Summer of the Monkeys facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Wilson Rawls |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
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Publication date
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1976 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 283 |
| ISBN | 0-440-41580-2 |
Summer of the Monkeys is a popular children's book written by Wilson Rawls. It was first published in 1976 by Doubleday. This exciting story won two important awards: the William Allen White Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal.
Contents
What is Summer of the Monkeys About?
The story takes place in the late 1800s. It follows a 14-year-old boy named Jay Berry Lee. Jay Berry lives a simple life with his family. They are farmers who work on land owned by others, called sharecroppers. His family moves to Oklahoma when his grandfather offers them free land.
Jay Berry's younger sister, Daisy, has a leg that needs special care. The family works hard to save money for an operation that could help her.
Jay Berry's Big Discovery
One day, Jay Berry is looking for their lost milk cow. He finds something amazing in a nearby river bottom: a group of monkeys! When he visits his grandfather's store, he learns why they are there. The monkeys escaped from a traveling circus. The circus is offering a huge reward for their return. They will pay $100 for the main monkey, named "Jimbo." They will also pay $2 for each of the other monkeys.
Jay Berry is very excited about the reward. He tries many ways to catch the monkeys. He uses traps and a net that he borrows from his grandfather. But the monkeys are very clever. They scratch and bite him, and at one point, they even pull off his pants!
A New Plan to Catch Monkeys
Jay Berry's grandfather gives him some advice. He tells Jay Berry to contact the circus. The circus tells Jay Berry to try and become friends with Jimbo, the main monkey.
When Jay Berry goes back to the monkeys' area, he finds them near a hidden place where strong drinks are made. The monkeys have gotten into the drinks. This makes them act very strangely, but also friendly! They even offer Jay Berry some of the strong drink. Jay Berry quickly returns home to his surprised family.
He then goes with his grandfather to a nearby town. They visit the library to find new ways to catch monkeys. They buy some supplies, but the monkeys are still tricky. They manage to steal all of Jay Berry's new monkey-catching gear.
Daisy's Wish and a Happy Ending
One day, Daisy finds a fairy ring in the grass. She believes it can make wishes come true. Secretly, she wishes that Jay Berry will get the pony and rifle he has always wanted.
Soon after, a big storm hits. The storm frightens the monkeys. They run to Jay Berry for safety. This makes it easy for him to gather them up. He quickly returns them to the circus and gets his reward money.
Jay Berry thinks about buying the pony and rifle he dreamed of. But he decides to use the money for Daisy's leg operation instead. By the end of the story, Jay Berry and his grandfather have saved enough money to buy him a paint pony. Daisy also saves enough money to get him a .22 gun while she is in the city.
Summer of the Monkeys on Film
The book Summer of the Monkeys was made into a movie. The film is an American family adventure-drama movie. It was directed by Michael Anderson. The movie came out in 1998.
Corey Sevier plays Jay Berry Lee in the film. Michael Ontkean and Leslie Hope play Jay Berry's parents. Other actors in the movie include Katie Stuart, Don Francks, and Wilford Brimley.
The movie was filmed in 1997 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was shown in some theaters in Canada and the United States in 1998. Later, it was released on home video by Walt Disney Home Video.
