Skinnybones

Skinnybones #1

by Barbara Park

For the smallest kid on the baseball team, Alex “Skinnybones” Frankovitch has a major-league big mouth! But when he brags his way into a pitching contest, this might be one mess that not even Alex can talk his way out of.

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Sports, Young Adult

370 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 1982

About the author

Barbara Lynne Park was an American author of children's books.

Reviews

[Tracy The Great · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it was a good and funny book. I liked it when he dumped the kitty Fritters on the floor and blamed the cat.

[Joey Oborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really likes this book because Alex played baseball and there were problems with T.J. and Alex got bullyed by T.J. so that is a SOOCAL ISSUE.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex Frankovitch is a boy that can not shut up and makes a lot of troubles. Alex goes through a lot of trouble, and terying to fix it, but at the end, he becomes what he wanted to be.
Through Dialogue - "I am small"
1. I think Alex is a Risk-Taker because he says sentences that might make a big problem.
2. I think Alex is Dishonest because he wants to be a popular person like T.J.
3. I think Alex is Adventurous because he goes through all the hard and dangerous things.
4. I think Alex never gives up because he always wants to get better at baseball, but all he can do was bunt a ball.
This "Skinny Bones" book a good. I didn't like it a lot, but it was good because the character was interesting, and the author made it funny. But I didn't really like it a lot because the book was a bit for younger people.
I would not recommend this book to any other Middle School students because, I think they will get bored and I think they will like other Barbara Park books.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son loved this book. It is about a boy who uses his sense of humor to deal with life. It has a bully in it and a lot of baseball talk. You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book--my son certainly isn't.

It is by the author of the Junie B. Jones series, and it sort of feel like a Junie B. book for older kids. Funny as heck, of course.

[Anu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a boy Alex who was so called skinny bones. Anyways, he isn't the best player on the team he is actually the worst player on the team. he is in that rank because he cant throw, catch or swing the bat. everyone tries to help him but he just cant get it so they gave up. Alex had a dream to one day get to pitch, catch and hit the ball.

He followed his dream and kept on trying and trying and trying. He still didn't get it but he could throw the ball a little better and swing the bat but not hit the ball. He was so frustrated with him self he wanted to give up already. However, his teammates did not let him and they treated like an all star player because they new he could do it and one day his dream came true.

[Mason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!!! very poorly written , it is not a good a enough book to waste your time. The are so many other great book out to take you into a new world and this book did not do that. It did even have great emotion just a very bad book . all always very bored this book needs a lot more drama and a lot more emotion . the author could have took it a lot farther and could have been a great book . This book did not do it for me .People who like baseball most likely like this book . For me needs way more emotion and needs drama for sure.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not continue reading after the first paragraph. The boy has a disrespectful attitude toward his mother. Comments such as, "Listen, Mother, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?" "I couldn't believe it. My mother was actually going to believe that stupid story. Wow!" and "I think I probably would have felt a lot worse but my mother was laughing so hard that she forgot to punish me for lying to her. Getting her to laugh always works..."

This is not a good attitude to encourage in children.

[Shelleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my all time favorite juvenile books. I have read it over and over again. I never get tired of it. We even read it in college and it was still as funny as I remembered. That was saying a lot.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this two and a half stars. The relentless humor of Barbara Park (and Alex!) never falters, and I found big laughs seemingly on at least every few pages. I've never found anyone funnier than Barbara Park, and this book is an excellent example of her peerless wit.

[Shellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously READ THIS BOOK. Read it to you kids. Read it alone. Own it love it. I don't care but just READ THIS BOOK.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and very funny read!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure fourth grade boys would find this hilarious, but I thought the main character was a jerk and I didn't find him amusing at all.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an obnoxious kid.

[Rayhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. My favorite part was when Alex and T.J. had a pitching contest.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5,, humor is a bit dated at times, but i’m fairly sure my students will be saying ‘booga booga’ for the rest of the school year

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great kid's book! Very funny and an enjoyable read.

[Taylor]

it was a good book i really enjoyed it

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to find this book and reread it. I just remember finding this story boring and then when I got to the middle of the book it just got better and better. Barbara Park was such a treasure to me when I was young. I hated reading back then but I read this one, the second one and of course Junie B. Jones!

[Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler Alerts

I think the book is fabulous. It was an amazing book I read in English Language Arts. It was pretty short book. I like how Alex was the short kid in the book. He was the person with comedy but many people thought of him as a bad baseball player. He was the smallest kid on the book. I liked the rival in the book T.J. Stoner. At the end they became friends because they were both champions. Because Alex is going to New York to be on TV. While T.J. has a guiness record of winning 140 games in a row. They both are Champions at the end. I would give it 5 stars but it kinda of left me on a cliff at the end. Like Alex is going to be on TV then the book ended. I wanted to see what happened in New York, so 4 stars. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading or watching sports.Especially if you like reading or watching baseball.

[Brigham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with kids. This was one of my favorites growing up. But sadly, I found that the author updated it in 1997, removing references to baseball players of my childhood (Steve Garvey) in favor of more current players (Mark Grace, David Justice, Tino Martinez). In the process, a few of the funniest parts that I remember from the 1982 version seem to have been changed. What a shame. Still very funny, but now it’s got me looking for the old version to do a re-read.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is what Barbara Park was up to all those years before Junie B. Jones popped into her mind. Heavens. My husband's been telling me that this is a good thing to recommend to Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans. He's not wrong.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skinnybones is not anything special. Junie B Jones is a popular series by the same author but my children didn't care for them. After reading this book, if there is any similarity, I can understand why. You have a main character who is obnoxious and doesn't generally get all the suffering they probably deserve and in the end things work out OK despite the failings of the protagonist.

[Lindsey Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex seems to get himself in pickles quite often. When TJ comes to town as the best little league player ever, Alex tries to use his humor to cover up his athletic abilities. I think this book is great for students to understand that everyone is talented at something, it doesn't have to be sports.

[Juli · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book came to me highly recommended ("It's hilarious! Your kids will love it!")...but I just don't get it. I read it out loud to my sons, ages 4 and 6. We got though it, they liked it enough, but it wasn't a compelling read for any of us. I know many find this book genuinely funny, but for us the protagonist just came across as annoying and self-pitying.

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as good as I remember from reading this as a kid. However, someone definitely updated the names of the professional baseball players that the main character references throughout the story. Mike Trout was born in 1991 and this book was written in 1982. I wish the original names of the baseball players were used.

[Duane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alex considers himself a comedian but I found him to be rude and arrogant. I realize he's young but that doesn't excuse his behavior towards others. I find this book a bad choice for young people to read let alone study at school.

[Maywoodbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The character is almost totally un-likeable. I can understand the age relating to his antics, but his "dilemmas" are direct results of his own behavior. As a reader there are moments of feeling sorry for him but overall the story lacks any kind of depth.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This gives me very strong Diary of a Wimpy Kid vibes. Would I tell a kid not to read it? No. But I strongly dislike books that are “funny” basically just because there are a bunch of kids who are never ever nice to each other. It just...no.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read this book. Seems like I didnt like it when I read it. Can't remember what the book was about though. Guess it didn't make an impression on me.

[Lupe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why others like this book. It was not memorable.