The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

By Barbara O'Connor
Rating: 4 stars

This is one of those small gems of a book. Popeye lives in tiny Fayette, South Carolina where nothing ever happens. Then one day, a huge RV (a Holiday Rambler) gets stuck in the muddy ditch right near Popeye's house, spilling out a whole slew of kids, including Elvis. Elvis is everything Popeye is not, and when Elvis announces he wants to go on a small adventure, Popeye is right behind him. But what kind of adventure can two boys find in a nowhere town? Then a perfect boat made out of a Yoo-Hoo box floats down the creek with a message: "Yoo-hoo! Ha! Ha!" Then another arrives with a second message. And another! Popeye and Elvis have found their adventure--who is sending these boats? And what do the messages mean? Of course, finding out might mean telling a few untruths and going a few places they aren't meant to go, but that can't stop them! But when the Holiday Rambler is unstuck from the ditch, will all the adventures come to an end? Readers will happily tag along on this small adventure and will be glad they did.