Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Canned

Canned
Canned
Author: Alex Shearer
ISBN-13: 9780545121071
ISBN-10: 0545121078
Publication Date: 11/2008
Pages: 237
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1

4.5 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Scholastic
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

GeniusJen avatar reviewed Canned on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Meet Fergal. He is a loner and a bit of an eccentric. His parents often worry about him. They like to think he is clever, but sometimes even being clever doesn't explain everything.

A recent visit to the grocery store with his mother has Fergal excited about something new. While at the store, he discovered the wonders of the "bargain bin." It is where items with bumps and dents and nearly expired dates go to be rescued by some value-minded shopper. What Fergal finds in the bargain bin is a shiny can missing its label. The mystery of the unidentified can inspires Fergal to begin a collection. Fergal becomes obsessed with label-free cans. In no time at all his collection grows to over 40 cans. His parents think it is a bit strange but hopefully harmless.

When the collection takes over the bookshelf in Fergal's room, his mother insists that for each new can he finds he must open one of the old ones. She considers it a waste to just collect the things and not use the contents. This leads to Fergal's gruesome discovery.

One might think that Fergal is the only person to think of collecting unlabeled cans, but he bumps into a fellow can-collector at the store one day. Her name is Charlotte. She has also opened several of her cans and found something equally as gruesome as Fergal. Together they set out to solve the mystery.

Alex Shearer's CANNED offers misfit characters, humor, and just the right amount of "gross" stuff to satisfy typical middle grade and teen readers. Even though the story is set in England and uses British jargon, most readers will relate to Fergal and Charlotte as they quietly carry on their investigation under the noses of clueless adults. This wacky, off-beat adventure is well worth checking out.