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Booktalking Colorado Full Record:
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Title: |
Among the Walnuts |
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Author: |
Ferris, Jean |
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Date Published: |
1998 |
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Genre: |
Humor |
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Grade Level: |
6 - 9 |
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Booktalker: |
Susi Bonato |
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Booktalk:
Once upon a time there was a very nice and wealthy young man named Horatio Alger Huntington-Ackerman or HAHA for short. He was happy staying at home and reading books from his childhood. However, in spite of his vast fortune, he found he was not always happy and sometimes felt quite lonely. Not only that, but he had two younger brothers, Bartholemew Algernon Huntington and Bernard Aloysius Ackerman. Each brother was quite jealous of Horatio and his wealth and were always scheming of ways to bilk Horatio out of his money.
Horatio’s butler, Bentley was concerned about the loneliness of his employer and finally convinced him to get out of the house one evening to go to a play. Horatio immediately fell in love with one of the actresses, a Miss Mousey Malone. Mousey fell in love with Horatio and within they year they married. A year later Mousey is expecting a baby and they decide they want to move out to the country. They find a beautiful country estate. The only drawback is it is located next toWalnut Manor, which is a high price loony bin for the finest, high classed wackos. Mousey and Horatio move out there anyway, and call their estate “Utopia”.
They have a beautiful son who they name Alexander Huntington-Ackerman who they call Sandy for short. The three of them, along with Bentley and his wife Flossie live happily together for many years. They never left Utopia, because they could have groceries delivered in, a cow was available for milk and chickens that produced fresh eggs.
However, those evil brothers, Bernie and Bart were still scheming to get their hands on Horatio’s money, and were becoming more jealous as the years passed by. Finally, they had the perfect plan. They bring a birthday cake, claiming they never celebrate birthdays and it’s time to do so. Unbeknownst to the family, they have injected a poison that will put everyone into a coma once they have eaten a piece. Horatio, Mousey, Flossie and even Attila the Hen are the unlucky ones who eat the cake. The only ones still awake are Sandy and Bentley because they did not eat the cake.
Now poor Sandy, who has never been away from Utopia, must go out into the world and figure out a way to rescue his family from becoming permanent residents at Walnut Manor. The only help he has is Bentley the butler and Sunnie, the nurse hired to help with his parents. Will Sandy save his family? Will he learn to deal with the crackpots at Walnut Manor? Will he find the true meaning of happiness? Read and find out!
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