Pond Scum

by Alan Silberberg

When he stumbles upon a gem that has the power to transform him into any creature he touches, ten-year-old Oliver enters a parallel world of the pond where he overhears a crow's plot to take over the world, forcing him to take action with his animal friends.When he stumbles upon a gem that has the power to transform him into any creature he touches, ten-year-old Oliver enters a parallel world of the pond where he overhears a crow's plot to take over the world, forcing him to take action with his animal friends.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Friendship, Juvenile, Humor

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver loves TV, has no friends, and is being dragged by his mother to the new country house she bought after divorce splits his parents. Oliver's sister, Rachel, is beside herself with self-pity and has no time or patience for Oliver. While attempting to install a TV antenna on the rickety roof (in order to watch his beloved television shows), he falls through and lands on a mysterious, golden-hued gemstone. At first, little does he know it but this enchanting jewel holds powers that will transform him into other creatures, just by wishing it to be so. And so it goes: Oliver becomes friends with Mooch, a salamander and Antoine, a wise-cracking crow, among other creatures who live in the backyard pond, as they all flip back and forth between the different life forms. As fun as it is in the beginning, Oliver, Mooch and Antoine begin to see an evil plot being hatched by 'The General', Antoine's power-hungry uncle. While this transforming odyssey becomes more and more useful to the friends, The General reacts with more blood-thirsty tactics than ever before. The General aligns with other evildoers and causes havoc all around the small town. Oliver, however, finds a way to thwart his devious plans with the help of his new found friends. A very imaginative tale of friendship and community, which reminds us that all creatures can live in harmony, if only we learn to respect each other's place in the grand scheme of nature.

[Grace 🌴 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11 year old son gives this 5 stars. He’s not very fond of reading, so when I find a book he WANTS to read for pleasure I am thrilled. Bugs, swamps, perfect! Oliver would read this book.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is a 10 year old boy who gets a magical nudge out of his screen centered life and learns how to be a good friend and brother in the process. A fun read.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

[Bread 22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book turned me into a furry,

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea but I can see kids, grade 4-6, who like sci-fi/fantasy enjoying it.

[Ashley Cojocar · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fun book for school!

[SUPER BRETT · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book is called pond scum by alan silberberg. The book is about oliver who's a city boy, a tv boy, and a kinda chubby boy. he didnt like the outside very much so he stuck inside; but when he moves to a run down house in the woods, he really move's in into a pond, and not just any pond a speacial pond that can change man in to people; but you need one thing, a stone. little did oliver know that he would be the future of the pond and its inhabitants.



what i liked about the book is well the whole book. its all ways interesting, and its one of the book im reading, i want to go to bed but im so zoned into the book i cant put it down i recomend this book to all the readers who like adverture, fantasy, and nature



i think the character oliver is very interesting because he goes from city boy to "swamp folk". after he finds the "gem of the swamp" and become a creature of the swamp he really becomes one with the forest.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pond Scum is a really cool book by Alan Silberberg. It is about a lonely boy named Oliver who only source of entertainment (besides TV) is to pull the wings off flies and throw them in his sans fish tank. But after an accident (involving TV), he stumbles upon a golden gem that will change his life forever. He soon finds out that the gem has the power to transform him into any animal he touches. Using this power, Oliver, his salamander friend, Mooch, and the crow Antoine, set off on an epic adventure to save the pond.

I think that the coolest part of this book is the golden gem. I think that the whole idea of being able to turn into different animals is awesome. I would love to have this ability. One of the only things I didn't like about this book is that they said that a hungry beaver might eat a fish, and this is not true. Although it doesn't affect the story, I am a bit of a stickler for those kind of facts.

I think that the theme of this book is über.

[jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out a little slow for me, but soon into the story I really enjoyed the characters. The main character, Oliver, was a little too miserable for me but as I learned more about his situation it became more believable. I also had no problem believing the characters exhibited through the various animal characters. The General was a bit one-dimensional in his evilness, but he added some fun because of how diabolical he was. I think kids would enjoy this story and it also teaches about the symbiotic relationship of humans and the environment. It also addresses what it feels like to be a misfit. A good read!

[Amy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver doesn't have any friends and spends most of his time eating and watching tv. That is until he and his mother and sister move to a new home. Here he discovers a magical gem that can turn him into whatever animal he is holding at the time. After his first transformation he can understand what animals say and soon develops a friendship with a Salamander and a crow. There's something sinister going on in the forest led by a power-hungry crow and when Oliver finds out about it, he has to try to save his new friends.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A VERY humorous book about a lonely, friendless boy who finds a magic crystal that allows him to morph and communicate with the animals around his deteriorated house (the animals have formed an alliance to keep humans out of the house). It's sure to make you laugh out loud. Perfect for boys, girls--everyone!

Good book for discussions about ecology and animal units. Lighter fare than Hoot, and for a slightly younger audience.

As a side note-- the author is very cool. His website has animations and students can write in with questions, etc.

[eRin · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, this just didn't do too much for me. The story about a boy who moves with his mother and sister to a falling-down house by a pond and suddenly discovers how to turn into animals, is unique and original. Oliver is even a pretty well-developed character; but I just couldn't get into the story. I kept waiting for the end--probably because I really didn't like the animal characters too much. I frankly didn't really care about them. Not for me.

[Ziwengames · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was really good and interesting. Oliver moves into a new house near the pond and he finds this jewel. It has a very mystical power. The animals are hating on the people. Oliver catches a salamander and a bird. This book is suspenseful and makes me want to continue reading. At the end, it is action packed. He has powers to transform into another animal. He also goes to a new school. He has an older sister. They live near the pond.

[Megmerrilies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Silberberg's writing a little contrived and his descriptions too long, but his plot and characters were enough to keep my interest and it was a fun, light-hearted read by the end, while managing to touch (briefly) upon an incredibly wide array of serious themes. I did this book for a middle-grade library book club (ages 9-12) and everyone in the group seemed to enjoy it, with a few even saying they wished there was a sequel.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We got an advance proof of this book that went on to be published in 2005. It is a hilarious and well written children's story about a boy who gets turned into all kinds of creatures who want him to release the wild pets he has captured. Orion loved it too! We read it out loud.

[Sonia Jarmula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I found, was a fun Spring/Summer book. I found it a bit difficult to get into, since the action didn't seem to start until well into the middle. Nicely written, great for wild boys. Girls will like it too!

[Terina Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yuck. The hero turns into bugs? How believeable is that? I could go with the animals and insects talking, but when he turns into pond scum? No way...

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable! My only complaint is that I finished it too quickly!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading it out loud with my son. He's already read it once by himself but asked me to read it with him at bedtime. A fun, imaginative read!

[Yomna Asar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that i'm actually hoping for a sequel. I can really see this turning into a whole series. It was very moving especially at the end.

[Kim Gontarz]

Talking animals and magical powers of a gem that allows you to become anything you touch. Animals vs. humans and the evil plot of one crow.

[Muriel]

This is a good book, but it's honestly a little wierd.

[Trafalgar Lei · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great book. perfect for kids.