Written by Walter R. Brooks, a long-time resident of Roxbury, Freddy and the Clockwork Twin, one of 26 books in a series, was published 75 years ago. To celebrate this anniversary, and to encourage new readers of the Freddy series, the Friends of Freddy and the Roxbury Arts Group will offer a free radio play* of Freddy and the Clockwork Twin on October 27, 2012 at 4 p.m. The production will take place at the Roxbury Arts Center and a fun, interactive book discussion with prizes will precede the play.
The Clockwork Twin may be one of the best books to use when encouraging children to read; and it is certainly one of the best books for introducing readers of all ages to the Freddy series. It has elements of Huckleberry Finn; science fiction and comic books, not to mention talking animals and a great deal of adventure. What’s not to like?
Here is where the Friends of Freddy would like your help: we are writing to ask you to encourage everyone you know, but especially book clubs, school teachers, librarians and civic organizations, to choose Freddy and the Clockwork Twin as a reading selection for the months of September through October, 2012. To participate, all anyone has to do is add a comment below and let us know when they have read the book. Our goal is 300 individual readers.
New: We've added a blog post with a quiz about this book!
New: We've added a blog post with a quiz about this book!
About the Friends of Freddy
The 2012 Friends of Freddy convention will take place October 26-28 at the HANAH Mountain Resort and Country Club, Margaretville, NY, located just south of Roxbury NY, where Brooks wrote the Freddy books. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Friends of Freddy is an international membership organization dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the writings of Walter R. Brooks and his literary alter ego, Freddy the Pig. First published by Alfred A. Knopf between 1927 and 1958, the 26 Freddy books were illustrated by Kurt Wiese, who deftly brought to life hundreds of hilarious events throughout the series.
* Based on Freddy and the Clockwork Twin, copyright © 1937 Walter R. Brooks, copyright © renewed 1965 Dorothy R. Brooks. Published in 2003 by The Overlook Press, Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc. www.overlookpress.com. All rights reserved.
I never read "Clockwork Twin" growing up because none of the local libraries had it, so my impressions are colored by the fact that it's one of the very few Freddy books I've only read as an adult. That being said, I could see how it could appeal to boys, and perhaps that's just what Brooks was aiming for.
ReplyDeleteMy ten year old son discovered the Freddy books this summer and is now steadily making his way through the series. He finished "The Clockwork Twin" a couple weeks ago and is now on "Freddy and the Ignormus."
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to discover this site.
Greetings from the foothill canyons of Orange County, California.
Rebel Girl,
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining us! In light of Kevin's comment above, what does your son like best about the Freddy books: the adventures or the friendships between the animals, and those between the animals and the humans? There has been some talk that boys like the books for the friendship and girls like the books because of the adventure angle. Personally, I like them for their humor!
Alice
Who is Bernice Baumgarten?
ReplyDeleteWas she a rather rude you girl who told Freddy he wasn't really a woman but a pig, because she could see his tail? Just guessing.
DeleteMake that a "young girl".
DeleteWho is Bernice Baumgarten? The book is dedicated to her.
DeleteReally?! Wow! I never noticed that and, in fact, do not recall seeing any other dedication in a Freddy book. I will research this and report back! Thanks for pointing this out.
DeleteI'd be willing to bet she was Brooks' agent at the time, based on what I found with a Web search:
Delete"The Baumgarten mss., 1957-1971, consist of the correspondence of literary agent Bernice Baumgarten, 1902-1978, with four women authors she represented over the years, as well as a file of general correspondence relating to placing manuscripts of her various clients, negotiating film rights in some cases, and generally conducting the business of a literary agent. In private life Baumgarten was Mrs. James Gould Cozzens; in her career she was a senior agent with the New York firm Brandt and Brandt."
Yes, Kevin is right. She arranged the foreign rights for not only the Freddy books ("the Clockwork Twin was the fourth one), but also his short stories. I still wonder, though, about any other Freddy book dedications he may have made. Does anyone know of any others?
DeleteThe Clockwork Twin is one of my favourite books in the Freddy series. It has nasty villains, resourceful animals, Mrs. Winfield Church. The chapter when the animals and Adoniram are stranded in the New York Department store remains one of my great unfulfilled fantasies. But what really sets The Clockwork Twin apart is the emotional currents that eddy through it. The book is about two boys and their search for family - and it is incredibly satisfying emotionally.
ReplyDelete