The Chocolate Touch

By Patrick Skene Catling and Margo Apple

In this zany twist on the legend of King Midas and his golden touch, a boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate! Kids will eat this up for summer reading or anytime!

Can you ever have too much of your favorite food? John Midas is about to find out….

The Chocolate Touch has remained a favorite for millions of kids, teachers, and parents for several generations. It's an enjoyable story that pulls in even reluctant readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062283610

Patrick Skene Catling

Born in London, Patrick Skene Catling was educated there and at Oberlin College in the United States. As a Royal Canadian Air Force navigator and as a journalist, he has traveled extensively. His present home is in the Republic of Ireland.

Book preview

1

Most of the time John Midas was a very nice boy. Every now and then, of course, he broke a rule, such as the rule against pretending to be a tiger when his sister, Mary, was supposed to be getting to sleep. Generally speaking, however, he behaved very well.

He should have behaved better.

He lived in a comfortable house surrounded by a green lawn and wide-spreading shade trees that were suitable for climbing. His mother was gentle as well as practical. His father, when he didn’t have to hurry to town, spent hours telling John interesting things about baseball, beetles, birds’ nests, boats, brigands, and butterflies.

John went to school and liked it. His teacher, Miss Plimsole, was fairly easy to get along with, as long as he did careful work. He had received a new, shiny golden trumpet and music lessons as a going-to-school present. Mrs. Quaver, the music teacher, had soon agreed to let him play small parts, a few notes at a time, with the school orchestra.

Finally, there was Susan Buttercup, who was in his class. Susan had soft yellow curls, round pink cheeks, blue eyes, and one of the best collections of marbles in the neighborhood.

John should have been completely well-behaved. But he wasn’t.

He had one bad fault: he was a pig about candy. Boiled candy, cotton candy, licorice all-sorts, old-fashioned toffee, candied orange and lemon slices, crackerjack, jelly beans, fudge, black-currant lozenges for ticklish throats, nougat, marrons gláces, acid drops, peppermint sticks, lollipops, marshmallows, and, above all, chocolates—he devoured them all.

While other boys and girls spent their money on model airplanes, magazines, skipping ropes, and pet lizards, John studied the candy counters. All his money went on candy, and all his candy went to himself. He never shared it. John Midas was candy mad.

At lunch one Saturday Mrs. Midas noticed a couple of little red spots on the end of John’s nose. Look, she said to Mr. Midas. John has spots.

Mr. Midas leaned forward to look at them. He gravely shook his head and clicked his tongue. John tried to look too. But it is very difficult to see the end of your own nose without a mirror unless you happen to be an elephant with a long nose that you can bend double. When John tried to look at the end of his nose, first with one eye and then with the other, and then with both together, all that he could see was a pink blur. Besides, trying to look at something so close made his eyes ache.

I can’t see any spots, Mother, John said.

Well, I can, Mr. Midas said. Just because you don’t see a thing doesn’t always mean it isn’t there. Try feeling the end of your nose with your finger.

John rubbed his finger over the tip of his nose. It felt a bit rough.

It may be measles, Mrs. Midas said anxiously. She placed her hand on John’s forehead to feel whether he was warmer than usual. But I don’t think he has a temperature, she decided.

I suspect John has been eating too much candy again, Mr. Midas said. Have you been eating candy this morning, John?

Some, John admitted.

What? Mr. Midas asked.

Well, John replied. Well . . . I had a few Cream Delights. Susan gave them to me.

Anything else? Mr. Midas asked.

"A

Reviews for The Chocolate Touch

[Louise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story, we enjoyed it and will add it to our read again list

[yang song · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like that jone as a problem. Hi i'm noah

[Benjamin Alexander Picucci · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

V e r y g o o d exi ting

[Jenny Williams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it so much and I like how they told it

[Akshay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

good book now i always dream to eat chochlate

[AlexisLester · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book even though I didn't read it all I don't have much money but, I love this book. <3

[stephanie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Poor John, no cold water to drink.

