can't wait to enjoy it with my family!
The Manny makes everything a fun adventure: conducting picnics under tables and on rooftops, spelling words with pancakes, chasing the school bus and barking at it with the dogs, dressing up in various outfits to meet the kids at the bus. This stuff mortifies Keats' eldest sister Lulu, a tween who keeps a record of the Manny's antics in her "Manny Files". The main conflict is about whether Lulu will get the Manny fired. It is pretty obvious that he is beloved and becoming a permanent family fixture, but Keats sees anyone older--including Lulu--as more powerful than himself and fears Lulu might win the struggle. The parents handle the conflict in a wise way that gave me some ideas about handling family drama.
With help from the Manny, Keats overcomes a lot of fears, learns to have compassion for a bully and triumphs in a spelling bee. I like this boy so much better than the boy in Diary of a Wimpy Kid! Like Wimpy Kid it is diary/timeline driven, stringing together anecdotes in the year of a family life. Keats is the narrator and he frequently segues to cute memories, often via a word he recently learned so it is educational without being tedious. My 9 year old boy and 12 year old girl enjoyed it equally.
Our family listened to it on CD during long drives and laughed a lot, rerunning passages that one of us had missed. I am not sure I would have enjoyed reading it as much as listening to it, since it is not necessarily a "page turner". I really loved the voice of the CD reader as well. I just learned from the author's Goodreads page that there is a Manny Files 2 and can't wait to enjoy it with my family!
July 22, 2022
Read this book back in middle school and I really enjoyed it. Was the first time experiencing somewhat gay literature. So happy I kept the book and was able to revisit it again. Was giggling out loud reading it and was able to pick up on all of the subtle hints to the Manny's relationship with Max.
October 23, 2017
Found this on my library's free audio-book site under LGBTQ interest. After listening to the whole thing, I thought, hmmm... there really wasn't anything adult about that book. Maybe my kids would like it. It was only after investigating that I realized the book actually WAS a kids book.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book, but I didn't like the person who read the audiobook. I find it disconcerting when a book in which the narrator is a child is read by an adult. There are plenty of kids out there who can read quite well.
Anyway, this book does a nice job of addressing topics of bullying, sensitive boys, and sibling relationships in a relateable, interesting story. Fun for kids and adults alike.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book, but I didn't like the person who read the audiobook. I find it disconcerting when a book in which the narrator is a child is read by an adult. There are plenty of kids out there who can read quite well.
Anyway, this book does a nice job of addressing topics of bullying, sensitive boys, and sibling relationships in a relateable, interesting story. Fun for kids and adults alike.
March 22, 2020
THE MANNY FILES WAS SO FUNNY AND LAUGHY (YES IT IS NOW A WORD) AND SURPRISIngLY SURPRISINg! ( at somepoints becaus the big "surprise" was really really really predictably not surprising. like at all.
August 21, 2023
literally just a 3rd grader with a gay manny i love it. no deeper meaning no big dramatic plot, just simplicity
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January 30, 2017I have been looking forward to The Many Files for some years now, and it was worth the wait for so many reasons: first and foremost, when the second-hand book that I had bought online arrived, it turned out to be a signed copy! Don’t worry, Mr Burch, I will take very good care of it now and will treasure it forever.
I was in bed with the flu when I started reading this novel, which proved to be a really lucky turn of events, because I could spend the whole day doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself and laughing at Keats’ narrative (who, incidentally, I imagine as a young David Sedaris with all his awkwardness and mannerisms), and I did feel a bit like having a Manny of my own who would bring me cups of tea and pearls of wisdom. (Although I no longer need to be told to be interesting, because I already am interesting enough, thank you vey much.)
It is such a heart-warming story, where we can see Keats gain confidence and find himself with the help of the Manny, and I’m not embarrassed to admit that I shed the occasional tear while reading all about it. Keats’ awesomely supportive and kind family also deserves major kudos, even if they have somewhat questionable taste in baby names. I found the book especially touching as I have a young person in my life whom I try to support and guide to the best of my abilities, and the Manny’s advice and gentle guidance really resonated with me. On this note, however, I feel that the only weakness of this book is that while it is aimed at the younger reader, it’s the adults (or at least older readers) who get more out of it, especially humour-wise, and I think quite a few of the cultural references are lost on the 10-12 years old readers. (But I’d be more than happy to be mistaken on this point.)
All in all, I’m so happy that I finally read The Many Files and that I read it now, it warmed my heart and made me laugh, and that’s perfectly enough for me.
