Synopses & Reviews
The fourth hilarious title in Lowis Lowryand#39;s popular Gooney Bird series!
Itandrsquo;s a cold January at the Watertower Elementary Schoolandmdash;the perfect weather for Gooney Bird Greene to break out her special brain-warming hat! Itand#39;s a good thing she has one. Gooney Birdand#39;s brain will need to be as warm as possible this month, because Mrs. Pidgeon is teaching her class about poetry. Who knew there could be so many different ways to write a poem? Haikus, couplets, limericksandmdash;Mrs. Pidgeonandrsquo;s students soon find that writing good poetry takes a lot of hard work and creative thinking. Gooney Bird and her classmates are up to the challenge. But just when things are going well, the kids get some terrible news. Gooney Bird will need all the inspiration her brain can muster to organize the most important poem the class has ever written.
Review
"The well-turned phrase amuses, and the unexpected turn of events surprises in a plot that is tightly strung." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Review
* "This outstanding, emotionally resonant effort will appeal to middle-grade readers."—Kirkus, starred review
* "Urban (A Crooked Kind of Perfect) traces a highly self-conscious child's cautious emergence from her shell in this tender novel about new beginnings and "small brave" acts... Urban's understated, borderline naïf narrative gives voice to Mattie's many uncertainties ("Always Mattie has been shy. Always school had made her feel skittish and small") while expressing the quiet yet significant moments in her day-to-day life. Mattie's growing trust of others and her attempts to be "bold and friendly" lead to gratifying rewards for Mattie and poignant moments for readers."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Internal drama, compelling characters, and Matties strong voice propel the story of learning to do "a small brave thing."—Booklist
* "There are many books that offer adventure and twists and unusual story lines. Most of them do not offer young readers such fine writing and real characters. That is hook enough."—School Library Journal, starred review
Review
andquot;The story unfolds with fresh humor that keeps readers interested. Thomasandrsquo;s pencil drawings bring life to the characters. A fine selection for beginning chapter-book readers and as a read-aloud.andquot;--School Library Journal
andquot;Thomasandrsquo;s illustrations help the new reader see the final andldquo;poemandrdquo; and imagine Mrs. Pidgeonandrsquo;s reaction to their heartfelt offering of sadness for their teacher. Few books for early readers address such a difficult issue, but Lowryandrsquo;s capable storytelling does it with graceandmdash;much like Mrs. Pidgeon herself.andquot;--Horn Book
andquot;Few beginning chapter books have the range of this one, from hilarity to sadness, from outrage to compassion, and few writers could manage it with such finesse. Often amusing and sometimes subtly instructive, the fourth book in the Gooney Bird Greene series is well suited to reading aloud.andquot;--Booklist
Synopsis
Anastasia's tenth year has some good things, like falling in love and really getting to know her grandmother, and some bad things, like finding out about an impending baby brother.
Synopsis
Welcome to Anastasia's world in the first book of the Anastasia series! To Anastasia, being ten is very confusing. She has an awful teacher who doesnt like her non-rhyming poetry. Washburn Cummings, a very interesting boy, doesn't even know she's alive. And her parents insist that she visit her grandmother, who cant even remember Anastasia's name. On top of that, they're going to have a baby—at their age! To get back at them, she just might have to do something terrible.
Synopsis
Acclaimed author Linda Urban captures the sweet humor and tenderness of finding one's voice and making a friend, even when that seems impossible.
Synopsis
A story about small acts of courage from the author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect. Do not let a mop sit overnight in water. Fix things before they get too big for fixing. Custodial wisdom: Mattie Breen writes it all down. She has just one week to convince Uncle Potluck to take her on as his custodial apprentice at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary School. One week until school starts and she has to be the new girl again. But if she can be Uncle Potlucks apprentice, shell have important work to do during lunch and recess. Work that will keep her safely away from the other fifth graders. But when her custodial wisdom goes all wrong, Matties plan comes crashing down. And only then does she begin to see how one small, brave act can lead to a friend who is hound dog true.
Synopsis
In the fourth book in Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird Greene series, second grader Gooney Bird is learning how to write poems in school.and#160;When the class gets some sad news about their teacher, it's Gooney Bird who organizes a class poem to show Mrs. Pigeon they are thinking of her. and#160;
Synopsis
and#8220;Few beginning chapter books have the range of this one, from hilarity to sadness, from outrage to compassion, and few writers could manage it with such finesse.and#8221; and#8211;
Booklist Itand#8217;s a cold January at Watertower Elementary Schooland#8212;the ideal weather for second grader Gooney Bird Greene to break out her brain-warming hat. Mrs. Pidgeon is teaching poetryand#8212;from haiku to limericks. So when tragedy befalls their teacher, her students are prepared to write the most important poem theyand#8217;ve ever written. Thomasand#8217;s expressive drawings bring the characters to life in this funny, emotionally nuanced beginning chapter book. Brain-warmingand#8230; and heartwarming, too!
About the Author
Lois Lowry is the author of more than thirty books for young adults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Readers Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, NUMBER THE STARS and THE GIVER. Her first novel, A SUMMER TO DIE, was awarded the International Reading Associations Childrens Book Award. Ms. Lowry now divides her time between Cambrid