A fresh & original twist on the common issue of bullying. Kids will relate, & parents & teachers will appreciate the story's deft handling of confl...
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Nov 15, 2009
NS- Sarah
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I simply love this story about Mean Jean the Recess Queen! There is a bully and her name is Mean Jean. It is known by all kids that when on the playground, "Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung. Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked. Nobody bounced until Mean Jean bounced." But there world is forever changed when a new students arrives by the name of Katie Sue. Katie Sue isn't aware of these unspoken rules so she starts kicking, bouncing, swinging and playing on the playground. Whe
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Mar 14, 2010
Dena
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Reading Level: K-3rd grade
Mean Jean, the recess queen is the playground bully at school. Told in fun rhyming poetic form, "she'd push em and smoosh em, lollapaloosh em," it looks at the reason she bullies and one new girl's actions that change that. I loved the illustrations - so fun and a perfect complement to the fun text. It takes the issue of bullying and presents a possible solution for young children in a really fun way! You could use this in the classroom and create yo More...
Mean Jean, the recess queen is the playground bully at school. Told in fun rhyming poetic form, "she'd push em and smoosh em, lollapaloosh em," it looks at the reason she bullies and one new girl's actions that change that. I loved the illustrations - so fun and a perfect complement to the fun text. It takes the issue of bullying and presents a possible solution for young children in a really fun way! You could use this in the classroom and create yo More...
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Feb 17, 2010
Baylee
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In this story, the size of the illustrations and specific words in the text seemed to be important in reflecting authority or volume. This story tells of Mean Jean the Recess Queen. She is the bully of the playground. The illustrations in this story depict Jean as much bigger than the other kids. This detail in size seems to reflect the authority that Jean holds over the other students because she is the meanest bully. Toward the end of the story when Jean finds a friend and is no longer the bul
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Oct 29, 2009
NSAndrew
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The Recess Queen is an interesting story about a bully and a small new kid. This is a great book for discussions on teasing and bullying. A topic much needed in schools today. The students have an opportunity to discuss what really defines a bully. I also think that a teacher could use the book to discuss Mean Jean’s feelings and why she acts the way she does. I think this book demonstrates a great lesson in positive attitude and not judging a book by its cover.
On another note, I ca More...
On another note, I ca More...
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Oct 23, 2009
(NS) Lisa
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Mean Jean the Recess Queen is the playground bully. All of the school children are afraid of Mean Jean and no one wants to play or be around her. That is, until the new girl comes to school. Katie Sue is a small girl with a big smile and lots of courage. When the recess bell rings, Katie unknowingly does all of the things that Mean Jean does not allow her friends to do. Mean Jean is very upset by this and she attempts to set the record straight. Unaware of Mean Jean's demeanor, Katie Sue pulls o
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Feb 22, 2010
Jaclyn
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The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill and Laura Hulisk-Beith is a picture book intended for readers in preschool through grade three. I gave it three stars. “Mean Jean always got her way. Until one day…” Mean Jean was queen of the elementary school yard, always bossing kids around, never one with any friends. The new girl in school, quiet Katie Sue, gets the best of Mean Jean, as Katie Sue is the first, the best, the new one in charge on the playground. Mean Jean reacts to Katie Sue’s invita
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Oct 25, 2009
(NS) Panagiota
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The Recess Queen is a story about a bully named Mean Jean that terrorizes kids on the playground. When it comes to recess time, nobody messes with Mean Jean. “Nobody swung until Mean Jean swung. Nobody kicked until Mean Jean kicked.” But things change when a new student arrives named Katie Sue. When the recess bell rings, Katie Sue does as she pleases. She didn’t know about Mean Jean and “her rules.” When Mean Jean confronts Katie Sue, she does something none of the other kids have done
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Oct 26, 2009
Bernice
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Friendship is the true meaning behind this story. The social context in this story revolves around a little girl named Jean that is the big bully at the school. No one dares stand up to her, especially on the playground - that is until a new student comes to school. Usually Mean Jean is the first to do everything during recess. Unaware of "Mean Jean" and her ways, the new girl Ruth Sue comes to school and breaks all of her rules. Mean Jean is ready to fight Ruth Sue, but after marc
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Oct 28, 2009
(NS) Laura
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I listened to this story on c.d. This is a wonderful story about Mean Jean the Recess Queen. All of the kids at school know that Mean Jean is the Queen at Recess and that if you cross her path, you will be “kicked, slammered or hammered”. Nobody dares to come close to Jean during recess. But one day, Katie Sue, the new student, shows up and is not threatened by Mean Jean. This throws Mean Jean completely off guard. Katie Sue tries to be nice to Mean Jean and even asks her to jump rope with her
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Feb 21, 2010
Samantha
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The Recess Queen rules the playground by bullying kids. She must do everything first and the other kids obey and try to stay out of her way. One day a new girl who does not know she should listen to the Queen came and did whatever she wanted. She made the Queen made, but did something different that changed the entire playground.
