The Great Brain
John D. Fitzgerald
© 1967 Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Ten-year-old Tom’s head is full of creative ideas. His Great Brain helps him outsmart adults and bullies alike! Tom pulls off some very successful schemes….as well as some near disasters and painful consequences. And although Tom lives in an 1800 frontier town in Utah, you may find you have a lot in common with him!

The Great Brain was read by Ron McLarty.
Ron McLarty is a professional actor and playwright. His productions have appeared at Lincoln Center, The Triangle Theatre, The Lion Theatre, and others. Ron’s appeared in a number of movies, including The Flamingo Kid, Blood Brothers, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute, and with Al Pacino in Two Bits. Ron was nominated for an ACE award for his performance in Disney's Tiger Town.

What do YOU think?

In what ways are you and Tom alike? How are you different?

Tom lived in a frontier town in Utah. Could you relate to him or his younger brother? Compare your lifestyle to that of Tom’s. Think of all the modern conveniences you use in your everyday life. Which of these conveniences did Tom have?

Do you think Tom was manipulative? Give examples. Was he ever punished for it?

Do you think J.D. stood up to his older brother, or did Tom take advantage of him?

What was your favorite part?

Did author John D. Fitzgerald rely on stereotypes to portray some of his characters? Which characters? The book was written in 1967; if Fitzgerald was writing the book today, how would he have written about these characters?

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

What do outlaw Butch Cassidy, basketball star Karl Malone, traffic-light inventor Lester Wire and Martha Hughes, the first female US Senator, have in common? They are all “famous Utahans!” Learn more about them on the Utah History for Kids website.

Utah became part of the United States in 1848. Pioneers were moving into the area, towns were being formed and communications and transportation improved. Learn more about Utah’s history here.
 
Pinhole cameras were first used in the 1850s. Since Tom and his family were the first to have a water closet (indoor toilet), we’re guessing they would have been intrigued with this new technology as well! A pinhole camera is basically a box that no light can get into except for a tiny hole (i.e. a pinhole!) at one end, with film or photographic paper on the other end. Learn how to make your own pinhole camera. And this site will give you hints on how to take pictures with a pinhole camera and how to develop your photos.

Want to go spelunking? That means to go caving, or exploring caves. It’s definitely not something you want to do by yourself…or with someone who’s never been before (remember the Jensen boys)! The MIT Caving Club gives a great introduction to the sport. Interested, but don’t want to get dirty just yet? Check out the virtual cave tours at the National Speleological Society.



If You Like This Book, Check Out...

Grace Greene, from the Vermont Department of Libraries, thinks you’ll also enjoy:

This is the first in a series of funny books about the Great Brain and his brothers. Check out your public library for the others in the series.

More Adventures of the Great Brain. Dial, 1969.
Me and My Little Brain. Dial, 1971.
The Great Brain Reforms. Dial, 1973.
Return of the Great Brain. Dial, 1974.
The Great Brain does it Again. Dial, 1975.
The Great Brain at the Academy. Dial, 1972.
The Great Brain is Back. Dial, 1995.

Alexander, Lloyd Gypsy Rizka. Dutton, 1999.
Living alone in her wagon on the outskirts of a small town while waiting for her father's return, Rizka, a Gypsy and a trickster, exposes the ridiculous foibles of some of the townspeople. Blackwood, Gary. Swindlers. Benchmark, 2001.
Swindlers traces the concept of cheating to the biblical story of Jacob and Esau but focuses on historical personages such as William Henry Ireland, an English forger of Shakespearean plays; Soapy Smith, a con artist of the American West; and Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil, a swindler on a grand scale.

Gantos, Jack. Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade. FSG, 1999.
Moving with his unbearable sister to Miami, Florida, Jack tries to break some of his bad habits but finds himself irresistibly drawn to things disgusting, gross, and weird.

Hamilton, Virginia. A Ring of Tricksters: Animal Tales from America, the West Indies, and Africa. Blue Sky, 1997.
Twelve trickster tales that show the migration of African culture to America via the West Indies.

McCloskey, Robert. Homer Price. Viking, 1943.
Six episodes in the life of Homer Price including one in which he and his pet skunk capture four bandits and another about a donut machine on the rampage.