A book jot from July 2021:

I finished reading The Great Brain (1967) by John D. Fitzgerald with illustrations by Mercer Mayer. It’s a children’s novel that takes place in the late 1890s in Utah. The setting and some of the plotlines seem unusual for children’s literature, and it handles some difficult themes in a surprisingly mature and accessible way, appropriate for kids.

The book is a series of different episodes told from the point of view of an 8 year-old boy living in a small community called Adenville. Fitzgerald mixes humor with serious themes in a fun and engaging way.

The stories are based on the author’s own childhood experiences, and the autobiographical nature is a strong point of the book. It contains interesting historical details, fun characters, and poignant life lessons related in a way that doesn’t feel moralizing. In fact, there are multiple points at which the reader may be left wondering whether a particular character acted in a decent way or not. Some of the characters change, including in some pretty big, and believable, ways.

I didn’t have much prior knowledge about the book, and it proved to be an unexpected and enjoyable read.