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kristenremenar's review against another edition
4.0
This is 100-ish page chapter book told from the point of view of a captured gopher snake. It gets a bit preachy at times, like when the gopher snake is blaming his captor's squishy anatomy on too many video games, but I think the kids that would read this are the kind that like animals and would root for the snake anyway. Interesting snake narrator = good book for elementary boys.
redtenaj's review against another edition
3.0
We got this from the library because my second grader LOVES snakes and I thought it would be fun to read aloud with him. The fanciful premise of the story, told from the perspective of an arrogant snake imprisoned by a repulsive human, sounded intriguing for a kid who's engrossed by nonfiction animal science books.
However, the vocabulary used in this book is a little advanced for him (and his 4-year-old brother), and I didn't feel up to "translating" every other sentence for them. So I read it on my own, to satisfy my own curiosity about the story, and we'll check it out again in a couple of years when I won't have to serve as a personal dictionary.
However, the vocabulary used in this book is a little advanced for him (and his 4-year-old brother), and I didn't feel up to "translating" every other sentence for them. So I read it on my own, to satisfy my own curiosity about the story, and we'll check it out again in a couple of years when I won't have to serve as a personal dictionary.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
So fun. A little depressing in parts, but mostly very funny. Appreciated that the ending was fairly realistic and not over-the-top happy.
lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Told from the point of view of gopher snake, We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes, is a unique story that many children will find interesting and hilarious.
The human, Gunnar, captures the gopher snake and promptly mistakes the snake for a male and names him Crusher. The snake is not too happy about this considering she doesn't even crush, she asphyxiates.
Gunnar takes Crusher home and introduces her to a whole new world that she just doesn't understand. There are boxes all over with other animals in them, these animals explain to Crusher that she is now a pet and that Gunnar isn't necessarily the kindest or brightest human.
Crusher is so distraught that she plans to escape, even if she doesn't understand anything about the indoors let alone what a house is. Gunnar tries to feed her dead frozen mice, but she refuses to eat so he brings her a live mouse. This completely backfires because Crusher starts to befriend the mouse (even though it is completely against her nature).
Watching the animals relationships unfold and seeing the world from a snake's perspective is very different and unique. I will recommend this book to a lot of middle grade readers who are looking for realistic fiction (even though this isn't it reads like it is) and animals lovers.
The human, Gunnar, captures the gopher snake and promptly mistakes the snake for a male and names him Crusher. The snake is not too happy about this considering she doesn't even crush, she asphyxiates.
Gunnar takes Crusher home and introduces her to a whole new world that she just doesn't understand. There are boxes all over with other animals in them, these animals explain to Crusher that she is now a pet and that Gunnar isn't necessarily the kindest or brightest human.
Crusher is so distraught that she plans to escape, even if she doesn't understand anything about the indoors let alone what a house is. Gunnar tries to feed her dead frozen mice, but she refuses to eat so he brings her a live mouse. This completely backfires because Crusher starts to befriend the mouse (even though it is completely against her nature).
Watching the animals relationships unfold and seeing the world from a snake's perspective is very different and unique. I will recommend this book to a lot of middle grade readers who are looking for realistic fiction (even though this isn't it reads like it is) and animals lovers.
dctigue's review against another edition
4.0
If you ever have wondered how a snake thinks, then read this.
sarswack's review against another edition
5.0
if anyone wants to start a book club about this let me know.
abigailbat's review
4.0
When our protagonist, the gopher snake, is captured by a human boy and put in a cage, all she can think of is escape. But after studying the habits of boys for awhile and getting to know her mouse companion (whom she affectionately names Breakfast), will Crusher change her mind?
Funny and weird, this book is definitely something different. Crusher's observations on human habits are witty and Gunnar's treatment of his pets will definitely make kids think twice about catching wild animals.
Funny and weird, this book is definitely something different. Crusher's observations on human habits are witty and Gunnar's treatment of his pets will definitely make kids think twice about catching wild animals.
operasara's review
4.0
We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings stars Crusher a Gopher snake that been captured by boy who didn't always treat them well. Crusher is interested in everything about his new environment including the weird looking grass and the magical box that keeps things cold. Crusher who came from outside develops friends inside including a mouse who he names breakfast and a turtle and a tarantula.
This is a great book that looks at pet ownership from the side of the pet. Crusher comes from outside and is told of the horrible treatment that he will receive from his owner which he experiences. It could really make kids think twice about the way they treat animals. The observations about his environment had my daughter laughing and the book kept my daughter entertained even though she was only reading it in small pieces as time allowed at school.
Appropriateness: The human in this book isn't the nicest person. This is a book that has negative behavior that's put in a way that kids can learn from. I would recommend this book to kids nine and up with this being a book that boys epically will love. The lexile is 560 putting it at a mid fourth grade reading level.
This is a great book that looks at pet ownership from the side of the pet. Crusher comes from outside and is told of the horrible treatment that he will receive from his owner which he experiences. It could really make kids think twice about the way they treat animals. The observations about his environment had my daughter laughing and the book kept my daughter entertained even though she was only reading it in small pieces as time allowed at school.
Appropriateness: The human in this book isn't the nicest person. This is a book that has negative behavior that's put in a way that kids can learn from. I would recommend this book to kids nine and up with this being a book that boys epically will love. The lexile is 560 putting it at a mid fourth grade reading level.
emdoux's review
This is Crusher. He’s a rattlesnake. He’s, like, the coolest pet ever—he will, like, eat and kill stuff if you put it in front of him (especially mice) and he’s VICIOUS! He’ll snap up his meal in a SECOND and kill it with his deadly poison.
Except that Crusher, the vicious, evil, ruthless male rattlesnake is a female GOPHER snake, who is neither venomous NOR poisonous (she kills her prey by constricting them). When Gunnar (the boy who found her, captured her and imprisoned her in a terrarium) drops in a dead mouse, hoping Crusher will eat it, she buries it, hating him more and more each second.
When Gunnar drops a live mouse he has named “Breakfast” in with Crusher, the tiny white mouse suddenly becomes part of Crusher’s escape plan. How are a gopher snake and a small mouse supposed to escape not only a terrarium, but a boy’s house – in order to get back to the wild?
Except that Crusher, the vicious, evil, ruthless male rattlesnake is a female GOPHER snake, who is neither venomous NOR poisonous (she kills her prey by constricting them). When Gunnar (the boy who found her, captured her and imprisoned her in a terrarium) drops in a dead mouse, hoping Crusher will eat it, she buries it, hating him more and more each second.
When Gunnar drops a live mouse he has named “Breakfast” in with Crusher, the tiny white mouse suddenly becomes part of Crusher’s escape plan. How are a gopher snake and a small mouse supposed to escape not only a terrarium, but a boy’s house – in order to get back to the wild?