
Clementine is NOT having a good week.
On Monday she's sent to the principal's office for cutting off Margaret's hair. On Tuesday, Margaret's mother is mad at her. On Wednesday, she's sent to the principal, again. On Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her. Then Friday starts with yucky eggs and only gets worse. And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.
Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week. But maybe can she find a way to make it better.
Clementine is NOT having a good week.
On Monday she's sent to the principal's office for cutting off Margaret's hair. On Tuesday, Margaret's mother is mad at her. On Wednesday, she's sent to the principal, again. On Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her. Then Friday starts with yucky eggs and only gets worse. And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.
Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week. But maybe can she find a way to make it better.
When it comes to tackling third grade, Clementine is at the top of her game-okay, so maybe not all the time. After her teacher announces that the third and fourth graders will be putting on a talent show, Clementine panics. She doesn't sing or dance or play an instrument. She can't even hop with finesse. And as if that didn't make her feel bad enough, her perfect best friend, Margaret, has so many talents, she has to alphabetize them to keep them straight? How can Clementine ever hope to compete?
As the night of the big "Talent-palooza" draws closer, Clementine is desperate for an act, any act. But the unexpected talent she demonstrates at the show surprises everyone-most of all herself.
Clementine can't believe her ears: her beloved teacher, Mr. D'Matz, might be leaving them for the rest of the year to go on a research trip to Egypt! No other teacher has ever understood her impulsiveness, her itch to draw constantly, or her need to play "Beat the Clock" when the day feels too long. And in his place, he's left a substitute with a whole new set of rules that Clementine just can't figure out.
The only solution, she decides, is to hatch a plan to get Mr. D'Matz back. Even if it means ruining her Mr. D'Matz's once-in-a-lifetime chance, it's worth it -- isn't it?
Clementine has been picked for Friend of the Week, which means she gets to be line leader, collect the milk money, and feed the fish. Even better, she'll get a Friend of the Week booklet, in which all the other third-grade kids will write why they like her.
Clementine's best friend Margaret has all sorts of crazy ideas for how Clementine can prove to the class she is a good friend. Clementine has to get a great booklet, so she does everything Margaret says she should do. But what begins as one of the best weeks ever starts turning into the worst, and being a good friend might turn out harder than Clementine thinks.
Clementine's having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows she's in trouble for something. Has she been too mean to her little brother? Too sloppy? Eating too much junk food? Try as she might to find out what's on the agenda, her parents won't reveal anything before the meeting.
As far as Clementine is concerned, the agenda should be something like: "We're getting a gorilla." But no, it's something entirely different. "We're talking about a new baby," says her father. "A sibling for you two. What do you think about that?" NO THANKS! is what Clementine thinks. After all, four is the perfect number for a family. There are four sides to a table, not five. Will Clementine learn to make room for one more?
For Clementine, Spring is a really big deal.
Spring is for seeing her apple tree start to grow, for watching her friend Margaret go crazy with cleaning, and for going on the school trips, like this year's trip to Plimoth Plantation. Clementine is ready for Ye Olden Times, but she isn't so sure about surviving lunch there-the fourth graders have strict rules about no eating sounds. If that wasn't enough, Clementine also faces the challenges of learning Olive-language and surviving The Cloud on Bus 7.
Hearing the pilgrim lady talk about why she made the long journey from England makes Clementine think about rules. Who makes them, and what do they mean to the people who have to live with them? Today Clementine has to decide which rules are made to be broken.
Summer is coming, and Clementine is not ready. She is not ready to start speaking to her father again, because she's still mad at him for eating meat. Instead, she gives him drawings of animals she knows would not want to be somebody's dinner.
Then there is the new baby on the way. Clementine's mom sure doesn't seem ready. She's suddenly crazy about cleaning (Dad says she is nesting), but she doesn't even have a name picked out yet. Clementine just hopes the baby won't be a dud.
What Clementine really isn't ready for is saying good-bye to her third grade teacher. She knows Mr. D'Matz is going to tell her all kinds of things that aren't true. Everything else may be changing around her, but that doesn't mean that Clementine has.
But which is worse, saying good-bye, or not saying good-bye?
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The Clementine series fits the bill to a T! She loves precocious third-grader Clementine and the story appeals to her. In this value for money boxed set, three stories are included:
Clementine
The Talented Clementine
Clementine's Letter
Although Clementine is a third grader, the language level in this book is not set too high, meaning an independent reader in first grade will be able to breeze through the book in one sitting. I have no major concerns with the use of language, except perhaps for some of the made-up words such as "astoundished" etc.
The books also contain black and white line illustrations which make reading a more engaging and visual experience for young readers. Recommended for ages 6-9.
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Sara Pennypacker was a painter before becoming a writer, and has two absolutely fabulous children who are now grown. She has written over twenty children's books including Pax (illustrated by Jon Klassen), Here In The Real World, the Clementine and Waylan series (both illustrated by Marla Frazee); Stuart's Cape and Stuart Goes to School (both illustrated by Martin Matje), Meet the Dullards, and others. Sara splits her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Florida.