6 h 37 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 162 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 162 pagesAbout this book
What if every plan to win admiration only gives the grown-ups another reason to shake their heads?
Penrod Schofield wants to be a hero, not a model child. In Booth Tarkington’s comic novel, this restless schoolboy turns life in a small Midwestern town into a string of schemes and scrapes. With Sam Williams beside him and his loyal dog Duke nearby, he chases glory while trying desperately not to become a laughingstock.
At home, Mr. and Mrs. Schofield struggle to understand their son, while his older sister Margaret has little patience for him. Beyond the house wait schoolrooms, backyard adventures, rivals, and the puzzling attractions of Marjorie Jones. Each episode brings another collision between Penrod’s private rules and adult expectations, told with affection and an amused eye for his mistakes.
What you’ll discover
- Glory meets bad judgment Follow a would-be hero whose grand ambitions keep turning into trouble.
- Family life under strain Meet loving parents who find their son's restless imagination both baffling and exhausting.
- Friends, rivals, and dares Join Sam Williams and Penrod as friendship gives their schemes room to grow.
- The awkward first crush Watch Marjorie Jones stir feelings that leave even this bold dreamer puzzled.
- A town seen from childhood Wander through porches, alleys, and backyards with a narrator alert to boyhood's strange logic.
Who will love it
For readers who love gentle, observant comedy and early twentieth century American small-town life, and anyone who remembers being a boy or raising one.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Penrod is a boy, not a model
- Home is a place of constant friction
- Dreams of glory always go wrong
- Friends, rivals and a first crush
- The town and its attitudes
- A comedy told with love and irony
Who’s who
- Penrod SchofieldA restless schoolboy of about twelve who longs to be admired and keeps landing in trouble through his own schemes.
- Mr. and Mrs. SchofieldPenrod's parents, loving but often baffled and worn out by their son's behavior.
- Margaret SchofieldPenrod's older sister, busy with her young admirers and annoyed by her little brother.
- Sam WilliamsPenrod's close friend, a partner in dares and plans.
- Georgie BassettA neighborhood boy who is part of Penrod's circle.
- Marjorie JonesThe girl who draws Penrod's awkward and puzzled affection.
- DukeThe Schofield family dog and Penrod's loyal companion.
Formats and delivery
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- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
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- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
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- The key ideas in about 6 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 162 pages: USD 8.95 when you start free, USD 14.95 on its own.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in, 245 pages: USD 11.95 when you start free, USD 18.95 on its own.
- Large print hardcover
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Penrod
by Booth Tarkington · 1914
A mischievous schoolboy wants to be admired, but his schemes keep putting his pride at risk.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Booth Tarkington published it in 1914. He had already won readers with serious novels about family and town life, and here he turned his sharp eye on a schoolboy.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Penrod is a boy, not a model
Penrod Schofield is the center of everything in this book. He is a schoolboy with a messy, restless mind, and he is rarely clean for long. He does not set out to be wicked. He sets out to do what seems interesting at the moment, and the consequences arrive afterward.
Tarkington gives Penrod a hidden inner life that grown-ups in the story never see. Adults look at him and see a nuisance who needs correcting. The reader sees a boy with feelings as large as any adult's, only pointed at different things. A bad word, a dare, a stray idea or a bit of attention can send him off on a fresh scheme.
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A mischievous schoolboy wants to be admired, but his schemes keep putting his pride at risk.
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Details
- First published
- 1914
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
- Paperback
- 162 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Hardcover
- 162 pages · 6 × 9 in
- Large print paperback
- 245 pages · 8.5 × 11 in
- Large print hardcover
- 245 pages · 8.5 × 11 in
- Delivery and returns
- Printed when you order. Usually here in 12 to 14 days.Arrives Thu 12 Nov to Wed 18 Novto United States, printed for you at cost
For Christmas, order by Thu 12 Nov
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What is Penrod about?
Penrod follows a mischievous boy of about twelve in a small Midwestern town. The book is a series of comic episodes involving his family, friends, school and a bully, showing how he gets into and out of trouble.
When was Penrod written?
Booth Tarkington published Penrod in 1914. It is a work of fiction, though it draws on the author's memories of boyhood in a Midwestern town in the early twentieth century.
Is Penrod a children's book?
It is about a boy and has often been enjoyed by young readers. Its narrator's ironic voice is aimed as much at adults who remember being children.
The author
Booth Tarkington
1869–1946 · American novelist
Booth Tarkington was an American novelist born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1869. He lived in Indianapolis and spent summers in Kennebunkport, Maine. He wrote Penrod (1914), Seventeen (1916), The Magnificent Ambersons (1918), and Alice Adams (1921). He also wrote plays. He died in Indianapolis in 1946.
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