John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

The Great Brain #7 was, at the time, a great way to end a series, with Tom not doing any big swindles, but instead going out rather quietly; he had grown up by that point. Of course, I say "at the time", because John Fitzgerald had decided a decade later to start work on what was to be the last of the series. Number 7 wasn't as humorous or adventurous as the other six, but it still makes for a good read.

I think this a great book. It is about a boy named Tom that everyone called the great brain. He was very smart and liked to outsmart other people, but only if he got money for doing it. He could outsmart every kid in town and most adults. The Great Brain wasn't very likable--he took people's things, especially money, and he made fools of people. But what he did was entertaining. He put his great brain to work on how to swindle someone to get what he wanted. What motivated him to do this was his money loving heart. In this book he is involved in the buried treasure swindle, the horse race, and the chute the chute (a thrill ride). In all of those he gets money. I really think you should read his book because the characters each have an interesting, believable personality, The swindles he pulls off are fun to read about, and it is a really funny book.

John D. Fitzgerald, in the tradition of Mark Twain, wrote a semi-fictitious account of his childhood as a Mormon in Utah. The milieu and time for "The Great Brain" series is a Victorian, early 1900's era, making the stories more in the lines of Tom Sawyer and Huck Fynn. But that does not belittle this timeless classic written in the 70's. The Great Brain is in fact an interesting character to follow. The stories are told from the point of view of his younger brother, as he follows him through many schemes (all of which are money scams) and escapades, which somehow wind down to moral lessons. The Great Brain is a humorous, brilliant and witty work of historic fiction that is sure to touch every reader in some way. I first read the series as a young child myself, growing up in much the same way The Great Brain does- a strict religious family that promotes hard work and academic education. These stories are hard to find nowadays, Victorian morales having slipped away somehow in our modern day. I am glad to know that Amazon.com still has these great books and I recommend them to everyone, young and old. For me, reading the novels was a form of escape, as well as an insightful glimpse of a time that was far more innocent than our own- the violent gangs of today and MTV, Britney Spears, Joy of Pepsi, Ossie Osbourne generation compare nothing to the rebelliousnes of the Great Brain. All of the books are enjoyable, and it is not until the last book in the series, "The Great Brain Reforms" (the name says it all) that we discover the startling growth and changes the punky, swindling, intelligent adult-trapped in the body of a child Great Brain undergoes. A Must Read.

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

The Great Brain series is my very favorite of all the books I read as a kid. I recall beginning reading the series as a fourth grader, and re-read them ...and even now if I want an easy read that is guaranteed to make me chuckle I pull them out and read them. Also, Harriet the Spy, Little House series, and of course classics like Treasure Island, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer will appeal as well.

I too have been searching for this book almost 20 years later. It's a book that you read and never forget. I could tell you the story and haven't read the book since 1985. How can such a great book be out of print?

I second the comments of the previous reviewer. I read this book as a twelve year old, and have spent the last twenty years looking for another copy. Hard to find, but well worth the search.

If you are serious about understanding the JFK assassination then you need to get all ten volumes of Bruce Adamson's works on the Dallas assassination. The deep and wide research in Mr. Adamson's volumes allows one to see the inportant people surrounding the mysterious Lee Harvey Oswald. You can learn about someone by knowing a persons friends . These volumes contain valuable info on George DeMohrenschildt== self proclaimed == best friend of Lee Harvey Oswald. Knowing who DeMohrenschildt was helps to understand the important question --Who was Lee Harvey Oswald ? Words to the wise ....get these volumes !

While I grew up in a family of three brothers, somehow our adventures were never quite as exciting as the scrapes that T.D., J.D., and (less often) S.D. continually found themselves in. I can remember many wonderful days and evenings reading along with our dad through this book and all of its successors (The Great Brain Returns, Me and My Little Brain, etc.) and then many happy returns to the series by myself as I got older. I think it's testament to how wonderful the books are that even 15 and 20 years after reading them I still remember the characters and plots as well as I do, and I remember them as top-notch. Said memories include: engaging, sympathetic characters, great adventures both in and out of town as the Great Brain plots to outwit bullies, authority figures, and nature all in pursuit of glory and profits, all told from the perspective of his admiring younger brother J.D., who provides not only the Watson-like character to T.D.'s Holmes, but also a strong moral compass and corrective to some of T.D. excesses.

I think the highest accolade I can give (and this series certainly deserves it) is that I will be reading these books with my own children if I am lucky enough to have them someday, and I recommend them to anyone looking for great stories of childhood, family, and the struggles and joys contained therein. Well done, Mr. Fitzgerald. My only regret is that I can't seem to find a boxed set of the entire collection.

I never read any of the books in the Great Brain series; they were actually read to me when I was a child. It was a ritual that my mother and I had every night. Just after I got in bed she would sit or lie down next to me and pull out a book. Over the years she read many different series, and to be honest, at the age of 23 all of these stories are a bit of a blur, except one series, The Great Brain. The Great Brain was by far my favorite I remember the stories as though they were read to me yesterday. One bit, which I remember particularly, is a scene in one of the books involving a headmaster (I think) and one of the brothers. I remember something being said about adults finding it admirable when children looked them in the eye while being addressed. That little bit has stayed with me all my life. After my Mother read that part I immediately started holding my head high and looking every adult who spoke to me in the eye. I've done that ever since, and when I do it I remember The Great Brain. Anyhow, I thought I would share this the world, especially any parent looking for a book that their child might like. If you haven't done it yet, you should consider reading this series to your own kid.

I first read this book and the others in the series as a sixth-grader back in the mid-70s. I, too, read them over and over! I was so enthralled with the stories that I did what I always did with terrific books: looked for any other books by the same author. I was thrilled to discover that in addition to this fictionalized version of J.D.'s childhood, he had also written three non-fiction books detailing his family history and experience in late 19th century Utah: Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse, Papa Married a Mormon, and Mama's Boarding House. I promptly checked them out of the library and devoured them all. They are wonderful stories and an informative background to the Great Brain series. I add my plea to that of another reviewer: SOMEONE, PLEASE REPRINT THESE BOOKS by John D. Fitzgerald! They are a treasure that should not remain relegated to the dusty shelves of used bookstores!

I am currently reading The Great Brain to my six-year old son. At first I was afraid that the writing was a little too sophisticated for him, but with an explanation here and a definition there, he's doing just fine with it. He laughed uproariously at the scene in the opening chapter of the public uncrating and display of the first water closet (indoor flush toilet)in Adenville. These stories are terrific entertainment, as well as history lessons. They give kids a sense of how daily life was a century ago from a kid's perspective.

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

Growing up, this series was my absolute favorite. The western themes, the sibling plots and the historical aspect of it kept me interested and kept me reading. The books stood on their own, but the characters developed from novel to novel. I read them in fourth grade, vigorously, and can not recommend them strongly enough.

It was the first real page-turned I ever came across.

This book was an adventurous, and exciting book. It always kept me off my seat, and always kept me wondering.

I don't want to be a spoiler after reading all the other glowing reviews on the the Great Brain books, and for the most part I won't be. Any kid with a taste for adventure and a tiny bit of rebellion in his soul will enjoy the whole series, especially the "Great Brain at the Academy." My only, minor, complaint is the essentially superflouous religious indoctrination that J.D. throws in regarding the Catholic priesthood. J.D., those of you who have read "Papa Married a Mormon" may recall, decided to become a Catholic, while T.D. became a Mormon. It seems like J.D. is attempting to cram in a little ideology, or at least Catholic history, into the book. But that complaint is really very minor. I still recommend it for anyone with kids 5-15 years old (and I confess to re-reading them myself every now and then).

Driving into work today, I suddenly had a flashback to this wonderful series of books. I don't know what jogged my memory, but I cannot forget how much I loved reading the Great Brain series. The Great Brain at the Academy was by far my favorite. I am almost tempted to read them again -- for, what would probably be, the 6th time. Great books for your kids.

It's funny, heartwarming and really involving. All these feelings I felt when I read it when I was 9 yrs. old. It's so amazing how one can be so enterprising and witty at such a young age! Tom definitely had an impact on me then and always will! I grew up wishing to be like him...and I think I got my wish. EVERYONE: Grab this book, in fact, the whole GREAT BRAIN series as soon as you can. The little ones will love you for this great gift! On a personal note: I lost all my GREAT BRAIN books to kids who borrowed from me and never returned. Now that I'm 22 I'm very happy to get a second chance to collect THE GREAT BRAIN SERIES! Victoria Miranda

J.D.'s brother Tom, the Great Brain himself, does not appear at all in this particular book. This one takes place after Tom has left for the Catholic Academy and is mostly about J.D. trying to follow in the Great Brain's footsteps, a task that J.D. doesn't fulfill until the last chapter, which makes this one a pretty tedious read. Tom's absence leaves a gaping hole. Try to imagine if J.K. Rowling were to write another book about Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Harry Potter is not in it. That's how boring 'Me and My Little Brain' is without Tom. But readers of the Great Brain series still shouldn't skip this one. It explains the adoption of a youngest son named Frankie, who will be mentioned in the fourth book, 'The Great Brain at the Academy.'

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

The Return of the Great Brain is a excellent book to read!!! Tom ( the great brain ) is on trial. He has to reform.Tom uses his brain to solve a train robbery,to get a jackass, and many other things. Read The Return of the Great Brain to find out what happens!

This is a light-hearted, funny book. I am way beyond the suggested age level, but i still read all the books in this series every other year. This series is one of two other books that has EVER made me laugh out loud, even when i was younger. So give the gift of laughter to a special kid in your life with this whole series!!

This book was really entertaining, and I have read it more than once. I have not read a better book than this about what kids did in the past etc. It had intresting situation and intresting characters and I recomend it for everyone!

In response to negative review, Steve Perez worked at the Santa Cruz Sentinel for about 10 years. Perez wrote on the homicides in Santa Cruz County. The Sentinel is owned by a division of Dow Jones Inc, and one of the largest stockholder is Mary Bancroft's daughter under the Jane Bancroft trust. Mary Bancroft was a CIA agent and she was the lover of CIA Director, Warren Commissioner Allen Dulles and CIA assest Henry Luce. If you had read first half of the book and gave up you would have read Perez's work. There may be a couple of type'os possibly because when using Quark Express I had to take manuscript to Kinko's and another high grade printer. When I load program it reformatted the text for the entire volume. I went through to clean them up. Have had few complaints since 1996. Many in the JFK assassination community have praised the volume for it's damning evidence against on George de Mohrenschildt's ties to Prescott and George Bush Sr. Bruce Campbell Adamson

Although this book could be a bit of a headache for anyone who's grown accustomed to an easy pulp-fiction read, it is nevertheless impeccably researched. The material presented, everything from court documents to official correspondence to casual correspondence, presents a startling factual picture of "the ties that bind", and manages to avoid the Usenet-style conspiratorial bent that shows up in most other books documenting the strange Dulles-Kennedy-Bush triangle. American history at its strangest!
Five stars for tracking down and formatting the immense volume of material in this book, and five stars for having the couage to print it. A bargain at any price- in fact I'll trade my copy for a nice Texas gusher, if anyone's interested...

I find this volume well researched and extremly incriminating. Why are so many people happy with this volume on Ebay. Adamson has many positive reviews on Ebay. Everyone who has purchased the volume has left a positive review, it seems on EBAY at user I.D. at ciajfk.com. If it is so hard to follow, why are they happpy? C.W.