The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars. Tom's summer is just beginning. He's looking forward to spending it with his best buddy Petie. As he's relaxing in his room, putting together a model Cessna airplane, his mom comes in and tells him what she thinks will be great news- he's going to spend the next two months on his Aunt Millie's farm! He hates the idea. This is a sweet story of a boy discovering what he is capable of, but also wants to show respect to those he loves. The story is told in the first person, helping the reader really feel connected to our main character, Tom. Tom has an experience that summer that he will never forget.

Great upper elementary children's book.

This was a 5-star book for me because of its blend of lyricism and humor. Tom falls in love with the beauty of the black fox, and his summer comes to focus around his sense of connection to her and her cub. At the same time, his friendship with his best friend Petie and his cousin Hazeline add an element of the comic day-to-day. I think I remember reading somewhere that Betsy Byars said this was one of her own favorites among her many books. Mine too.

I thought this book was very entertaining as well as hooking because it was just decisions and situations that made readers feel like they were in the book.It also made them think if they were Tom and what decision they should make it kind of also made them feel guilty if they made the wrong decision.I thought that this book was really interesting because it shows how fast things can change and how fast people can change their minds because of one little thing.

I thought this book was just okay. I'm not saying I didn't like it at all. I just didn't love it.

This was a great little story! My son and I both enjoyed it -- and I never thought I would care about the fate of a fox so much!

t "Growing Taller in Moral Courage”

tTen-year-old Tom resents being obliged to spend the summer at the farm of his relatives, while his parents bicycle through Europe. As an only child he amuses himself making models and indulging in crazy games of imagination with his bet pal, Petie. Sure that the two months will prove a washout, Tom arrives with quiet dignity and is outwardly obedient, but he harbors privately gloom. He rarely speaks, shows enthusiasm for their attempts to amuse him, or even gratitude for their welcoming efforts—preferring to play the role of the loner.

tA loner, that is, until the day he spots a rare, black fox dancing and leaping in the luxuriant green grass. Instantly the boy is fascinated by her grace and beauty, her kinship with the freedom of wild nature. Seeing her again and finding her secret den become Tom’s personal obsessions. Then—to his secret horror—his uncle announces plans to track her down and shoot her, as she poses a serious threat to Aunt Millie’s poultry,

tLiterary tension builds like an inevitable summer storm, climaxing on dark and stormy night--when Tom defies common sense and respect for his elders and hosts. He refuses to stand by and allow the fox to be taken and killed. Determined to rescue not one but both foxes from certain death, he seizes the opportunity to grow tall in moral courage, by acting on his conscience and then accepting the consequences of his actions. Related as a detailed flashback this story grabs the reader’s attention from the outset; but which of several possible endings will prevail? Can a Fox learn wisdom along with a young boy? An excellent read for kids of all ages.

t (7/15/2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

wholesome

Izzie loved it so much she wants to give it 10 out of 5 :)

This is the story of 9 year old Tom who has to reluctantly go and spend the summer on his mother's cousins' farm whilst his parents go on holiday to Europe without him. At first he feels abandoned and resentful, unwilling to get to know these new people or this new place, but once he sees the black fox he becomes not only curious about her, but about his new environment too.

Beautifully written, humorous and tense (oh how I did not want to read on last night!) this is a realistic portrayal of the 9 year old mind, endlessly curious, easily distracted, sometimes fearful and worried. The secondary characters are warmly portrayed: Hazeline, the 18 year old fat girl who eats peanut butter on banana when her boyfriend dumps her because he thinks she should lose 20 pounds ('What a jerk,' said Iz), and Aunt Millie who awakens every time Tom gets up in the night, materialising before him to check if he's all right. And let's not forget the rare and beautiful Midnight Fox, brave and loyal mother, who changes Tom's life.

Recommended to those who love animal and adventure stories, and enjoy discovering how the character thinks.

This book had absolutely no business keeping me, a 26 year old, so enthralled but it really did.

I declare an interest. I'm learning and aspiring to become a children's writer.
This book is character driven. The characters are rich, rounded and realistic characters. No stereotypes. No platitudes. No fear of offending. No judgements. The fat girl asks for a banana spread with peanut butter when she's stressed. Yes, that's what fat people do. They use food to manage their unhappiness. And thin people don't eat when they are stressed. That's real life. Betsy Byars has created two imaginative boys, Tommie and Petie, aged nine going on ten, who are separated and who write to each other. Nice idea.
Rounded characters speak convincing dialogue. I am charmed when Mom chides Tommy, 'You don't try to like new things' and Tommy answers, 'You shouldn't have to try to like new things.' I understand both of them.
This book looks through kids' eyes. Kids don't want to be dumped by their parents for two months. City kids don't necessarily want to go to the country. They don't want to leave their friends to stay with people they hardly know. This book respects that children have their own lives independent of their family life. I like that.
The plot is sturdy. Thin weak city kid is forced to to go the country where he is fascinated by a black fox and its cub. No spoiler here.
The descriptions of settings and of country values are coherent, vivid and unusual. A city reader is taken into the smells and tastes of the country.
Now I'm off to study this book to improve my craft of writing in character and setting.

Someone gave this book to me this week and I thought - don’t judge a book by its cover! Something I tell my students. The book was old and worn. I began it yesterday and finished it today. The words were beautiful. They story so sweet - one that I could visualize - and made me remember the far off days of childhood summers. Every student with an imagination will be able to relate to this boy and the black fox he befriends. I loved the story and understand why Betsy Byars was a newberry author.