Lionel is sick of his brother picking on him and of his mother yelling at him. One day, while cleaning the closet his mother has been after him about, he discovers not only boxes and old clothes, but a lucky charm with more magic than he bargained for. After an unusual encounter with his brother, Lionel knows things are about to change for the better.
Together, Lionel and his lucky charm are able to stand up to his big brother as well as make Carrie—the cutest girl in his class—notice him. While learning the quirks of his magical charm, Lionel ends up at a casino in Las Vegas, escapes an evil dog becoming a hero to the other kids, and finds himself playing in the Great Series with his favorite professional baseball team. Will Lionel master the trickster, over-the-top magic, or will it mess things up beyond repair?
Lionel's Grand Adventure (Lionel and the Golden Rule) by Paul R. Hewlett is a lighthearted story about a 12-year-old boy named Lionel. Lionel is not very coordinated, but he always tries his hardest even when things rarely seem to work out for him. One day Lionel discovers a Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot. He quickly learns that the Walbaun foot has a magic power, but like Lionel the Walbaun's magic doesn't always go as planned.
Children will laugh at the comical adventure Lionel undertakes while trying to perfect the magic of his Walbaun's foot. An example of the Walbaun's mixed up magic is when Lionel wishes to win big in a marble game, but ends up winning big at a game of blackjack in a Vegas casino. In Lionel's final wish, to win the little league championship, he is transported to the championship game for the New York Zephyr's. Lionel is next at bat, but sees Jimmy Dee, Lionel's favorite player, sitting at the end of the bench. Understanding how Jimmy Dee feels Lionel fakes an injury forcing the coach to put Jimmy Dee in the game. In giving Jimmy Dee a chance, Lionel discovers the Golden Rule of treating others how you want to be treated. A valuable lesson that is often forgotten.
Lionel's Grand Adventure is a beginning chapter book for ages 7-10. It has been a long time since I last read something like this and it was quite a pleasant change.
The story begins when Lionel moves to Penobscot, Massachusetts along with his family. He is left to his own devices and so he decides to explore around his new room while "pushing his glasses back up the whole time." That's when he finds the foot of `Three-Toed -Potbellied Walbaun'. Curious about his discovery, he finds out more about the Three-Toed -Potbellied Walbaun foot from an unlikely source - the town eccentric, Mr. Jardean. Once convinced that he really had something magical, Lionel decides to try out its power and thus begins his great adventure...
It's a charming story that is bound to capture the little hearts! (& some not so little ones - like mine!) The names that the author has come up with are also going to catch the attention of the kids who love the unique names or love to play with words. Best of all, it also teaches a lesson in guise of a story! My only regret is that I got an e-copy instead of a physical copy - I would love to see the accompanying pictures that are bound to make this book even more interesting for the kids.
Lionel Snodgrass was a pretty happy kid even though his older brother bullies him, kids at school bully him, and his mom is constantly siding with his older brother. Lionel also knew he wasn’t the most athletic kid in the world…well, he was pretty out of shape, but he liked himself anyway. When Lionel and his family move into a new house he finds a strange object on his dresser. He learns from a store owner in town that there is a legend about a three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun, a mythical creature that possesses magic. Lionel figures out that the object he found on his dresser is a three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot and it is magical. Lionel wishes start to come true…but not always as he expects!
I really enjoyed this book. The story was really funny (especially when Lionel’s brother’s pants exploded – luckily his underwear was still on hee hee). I liked Lionel because he saw a lot of good in every situation and he seemed like a kid who was just happy being who he is. The story was a unique idea especially for an early chapter book. It was an easy read but the story was really good. I like what Mr. Hewlett’s Goodreads profile says – “Salesman by day, writer by night. Air Force vet. My aim is to write books that are constructive for children and encourage them to read, even if reading is not their favorite thing.” I totally think “Lionel’s Grand Adventure” is a perfect book for “reluctant” readers or young advanced readers.
I give the beginning chapter book “Lionel’s Grand Adventure” five out of five book worms!
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