Crunch
Written by Leslie Connor
Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Leslie Connor
Leslie Connor is the author of several award-winning books for children, including two ALA Schneider Family Book Award winners, Waiting for Normal and The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, which was also selected as a National Book Award finalist. Her other books include All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Crunch, and The Things You Kiss Goodbye. She lives in the Connecticut woods with her family and three rescue dogs. You can visit her online at www.leslieconnor.com.
More audiobooks from Leslie Connor
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Waiting for Normal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Crunch
Related audiobooks
August Isle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elsie Mae Has Something to Say Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Diamond Willow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Touch Blue Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Icebreaker Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Running on the Roof of the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Dark Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Absolutely Almost Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cosmic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Misfits Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Drop of Hope Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Some Kind of Courage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Size of the Truth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Littlest Voyageur Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cookcamp Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spy Runner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Voyage of the Frog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lawn Boy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Saving Lucas Biggs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Riddle: A Goldfish Boy Novel: A Goldfish Boy Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThings Seen From Above Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Life of Sam Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Other Boy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Schernoff Discoveries Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dash Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Notes from the Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mudshark Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Time Hackers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of Disaster Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Family For You
Coraline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silver Chair Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magician's Nephew Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Series of Unfortunate Events #2: The Reptile Room Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From the Mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prince Caspian Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Coraline: Full Cast Production Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Girl Who Drank the Moon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Do You Live? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Garden Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Where the Wild Things Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Odd and the Frost Giants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fortunately, the Milk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The One and Only Bob Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues, Book 1) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5On the Banks of Plum Creek Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Night Divided Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Series of Unfortunate Events #3: The Wide Window Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Berenstain Bears' Nature Rescue: An Early Reader Chapter Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Farmer Boy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Off the Page Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Big Tree Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine (National Book Award Finalist) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kingdom over the Sea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Crunch
71 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Crunch goes in several directions. It is mainly a story of five brothers and sisters trying to survive at home alone when their parents (truckers) get stranded on the other side of the country when there is an (unexplained) gas crunch, which is so bad, nobody has gas to go anywhere. It is also a story of dedication to hard work. Dewey (our narrator) and his brother are determined to keep the family bike repair shop going in their dad's absence - especially since everyone is relying on bikes now. It is part crime story, as there is a wave of small thefts in town. A thief is breaking into businesses and stealing just a few things. But that is solved partway through the book with a bit left to go.All of these things are done fairly well, but there were enough drawbacks for me that wouldn't really recommend it. The 18 year old older sister - who should be the most responsible one in the family - is worse than useless. While the two brothers work all day in the bike shop and taking care of the two youngest siblings, Lil spends all day doing artwork on the side of the barn. She doesn't help anyone with anything, but still insists she's in charge. Reading this in 2021, having gone through a year and a half of COVID nightmare - I know the portrayal of America with no gasoline is painfully wrong. This country would dissolve into anarchy if suddenly there was no gasoline anywhere, and even trucks and police couldn't travel. And finally, none of the characters were very deeply developed. They were all fairly one-dimensional, and therefore, I didn't really care about them the way I want to care about the characters in a book I read.So three stars. In most ways a decent story, well written. But the above mentioned drawbacks kept me from loving it.Curious note: The book is set in the near future. There is nothing at all in the story to say it isn't in the present, except the mention several times of "wheelie pods" which seem to be some sort of vehicle that can be driven without gas. I guess.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/514 year old Dewey Marriss juggles the management of the family's bike repair shop while sharing the household and farm duties with his siblings when a sudden gas crisis strands his parents far from home. Self-reliance and environmental practices highlight the story as well as the good neighborliness and community spirit that the family embodies.