Ratfink

by Marcia Thornton Jones

Poor Logan. He always seems to be getting into trouble. Fifth grade will be different. That is until Grandpa moves in. Grandpa is becoming more and more forgetful and Logan doesn?t want him doing embarrassing things?especially in front of his friends. He doesn?t want his parents to send Grandpa away either. Then there is Emily Scott. She?s had it in for Logan since the first day of school. She is trying to set him up so he looks like he turned ratfink on his best friend, Malik. And when Emily produces an embarrassing photo of Logan, will he really turn ?ratfink? to preserve his reputation and save Grandpa?

Genres: Humor, Childrens

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2010

About the author

Marcia Thornton Jones has published 131 books for children with sales totaling more than 43 million copies world-wide. Her works include CHAMP (mid-grade novel), RATFINK (mid-grade novel), GODZILLA ATE MY HOMEWORK (chapter book), THE TALE OF JACK FROST (picture book) and LEPRECHAUN ON THE LOOSE (picture book). She is the co-author of seven popular series including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, Keyholders, Ghostville Elementary, The Bailey School Kids Jr. Chapter Books, Triplet Trouble, Bailey City Monsters, and The Barkley School for Dogs.

Marcia has been listed as a top 100 author by the Educational Paperback Association and selected for the Children’s Top 100 Books list by the National Education Association, International Reading Associations Children’s Choice Award. Marcia's books have received many honors and have appeared on on the Publisher's Weekly Bestsellers lists,

Marcia, a full time writer living in Lexington, Kentucky enjoys presenting at schools and conferences. As a veteran teacher with more than 20 years of experience, she easily relates the importance of writing to students of all ages.

Reviews

[Ardea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title / Author / Publication Date: Ratfink/Marcia Thornton Jones/2010

Genre: Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Plot summary: Poor Logan. He always seems to be getting into trouble. Fifth grade will be different. That is until Grandpa moves in. Grandpa is becoming more and more forgetful and Logan doesn't want him doing embarrassing things especially in front of his friends. He doesn't want his parents to send Grandpa away either. Then there is Emily Scott. She?s had it in for Logan since the first day of school. She is trying to set him up so he looks like he turned ratfink on his best friend, Malik. And when Emily produces an embarrassing photo of Logan, will he really turn ratfink to preserve his reputation and save Grandpa? (GoodReads)

Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: The main character deals with his grandfather's advancing Alzheimers.

Review citation: Donnelly, A. (2010). Ratfink (Book Review). School Library Journal, 56(2), 114.

Section source used to find the material: Children's Core Collection, Most Highly Recommended

Recommended age: 8 and up

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book most kids will be able to identify with. The fear of being laughed at is a universal fear.
Logan's grandpa is losing his memories. Logan is afraid he will doing something to embarrass him. It isn't long until Emily the new girl finds that embarrassing item and uses it to try to blackmail Logan into finding and divulging a secret his best friend Malik has. This would be a great book to read to a certain point and then pose the question to students, "What would you choose to do if you were Logan?" It also brings up the themes of friendship, family, and so many more. This is definitely a book to be added to my shelves.

[Trevor Hu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. It captures aspects of every child's psychological pain: Being picked on and having no proof for your parents whatsoever. This book was infuriating yet surprisingly intriguing, and the parent's demeanor can get quite relatable. I remember reading this in fifth grade, and noticed a particular aspect of the book: it always has numerous series of events that leaves your mind thinking what will happen on the next page rather than the next chapter (although it does that too). Anyways, reading this book will no longer feel like a chore, but rather something happening to you. The character development in this book is very well thought out. I definitely recommend this book.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Logan isn't a liar, he just tells stories--stories that get him in trouble. But this year, going into fifth grade, it's going to be different. Well, Logan didn't anticipate Emily. Emily has appointed herself to get Logan in trouble at every possible moment and she's good at it.
Ratfink entertained me for an afternoon, but how Emily and Logan's parents acted bugged me. I couldn't get over how obnoxious they were and how they treated Logan. I liked the stories Logan and his grandfather came up with though. They were the best parts for me.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Wasn't really worth the time after 50 pages.

[Chloe Rafanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is heartwarming.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my thing

[Meg Mirza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth-grader Logan's new and all-consuming worry is that his friends will find out about his embarrassing grandfather. Logan is determined to keep his social circle and his grandfather (suffering from Alzheimer's and prone to random and bizarre outbursts, such as streaking the neighbors) as far away from each other as possible. That's an increasingly difficult task to undertake when his grandfather's deteriorating condition has just necessitated moving in with his family.

Meanwhile, at school Logan is bullied by bossy new girl Emily "the Snot" Scott, who wants to know what mysterious artifact Logan's best friend Malik is carrying around in his backpack. If Logan won't snoop for her, she threatens to publish photos of his grandfather running around in his boxers. I found Logan a bit hard to sympathize with at times, as his obsession with keeping his poor grandfather under wraps struck me as a bit self-centered and shallow. On the other hand, it was an honest portrayal of what a lot of popularity-obsessed middle-schoolers might actually feel in that situation. This is a perfect snapshot of that time in lots of boys lives, before girls are on their radar. It's clear that Emily is only an annoyance to Logan, nothing more. Logan struggles with his loyalties, but after plenty of build-up, finally decides not to betray Malik's trust. And we never do find out what is in Malik's backpack. Lame! I was very curious! Was it a stuffed toy that Malik would be embarrassed to be seen carrying? A weird science contraption that he's working on? Medical supplies for asthma, diabetes or the like? We'll never know!

