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Garlic Bread for Eugene
Go for the Perfect Attendance Award or help his younger brother? It is a dilemma that sixth-grader Henry has when Uncle Billy fails to show up to make garlic bread for Eugene's Fourth-grade picnic. Follow Henry on a morning-long odyssey through neighborhoods and a brush with the law as he tries to be the new man of the house.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2016
I read Garlic Bread For Eugene over a year ago now, and the simple tale has stayed with me favourably. I would recommend it to young readers and to adults recapturing youth. We stroll around a neighbourhood in New Jersey with two boys, Henry and his young brother Eugene, as Henry faces a seemingly impossible task.
After the death of their father, Henry realises that Eugene will not have the promised freshly-made rolls of garlic bread to share with his classmates. Think for a moment about how you would make garlic bread from scratch, with freshest ingredients, especially if you were young enough that you really shouldn't use sharp knives or fire up a barbecue grill. What's more, if Henry does this, he'll not only get into trouble, he will lose his perfect school attendance record.
This is a heart-warming story of family, friends, and faith in oneself.
The author shared an ARC with me and I chose to write an unbiased review.
After the death of their father, Henry realises that Eugene will not have the promised freshly-made rolls of garlic bread to share with his classmates. Think for a moment about how you would make garlic bread from scratch, with freshest ingredients, especially if you were young enough that you really shouldn't use sharp knives or fire up a barbecue grill. What's more, if Henry does this, he'll not only get into trouble, he will lose his perfect school attendance record.
This is a heart-warming story of family, friends, and faith in oneself.
The author shared an ARC with me and I chose to write an unbiased review.
February 28, 2013
Wonderful little book. A story about becoming a young man in a small town on the Jersey Shore. Henry gives up his perfect attendence award to help his younger brother bring in garlic bread for his 4th grade picnic. Henry receives help from unexpected neighbors and friends of his father. Very touching, very sweet. Michael Heath is a up and coming author who knows how to tell a story. Wish I had a brother like Henry.
July 14, 2013
Fabulous coming of age book where two boys each undergo their own rights of passage in the wake of their father's passing. What will become of the garlic bread for Eugene? Read to find out. My heart warmed with this story. So simple yet so complex. Great middle grade book and quick adult read.
December 3, 2012
THREE WORDS: Not For Me
MY REVIEW: I'm a huge fan of middle-grade books, but, when it comes to MG, books are usually either a direct hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, Michael Heath's Garlic Bread for Eugene was a miss for me.
In this short read, the main character, 6th grader Henry, must go on an early morning trek through his town to gather ingredients to make his late father's garlic bread. At school, the fourth graders always have an end of year picnic where each student brings in a special dish and Eugene, Henry's little brother, wants to bring in the garlic bread their father made before he died. When Uncle Billy, who is suppose to help make the bread, doesn't show up and the boys' mother has already left for work, it is up to Henry to make sure his brother has the bread for the picnic. But helping Eugene means being late for school and missing out on the Perfect Attendance Award that Henry has worked so hard to achieve.
Garlic Bread for Eugene is a short, quick read at just 112 pages, but it failed to captivate me. I can fully appreciate what the author has tried to convey and do with this book, but, as a whole, this just wasn't my kind of read.
When it comes to middle-grade and children's books, whether they be contemporaries, fantasies, sci-fi's, etc, they must contain the right amount of excitement, adventure, humor, and heart to win me over. Garlic Bread for Eugene has a lot of heart, but very little of the other things. A book with a message is not a bad thing and the message in this book is a heartfelt and heartwarming one, yet it seems like the rest of the book (characters, the storyline, storytelling, etc) takes a backseat to the message.
The writing is decent, but lacks that special spark that I crave, and have come to expect, in MG/Kids Lit. Even though the book is a quick read, I found my interest quickly wavering because of this lack of entertaining and exciting storytelling. I also found myself being pulled out of the story by the often awkward word choices (i.e. fetching, devil-may-care attitude) and subject material for a kid's book. It feels like the author has tried to squeeze too much heavy stuff and adult characters (a less than lovable uncle who has just returned from Iraq, a bachelor janitor with health problems who still lives with his mom, a semi-bitter divorcee neighbor lady, a spiteful school secretary with authority issues, a jerk cop) into a story that really doesn't need them.