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Dewey and his siblings are in a crunch, their parents are stuck out of town because there is a fuel shortage and are unable to get home. The kids are on their own to keep it together, and that means that Dewey is in charge of their Bike Barn, where they fix up bikes. Dewey and his brother, Vince, are the ones who handle repairs, but can they keep up with demand, now that people are relying on pedal power to get around? What will happen once Dewey realizing that materials are going missing?Written by the same author who wrote "Waiting for Normal" crunch is an easy read, but it lacks depth and action.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dewey's family owns a bike repair shop, and business is skyrocketing in this book set in an entirely plausible future: US is plumb out of fuel. Everybody who used to drive now needs to ride a bike. The story really focuses on how a family of five kids manages to get along, take care of each other and their business when their parents are stranded by the fuel "crunch." A bit on the sweet side, but a welcome alternative to the grisly dystopian futures offered by other authors.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5From May 2010 SLJ
Mom and Dad take an annual anniversary drive up the New England coast, and this year, they’ve agreed to let 18-year-old Lil and 14-year-old Dewey hold down the fort while they’re gone. In an all-too-plausible scenario, though, the national fuel shortage hits crunch level, and there is no gasoline to be had. For the first several days that their parents are stranded near the Canadian border, nobody panics: they get the five-year-old twins to summer camp each day, and Dewey and his younger brother Vince keep their dad’s bicycle repair shop running smoothly. But when cars can’t run, the townspeople rely on bikes, and as days turn into weeks, Dewey is overwhelmed with the number of repairs coming in and with the parental responsibilities that he and Lil are sharing. And when parts start disappearing and it becomes evident that a petty thief is on the loose, things get even more complicated. Not wanting to worry their absent parents or to admit that they can’t handle things, Dewey and Lil both initially resist efforts by neighbors to pitch in and help. It is only when things reach the breaking point that both come to realize that there is no shame in trusting in others. While Connor has created a cast of quirky characters and a timely dilemma, she never fully engages the reader the way that she did in Waiting for Normal (2008). Even with Dewey’s first-person narration, relationships come across as a little too good to be true, and the story never quite loses a subtle hint of didacticism. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amazon Product Description"Dewey Marriss is stuck in the middle of a crunch.He never guessed that the gas pumps would run dry the same week he promised to manage the family's bicycle-repair business. Suddenly everyone needs a bike. And nobody wants to wait. Meanwhile, the crunch has stranded Dewey's parents far up north with an empty fuel tank and no way home. It's up to Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to look after their younger siblings and run the bike shop all on their own.Each day Dewey and his siblings feel their parents' absence more and more. The Marriss Bike Barn is busier than ever. And just when he is starting to feel crunched himself, Dewey discovers that bike parts are missing from the shop. He's sure he knows who's responsible—or does he? Will exposing the thief only make more trouble for Dewey and his siblings? " I truly enjoyed this book. Connor has created a very love-able character in Dewey. Dewey's not perfect but he's hard working and learns from his mistakes. The characters in Crunch are quirky and humorous providing for a fun read about a serious situation. I doubt that people in real life would adapt to gas pumps running dry as well as the characters in this book. However, one can hope.I have to admit that I did find Dewey's older sister Lil, to be rather bossy and somewhat annoying. Poor Dewey was doing all the work, while she spent her days working on her art (not that art isn't serious). While Dewey did make mistakes and perhaps got in over his head, he did remarkably well for a 14 year old child. Meanwhile, Lil was content to let Dewey shoulder all the work. If if she was going to act in the place of their parents, she could have done so with a little more consistency and not just when it suited her.All in all I found this to be a feel good read that dealt with a serious situation in a humorous way. It was a quick read and I didn't want to stop once I started. Recommended for 5th Grade and up.Mrs. Archer's rating: 4 1/2 of 5.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I get why many reviews are calling this 'unrealistic', but I sort of think they haven't hung out much with farm/rural kids. The main protagonist is 14 after all - plenty old enough to do a ton of stuff - and it's not like he gets it right the whole time. Also, the kids aren't exactly on their own - this fictional family has a bunch of small town neighbors checking in on them throughout, and the sequence of events really only lasts about a month (as far as I can tell). And feeding yourselves for a month in the middle of summer and fixing bikes - not exactly rocket science. If the crisis had lasted longer with the picture staying rosy - yeah, not likely, but I know plenty of responsible kids that could manage well in these circumstances.Also, geez, it's a kids' book. Compared to many, there's not all that much disbelief to suspend here.I liked it a lot. It does get a bit smug in places (that line about the local store having less trouble w/ supply because it buys mostly local food - totally unnecessary preachiness). But for the most part it reminds me of more old-fashioned books where kids have agency to do interesting, complicated, useful stuff and adults mostly stay out of their way. Sort of reminds me of the Henry Reed books of my youth, although shorter on the humor and goofy schemes.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is an unusual tale of what would happen to an average family if, as a nation, we ran out of gas. Makes you think. Scary but hopeful.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A thoroughly enjoyable book about a teen, Dewey Mariss and his sister who must take over running the family when a severe fuel shortage keeps their mom and dad away longer than expected. Dewey continues to run the family bike repair shop, and business takes off since so many people can't drive their cars any longer. The book is an easy read, with believable events and enough detail that a reader could imagine themselves into the story without becoming bored. Highly recommended to bike enthusiasts or young would be entrepreneurs.