[Lisa Kloberdanz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My three children (ages 10, 12, 12) all loved the book! They couldn’t wait to hear the next chapter of John’s adventure!! They also learned a good lesson from the story too! :)

[YaYa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Totally loved this book! I think that it is quite readable, for young children and adults with childhood memories!

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reminiscent of those cautionary but humorous Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tales, but this one just seemed so didactic and patronizing. I know it's still a popular read-aloud, but am honestly surprised by the level at which it still engages younger grades.

[Tina Blass · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My second grade students loved the following:
the ending
the lesson
the suspense (it kept us on our toes)
the interesting details
the humor!!!

[rosierosario · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am 9 yrs old. I read this book when I was 8yrs old. I really enjoyed this book. It is an exciting story and you will not want to put it down.

[Morgan Hampton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great children's book! Creative story line that students love and find very entertaining.

[Miriam Klein-Zinstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a very sad and exiding it is amazing

[agrudzien_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Midas loves chocolate more than anything. When he finds a special coin on the sidewalk one Sunday, he buys a box of chocolate from a new candy store. That one box of chocolate changes his life...and everything he puts into his mouth into chocolate! This story has great characters and compares well to the story of King Midas (it would make a good compare contrast/fractured fairytale). I loved this story as a child and rereading it as an adult was just as enjoyable!

[Deetya Yadav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It had lots of new words,
it was not like you only go to one place ever time and everything was in a flow

thanks,reagards
Deetya yadav

[Stephanie · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like this book

[lalfonso_618548 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book mirrors the Midas Touch. It is a more contemporary version in which John learns the hard way the importance of moderation. In fact, John’s last name, Midas, pays tribute to the story. After visiting a candy store, John gets a piece of chocolate that affects him in a strange way. Everything he touches turns to chocolate. At first this seems wonderful. Foods that he normally wouldn’t like get turned into his favorite treat. His enjoyment of this gift soon turns sour though because he realizes that there are no exceptions and that even an innocent kiss on the cheek turns his mom to chocolate. John has to find a way to correct his situation before his loses his mom. Children learn lessons about selfishness and greed. They can learn about what truly matters in life, family. Children 3rd – 4th grade will enjoy the book and its themes.

[oapostrophe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Midas is a pretty regular kid and he LOVES candy. His mother is especially distraught by his excesses. She even takes him to the doctor. Shortly after that John finds an unusual coin on the sidewalk. He decides to take a different route than he normally does and comes upon a candy shop he's never seen before. He goes inside and discovers that the coin will buy him a box of candy which he sneaks into his room. He opens it to find a solitary chocolate which is delicious! From that point on a change takes place in him which I'm sure you can guess. It's super short and pretty great. A lesson is learned!

[zacswic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a boy who is vert greedy. But one day when ge bought a new chocolate he finds out that there is such thing as too much chocolate. He didn't know that the chocolate was actually magic. I recommend this book to people who eat chocolate.

[jgabica_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This early novel is a fantasy because everything the boy touches turnes magically into chocolate. The main character finds himself miserable when his greed for chocolate becomes excessively apparent. Media: Ink

[bplma_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Midas is a self centered little boy who loves chocolate more than anything and doesn't do what he is told. John makes a bad choice at a magical candy shop and finds himself with a special gift/curse: everthing his mouth touches turns to chocolate. It is amazing how tiring and even dangerous this becomes and he soon realizes this is punishment for his previous selfish behavior. After he turns his own mother to chocolate with one kiss he learns his lesson and sets out to set things right. A typical 3rd grade book, mediocre writing and no surprises. I am told kids love it and the few i know who read it said they enjoyed it; but it seems a bit heavy handed and preachy to me. An award winner though and it made it onto NOVELISTS GREAT READ-ALOUDS, 3RD GRADE list, so i will keep an open mind and push it a little. (the jury is still out)

[bdn_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this witty take on the legend of King Midas, John is about to learn that there is, indeed, such a thing as too much chocolate. Illustrations.