Skinnybones

By Barbara Park

If you thought Junie B. Jones was FUNNY—catch more laughs from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Park with Skinnybones! Just right for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and I Funny, Skinnybones has been a kid and teacher favorite for almost thirty years and has sold over 1 MILLION copies!
 
Play ball??? Alex Frankovitch is the smallest, second-worst kid on his team. But he has a MAJOR-LEAGUE-sized mouth. And it gets him into MAJOR-LEAGUE trouble! Even Alex knows he’s gone too far when he brags his way into a pitching contest with T.J. Stoner, the best player—and BIGGEST jerk—in the whole school (and maybe the whole world!). Can Alex talk his way out this mess? Or is he in for the GRAND SLAM of all humiliations? Find out in the award-winning, laugh-out-loud novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Junie B. Jones!
 
“Park is one of the funniest writers around. Skinnybones equals tickled funnybones.” —Booklist
 
“Hilarious! Even if you don’t know center field from first base this story will keep you laughing.” —Children’s Book Review Service
 
“Park writes…in a way that touches reality, but makes the reader double over with laughter.” —Chicago Sun-Times

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307797100

Reviews for Skinnybones

[rosenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alex Franovitch has been playing baseball for six year and isn't the best player. Children's novel, short and easy to read. Super fun with a younger audience around. Not as much fun when you read alone.

[beckytillett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Skinnybones is always getting into trouble- but when his lies force him to look like a fool in front of everyone at his baseball games, he has to own up to the fact that he has some lessons to learn. This book is a good read-aloud and has interesting details and vocabulary to use in discussions.

[jakdomin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Laugh-out-loud funny, this is a great adventure book showcasing the life of a skinny not-so-athletic boy named Alex, and the effort he puts forth to fit in. Young readers will instantly be hooked with Alex’s entry letter to “Kitty Fritters” in which his humor is instantly apparent. “Anyway, I think you should keep on making Kitty Fritters as long as there are people like my mother who don’t think cats mind eating rubber.” (Page 1) This entry ends up winning him a spot on a national TV commercial where he finally gets the attention that his nemesis T.J. had been getting all along. Alex’s inferiority, along with his humor will most likely be very relatable for readers. The short length and humor serve as a great book to read aloud in class, providing lots of feedback.

[zmalensek_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

alex has a hard time making friends and nobody thinks he's good at anything.and he doesn't know what kind ofmess he's gotten into until it's to late.

[edtech5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Park, B., (1997). Skinnybones. New York: Random House.The original "Skinnybones," was written in 1982, but the author created this "new and improved," version but the character still has a lot of tricks and jokes up his sleeves. I believe the book does touch on some of the realities of life for today's children, but might go a little overboard at times. Is there one kid that can really get himself into that much trouble? Alex, aka "Skinnybones," is always in some kind of predicament. This is why at times, the character is not always convincing, although his antics do elicit a good laugh every few pages.

[melopher_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read this aloud to my kids, based on a reccomendation from The Read-Aloud Handbook. We were SO unimpressed. None of my kids liked it. It was supposed to be lol funny, but they laughed maybe once. My kids were shocked at how the kid bargained with God, as well as the lying and general lack of respect. UGH! They enjoyed The Plants That Ate Dirty Socks and Pippi Longstocking much more as far as funny books. We just didn't connect with the humor at all.