Gr 4-8--These short stories affirm the ability of their main characters to choose their fate. In the title story, Willie bravely searches for the cure for unhappiness. It, and the other stories, show readers the resilience and power of kids using their eyes and minds over accepting conventional adult wisdom. In "Pets," Eve comes up with a solution to the ghost cats who want her to join them, even though she is desperately ill. In "Teacher Tamer," Gregory sneaks into the house of his teacher to seek revenge for her persecution of him; instead, he comes to understand her. Whether facing a domineering mother, divorced parents, or a reputation as a bad guy, the protagonists take positive steps forward. It is this constant of taking action, of choosing the halo over the pitchfork, that make these stories inspiring. Some characters are crass and brash; others are introspective and quiet. Danger lurks in guns, ghosts, strangers, and unjust adults. It's a rare treat to be so surprised so consistently in a collection of stories that still adheres to its theme. Unpredictable and fun, these selections stand out for their inventiveness in dealing with difficult issues in a positive way without sacrificing the honest voices of real kids.--Carol A. Edwards, Minneapolis Public Library
What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything?: And Other Stories
Narrated by Jeff Woodman, Christina Moore, Johnny Heller
AviUnabridged — 3 hours, 28 minutes
What Do Fish Have to Do with Anything?: And Other Stories
Narrated by Jeff Woodman, Christina Moore, Johnny Heller
AviUnabridged — 3 hours, 28 minutes
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Overview
Editorial Reviews
Avi has a gift for getting inside preteenagers’ minds and writing the way they talk. This is a collection of short fiction about the day-to-day issues of this age group. Suicide, school and divorce are covered. All three narrators do a good job reading like a kid, but Johnny Heller goes beyond the mark, especially in the last story. He sounds just like a maddening middle-schooler, whiny, cocky, but still caring about what adults think. A.G.H. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170906055 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 12/20/2013 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?
By Avi
Candlewick
Copyright © 2004
Avi
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0763623199
Every day at three o'clock Mrs. Markham waited for her son, Willie, to come out of school. They walked home together. If asked why she did it, Mrs. Markham would say, "Parents need to watch their children."
As they left the schoolyard, Mrs. Markham inevitably asked, "How was school?"
Willie would begin to talk, then stop. He was never sure his mother was listening. She seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts. She had been like that ever since his dad had abandoned them six months ago. No one knew where he'd gone. Willie had the feeling that his mother was lost too. It made him feel lonely.
One Monday afternoon, as they approached the apartment building where they lived, she suddenly tugged at him. "Don't look that way," she said.
"Where?"
"At that man over there."
Willie stole a look over his shoulder. A man, whom Willie had never seen before, was sitting on a red plastic milk crate near the curb. His matted, streaky gray hair hung like a ragged curtain over his dirty face. His shoes were torn. Rough hands lay upon his knees. One hand was palm up. No one seemed to pay him any mind. Willie was certain he had never seen a man so utterly alone. It was as if he were some spat-out piece of chewing gum on the pavement.
"What's the matter with him?" Willie asked his mother in a hushed voice.
Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Mrs. Markham said, "He's sick." She pulled Williearound. "Don't stare. It's rude."
"What kind of sick?"
As Mrs. Markham searched for an answer, she began to walk faster. "He's unhappy," she said.
"What's he doing?"
"Come on, Willie, you know perfectly well. He's begging."
"Do you think anyone gave him anything?"
"I don't know. Now, come on, don't look."
"Why don't you give him something?"
"We have nothing to spare."
When they got home, Mrs. Markham removed a white cardboard box from the refrigerator. It contained pound cake. Using her thumb as a measure, she carefully cut a half-inch piece of cake and gave it to Willie on a clean plate. The plate lay on a plastic mat decorated with images of roses with diamondlike dewdrops. She also gave him a glass of milk and a folded napkin. She moved slowly.
Willie said, "Can I have a bigger piece of cake?"
Mrs. Markham picked up the cake box and ran a manicured pink fingernail along the nutrition information panel. "A half-inch piece is a portion, and a portion contains the following health requirements. Do you want to hear them?"
"No."
"It's on the box, so you can believe what it says. Scientists study people, then write these things. If you're smart enough you could become a scientist. Like this." Mrs. Markham tapped the box. "It pays well."
Willie ate his cake and drank the milk. When he was done he took care to wipe the crumbs off his face as well as to blot his milk mustache with the napkin. His mother liked him to be neat.
His mother said, "Now go on and do your homework. Carefully. You're in sixth grade. It's important."
Willie gathered up his books that lay on the empty third chair. At the kitchen entrance he paused and looked back at his mother. She was staring sadly at the cake box, but he didn't think she was seeing it. Her unhappiness made him think of the man on the street.
"What KIND of unhappiness do you think he has?" he suddenly asked.
"Who's that?"
"That man."
Mrs. Markham looked puzzled.
"The begging man. The one on the street."
"Oh, could be anything," his mother said, vaguely. "A person can be unhappy for many reasons." She turned to stare out the window as if an answer might be there.
"Is unhappiness a sickness you can cure?"
"I wish you wouldn't ask such questions."
"Why?"
After a moment she said, "Questions that have no answers shouldn't be asked."
"Can I go out?"
"Homework first."
Willie turned to go again.
"Money," Mrs. Markham suddenly said. "Money will cure a lot of unhappiness. That's why that man was begging. A salesman once said to me, 'Maybe you can't buy happiness, but you can rent a lot of it.' You should remember that."
"How much money do we have?"
"Not enough."
"Is that why you're unhappy?"
"Willie, do your homework."
Willie started to ask another question, but decided he would not get an answer. He left the kitchen.
Continues...
Excerpted from What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?
by Avi
Copyright © 2004 by Avi.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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