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The Broccoli Tapes
During a stay of several months in Hawaii with her family, Sara reports her experiences by tape back to her sixth grade class in Boston, detailing her "adoption" of a wild cat, a friendship with a troubled Hawaiian boy, and the death of a beloved grandmot
157 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 2, 2017
I read this when I was a child, most likely between the ages of 10-13. I remember really liking it, as I enjoyed books told in diary format, and this book is told through recordings made on cassette tapes, which as a child I thought was the neatest idea ever.
The thing that happened at the end... I forgot it was coming. How did child me handle it, I wonder?
I love that this book could still make me have such a strong emotional reaction. It held up with time, though obviously dated with usage of tapes. Everything else is still very relatable.
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Child me: 5 stars
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
The thing that happened at the end... I forgot it was coming. How did child me handle it, I wonder?
I love that this book could still make me have such a strong emotional reaction. It held up with time, though obviously dated with usage of tapes. Everything else is still very relatable.
---
Child me: 5 stars
Adult me: 4 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
May 28, 2008
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have heard the title bandied about for years, and finally stumbled across it inadvertently. I really thought Jan Slepian did a great job building feelings of loneliness and isolation in her main characters.
The ending was a little abrupt and the loose ends were all tied up rather quickly, but other than that, I loved it.
Enjoy!
The ending was a little abrupt and the loose ends were all tied up rather quickly, but other than that, I loved it.
Enjoy!
March 17, 2019
I remember reading parts of this book as a child, when my sister brought it home from school for a reading assignment and I swiped it from her. (Good times...) I thought I had forgotten about it in the years since, but coming across it again in a used-book store as an adult brought back memories, and I found myself wanting to learn how the story ended. I'm very glad I picked it back up -- it's a thoughtful coming-of-age story about a girl who feels out of place in her new home, and how her friendship with a wild cat and a troubled local boy help her better understand herself and her family.
Sara is a Boston native who feels incredibly out of place in her new home in Hawaii, despite the beauty of her new surroundings. Neither she nor her brother, the quiet and oddball Sam, feel like they fit in, and so despite their differences they find common ground in befriending a wounded wild cat they name Broccoli. As they sneak food to their new "pet" -- and befriend Eddie, a local boy with a sharp tongue an a troubled home life -- they try to escape both their growing homesickness and their grandmother's worsening illness. And in the end, perhaps a stray cat will end up making their stay far from home a little more memorable... and help them come to terms with their own issues.
The story is told via a series of audio tapes that Sara records, journal-style, and sends home to her classmates. This might come across as a gimmick to some readers, but I liked it -- it allowed us to get deeper into Sara's thoughts and feelings, and allowed the character's voice to shine through. And there are a few parts in the tapes that she explicitly states will be erased before she sends them, allowing her to speak frankly about more personal matters. And while some might see the "erase" bits as a cop-out... well, who hasn't wanted to vent their feelings via writing or recording, even if said writing and recording never sees the light of day?
There's quite a bit going on in such a short book -- the family trying to fit in on the islands, the secret of Broccoli the cat, Eddie's troubled home life, Sara and Sam's grandmother and her illness, etc. At times it feels like there's a bit TOO much going on, but for the most part Jan Slepian juggles the multiple plots well, and manages to tie things together nicely. The characters feel realistic and believable but still sympathetic, and even the cat gets a personality of its own. Just be warned that this is a book that will probably make you cry at least once...
A unique and thoughtful coming-of-age story, "The Broccoli Tapes" is a good read for older kids and young teens, even if it might have them asking just what an audio tape is. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this years after first reading it, and recommend it to both kids and adults.
Sara is a Boston native who feels incredibly out of place in her new home in Hawaii, despite the beauty of her new surroundings. Neither she nor her brother, the quiet and oddball Sam, feel like they fit in, and so despite their differences they find common ground in befriending a wounded wild cat they name Broccoli. As they sneak food to their new "pet" -- and befriend Eddie, a local boy with a sharp tongue an a troubled home life -- they try to escape both their growing homesickness and their grandmother's worsening illness. And in the end, perhaps a stray cat will end up making their stay far from home a little more memorable... and help them come to terms with their own issues.
