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22nd out of 138 books
—
17 voters
Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)
by
Lisa Yee (Goodreads Author),
Dan Santat (Goodreads Author)
Meet Robert Carver Ellis-Chan -- a perfectly normal fourth-grader who gets into perfectly crazy situations! Like when he was running for class president and discovered his big sister's panties static-clinging to the back of his sweater. Or when he got stuck to the rare sticky (and stinky) Koloff tree on a field trip. . . . Then there's his family -- busy mom, ex-pro footba...more
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Arthur A. Levine Books
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Bobby and Holly have been secret best friends since they were little kids. It's a secret because at their elementary school, boys and girls do not hang out together. But things start to change when they enter the fourth grade. Holly starts trying out some girly things and Bobby feels a bit left behind. And then Bobby accidentally starts a battle of the sexes.
Move over, Andrew Clements. This story of boys and girls and friendships and school is pitch perfect. The supporting characters are divers...more
Move over, Andrew Clements. This story of boys and girls and friendships and school is pitch perfect. The supporting characters are divers...more
Bobby and Holly have been friends since forever. They know boys and girls aren’t usually best friends and they know their friends at school wouldn’t understand, so they have a strategy they call “The Parting Place”. They walk to school together everyday, but when they get to “The Parting Place” about a block from their school, Bobby speeds up and Holly slows down…just so they won’t be seen together. It works.
But then the week before fourth grade starts, Bobby starts to notice some weird things a...more
But then the week before fourth grade starts, Bobby starts to notice some weird things a...more
I recently went to the 2010 Children's Literature Council Spring Workshop. The theme this year was "Old Passions - New Technologies: Children's and Young Adult Literature in a Web 2.0 World." I had a great time listening to the speakers (who included Elizabeth Khuri Chandler, one of the co-founders of Goodreads!), but more importantly, like all good workshops, I was inspired to go and investigate some of the ideas mentioned in the presentations. One of the speakers showed us Lisa Yee's blog. I'v...more
This book was a nice balance of humor and drama. It deals with identity, relationships, fairness and the passing of a pet. All themes are addressed in a way that children in second or third grade will relate to. Although most kids aren't quite as Anti-Boy or Anti-Girl, this aspect of the book could lead to some thoughtful discussions. It may also provide some consolation to a child who has recently lost a pet. Bobby is a fully-developed character who has flaws, talents, dreams and doubts. Female...more
In a climate where you can't throw a dinner roll without hitting five or six new series, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) is a middle grade school story (and first in a series) that stands out with humor, believability, and a subtle touch.
4th grade is about to begin and Bobby Ellis-Chan is feeling uneasy. Third grade was a disaster, his friend Holly Harper has started hanging around with girlie-girl Jillian Zarr, and his ex-pro football player father (a.k.a. "The Freezer") is having a tough time w...more
4th grade is about to begin and Bobby Ellis-Chan is feeling uneasy. Third grade was a disaster, his friend Holly Harper has started hanging around with girlie-girl Jillian Zarr, and his ex-pro football player father (a.k.a. "The Freezer") is having a tough time w...more
Summary: (Amazon.com)
Bobby and Holly are friends. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the two take care not to advertise the fact to their OTHER friends. Every day they walk a little ways to school and every day they split up before they arrive so that no one will see them walking together. The trouble between them, however, begins when Holly starts doing all these girly activities, like straightening her hair and doing her nails. Things pretty much go downhill from there. Bobby runs...more
Bobby and Holly are friends. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the two take care not to advertise the fact to their OTHER friends. Every day they walk a little ways to school and every day they split up before they arrive so that no one will see them walking together. The trouble between them, however, begins when Holly starts doing all these girly activities, like straightening her hair and doing her nails. Things pretty much go downhill from there. Bobby runs...more
Bobby Ellis-Chan’s year as a fourth grader is filled with events he didn’t plan on happening. Instead of owning a dog (he has allergies), he’s given a goldfish. At a school field trip, Bobby hugs the Koloff tree, the stickiest and smelliest tree in the world, and gets stuck to it. However, the main event is when he accidentally starts a classroom war of boys vs. girls when he runs for student council representative against his long time best friend (who happens to be a girl) Holly Harper. Despit...more
I thought this was the cutest book. When I told my students about it they were telling me similar stories that had happened to them in elementary school. Bobby and Holly grew up best friends. When they reached fourth grade Bobby realized that Holly had started hanging out with someone new. Now it was no longer cool for the girls to be seen talking to the boys and the boys talking to the girls. Bobby ends up with a fish named Rover, and comes home each afternoon and tells his problems to the fish...more
Reading this to my grade 3 and 4 classes and they are really enjoying this. It is written well for their perspective on day-to-day life for school-age children. My students are understanding the humor and are picking up on little clues throughout the story. They are able to predict (somewhat) upcoming situations and give feedback as to what they would do. Great book to encourage conversation and debate with whoever you read this to, or even for them to read to themselves. The reader automaticall...more
Sep 16, 2010
Kate Hastings
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
early-elementary-gr2-4
Recommended grades 2-4. Bobby and Holly were always good friends-- until the awkward third grade when they had to downgrade to secret friends because boys and girls shouldn't be friends.
At the start of the new year, Holly starts wearing dresses and painting her nails. Seems she started hanging out with girls over summer vacation. And Bobby finds himself stuck with boys that make fun of girls and do... boy things.
Eventually Bobby and Holly find each other at odds because of their new friends. And...more
At the start of the new year, Holly starts wearing dresses and painting her nails. Seems she started hanging out with girls over summer vacation. And Bobby finds himself stuck with boys that make fun of girls and do... boy things.
Eventually Bobby and Holly find each other at odds because of their new friends. And...more
Bobby and Holly are best friends at home but can't be seen talking to each other at school where girls and boys DO NOT play together - ewww cooties! When Holly becomes friends with a girly girl, the dynamics of her friendship with Bobby change until the two are at war. Bobby struggles not only with the sadness of losing a friend, but also the embarrassment of having a stay-at-home dad who used to be a famous football player, and the wish for a dog instead of a goldfish. Funny, authentic characte...more
A really sweet, fun and funny about two fourth grade friends (boy and girl)who find themselves on opposite sides of the class when they both run for student council representative. Bobby Ellis-Chan, whose father is former professional football great "The Freezer", and Holly Harper, are friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend, but they are forced to make friendship choices neither one is too sure about. Definitely recommended for any boy or girl who suddenly finds that he or she has to decide about...more
It's unfortunate that I read this over the course of 2 months, because it really is such a quick read, and I'm sure it would be even more enjoyable if read it in one sitting. So, from what I remember about the whole thing...
It was really, really funny. I love it when children's books are genuinely funny, and don't just resort to potty humor for a quick laugh. I was impressed by how smoothly the two friends became "enemies," because it would have seemed odd and out-of-place if the change was so a...more
It was really, really funny. I love it when children's books are genuinely funny, and don't just resort to potty humor for a quick laugh. I was impressed by how smoothly the two friends became "enemies," because it would have seemed odd and out-of-place if the change was so a...more
I have a theory. A theory about why boy v. girl books are so popular with the youngsters. It goes like this: When you’re a kid you find that sometimes the only way to feel real and included in a group is to point out the other kids that (for whatever reason) cannot be included. Now kids cannot help but notice too that human beings are neatly divided into two groups: men and women. By dint of your sex you instantly belong to a group of like-gendered people. And if you band together against the ot...more
I really loved this book and would recommend it to all students, both boys and girls. The author has a great way of connecting the reader with the life of a fourth grade student. I found this book to be witty, entertaining, realistic, as well as morally accurate. The main character Bobby makes the occasional mistake, but is able to own up to them, and apologize – a great lesson for elementary students to learn. Both boys and girls will find they are able to identify with the main characters, and...more
Apr 20, 2013
Mari Anne
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Mari Anne by:
Kim Schnase
Shelves:
mg-ya
Another very cute, very smart and very funny MG book from Lisa Yee. As I told a friend the other day, Lisa Yee is very underappreciated. She writes clever and funny books that aren't condescending or contrived. Her MG books are just good clean fun. This one may not be quite as clever or as funny as my favorite, Millicent Min Girl Genius, but I really enjoyed it. Probably best for grades 2 - 5.
Pretty cute school story. Bobby and Holly have been best friends forever, until it became 'uncool' for boys and girls to be friends in elementary school. Holly starts hanging out with girls and soon Bobby and Holly are competing against each other and not even friends. Bobby is stuck with a fish named "Rover" (as he's allergic to dogs), a stay-at-home dad with a static cling problem, and two sisters.
Fourth grader Bobby can't understand why is best friend, Holly is changing this year. She is paying more attention to her hair, and her clothes, and hanging around with Jillian. His hurt feelings cause him to say some things that are taken out of context, and it all comes to a head with the class elections for student council representatives. Will Bobby and Holly ever get to be friends again?
Cute story about a 4th grade boy, Bobby, whose best friend is a girl. But he can't let anyone know about that b/c boys can't be friends with girls!
Yay for a book written by and about Asian Americans that portrays us as perfectly normal people as opposed to exotic, mysterious creatures!
This isn't going to win a Newberry prize, but it's a cute book that both boys and girls will most likely enjoy.
Yay for a book written by and about Asian Americans that portrays us as perfectly normal people as opposed to exotic, mysterious creatures!
This isn't going to win a Newberry prize, but it's a cute book that both boys and girls will most likely enjoy.
Oct 28, 2009
Karin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Karin by:
1 starred review (can't remember where)
Shelves:
easychapter
funny beginning chapter book about bobby as he starts 4th grade and copes with a stay-at-home, ex-football-player dad and drifting apart from his childhood best friend who happens to be a girl. i thought the character sounded a bit young (maybe should have been a 3rd grader?), but enjoyed it. have really liked author's other books and would be happy to read more about bobby.
Good 3rd or 4th grade realistic fiction with humor and characters that are believable. Bobby's father (an X football player) becomes house-husband and Bobby's long-time childhood friend, Holly starts to act like a girl instead of a kid. Among other humorous moments, Bobby trains his goldfish to do tricks and gets stuck to an exotic tree while on a field trip.
While this isn't as cute or as good as the "Alvin Ho" books, it was still quite enjoyable. I really liked the relationship between Bobby and Holly and the dynamic between the boys and girls in their class. I think this would be a fun book to booktalk, especially if one reads the scene with Bobby and the tree!
Very nice story. I enjoyed how realistically the author portrayed friendship without going overboard with ridiculous antics to keep students reading. I would recommend this to 3rd and 4th grade girls. I think 5th graders may find it too simplistic given the desire to be more grown up than they are.
Book 5 from Sunshine State list, this was an easy read and my daughter got through it without too much trouble. It was a little sad as the main character's goldfish dies in the book, and we just lost our dog at 14-1/2 this morning. The fish was buried in the book, just as we had to do today. She finished the book tonight and now wants to get a fish.
Bobby vs. Girls is a funny book. I like this book because it relates to me. In kindergarten my friends and I would play boys vs. girls tag. this book is not only chasing, but it is sort of like a war. how every girl and every boy gang up on each other till one team gives up.
Kids who love "Alvin Ho," "Olivia Kidney," and "Martin Bridges" will latch onto this book - fun and lively events and snappy dialog keep this book from falling into the do-gooder, lesson-learned trap that kids steer clear of. This is a must-have keeper - grades 3 and up.
Cute book for 3rd to 5th graders. I was disappointed that it leaned toward a predictable plot and familiar situations- like the whole election thing. I was eager for this to be more original.
But, overall, it was well written and Bobby is easy to love and believe.
But, overall, it was well written and Bobby is easy to love and believe.
Cute little book about how hard it is to be in fourth grade and about navigating the tricky waters of boy-girl relationships at that age. 7- to 9-year-olds should enjoy and appreciate this witty look at life-- school, friendships and family.
Seemed a bit contrived. I get a little tired of women writers who play up the "ew girls" factor. Then of course the girl ends up being the token cool girl. I did enjoy Bobby's budding appreciation for Rover, his pet fish.
I am intrigued by books geared toward boys. And the title of this book had me intrigued. However, as I read through it - and thought about the boys that I work with - I found that it didn't seem like a book boys would read as readily as others. There wasn't a whole lot of action - mostly quieter action (dad's a former football pro and now stay-at-home dad, Bobby does some skateboarding to school, Bobby is running for office).
I believe that this book would appeal more to girls than boys - but I c...more
I believe that this book would appeal more to girls than boys - but I c...more
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Lisa Yee was born and raised near Los Angeles. As a kid, she loved reading, opening brand new boxes of cereal (to get the prize), and riding the teacups at Disneyland.
Lisa attended Brightwood Elementary School in Monterey Park, California where she once won an award for best decorated cake. However, Lisa cut the ribbon in half because her friend Linda had also worked on the cake, and they had agre...more
More about Lisa Yee...
Lisa attended Brightwood Elementary School in Monterey Park, California where she once won an award for best decorated cake. However, Lisa cut the ribbon in half because her friend Linda had also worked on the cake, and they had agre...more
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Dairy Queen is YA and he wasn't a pro. The Hoot dad does...more
Sep 05, 2009 03:35pm