I was in bed with the flu when I started reading this novel, which proved to be a really lucky turn of events, because I could spend the whole day doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself and laughing at Keats’ narrative (who, incidentally, I imagine as a young David Sedaris with all his awkwardness and mannerisms), and I did feel a bit like having a Manny of my own who would bring me cups of tea and pearls of wisdom. (Although I no longer need to be told to be interesting, because I already am interesting enough, thank you vey much.)
It is such a heart-warming story, where we can see Keats gain confidence and find himself with the help of the Manny, and I’m not embarrassed to admit that I shed the occasional tear while reading all about it. Keats’ awesomely supportive and kind family also deserves major kudos, even if they have somewhat questionable taste in baby names. I found the book especially touching as I have a young person in my life whom I try to support and guide to the best of my abilities, and the Manny’s advice and gentle guidance really resonated with me. On this note, however, I feel that the only weakness of this book is that while it is aimed at the younger reader, it’s the adults (or at least older readers) who get more out of it, especially humour-wise, and I think quite a few of the cultural references are lost on the 10-12 years old readers. (But I’d be more than happy to be mistaken on this point.)
All in all, I’m so happy that I finally read The Many Files and that I read it now, it warmed my heart and made me laugh, and that’s perfectly enough for me.
June 1, 2009
This book was a fun, quick read. It's meant for probably pre-teen, or even younger, but there are some adult themes in the book that parents may find they are uncomfortable with their children reading about. On that note, it is a good conversation starter for parnets and children (or an internal conversation starter for the adult reader) about all of the different types of adult relationships and roles that adults play in the lives of children. I think this book presents a wonderfully well-rounded family who is accepting and loving. I would love to have someone like the Manny in my life, or in my children's lives. He is funny, memorable, loveable, quirky, strong, and a non-stereotype. This book isn't for everyone. But if you are tolerant and non-judgemental you will probably love it.
February 10, 2011
A cute and endearing story that works on two levels as the reader will be more aware of the subtext than the young narrator. It kind of reminds me of the hypercolour reality of the Harriet the Spy film, where everything is fun and vibrant and everything is wonderful. That's not to say that there isn't some seriousness and poignancy drifting in from time to time, but this book is just working very hard to charm the pants off you. And it succeeds.
December 11, 2022
The book is *excellently* written, very readable, and downright hilarious. My own kids are the ages of the 4 Dalinger children, and Burch captures the attributes and quirks of each age wonderfully. My husband kept demanding that I read aloud what I was giggling over. Burch's portrayal of the story's narrator, 9-year-old Keats, is especially touching.
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January 3, 2020Ugh. Annoyed as heck by this book right now.
Call me naive, but I didn't think this book geared toward 9-12 year olds (as listed on the inside book jacket) would have a theme of the wonder of homosexuality in it, and I'm a little irritated that it wasn't obvious until I had spent a substantial amount of time in it. And then... when I searched the wisdom of the interwebs to see if what I was suspecting was correct, it's listed as young adult fiction? Since when are 9-12 year olds young adults? Those are pre-adolescents! Whatever. It's fine for a lot of people, but there is much, much better literature out there than this. Truth be told, I only read as far as I did because I'd had it too long and needed it gone, it was a fast read, and I was waiting to see if the character of Lulu would come around to the manny. Turns out, I guess I'm Lulu.
What's funny about this is that I thought of it last night when I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about how long I've had it and that I should read it and return it, finally. When I got out of bed to get it, I found the Frontier boarding pass from April of 2011 still in it - when I borrowed it from KB. Did she recommend it as a good book? I can't remember. Oh well. Mostly I'm annoyed that I wasted this amount of time on it and that I kept it this long (even moving it 1000+ miles with me to California.) Enough said, I guess.
Call me naive, but I didn't think this book geared toward 9-12 year olds (as listed on the inside book jacket) would have a theme of the wonder of homosexuality in it, and I'm a little irritated that it wasn't obvious until I had spent a substantial amount of time in it. And then... when I searched the wisdom of the interwebs to see if what I was suspecting was correct, it's listed as young adult fiction? Since when are 9-12 year olds young adults? Those are pre-adolescents! Whatever. It's fine for a lot of people, but there is much, much better literature out there than this. Truth be told, I only read as far as I did because I'd had it too long and needed it gone, it was a fast read, and I was waiting to see if the character of Lulu would come around to the manny. Turns out, I guess I'm Lulu.
