Skip to main content

Gooney Bird on the Map






Gooney Bird on the Map
by Lois Lowry
ill. by Middy Thomas
125 pages
intermediate chapter book
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011
The one-and-only Gooney Bird Greene is back with another idea! Gooney Bird is quite the individual. She is in second-grade and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about her wardrobe, her ideas or anything! She shows kids that it is okay to wear mismatched socks, to talk to the principal and to beat whatever you want for lunch. Her class is studying US geography right before February vacation time. There are three students in the class going to relatively exotic destinations and they can't help but brag to the class over and over and over again. Gooney Bird thinks up a plan to involve the whole class, in fact the whole school in a geography lesson they will not soon forget. She works her magic to tone down the boasters and make those staying at home feel good, all at the same time. She even teachers her class about observing "a moment of silence" to honor sad things. The Gooney Bird Greene series is a fun series for those just starting into chapter books. Lois Lowry is a wonderfully diverse author that reaches out to all age groups. My only complaint is that the teacher seems to allow free-spirited Gooney Bird a little too much control and influence in her classroom. This is a bit too unrealistic in most classroom settings.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.