The story is told via a series of audio tapes that Sara records, journal-style, and sends home to her classmates. This might come across as a gimmick to some readers, but I liked it -- it allowed us to get deeper into Sara's thoughts and feelings, and allowed the character's voice to shine through. And there are a few parts in the tapes that she explicitly states will be erased before she sends them, allowing her to speak frankly about more personal matters. And while some might see the "erase" bits as a cop-out... well, who hasn't wanted to vent their feelings via writing or recording, even if said writing and recording never sees the light of day?
There's quite a bit going on in such a short book -- the family trying to fit in on the islands, the secret of Broccoli the cat, Eddie's troubled home life, Sara and Sam's grandmother and her illness, etc. At times it feels like there's a bit TOO much going on, but for the most part Jan Slepian juggles the multiple plots well, and manages to tie things together nicely. The characters feel realistic and believable but still sympathetic, and even the cat gets a personality of its own. Just be warned that this is a book that will probably make you cry at least once...
A unique and thoughtful coming-of-age story, "The Broccoli Tapes" is a good read for older kids and young teens, even if it might have them asking just what an audio tape is. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this years after first reading it, and recommend it to both kids and adults.
July 15, 2018
Sara's father got a temporary teaching position in Hawaii. Sara has a difficult time adjusting, but is comforted by caring for a stray cat she and her brother "adopted". I really liked this story and the characters. There were some surprising turns, and the dynamics of the complicated personalities was interesting. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the cat. The premise of the story is that Sara is making audio tapes of her experiences for a school project. I found that aspect to be distracting, awkward and slightly off-putting at times.
May 15, 2017
This book has a strangely misleading title. I didn't want to read it & probably never would have if my friend hadn't convinced me that it was a great book & I needed to read it! I'm glad she was so persistent. :)
May 29, 2019
One of my favorite reads from my childhood
November 30, 2021
A heartfelt story of loving someone.
August 2, 2023
Cute story! I'm glad I came across it.
July 1, 2016
I remembered this book recently, and I'm so sad that I'd forgotten about it. I think my mother donated it years ago to the public library, and I'm fairly certain I had purchased it at one of those library sales in the first place, so it has now come full circle.
The Broccoli Tapes is the story of Sara, who leaves her home on the continental US for Hawaii, where her professor father is taking a temporary teaching post/sabbatical. Before she leaves, her teacher at her old school assigns an oral history project, and requests Sara to do hers on island life. Sara buys a tape recorder, which thereafter becomes a sort of diary of her experiences, including the isolation she and her brother Sam feel at leaving their home behind and becoming strangers in a new place. Sara and Sam come upon a feral cat, and they begin to care for it and name it Broccoli. She also meets a boy about her age named Eddie, and they form a friendship slowly, kind of like how she convinces Broccoli to trust her.
I read this book a lot at age 10/11, when I had just moved to a new town and felt really lonely. It's a touching story, and I remember the descriptions of Hawaii were particularly vivid.
The Broccoli Tapes is the story of Sara, who leaves her home on the continental US for Hawaii, where her professor father is taking a temporary teaching post/sabbatical. Before she leaves, her teacher at her old school assigns an oral history project, and requests Sara to do hers on island life. Sara buys a tape recorder, which thereafter becomes a sort of diary of her experiences, including the isolation she and her brother Sam feel at leaving their home behind and becoming strangers in a new place. Sara and Sam come upon a feral cat, and they begin to care for it and name it Broccoli. She also meets a boy about her age named Eddie, and they form a friendship slowly, kind of like how she convinces Broccoli to trust her.
I read this book a lot at age 10/11, when I had just moved to a new town and felt really lonely. It's a touching story, and I remember the descriptions of Hawaii were particularly vivid.
August 14, 2011
The Broccoli Tapes is about a girl named Sara that lived in Boston until her dad had to go to Hawaii for five months. In Hawaii Sara still wanted to be part of the class report back in Boston. So, she made cassette tapes. She then meets a wild cat. Sara and her brother name the cat Broccoli beacuse when they feed her, Broccoli is the first thing she goes to. Broccoli the cat is what Sara started to talk about on the tapes. That's where the book received its name "The Broccoli Tapes".If you ever read the Broccoli Tapes you would love it. If you need glasses to read like me you would love the print it's perfect.The writer made you want to read more. I think the book is sad. If you love sad books this would be the book for you. Here are two reasons I think the book is sad. In the book Sara's grandmom dies of cancer. Also, the cat she loves so much named Broccoli died after having kittens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2012
I remember I read this book in the 5th grade and I loved it. I really didn't think I would, but it is a darling book about a cat and love and heartache and family. I definitely recommend it, especially to younger readers.