What's funny about this is that I thought of it last night when I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about how long I've had it and that I should read it and return it, finally. When I got out of bed to get it, I found the Frontier boarding pass from April of 2011 still in it - when I borrowed it from KB. Did she recommend it as a good book? I can't remember. Oh well. Mostly I'm annoyed that I wasted this amount of time on it and that I kept it this long (even moving it 1000+ miles with me to California.) Enough said, I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2017
This book just made me so happy. Every time I picked it up, I was smiling the whole time, and it even made me laugh out loud, which books rarely manage. It's sweet and joyful, but also includes some of the real frustration children experience when so much of life is out of their control. It has casual, gentle queerness, and most importantly a little boy who's implied to be queer and a positive relationship with an older role model. So many books shy away from that, but here it's perfectly natural -- all about how the boy feels safe and happy with the manny, about who he likes to be around, what he wants to be like, without it having to be about a crush or anything like that. Of course Keats is more coherent than the average 8-year-old, most of them aren't writing novels, but he still feels like a real kid, one who doesn't understand references but wants to act like an adult, who's a good kid and smart but still gets petty. It's just really warm and sweet, and the lack of plot is perfect, just enough to keep you into it but not enough to be stressful. I'll be rereading this one for sure next time I need a break and a pick-me-up.
Full review: https://hannahgivens.wordpress.com/20...
Full review: https://hannahgivens.wordpress.com/20...
August 31, 2018
Very cute/fun/upbeat coming-of-age story about Keats, a young boy, who wears Scooby Doo underwear, fashionable attire, has glasses, very few friends, is picked on by a bully, but has a very good family life: a cool dad, a loving mom, a 13 year old whiny mean-spirited sister, Lulu, a 11 year old fashion savvy sister, India, a 3 year old sister, Belly, a fun loving Grandmother, the traveler Uncle Max, and the biggest impact on the family, the MANNY.
Watch as Keats finds his own inspiration and learns life lessons from the Manny in regards to school, his siblings, friends, and family life. Though a lot of the pop-culture references and humor make this book more geared toward adults, its equally a lot of fun.
There are a few moments, in terms of the bullying, and a family situation, that hit very close to home for me, too close, but the book itself is really cute from Keats' internal perspective.
Burch does a great job of capturing all of the family's emotions and personalities, as well as the super cool fun free easy-going personality of the Manny!
Watch as Keats finds his own inspiration and learns life lessons from the Manny in regards to school, his siblings, friends, and family life. Though a lot of the pop-culture references and humor make this book more geared toward adults, its equally a lot of fun.
There are a few moments, in terms of the bullying, and a family situation, that hit very close to home for me, too close, but the book itself is really cute from Keats' internal perspective.
Burch does a great job of capturing all of the family's emotions and personalities, as well as the super cool fun free easy-going personality of the Manny!
September 21, 2020
At the outset of the book I thought I was going to only give it about 3 stars or so because it is a children's story and went in under the impression that it would be too predictable.
This book is such a fun, and surprisingly mature read! It was really fun to have narrated to me, with some minor changes :'D
I'm so ready to read the follow up book to learn what happens next with the manny!
In today's culture the end may not be as much as a surprise as when the novel was written, but it was still great to be back in the mind of a third-grader, even if just for a week!
This book is such a fun, and surprisingly mature read! It was really fun to have narrated to me, with some minor changes :'D
I'm so ready to read the follow up book to learn what happens next with the manny!
In today's culture the end may not be as much as a surprise as when the novel was written, but it was still great to be back in the mind of a third-grader, even if just for a week!
November 1, 2022
This was and probably still is my favorite book. It gave me such a love of reading and the library from a young age. I first heard it on audiobook in my friends car, they were listening to the story. I made my parents take me to the library to get our own copy of the audio book. The I bought my own copy and read it twice. It is such a fun story. Highly recommend for young readers.
June 18, 2019
The style of the writing is a bit frustrating as it doesn’t have a great flow, often feeling as if a child is whining. However, the growth of the main character and the discovery of the truth of the manny works well.
December 24, 2023
Cute! I don't really read much middle grade/children's but I liked this. Silly and heartwarming but with a seriousness about life’s hardships underneath that breaks through the over-the-top silliness.
July 30, 2017
A sweet look through the eyes of Keats, a boy who considers himself invisible, until "The Manny" enters his and his four sisters' lives, bringing life and laughter into their quiet world.
January 5, 2018
Clever writing. Fun story. Subtle look at gender roles.
January 26, 2018
Incredible. Hilarious, smart, delicate. Not one word wasted. I’m in awe and so happy this book came into my life.
March 21, 2018
Absolutely LOVE this male nanny. Humorous, patient, encouraging. Recommend with caution: brief gay moment at end, but not involving the children in the story.
April 22, 2019
One of the original titles for the CCS/PFLAG Dayton Rainbow Reading project.
February 5, 2022
Listen to this as an audiobook. It was unforgettable as long as you’re comfortable with someone being gay. My kids still say “you squeezed a greaser!”.
We loved it!
We loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
Awesome, cute story! Getting the 2nd book from the library ❤️
July 8, 2024
My favorite book ever, always a good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews