Bibliography:
Sachar, L.(1987).There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom. New York: A. A. Knopf.
Book Summary
Bradley Chalker is an unlikable kid with many issues. He sits “at his desk in the back of the row----last seat, last row. No one sat at the desk next to him or at the one in front of him. He was an island”(p.1). He is the oldest and toughest kid in his class having been held back twice in the fourth grade. He doesn’t do his homework and is the only kid without a gold star on the wall in his class. As the story progresses, we see him gradually begin to change; first due to the new kid, Jeff, and later due to his visits to the school counselor. He starts doing his homework, improves his grades, makes new friends, and is even invited to a birthday party. At the end of the story he is just like any other regular kid.
My Impression
The story is set in a fifth grade classroom at an elementary school and revolves around school related activities such as home work, recess, lunch, study hall, and the school counselor’s office. The book is full of humor. The plot is interesting and develops gradually. There is a protagonist (Bradley), an antagonist (Jeff), and several minor characters. Everyone hates Bradley. The new counselor, Ms. Carla Davies, helps him get over his insecurities and encourages him to believe in himself. The author uses characterization to give us insight into the characters. For example we know of Bradley’s insecurities from his thoughts. He decides to adapt a “don’t care” attitude. His policy is “hate everyone before they have a chance to hate him”. That way, it will not matter to him if they hate him in the end. He hated them first. The language and diction is simple, it fits the characters in the book. The author uses a lot of dialogue between the characters making their interactions real. The chapters are short and some sentences are quite short. Events progress very fast. Sachar uses vivid language to describe scenes and events, for example, the counselor’s office, ” Bradley’s mother stepped into the room. Boxes were everywhere. Some were turned over, with their contents half spilled onto the floor. A yellow ladder lay on its side. In the center of the room was a round table surrounded by chairs, but the table and chair were covered with papers and boxes and games and books. There was hardly room for Bradley’s mother and teacher to stand”(p.20).Readers will identify with the school kids, the classroom, going home from school, recess, playing some kind of sport with friends, and homework. Most readers with empathize with Bradley. There are various embarrassing incidents representative of life in elementary or middle: Jeff ending up in the girls’ bathroom, Bradley getting a black eye from Melinda, and Colleen’s crush on Jeff. This book will speak to both girls and boys and can be a good read for children in third grade through middle school.
Use in a Library Setting
Read this book aloud in class. Discuss the problems of bullying with kids. Ask the kids to discuss the best way to treat someone like Bradley.
References:
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