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Lunch-Box Dream Audiobook
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(2.06) - 177 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this compelling novel, Golden Kite Award-winning children's author Tony Abbott explores Jim Crow laws and family strife from multiple perspectives. During the summer of 1959, Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields. Tempers flare as an accident cuts their trip short and forces them to return home by bus. On their journey, they witness a black family getting denied bus seats. In brief flashes of insight, young Bobby begins to question his assumptions about race. "Beautifully crafted and written."-Publishers Weekly, starred review
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"The subject of this book is certainly worth rereading, as humanity is rapidly lurching towards racist and nationalistic sentiments at present. The book reminds us that segregation, based on ignorance and fear, only brings misery on both sides of the perceived divide. Unfortunately, the pace of the book is too slow and the thoughts and actions of the young people too old fashioned to captivate the young audience of today. The staccato style of the reader adds to the alienation of the book. I did very much enjoy the voices of the black family, they felt much more real then the white family. It is not clear what the purpose is of the white family in the story, and unnecessarily centers the book on them. The coming together of black and white in the end is out of the blue, fleeting and unbelievable. I vote for a sequel, in which the black family takes center stage. Their suppression - and those of minorities all around the word - is still and again, worryingly in need of retelling."
— Adrie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Beautifully crafted and written.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Abbott’s true-to-life descriptions and complicated story lines set in the volatile, pre-Civil Rights era will leave readers with much to think about and discuss when considering race relations in our country’s history.”
— School Library Journal
Lunch-Box Dream Listener Reviews
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" Confusing - I'm glad the author included the key of characters at the beginning of the book because I found myself using it often. I think a 5th grader (even a strong reader) would have a difficult time following and understanding the 2 woven storylines. I will probably not be recommending this book to my students. "
— Lou, 2/14/2014 -
" I only wish Abbott would have gone into a little more detail near the end of the book when both families came together on the bus. There were several climactic events at this time and not enough concrete detail to help me understand fully. "
— Carrie, 2/1/2014 -
" I wasn't exactly invested in it while reading, but I wasn't exactly impressed. "
— David, 1/16/2014 -
" I am reading this book by audio CD. "
— Becky, 1/14/2014 -
" Ugh I did not like this book. The characters were negative and whiney and the storyline had no direction. It takes place during the Civil Rights Movement so I thought it would be good, but it was so boring I wouldn't recommend it. "
— Celeste, 1/6/2014 -
" Lunch-Box Dream, have you ever been on a vacation that goes down hill very fast? Bobby, his brother, his mom and his grandma all go to Florida. They made alot of crazy stops on the way, such as when they made a stop at the civil war battlefield. Bobby stole something from the gift shop. This is like the time me and my family went to Mt. Rushmore, because they went on a family road trip just like us. If you like adventures, you will love this book. "
— Zachary, 12/31/2013 -
" Excellent historical novel that adeptly explores the racism and segregation of Jim Crow-era south from multiple perspectives, both black and white. "
— Edward, 12/31/2013 -
" Wow, this one was...weird. Structure- and plot-wise. Can't imagine a child reading it and not being pissed off by the ending. "
— Rory, 12/13/2013 -
" This was okay. I was expecting WOW since it is on the lists everyone is writing about the newbery 2012. It is a quiet book. Alternates between the african american family and the white family. Told from different voices and I had to keep turning to the front to keep track of who was whom. "
— Barbara, 11/3/2013 -
" One Sentence Review: A book with high aims, but its problems sink what would otherwise be a strong piece of fiction. "
— Betsy, 11/3/2013 -
" Just ok. I really thought it would be better as the summary on the back of the book talks of "abandonment, trembling on the brink of adolence and the moment he must leave his childhood behind." That sounded so good, but I didn't get it. Honestly, I mostly skimmed. "
— Holly, 6/27/2013 -
" I found it a little confusing... "
— Heather, 6/22/2013 -
" It wasn't bad it wasn't great either. I think the multiple narrators was a disservice to the story. "
— Lindsay, 6/17/2013 -
" I didn't really get the point of this book. The main character was not all that sympathetic. And it didn't really have an ending. Guess it's just not my type of book. "
— Anastasia, 5/21/2013 -
" There were many parts that didn't make sense to me when I was reading it and I couldn't get a feel for the characters. I don't see how this would appeal to a young reader at all. "
— Kara, 4/21/2013 -
" The perspectives were a little confusing but there was definitely a lot of intense connections with feelings about race in this one. "
— Erin, 1/17/2013 -
" creepy. had to finish it for a class - otherwise, I would not have bothered. "
— Claire, 12/10/2012 -
" I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. "
— LaLa, 9/9/2012
About Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott is the author of more than one hundred books for young readers, including the bestselling series the Secrets of Droon and the Copernicus Legacy and the novels Firegirl and The Summer of Owen Todd. He has worked in libraries, in bookstores, and in a publishing company and has taught creative writing. Visit him online at www.tonyabottbooks.com.
About the Narrators
Kevin R. Free is an audiobook narrator and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several AudioFile best narrations of the year selections. Known for his work with young-adult novels, he has read titles by Rick Riordan, Walter Dean Myers, and Joe Haldeman. In 2011 he was named a Best Voice in Young Adult and Fantasy from AudioFile magazine for his narration of Myers’ The Cruisers: Checkmate.
Robin Miles, named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, has twice won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, an Audie Award for directing, and many Earphones Awards. Her film and television acting credits include The Last Days of Disco, Primary Colors, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, New York Undercover, National Geographic’s Tales from the Wild, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She regularly gives seminars to members of SAG and AFTRA actors’ unions, and in 2005 she started Narration Arts Workshop in New York City, offering audiobook recording classes and coaching. She holds a BA degree in theater studies from Yale University, an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, and a certificate from the British American Drama Academy in England.