I would say that you'd have to be a ding-dong doodlebrain to not like Barbara O'Connor's writing and On the Road to Mr. Mineo's, but that would just be rude. Instead, I'll tell you why I do.First of all, she uses words like ding-dong doodlebrain. How great is that? Second, her characters are so believable, you'd swear you actually know them. Or that you are one of them. Third, her kids think and act like kids. Fourth, she kind of makes me proud to live in South Carolina. And finally, her writing is just plain fun. Sherman, a one-legged homing pigeon, flies the coop and doesn't return to Mr. Mineo. What he does instead is catches the eye of several people in a small town: Stella, who always wanted a dog for a pet but would settle for a pigeon; Gerald, Stella's friend and "yes" man, who's just tired of being picked on; Mutt Raynard, the boy who cried wolf, who wants to catch the pigeon to prove he wasn't lying about it; Ethel, who's more concerned about the little brown dog that seems to be shepherding the pigeon; and Levi, the town troublemaker who just wants to get the pigeon before Stella does. Sherman leads them all on a merry chase until they all come together at the lake. But they discover a few things about themselves along the way.Barbara O'Connor writes books that feel like a lazy, summer afternoon. Not a lot happens, but still very satisfying to the soul.
Do You like book On The Road To Mr. Mineo's (2012)?
Slow to get started but once I saw the potential connection it was an okay read.
—Jenn