Logan's parents briefly consider an assisted-living situation, something which Logan views with dread. In his grandfather's lucid moments, it's clear that Logan and his grandfather have a very warm relationship. His grandfather gives him sage advice about how to handle a few sticky situations at school, and manages to deliver the book's message about sticking up for yourself and ignoring the crowd when necessary without sounding too preachy or corny, a laudable feat. I wanted to see more moments like this -- where our protagonist is a bit less neurotic.

For such a well-drawn sketch of family life, I found the ending a bit unrealistic and a little too pat. Still, the issues of loyalty, friendship and family are well-explored and Bailey School Kids author Marcia Thornton Jones shows a more mature, well-rounded side in this middle-grade offering. I would recommend this to readers aged 8-12.

[Erin Sterling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Logan is the master of storytelling, but now that he's in fifth grade, his parents don't want any more trouble at school because of his stories. His dad promises him that if he can go ten days in school without a warning from the teacher, he can get his very own pet! But other plans--and people--get in the way, from the new girl Emily whose sole purpose in school seems to be aimed at bringing Logan down to his grandfather who is losing his memory (and doing embarrassing things like walking out in the yard practically naked or acting like a chicken). Funny book with a look at Alzheimer's from a kid's point a view. What annoyed me was how no one would even listen to Logan's explanations for things that obviously were not necessarily totally his fault. Also, there was a mystery in the book that never got solved! Luckily, I wasn't too engaged, but I thought that really strange for a kid's book.

[Charlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Logan should have heard the Aesop fable about the boy who cried, “Wolf!” because now that he’s in fifth grade, neither his parents nor his teacher will believe that he is not personally responsible for all the chaos he causes. And the truth is, Logan isn’t always at fault. He even has a plan to stay out of trouble in fifth grade, yet trouble finds him again and again. One problem is his grandfather who’s recently moved into his home. Logan is sure that his grandfather who has Alzheimer's is going to cause what every fifth grade boy wants to avoid: embarrassment. Another problem is the new girl, Emily, the Snot, Scott, who has it in for Logan and uses every opportunity to cause him grief. Finally, he manages to upset his best friend, Malik. It’s no wonder that Logan is trying not to become his new nickname: Ratfink.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2012 KBA nominee. Fifth grade boy (Logan Malone) adjusting to life after grandpa has moved in. He's in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Logan is embarrassed about his grandfather's behavior and doesn't want anyone at school to know about it. Logan has had behvaioral issues (nothing serious) at school but is determined to turn that around as fifth grade begins. Unfortunately a new student (Emily) seems to have a knack for getting Logan into trouble. Eventually, it is ironic that Logan's grandfather is the one who winds up helping Logan solve his problem. Typical fifth grade stuff. The book seems somewhat shallow and characters are a bit weak, but I did like the growing relationship between Logan and his grandfather. A nice story for any kid who has a grandparent recentlyl move in.

[Becky Barrier Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will be a quick, light read for students who enjoy humor and realistic fiction. There are no deep meanings here but realistic problems often dealt with by 4th and 5th graders. Friendship/enemy challenges, being misunderstood And not listened to by Parents, a beloved, now embarrassing grandfather with dementia, etc. Good morals here and satisfying solutions. A light, fun read or read aloud.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of adults--librarians and teachers wax lyrical over marvelously written books that they, the adults adore, but that your average 10 or 11 year old won't give a hoot about. So a book like this won't win their raves.
But Logan, his grandpa and his friends feel real. And they will to real kids reading them, even if the "experts" won't give it as high a rating.
And who are these books for anyway?

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Logan is looking forward to his tenth birthday, except for the fact that his grandfather might embarrass him. He recently moved in with Logan's family and he is getting forgetful. Also, he has just started the fifth grade and there is an annoying girl in his class. This is a cute and humorous story, yet it brings up an issue facing many families when caring for elder relatives.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 3 out of 5]

From co-author of Bailey School Kids series. Picked it up because of the hilarious opening scene, but I loved it because it combined the humorous trials and the serious problems that a fifth grader can face.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy and his wild family. He is trying to overcome his habits of telling lies and stories, but it is a lot harder than it seems. He also has to deal with the new girl, Emily, who has somehow turned the whole class against him... at least that's what he thinks.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, Logan told some whoppers, but Emily REALLY bullied him in my opinion. Best quote from the book: "But as soon as that timer started, my brain froze like penguin snot."

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

it was really good but not my fave i mean it ok...... but eh, not really no never mind it was not good

[Ben Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first line will make you smile, and the rest will make you laugh and then get teary-eyed. One of my favorite middle grade books. I highly recommend it.