Do it! Read the book, because who knows what new world one might fall into? What interesting characters with interesting lives you might meet and fall in love with? You won't know if you like it unless you give it a try. You won't know if you love them unless you crack open the cover and say "Chapter One...." What's the worst that could happen? The universe could implode.... but that's very unlikely.
Honestly, what have you got to lose?
Do it! Read the book, because who knows what new world one might fall into? What interesting characters with interesting lives you might meet and fall in love with? You won't know if you like it unless you give it a try. You won't know if you love them unless you crack open the cover and say "Chapter One...." What's the worst that could happen? The universe could implode.... but that's very unlikely.
Honestly, what have you got to lose?
March 13, 2013
1 star probably not even a half of that
I don't know why this book suddenly popped into my head today, but I hated this book. I had to read this book for group reading in the fourth grade and I absolutely loathed this book. I hated every moment I had to pick this book up and it was one of those books that I skimmed the whole time and could care less about. I made it abundantly clear to my teacher that I hated the book and I thought reading it was torture.
I don't know why this book suddenly popped into my head today, but I hated this book. I had to read this book for group reading in the fourth grade and I absolutely loathed this book. I hated every moment I had to pick this book up and it was one of those books that I skimmed the whole time and could care less about. I made it abundantly clear to my teacher that I hated the book and I thought reading it was torture.
April 29, 2025
Now that I’m a cat owner I can relate to this book more. A good read. The broccoli tapes has a nice setting in Hawaii, sweet characters, fun but somewhat serious story. I like the idea of Sara (female main character) recording her time there on cassette tapes. It’s kinda vintage and cool. And I love broccoli! (The cat not the food 😒) Nice book for preteens to teens because it is a somewhat long read for kids I think (not that it’s very long). Recommend! 🙂↕️
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May 30, 2011I was surprisingly happy with the outcome of this book! I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it, but it's a good storyline. My 6th grade class enjoyed it too, which say a lot if you can make an impact on more the half of the 12 year olds in the class. I recommend this book for 11-12 year old children. It teaches about love and loss and the realities of life.
June 16, 2012
I read this book a few weeks ago but it won't leave my head. Yes it's a YA novel from twenty years ago but the story of a mainland girl who befriends a wild cat in Hawaii and names her Broccoli tore at my heart...especially the ending.
It is actually a beautifully written story but the ending upset me so much I have to deduct a star!
It is actually a beautifully written story but the ending upset me so much I have to deduct a star!
July 1, 2009
i don't know why i thought of this book the other day. i don't remember the plot exactly -- something about two kids in hawaii and a cat named broccoli -- but i remember that i absolutely loved it when i read it in 6th grade.
June 12, 2011
This was great book to read. It was cool how it was a recording on tapes.
April 22, 2009
Reading this with one of my guided reading groups, the are really liking it!
June 7, 2011
This was one of my favorite books in elementary school. I just checked it out of the library and reread it now (at 20) and it still makes me sob like a little beyotch. So worth it.
August 30, 2015
Very cute book; I like how the story was told as if on the narrator's tape recordings. Good pacing, too.
4/5 on here, 8/10 for myself
4/5 on here, 8/10 for myself
April 19, 2010
Simple. I just realized that i really love my childhood memories and the things I used to do.
April 16, 2011
This was one of my favorite books as a child.
February 7, 2012
I loved this book as a kid. It is an enjoyable story that deals with moving, change, loss and family issues.
August 6, 2012
I read and read and read this book when I was younger. A great book about a girl who find herself, and what makes her happy all thanks to a cat. Love it.
August 12, 2013
Original Rating: 3.5 stars
One of my favourite books during fifth grade! I loved it a loot!
One of my favourite books during fifth grade! I loved it a loot!
October 13, 2024
I had to read this book in 4th grade and I loved it until the end. It was the first book I ever read that made me cry.
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September 14, 2018i think that this book is good and is about a sara and her brother and fimily who move to hawaii and sara was not happy when she move but her family think that she is happy and then on day sam which is sara brother take her to the lava and she see a boy hit the cat then sara take the cat to her home and give her food and her and sam is helping sara too and sara buy to the cat think but her dad don't like cat and she but the cat in place and she and sam always go and vist the cat and then she have a grand mom who is sick.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews