I believe I have read a metaphor for childhood. Tantrums, stinky sock piles, big screen cartoons and herds of wild bicycles -all to take at will with no one there to slow you down or stop the fun until the day things change and Jack knows he is going.

A book for a very specific reader. I am not sure which of my students would appreciate this story about Jack's last day in Hokey Pokey, his relationship with the Girl and his two Amigos.

Recommended: 11years and up
Subject/Theme: end of childhood/fantasy

This book has a very tough start -- I question whether kids will be intrigued enough to soldier through until the story gets going. I usually like Spinelli, though, and I'll stay with it to see what happens.

I'll have to let this one settle before allotting stars.

It's creative. Spinelli has crafted a whole world. But it's sad, nostalgic, wistful. It's an adult's point of view on the end of childhood. I have known some kids who resisted adolescence. I have known many kids who ran headlong into their teen-age without ever once looking back. I haven't known any kids who gave up every scrap of their kid-hood on one swoop or who felt completely pushed out of all childhood against their wishes (not without being abused). Kids look forward with gusto, ready to see what's next for them. Middle-aged adults look back with longing.

This feels like a short story for adults more than a YA or kids' novel.

I greatly enjoyed Spinelli's newest book, even if it starts off slow. At first, I thought the writing style would be too foreign and jumbled for kids, but the more I read, the more it felt like it was almost written by a kid, but refined by an adult. I think it's important to expose children to different writing styles, and Spinelli's style in this book does take warming up to, but i eventually came to like it. The whimsical but homey world of Hokey Pokey is worth a visit by those looking for a new view into the minds and spirits of children.

Couldn't put it down, but never really got it.

4 1/2 stars, maybe 5. Thanks, Sharon (and Sofie!) for recommending this one! I randomly checked this out of the library for my ten-year-old daughter and when she was telling me the plot, I kept thinking, "What?! Well, that sounds odd." It is the story of the land of Hokey Pokey, where there are no grown-ups and kids wrangle wild bicycles and at night, monsters hover over their heads. But, of course, that's not what it's really about. It takes a while to figure out what is happening in the story, and to get used the weird words. You have to be comfortable with not totally getting it at first, but the payoff is great, and pretty soon, you will feel totally at home in Hokey Pokey. It is lovely and sentimental and sweet. Siblings, I think all of you will like this one. Katie, I think this fits into the "just a good story that I can get into" thing that we were talking about. I read it in a day.

A terrific read. Magical. Enchanting. Very hard to put down. Very moving. Every bit for adults as it is for juveniles

Perhaps a bit drawn out at the end ... (yes we know what's happening, yes we know he has to do all these things before it happens ... can we move them along a little?). But otherwise the book kept my attention.

3.5 stars.

In the land of Hokey Pokey, children spend their days throwing balls and see sawing and spitballing and riding trikes and doing the myriad things that kids find to do . With the exception of the Hokey Pokey Man, who makes an appearance at noon each day to distribute Ivey treats of every imaginable flavour to the kids, there are no grown-ups in evidence. Jack has been the recognized leader of Hokey Pokey for as long as anyone can remember, but that changes the morning he awakens to find that Scramjet, his trusty bike, is gone. When he finds that his nemesis, Jubilee, has takenScramjet, the day just gets more and more odd. Slowly, Jack realizes that Scramjet, whom Jack had bronco'd from a wild bike herd years ago, has initiated the move to Jubilee because Scramjet knows something that Jack won't acknowledge even to himself-- namely, that the time has come for Jack to leave Hokey Pokey. This is an interesting story line that could lead to great discussions with the right group of kids. The playful approach to language-- dropflopping and hoprocking and sneakerskiing--is a pleasure. Unfortunately, the dreamlike quality of the storytelling keeps readers at a distance, and I found it difficult to really lose myself I the tale. But fans of Jerry Spinelli and his particular brand of quirkiness will find plenty of quirk to be had here.