Loved this series when I was a kid. Now I’m a mature adult and I still think The Great Brain is great fun. It’s always a treat to see a Mercer Mayer illustration.

00001060

00001051

Tom Fitzgerald, self-proclaimed Great Brain and older brother of our narrator, J.D., is a real rascal. In this volume of the series, he continues to use his Great Brain to swindle and manipulate the townsfolk of Adenville, Utah. However, he seems somewhat less maniacal here, as he's also used his Great Brain to keep the family from getting lost in the mountains, hold a truly touching funeral for an old dog, and catch a couple of bank robbers.
The Fitzgerald family and Old West setting are fascinating to read about, as a child or adult, and the text also features some good life lessons and morality checks. Recommended. ( )

I read the first Great Brain book earlier this spring and found it hilarious. This one wasn’t quite as good, but definitely worth reading. ( )