This book is for lower elementary school. The writing creates a wonderful pace and you move quickly as the kids run through the playground. The story is fun e More...
This book is for lower elementary school. The writing creates a wonderful pace and you move quickly as the kids run through the playground. The story is fun e More...
Nov 09, 2009
Joshua
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this book is to show you that sometimes poeple can change and some poeple can not.this book is about a kid that is the recess queen and she does not let anyone kick untill she kicks. she does not let kids swing untill she swings. everything changed untill a new girl came to her school .this girl did not know the queens rules. when she heared the bell ring she ran like lightnig. she was faster then the recess queen. the rcess queen ran after her to tell her about the rules and when the recess que
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Oct 24, 2009
Samantha
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Summary: Oh, would that all bullying problems could be solved so easily! Mean Jean is the reigning Recess Queen, pushing and smooshing, hammering and slammering the other kids whenever they cross her. And then one day a puny new girl shows up on the playground and catches Mean Jean completely off-guard. Not only is little Katie Sue not the least bit intimidated by the bully, she actually asks her to jump rope with her. In no time flat, Jean and Katie Sue are best buddies, and the playground is s
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Dec 17, 2011
Melanie
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Mean Jean is the Recess Queen. No one jumps, kicks or swings until she has. She rules the playground at recess and if anyone thinks different she sets 'em straight. One day a new girl shows up. She immediately begins to jump, kick and swing without Jean going first. Mean Jean has to run to keep up with her and when she tried to lay down the law on the new kid, she doesn't get the desired results. Jean, completely flabbergasted at the lack of response, isn't quite sure what to do. As she stands h
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Nov 09, 2009
The recess Queen is about this little girl name Jean. She think she is the boss of everyone. Everything the other kids do she will push them. Until this little girl came to the school she was not afriad like everyone was. She had made Jean nice,kind,not mean,not pushing people on the ground.She turned out she was nice for the rest of the year. I liked this book so much becauce I'm like the recess Queen of recess. When I go outside I wiil always play 4 squares with my friends.The problom was at a
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Nov 01, 2009
(NS) Brea M
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Ages 3-6. Mean Jean is the playground bully ("she pushed kids and smooshed kids, / lollapalooshed kids, / hammered 'em, slammered 'em, / kitz and kajammer 'em"). No one can stand up to her, until new kid Katie Sue arrives. Freckled, bespectacled, pig-tailed Katie Sue asks the bully to jump rope and be her friend ("I like ice cream / I like tea, / I want Jean to / jump with me!"), and everything changes. OK, kids know that schoolyard power games aren't that easily solved, but
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Apr 08, 2010
Mallori
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Summary: A young girl bullies everyone at school during recess and does not let them do anything until she does it. She beats children up and always gets her way. Until one day, a new girl comes to school and teaches Jean that everyone can play together.
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Uses: Guided Reading, Independent Reading, Read-Aloud, Shared Reading
Social Issues: Children will learn the negative effects of bullying and one way to dea More...
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Uses: Guided Reading, Independent Reading, Read-Aloud, Shared Reading
Social Issues: Children will learn the negative effects of bullying and one way to dea More...
Mar 04, 2010
The typical school bully is back, except she is a girl and the mean one on the playground. Little do the children know if they invite her to play with them she will turn into a nice little girl.
The illustrations in this book are bright and fun. The colors are typically not what the color should be. For example the cement on the playground is orange. This makes it more fun for the little ones to look at the pictures. The words on each page have the words that need to be said loudly in More...
The illustrations in this book are bright and fun. The colors are typically not what the color should be. For example the cement on the playground is orange. This makes it more fun for the little ones to look at the pictures. The words on each page have the words that need to be said loudly in More...
