The Wrench

The Wrench

  • By: Elise Gravel
    Translated by: Charles Simard
  • Pages:32
  • Publisher:Orca Book Publishers
  • Themes:overconsumption, consumerism, excess, need vs. want, bike repairs
  •  
  • Available:06/23/2020
  • Lexile:AD600L
Ebook
9781459824515 LICENSE OPTIONS
$16.99
Hardcover
9781459824492
$19.95
Audiobook
9781459827929 LICENSE OPTIONS
$4.99

Bob’s tricycle is broken and he needs a wrench to fix it.

He ventures out to buy one at the Megamart, where slick salesman, Mr. Mart, convinces Bob that it’s not a wrench he needs, but a fridge hat…singing pajamas…a screaming machine! Bob spends all his money on things that he really doesn’t need and before he knows it has no money and no wrench.

Lively illustrations and quirky hand-lettering make The Wrench a delight to read while also conveying an important message about consumerism and excess.

“Parents and teachers hoping to teach their children to be less acquisitive now have another tool in their belt (a new one, yes, but a good one). Recommended.”
– CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“Colorful and comical.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Lighthearted…Hip [and] colorful.”
– Publishers Weekly
“Although Bob gets bonked on the noggin, Gravel does not do so to her young readers. The gentle anticonsumerism message is embedded in an entertaining story…An excellent primer on the value of time and money before the allowance years hit.”
– Quill & Quire
“[Will] bring lots of laughs to readers.”
– Must Read Literature
“Gravel uses humor and a fun story to bring up an important lesson for parents and their kids.”
– Sal's Fiction Addiction

“There is plenty of discussion potential about impulse buying, responsible shopping strategies, and simply putting things away carefully.”

– BC Books for Schools
CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens   | 2021  |  Commended
BC Books for Schools   | 2021  |  Commended