“I want you to meet Bobo.”


“Bobo?” Even John’s eyes widened.


“My best friend,” Mr. Pignati explained.


We stepped in front of a cage with bars, only about three feet from where we stood.


I recently just read The Pigman by Paul Zindel and I must admit: I was a bit skeptical of it all, but once I got into it, it turned out to be a really good book. The Pigman was written for generally middle school students, but I’m sure any reader would enjoy it; young or old. If you enjoy reading realistic fiction then, you’ll enjoy this book. I would recommend The Pigman to anybody for a quick read because, if you’re a fast reader like myself, it’s a very easy read. Have I not convinced you, yet?


Imagine this: it’s 1963. A cold, fall day has fallen upon the city of New York, New York. John and Lorraine are getting off the bus, rushing off to John’s house to have a marathon day of prank calling random people. John’s friend, Norton, meets up with them on the corner of the block. It’s Lorraine’s turn to try to keep somebody on the phone for as long as possible, so she picks out a man by the name of Mr. Pignati. John and Lorraine come up with a plan to tell the man that they are asking for donation for the “L & J Fund.” Little did they know that they would soon befriend not only Mr. Pignati, but a baboon named Bobo. John and Lorraine become great friends with Mr. Pignati and give him the nickname The Pigman. Mr. Pignati becomes ill at the end of the book, and as soon as you think he’s getting better, things take a turn for the worst. In the end, the kids learn that it’s ok to have fun, but sometimes a little too much fun can be a little too dangerous.


This book is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read, but then again, I like almost any book I can get my hands on. It has many great examples of good usage of literature. There is foreshadowing throughout the whole book, and to put a twist on things; there’s also switching of authors between chapters. John starts out writing the book, but then Lorraine takes over chapter two. This pattern keeps going back and forth until the end. This book is a must read if you like to have some good laughs and even cry a little bit. Yes, I did cry. Does that make me a wimp? No. It just means that I get really deep into the story and characters. I got really attached to The Pigman and its characters, and when Mr. Pignati died, a little piece of my heart died as well. Too much?


I would recommend this book to anybody; young or old. It’s a great read for middle school aged kids as well as adults, and it really has some good vocabulary along with it. So, are you ready to read a great book? Check your local library for a copy of The Pigman. You won’t be sorry you did!