REVIEW: Time Warp Trio #3: The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy by Jon Scieszka

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars, Genre: Fiction, Pages: 80, Level: Easy

Book Description:

“Saddle up, pardners, for another rootin’ tootin’ adventure! The Time Warp Trio is back- and back in time, living it up in the Wild West. Actually, just trying to stay alive is more like it.

First they’re cowboys- and being poisoned by trail chow, stampeded by crazed cows, and suffocated  by foul cow-fumes. Maybe they’ll be better off with the Indians? The chief seems to like them- but why do his warriors keep staring at their scalps? Could this be the Time Warp Trio’s last stand? Heck no, Geronimo!

Once again, Joe’s Book works its warped magic on Joe and his friends, answering that age-old question: ‘You say there’s nothing for boys to read? Can’t find anything that mixes adventure, comedy, and a tad of hocus-pocus? Never fear, the Time Warp Trio has arrived.’ -Booklist”

In the third installment of the Time Warp Trio series, Joe, Sam and Fred are transported back to the Wild West. How cool is that? They get to be cowboys! Not so fast. The Wild West stinks- literally. The food is awful. The cattle are trying to stampede them and the Indians are trying to scalp them. I guess the Wild West is actually not that much fun. The boys must find The Book if they are going to make it back to their home with their scalps.

Again, another entertaining and quick read. While my daughter and I usually enjoy longer books, it is also fun sometimes to pick up a book we can finish in one sitting. And the stories are funny. I thought it was hilarious when Joe was trying to communicate with an Indian and it turned out the Indian spoke English. Too funny.

Anyway, a fun and quick read that is perfect for read aloud sessions, although you may want to be prepared to explain scalping. My daughter asked about that-

Daughter: What is scalping?
Me: Well, the Indian takes a knife and cuts off the top part of the head so that the hair stays intact.
Daughter: Why?
Me: To prove that the person is dead. To keep as a trophy. To keep track of how many people they killed.
Daughter: The people can’t stay alive after being scalped?
Me: Um, no honey. That would kind of defeat the purpose.
Daughter: Did that really happen?
Me: Yes.
Daughter: Oh. Okay.

I guess I hadn’t thought that I would be educating my daughter on how people were killed. First walking the plank and now scalping. Hmmm…

Reviewed by Christina

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If you enjoyed The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy by Jon Scieszka, you may also enjoy:

Time Warp Trio #1: Knights of the Kitchen Table and Time Warp Trio #2: The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka