Was this book supposed to be creepy? Because it totally came across as creepy to me. I'd be interested in asking kids if they think the book is creepy. Maybe certain aspects of childhood are just creepy once you've left that realm behind.

There were a lot of interesting visuals in the world of Hokey Pokey and vivid characters (and character archetypes) that made me think this would have made a stellar Pixar movie, or maybe something with claymation if you wanted to play up the bizarre aspects. As a book it fell kind of flat -- I found myself wanting more explanation and also just a touch more depth.

PopSugar Reading Challenge Item: A book with song lyrics in the title

After a few chapters, I don't really get what this is or why I should care. Possibly because I am an adult and not able to go into the story as well as a child would.

Always hated the shows where everything is a dream. Also I prefer my metaphors to be less heavy-handed. On the other hand great writing and plenty to discuss. Can't imagine who the audience is.

It took me awhile to really get into this book. It's different. :) The language he uses is incredible.

Jack lives in Hokey Pokey; a land inhabited by children and surrounded by places like Snuggler and Stuff and Socks and The Kid. Jack likes to hang with his amigos, giving Tarzan yells and riding his wild bike Scramjet. Then one day Scramjet is stolen by The Girl and Jack is different. He keeps hearing a whistle and the tattoo that every kid gets in Hokey Pokey is fading. His friends try to help him but there is nothing they can do. Things are suddenly different and they don't know how to handle it.

This is a strange little book that I am not sure I completely understand and I am pretty sure kids will not. I can't decided if Hokey Pokey is a metaphor for childhood or a dreamland or what exactly. It is definitely not the real world as we see the real world in the latter part of the book. I was not a fan.

Ugh. 7th grade reading list. I would recommend this to some middle-aged English teachers who want to wax poetic on their lost childhoods. The way Spinelli used language and basically made up words was good, but I hated the whole concept. Kids are not nostalgic for their youth. They are still kids. I just don't get who this book is supposed to be written for. I am not recommending it to any 7th graders!

This was too, well, hokey for my tastes. It's well-written as far as language crafting goes and extremely inventive, but I felt Spinelli focused so much on trying to craft his magical version of childhood with all of his inventive names and the like that it stood in the way of character development. I just never really felt with or for the characters because the emphasis seemed to be on the specialness of Hokey Pokey instead of on the specialness of them.

More importantly, in terms of my rating, I think Spinelli wrote this for himself as a child and not contemporary readers. Hokey Pokey is supposed to capture the unique magic of childhood, but it's an old-fashioned childhood that feels out of touch with today's children. The most important things are bicycles, baseball gloves, snow cones, marbles, and things that would have connected with kids 50, 40, maybe even 20 years ago. The most prominent piece of playground equipment featured is a seesaw; I can't remember the last time I saw a playground with a seesaw, because the technology and equipment has moved on. Cartoons are mentioned, but they're Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, and Donald Duck, and no mention is made of computers, video games, the Internet, phones (mobile, smart, or otherwise), tablets, or the like. I have trouble believing current young readers will be able to see themselves and their experiences in Hokey Pokey.

Most importantly, I felt Spinelli failed in his attempt to capture the book's main theme: growing out of childhood. Jack doesn't age out of Hokey Pokey because he's gradually growing into new interests and perspectives, becoming someone slightly different as he gains life experience. He doesn't get to change based on his decisions. No, he is suddenly forced out of childhood by external powers with no warning or sense that he is growing into anything else--it's more like death than growth, and an unexpected, instant, inexplicable death at that. As a recent comparison, Holly Black's Doll Bones deals with the theme so much more effectively, realistically, and poignantly. This book just didn't work for me.

I could not get into this book at all. The writing style was odd and I ended up not finishing it. Not really a book I would recommend to my students which is sad because generally I like Spinelli.

Hmm…had to abandon this one. This is twice now where I've picked up something by an author I really like and was baffled by my inability to connect…grr.

I'll admit I went into this book, thinking I would not enjoy it. Most of Jerry Spinelli's books have been hit or miss for me. But boy was I wrong about Hokey Pokey. After the initial was in the heck is going on in this book, I fell deeply in love with the allegory of this story. A favorite of the year by far!

Perfect book for older readers who are starting to make the transition from kid to teenager and I think most adults would enjoy this one as well. Defiantly one I will be recommending others read.