THE GREAT SKINNER GETAWAY

by Stephanie S. Tolan ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1987

The Skinner family returns in a third book, and again, the younger members bemusedly follow their parents through another growing experience, this time down the open freeway. Father, recovering from the sale of the family business described in The Great Skinner Enterprise, purchases a motor home with the idea of cheap vacations that feature spontaneity and freedom of movement. When Mother gets the summer off, the four children (Jenny, 16; Ben, 14; Marcia, 11; and Rick, 9) find themselves reluctantly off for a three-month jaunt to Look for America. Predictable problems ensue: the motor home has an exploding refrigerator among other inconveniences; taking the pets along may not have been wise, especially since the cat first has anxiety attacks and then turns feral; and America does not quite live up to Mr. Skinner's expectations. Ben does not help matters by disappearing temporarily; and the adventures are climaxed by a broken axle in the middle of nowhere. But it's the final catastrophe that allows them to take the vacation they really wanted. All of this is slickly narrated by Jenny, with the satirical humor of the previous titles. The characters remain true to their personas, growing in incident rather than personality. The result is reliable entertainment, if not highly original.

Pub Date: April 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Four Winds/Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S