Module 12: Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories about Growing up Scieszka

Book Summary: 

Jon Scieszka is probably best known for his humorous children’s picture books The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man: And Other Fairly Stupid Tales. In this tongue-in-cheek autobiography, readers get a glimpse of Jon’s life as a young boy and a few events that made him the man he is today. From crazy Halloween costumes to trading chores, this book has it all. His hilarious stories of growing up with five brothers and the zany things they thought up to do will have readers laughing out loud.

APA Reference of Book:

Scieszka, J. (2005). Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka. New York, NY: Viking Publishing.

Impressions:

This book is a random gathering of thoughts from funny children's author Jon Scieszka. He is the second-oldest in a family of 6 boys, and he has a plethora of stories of his crazy childhood and the fun and zany times they had growing up. Each chapter is just a few pages of a fondly remembered story that happened sometime during Jon's childhood, and together they give a glimpse into the life that he had as a child.

A fun read for ages 10+. Boys especially will enjoy the crazy and sometimes gross stories in this book. This is also a great read for fans of all ages, young or old, as the inside look at Scieszka’s youth will provide great entertainment for all.

Professional Review:

Starred Review. Grade 3–6—Just try to keep kids away from this collection. Inspired book design makes the volume look like an old-school comic. The front cover features an elementary-aged Scieszka popping up out of a military tank, surrounded by explosions and bombers, while the back advertises a "Treasure Chest of Fun" and displays chapter titles and excerpts along with nostalgic graphics. Scieszka answers the oft-asked question, "Where do you get your ideas?" with a slew of childhood anecdotes and his family's escapades that have given him plenty of material from which to draw. Born in 1954, the second of six brothers, he writes about Catholic and military schools, buying gifts, chores, and hand-me-downs—all familiar experiences related with a specific Scieszka twist. His mother, a nurse, insisted that her sons use proper terms for anatomy ("rectum" rather than "butt") and bodily functions ("urinate" rather than "pee"), making way for several laugh-out-loud moments. Some stories are just amiably funny, such as wearing recycled Halloween costumes, while others help readers understand more about how the author developed his unique sense of humor. Although it includes the car trip story from Guys Write for Guys Read (Viking, 2005), Knucklehead is aimed at a younger audience. Family photographs and other period illustrations appear throughout. Entertaining and fast-moving, silly and sweet, this homage to family life is not to be missed.

Whitehurst, L. S. (2008, October). Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka [Review of the book Knucklehead: Tall tales and mostly true stories about growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka]. School Library Journal, 54(10), 174. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Knucklehead-Almost-Stories-Growing-Scieszka.

Library Uses:

This book would great to use for a unit on authors for classroom studies. It could be part of a display highlighting authors, or as part of a display about Jon Scieszka himself and his works. It is also a great book to use to introduce autobiographical writing.