Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey is where kids live -- their own little world. In it are Playground, Tantrum, Snuggle, Gorilla Hill, and more. Jack is top dog, but then he begins to be different, confusing him and everyone around him. This imaginative book beautifully captures childhood and the unavoidable process of

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leaving childhood.

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"All children, except one, grow up."

One morning in Hokey Pokey, when Jack wakes up, everything is different. It's not just that his bike Scramjet has been stolen (by a girl!), but there are other differences, too. The tattoo on his stomach, the one that every kid gets when they arrive in Hokey

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Pokey, is fading. And . . . well . . . things just feel different. Jack finds himself doing unexpected things, like giving away his prized baseball glove, and wandering off without his amigos LaJo and Dusty. He's listening to the sound of a train whistle that nobody else can hear. And he's thinking about a story, the story that all of the kids in Hokey Pokey know, the story of The Kid . . .

This book inevitably evokes Peter Pan, though the similarities are actually rather few. Jack is no Peter -- he resists his eventual fate for a while, and his emotions are certainly mixed, but in the end he makes a choice. And Hokey Pokey is not a watered-down version of Neverland -- it has its own mysterious geography and landmarks that will appeal to any kid, and any adult who remembers what it was like to be a kid. Spinelli's writing is excellent, though I suspect some readers will have a hard time getting past the quirks and fully engaging with the story. Once they do, though, they will find it a rewarding experience, indeed -- and one that sticks with the reader long after the last page is read. I highly recommend this book to fans of children's literature, and I suspect this is another title we'll be talking about in the fall when awards season rolls around.

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In the land of Hokey Pokey, children spend their days throwing balls and see sawing and spitballing and riding trikes and doing the myriad things that kids find to do . With the exception of the Hokey Pokey Man, who makes an appearance at noon each day to distribute Ivey treats of every imaginable

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flavour to the kids, there are no grown-ups in evidence. Jack has been the recognized leader of Hokey Pokey for as long as anyone can remember, but that changes the morning he awakens to find that Scramjet, his trusty bike, is gone. When he finds that his nemesis, Jubilee, has takenScramjet, the day just gets more and more odd. Slowly, Jack realizes that Scramjet, whom Jack had bronco'd from a wild bike herd years ago, has initiated the move to Jubilee because Scramjet knows something that Jack won't acknowledge even to himself-- namely, that the time has come for Jack to leave Hokey Pokey. This is an interesting story line that could lead to great discussions with the right group of kids. The playful approach to language-- dropflopping and hoprocking and sneakerskiing--is a pleasure. Unfortunately, the dreamlike quality of the storytelling keeps readers at a distance, and I found it difficult to really lose myself I the tale. But fans of Jerry Spinelli and his particular brand of quirkiness will find plenty of quirk to be had here.

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Jerry Spinelli's latest book is a coming of age book that almost equals his _Maniac Magee_ and Sachar's _Holes_. Hokey Pokey is a world run by kids...no adults. Herds of wild bicycles, friendships, no curfews, but it must all come to an end. Told in two voices, that of Jack and his arch-enemy,

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Jubilee, its the story of boy-girl competition, which to the dismay of Jack's buddy's takes a different turn. And they all know from the story of The Kid that Jack is about to leave the world of Hokey Pokey. This could be a wonderful shared reading or comparision to the other books mentioned. Grades 5-8.

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This was a very uniquely written story that I wasn't sure about the first 50 or so pages. Jack lives in Hokey Pokey, where there are no adults, bikes are horses meant to be tamed, and there is a snuggler to offer embraces when the going gets tough. Days are filled watching cartoons, playing games

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and chasing other kids. All is going the same until one day Jack wakes up and something is different. The tattoo that all kids have on their belly's seems to be fading. Spinelli wrote this tale as a way of showing what growing up is, how imagination slowly dwindles as you move from one stage of life to the next. A real fun, and interesting read!

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This is not my favorite Jerry Spinelli novel because I'm not a fan of the stream of consciousness narrative he uses here. Nonetheless, I am dazzled by his masterful use of language and appreciate the inventive way he uses this fable-like story to capture the emotions of growing up and letting go.

Lovely and sweet. Thanks Kim!

I read a fourth of the way through and to me is was just a jumble while the boy was trying to get his "borrowed" bicycle back. Not Newbery to me nor is it A Jerry Spinelli book.

children's fiction; fantasy dreamland/neverland (5th-7th grades). I'll admit I skimmed over large parts of this, so I may not be the best or fairest judge, but then again large parts of it just seemed pointless to me--I'd prefer more of a plot to the seemingly endless world-building, dreamlike

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sequences. I was fairly lost for the first 30 pages or so and had to force myself to keep reading--not a good sign for me, though I can see kids going along with the ride-like quality of the narratives. Touches on the familiar themes of boys and girls liking/hating each other, why kids tease other kids, and why they shouldn't tease other kids. Not Spinelli's best work, I don't think.

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