Sep 22, 2009
Katie
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The Recess queen would be a great book to read to lower elementary classes because they can relate to a bully that is on the playground. They maybe can get an idea from this book that to solve the bullying problem maybe invite the child to play with them. Gives me the idea that maybe the child is just lonely and wants someone to play with them that’s why they are mean to other children. They got picked on at some point in their life. The illustrations in the book are very detailed in how each ch
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Oct 27, 2009
(NS) Amie
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Mean Jean is the Recess Queen and what she says on the playground goes! Nobody ever crossed her or bossed her for fear she would clobber them. That is, until Katie Sue, a new student, came to school. She didn't know the rules and had a great time swinging and kicking and jumping at recess. When Mean Jean confronted her, instead of getting scared, Katie Sue asked Jean to jump rope with her. Nobody had ever asked Jean to play before. After a little encouragement from another student, Jean ag
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Oct 28, 2009
(NS)JenniferA
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Mean Jean is the recess queen and a very big bully. She bosses everyone around on the playground at school until one day a new student arrived. The new student did as she pleased and did not allow Mean Jean to boss her around. Finally, the new student asks Mean Jean to play with her...will Mean Jean play with the new student? This book would be great to read to young students when having discussions about character education. I think many children could relate to this story. The illustrati
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Apr 15, 2011
Tanika
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This story is about an elementary girl who bullied other kids. They were so scared of her that they would run away and hide when they saw her. A new student came to the school and she was a tiny little girl. She was not scared of the bully, Mean Jean. The new girl even stood up to Mean Jean and got the bully to play with her. Now they are friends and Mean Jean laughs and play with the other kids. This story is good for teaching children to stand up for themselves. Everybody has good in them, but
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Feb 17, 2010
Cynthia
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Mean Jean is the Recess Queen. She terrorizes the school playground and makes life miserable for the other kids. Until one day a new girl comes to school and gives Jean a run for her money.
This is a book about bullying. In this case it turns out that Jean is mean because no one has ever asked her to play before. If you read this to your kids it would be good to explain that not all bullying situations are resolved so easily and that sometimes you need to ask an adult for help.
This is a book about bullying. In this case it turns out that Jean is mean because no one has ever asked her to play before. If you read this to your kids it would be good to explain that not all bullying situations are resolved so easily and that sometimes you need to ask an adult for help.
Oct 26, 2010
Seher
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I read this book to the class and they loved it! Before I read it, I asked them to take a picture walk and asked them to point out some physical traits. Then, as I read the story I asked the students vocabulary and what they noticed about the writer's craft. The book is about a bully that doesn't have any friends, until a new girl challenges her to be the "recess queen". The children can make text-to-self connections with this book.
Dec 27, 2009
Judi
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Fun picture book that addresses bullying in an accessible way. Mean Jean the Recess Queen makes life awful for everyone by controlling all the play on the playground and bullying anyone who disagrees with her. All that it takes to topple her is a new girl who is willing to stand up to Jean and call her on her bad behavior. Wonderful rhyming verse makes this a fun read aloud with lots to talk about.
Nov 03, 2010
Favorite line: "I like ice cream, I like tea, I want Jean to play with me" A great strategy for dealing with bullies is learned in this book. Empathy and understanding of the bully. Pain brings pain until someone is big enough to stop the cycle.
O'Neill has another book called The Worst Best Friend. Another good conversation starter.
O'Neill has another book called The Worst Best Friend. Another good conversation starter.
Nov 09, 2009
The recess queen is named Jean she was a bully she was a bossy girl and would try to hurt kids.She always got her way and if you got in her way she would hurt you.I would not like her as a friend i think she should not be the recess quin.she was mean intill a new kid came the new kid didn't follow her rules the new kid
Feb 23, 2011
Ngoc
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Many children can relate to this book when they go to recess. This book expose those children who hog the playground. It also shows them that the hogger just want a friend to play with. Teachers can also do a bullying lesson after reading this book. They can also do a lesson on sharing with things with their classmates.
Jun 14, 2009
Barbara
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This book is about Mean Jean the Recess Queen. She bullies everyone on the playground and nobody likes to play with her. One day, Katie Sue comes to school and all that changes. She befriends Mean Jean. This is a great story about dealing with bullies and also a great story about friendship
Feb 14, 2010
Christy
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A brightly illustrated book about a bully that is not even noticed by the new girl. She comes in and does the unthinkable, she plays during recess before the bully. Unfazed by the bully she invites her to join her in some jump rope... and then everyone plays! Problem solved.
Oct 25, 2009
(NS)Jordyn
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Jean is the meanest girl on the playground. She is a big bully. She finally learns her lesson when a new kid comes to the playground. In the course of the story, the reader also gets some insight into what could be going on inside a bully's head. Great for ages k-3.