I found myself often distracted from the main story by the questions the contrived plot produced- Why couldn't the boys' mother come home and help with the bread? Why wasn't the bread made the night before? Why wouldn't the cop call Henry's school or mom to confirm his identity? Why wouldn't Eugene's teacher call his mom as soon as she realized he brought no picnic dish? - and so on. Younger readers are smart and sharp and observant and I can see many of them asking the same questions.
I also wasn't expecting the religious undertones found throughout the book. They certainly aren't in-your-face or preachy by any means, but they could possibly distract or isolate certain readers. As someone who stays clear of religious books of all kinds, I would have appreciated some indication that this book deals with such things.
I mentioned above that I'm not particularly fond of most of the adult characters, but the two brothers, Henry and Eugene, are definitely likable characters. I really did like Henry and his selflessness, honesty, and love for his brother. The brotherly relationship between the two is sweet and inspiring.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I can see older, adult readers enjoying this book and its heartfelt message more than its younger intended audience, simply because of its lack of excitement, adventure, and humor. This isn't a bad book, but Garlic Bread for Eugene just wasn't for me (although it had me craving garlic bread something fierce!).
MY REVIEW: I'm a huge fan of middle-grade books, but, when it comes to MG, books are usually either a direct hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, Michael Heath's Garlic Bread for Eugene was a miss for me.
In this short read, the main character, 6th grader Henry, must go on an early morning trek through his town to gather ingredients to make his late father's garlic bread. At school, the fourth graders always have an end of year picnic where each student brings in a special dish and Eugene, Henry's little brother, wants to bring in the garlic bread their father made before he died. When Uncle Billy, who is suppose to help make the bread, doesn't show up and the boys' mother has already left for work, it is up to Henry to make sure his brother has the bread for the picnic. But helping Eugene means being late for school and missing out on the Perfect Attendance Award that Henry has worked so hard to achieve.
Garlic Bread for Eugene is a short, quick read at just 112 pages, but it failed to captivate me. I can fully appreciate what the author has tried to convey and do with this book, but, as a whole, this just wasn't my kind of read.
When it comes to middle-grade and children's books, whether they be contemporaries, fantasies, sci-fi's, etc, they must contain the right amount of excitement, adventure, humor, and heart to win me over. Garlic Bread for Eugene has a lot of heart, but very little of the other things. A book with a message is not a bad thing and the message in this book is a heartfelt and heartwarming one, yet it seems like the rest of the book (characters, the storyline, storytelling, etc) takes a backseat to the message.
The writing is decent, but lacks that special spark that I crave, and have come to expect, in MG/Kids Lit. Even though the book is a quick read, I found my interest quickly wavering because of this lack of entertaining and exciting storytelling. I also found myself being pulled out of the story by the often awkward word choices (i.e. fetching, devil-may-care attitude) and subject material for a kid's book. It feels like the author has tried to squeeze too much heavy stuff and adult characters (a less than lovable uncle who has just returned from Iraq, a bachelor janitor with health problems who still lives with his mom, a semi-bitter divorcee neighbor lady, a spiteful school secretary with authority issues, a jerk cop) into a story that really doesn't need them.
I found myself often distracted from the main story by the questions the contrived plot produced- Why couldn't the boys' mother come home and help with the bread? Why wasn't the bread made the night before? Why wouldn't the cop call Henry's school or mom to confirm his identity? Why wouldn't Eugene's teacher call his mom as soon as she realized he brought no picnic dish? - and so on. Younger readers are smart and sharp and observant and I can see many of them asking the same questions.
I also wasn't expecting the religious undertones found throughout the book. They certainly aren't in-your-face or preachy by any means, but they could possibly distract or isolate certain readers. As someone who stays clear of religious books of all kinds, I would have appreciated some indication that this book deals with such things.
I mentioned above that I'm not particularly fond of most of the adult characters, but the two brothers, Henry and Eugene, are definitely likable characters. I really did like Henry and his selflessness, honesty, and love for his brother. The brotherly relationship between the two is sweet and inspiring.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I can see older, adult readers enjoying this book and its heartfelt message more than its younger intended audience, simply because of its lack of excitement, adventure, and humor. This isn't a bad book, but Garlic Bread for Eugene just wasn't for me (although it had me craving garlic bread something fierce!).
February 5, 2015
I really hated this book. The general plotline was okay, but the writing felt far too flowery at times - where it didn't really fit in.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews