There's A Boy In The Girl's Bathroom

There's A Boy In The Girl's Bathroom is a realistic fiction novel by Louis Sachar, who is well-known for writing other youth fiction novels, such as Holes and Sideway Stories From Wayside School.  I grabbed this book while shopping with my kids at 2nd and Charles because it was a novel I remember reading and enjoying in late elementary school and reading several times, but I could not remember anything about it now.  It is an "older" read, published back in 1987 and I was taken back to my childhood quickly with character's names like Judy, Betty, Colleen, Melinda, Karen, and Jeff.  It is a bit of a faster read; it only has 195 pages.  The chapters are also extremely short (most chapters only 2-5 pages), so the action moves quickly and pages turn fast.

Bradley Chalkers is the kid that sits in the last seat in the last row. In the last seat in the last row he doesn't have to talk to anyone, distract anyone, or even do his school work. He is doing 5th grade for the second time now and everyone knows his name and face.  He's not allowed to check out library books anymore after destroying so many books, he's not allowed to use the hall pass after skipping class so often, and he's the last kid's name a teacher wants to see on her class list.  Bradley has life pretty figured out: don't put effort into anything and you won't get hurt. Don't do homework and there's no chance of missing a problem.  Don't do the book projects and there's no chance of getting a bad grade and looking silly in front of your classmates.  Don't try to answer the questions on the test and you'll never fail. Don't make friends with anyone and there's no chance they will disappoint you or hurt your feelings. He's been doing school this way for so long, he doesn't know any other way. He has earned his reputation with the teachers and students at the school and has no intention of changing that.  But now there is a new counselor at the school named Miss Davis. She believes Bradley is smart and kind and capable.  Bradley thinks she is crazy and thinks the sooner she realizes he isn't worth her time and effort, the better off she will be. But Miss Davis isn't willing to give up on Bradley so quickly...

There's A Boy In The Girl's Bathroom is a great read for late elementary grades up to 6th grade.  Both guys and girls will enjoy this novel and Bradley's character. There is a kid like Bradley in every grade of every school.  I think this is a great novel to help kids understand that there is more to the "bad kid" than what is on the surface.  This novel is also a great example of showing the importance of the counselor at school and the impact he/she can make on students.  In a world where we tend to hear a lot of complaints and loud voices when something is going wrong, this novel is also a great reminder that we also need to celebrate when things are going right and when changes happen for the better, they should be recognized.  As a teacher, this was a great reminder to me of the impact one adult or one friend can make on the life another.  And a great reminder that it is never too late for a second chance.              

Millionaires for the Month

Millionaires for the Month is a realistic fiction novel written by Stacy McAnulty. The novel is 336 pages long, so it is a bit of a longer reader.  However, it does move quickly and only spans a month through the course of the book.  While this is not one of Stacy McAnulty's most well-known novels, I read this one at the recommendation of a student (thanks Wells!) and really enjoyed it. The novel addresses the dreamer's question: What would YOU do with a million dollars?  There is no movie for the novel, but it was very reminiscent for me of a movie I watched in my childhood called Blank Check. The movie is occasionally on Disney+ so it could be a great watch after reading this novel!  

Felix and Benji are furious when they are partnered on the school field trip by their teachers.  They are not friends and have no desire to change that.  Felix follows all the rules and is more of a people-pleaser, while Benji loves to break the rules and look for the easiest way out of things.  The two find a missing wallet in the park and realize it belongs to billionaire Laura Friendly!  They decide to return it to her in the hopes she will reward them handsomely for their honesty.  However, Benji decides to buy hot dogs from a street vendor with the $20 bill in her wallet.  She won't even notice it's gone, right?  A $20 bill to a billionaire is like a penny to those boys, right?  However, when they return the wallet to Laura Friendly, she does notice the bill is missing and presents a challenge to them.  A penny doubled every day for a month becomes $5,368,709.12 and the boys have ONE month to spend that amount. If they don't, all the items purchased will be taken away from them and they walk away with nothing.  If they do, each boy will get TEN million to spend however they wish.  But the challenge is not as easy as it seems - there are rules.  They cannot give away the money to others or buy gifts for others.  They must use what they purchase with the money and cannot buy certain things like real estate, vehicles, businesses, or stocks.  And then there is the hardest rule: they cannot tell ANYONE about the challenge, not even their parents. While it sounds like a lot of fun and that is should be easy to spend over $175,000 a day, the boys quickly learn it isn't as easy as they thought it would be.  Their month is filled with many lessons of creativity, friendship, and learning the true value of a penny.  

Millionaires for the Month is a clever story of every kid's dream of suddenly becoming a millionaire. Both boys and girls will love this book, but this is definitely one the guys will enjoy and be able to relate with. The book is a better fit for grades 5 - 7 because there are a few select words used by the kids, but they are minimal.  While it does touch on the subject of the boys and their middle school crushes, there is also a unique relationship between two people that may be better suited for older readers. The book does challenge the boys to be creative in finding ways to spend the money and to find loopholes in the rules to be able to use the money as quickly as possible.  It also challenges the boys to make many ethical decisions, which can help readers think deeply about right and wrong in how they make their own decisions.