BookPikks

In the spirit of Frindle, Clements again writes about a student who thinks out of the box. At Dave and Lynsey’s school, the 5th grade boys and girls don’t get along. When Dave challenges Lynsey to a contest, the fight is on: boys vs girls. Whichever group speaks the fewest number of words in two days is the winner. It seems like a simple enough contest, but what the boys, the girls and the teachers learn about themselves and each other in the following two days surprises everyone. A definite must read for 5th graders, their parents and teachers.

Gwen lives in New York City with her grandfather. She needs to focus on practicing her violin and preparing for her auditions to 3 top music schools. But how can she focus when her grandfather has disappeared, her great-uncle won’t leave her alone, and her new friend Robert has a strange history that seems to have caught up with him.

This book is a companion to Things Not Seen, which I haven’t read. However, I still enjoyed the story, and its message of self-sacrifice and love is refreshing.

Another good book by Clements, focusing on the teacher/student relationship. Not as good as Frindle, but still very entertaining. Mark and his teacher, Mr. Maxwell, get off to the wrong start in school, and it only gets worse once they arrive at the annual 5th grade “Week in the Woods” trip.

The characteristic of Clements’ writing that I most enjoy is the way he explains what both the students and the teacher are thinking. As a reader, I really understand both points of view, and so understand why all the characters are acting the way they do.

This book was wonderful! Nicholas Allen is a fifth grader who has numerous great ideas to make school more exciting. His newest idea seemed fairly tame, but caused quite an uproar. Inspired by his teacher, Nicholas decides to make up a new word. The consequences are greater than anyone imagined.

While some books make me feel guilty as a teacher (One Child) this book was inspirational. Nicholas’ teacher, Mrs. Granger, challenges her students even when they complain, but is also completely supportive of their efforts. I hope that as a teacher, I can be as influential to my students as Mrs. Granger was to Nicholas.