Zack and the Turkey Attack!

August 1, 2017

Gr 2-5-A boy tries to create a machine that will prevent exactly what the title says in this quick read. Zack and his dad spend weekends helping his grandparents on their farm. While Zack enjoys these visits, one thing mars his otherwise pleasant experience: the farm's resident turkey, Tailpipe, who likes to run at Zack and peck his legs. Zack decides he needs to create a portable machine to scare the beast into leaving him alone. He's assisted by a neighbor, Josie, who also fancies herself a sleuth and is concerned with a rash of recent petty thefts on the farms, and his best friend Matthew. Together they plot, experiment, and, using random items found in grandpa's machine shed, create a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption meant to startle Tailpipe away. Zack makes it clear that he simply wants to frighten the bird; he and Michael do talk about the difference between frightening it and killing it. They also become unwittingly embroiled in the farm theft mystery, but all is explained and happily resolved by the last page. Naylor's story is highly plot-driven, with only quick strokes of character development. VERDICT A light and humorous story ideal for readers looking for a fast, easy read.-Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2017
Working on his grandparents' farm every weekend is mostly fun for Zack.But as soon as that old turkey Tailpipe spots Zack, the bird flies at him and pecks him without mercy. Zack tries all sorts of schemes and tricks to evade him, to no avail. Then he is inspired by the things he sees in grandfather's machine shed and comes up with a genius idea. He will build a contraption, a "turkey-blaster trouble-shooter" that will scare that bird so he will stay away from Zack. Meanwhile, neighbor Josie informs him that things have been disappearing and she is convinced that a robber is on the prowl. Now Zack has two things to worry about. When his friend Matthew joins in with outrageous suggestions, hilarity ensues. The three white friends work together on the ever more elaborate machine, and their interpretations of the burglary clues become more complicated. The children meet the challenges with great ingenuity and good humor. Naylor keeps the tone light and the plot twists simple and believable. Readers will sympathize with Zack's dilemma while laughing in sheer joy at the convoluted attempts at besting that turkey, and they will probably guess the thief's identity, too. Several full-page, detailed, black-and-white illustrations highlight the quirky events and add to the fun. Charming and lighthearted. (Fiction. 8-11)

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September 11, 2017
Zack likes visiting his grandparents’ farm with his father, pitching in with chores and enjoying Grandma’s delectable meals. What he doesn’t like is the giant turkey that chases him around the farm, feverishly pecking at his legs. Exasperated, Zack attempts to map out walking routes across the farm so as to avoid the turkey, which he’s nicknamed Tailpipe “because he was always right behind you and made as much noise as a tailpipe without a muffler.” When that tactic fails, he decides to build a “turkey-blaster trouble-shooter” to scare the creature “right out of his feathers.” With the help of friends Matthew and Josie, Zack constructs a noise-making contraption using old items stored in the barn. Though that laborious process slows
the story’s stride, a mystery involving missing jewelry and a suspected burglar help keep things moving. At its heart, this is a homespun novel underscoring the importance of family and friends, themes that will be familiar to Naylor’s many fans, and that are reinforced by To’s atmospheric b&w illustrations of farm hijinks. Ages 7–11. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.

January 1, 2018
Nine-year-old Zack doesn't like being pushed around by an aggressive turkey when he helps out at his grandparents' farm every weekend, but Tailpipe (Zack's name for the creature that was "always right behind you and made as much noise as a tailpipe without a muffler") is disinclined to give up control of the farmyard. Using broken tools and other junk from his grandfather's shed, Zack sets out to build a "turkey-blaster trouble-shooter" that will put Tailpipe in his place for good. When Zack's first attempts fail, he reluctantly accepts help from his grandparents' young neighbor Josie, who has her own methods of dealing with Tailpipe. Zack's friend Matthew also gets roped in, and as they experiment with noisemakers, water balloons, and leftover rain gutters, the turkey-blaster takes on Rube Goldberg-level proportions. Zack is an engaging hero, and Josie and Matthew are well-rounded secondary characters. The story is a fairly simple one, with a low-stakes conflict; a subplot about a suspected theft, which the children investigate on the side, adds some mystery. Young readers will enjoy Zack's eventual triumph over a manageable challenge. sarah rettger

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)