Katie Woo Has the Flu

Katie Woo #4

by Fran Manushkin

It all starts with a sneeze! Katie Woo catches the flu. She feels yucky and has to miss a few days of school. Will she ever feel like herself again?

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Chapter Books, 2nd Grade, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Fran Manushkin is the author of more than fifty books for children, including the Katie Woo series; Big Girl Panties, illustrated by Valeria Petrone; Big Sisters Are the Best, illustrated by Kirsten Richards; The Tushy Book, illustrated by Tracy Dockray; and Baby, Come Out!, illustrated by Ronald Himler and translated into eight languages. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Hannah]

Yup, these are still excellent.

[Lynn Davidson]

Poor little Katie Woo has the flu. In the short three chapters of this book the reader learns about what it is like to have the flu. Katie Woo had to spend time in bed, sleeping and recovering. Her friends at school missed her and her mother took care of her.
In the back of the book is the recipe for a simple and easy snack to make, and a couple of easy craft projects.
Very nicely illustrated.

[Mae Hinson]

Includes many students of diverse cultures that all are friends with Katie, it also could be read to introduce students to sicknesses
Students could write about a time they were sick, they could brainstorm some ways they might help their friend who is sick feel better, or they could write a song/poem to a friend in class

[Elizabeth Edwards]

so cute. what a fun read. i got it through my local library kindle lending program ... i think i have read maybe 3 or more from this author before ...so cute. great illustrations. what fun. will read more soon.

[Pam]

Definitely a realistic book about a child being sick.

[Jessica S]

I didn't think this one had as much substance as the other Katie Woo books.

[Sarah]

Katie misses school for the flu. How appropriate this time of year. Great read for a first grader with the flu!

[Vincent]

The pages just Flu by

It was nice to have Katie Woo’s friends call to check in on her when she had the flu. 5 stars

[Karol]

Realistically shows the progression of Katie’s illness and how she recuperates. A good resource to share with children for a better understanding of what it’s like to be sick and recover.

[Kaz]

It's accurate about how a child has the flu looks like and feel.

[Lolla Claassens]

Poor Katie I feel your pain. It's bad to feel hot and cold at the same time. And guess what? I dont like soup too, not even when I'm sick. Sleeping when sick is the best you can do!

[Minnie Rice]

This was a sweet book about a girl named Katie she had the flu and was so scared, she ate soup and stayed at home. She felt better in no time! and was back to class.

[Julie]

Simple story for early readers.

[AMY]

25 pgs. Kaite is not feeling well and soon discovers she has a flu bug. This is a great transitional chapter book. Highly recommended for Grades 2-3.

[Vanessa]

I had to read an Easy Reader book for my Youth Literature class, so this is the one I read. Not for me, but kinda cute with a relatable experience and easy rhymes.

[Media Lab]

Series Books
Ah-choo! Uh-ohs and ughs, begin this brightly colored chapter book in a series about Katie Woo, an Asian American girl with glasses. All the books in the series are about 20 pages with large font (18-20pt) and double-spacing. Each page is about half text and accompanied with a color illustration in watercolor by Tammie Lyon.

I am glad I came across this nice little series and I plan to incorporate it into my classroom library since it is available for check out at our school Media Center. Classroom or lit. circle-ready, students can expect a consistency and familiar structure when engaging with these texts that include a glossary of unfamiliar words, discussion questions, writing prompts, and even a fun, relevant activity in the back.

These supplemental features are great to tie into the writing block, such as “Make a get-well card for Katie. Write her a special note.” These tasks also work on gathering evidences, expressing opinions or balanced arguments in small group or whole group discussions, such as the following:

“What are the signs that Katie was sick?”
“What was the worst part about being sick? Are there any good parts?

The author clearly has worked or continues to work with children, as she serves up an approachable mentor text students can model after. She uses playful words and descriptive action verbs to make a seemingly “ordinary” event that children can relate to (being sick), a worthwhile opportunity to write a story. I think this aspect is very valuable for children who are looking for sources of inspiration in their own writing; the story itself is not “big” or grand or great or heroic, but it’s in the manner in which it is told. It is the storyteller that is important, not the story itself. This short children’s book on being sick can introduce a lot of nice elements in the writer’s craft such as onomatopoeia (yuck, ew, croaked …), imagery, sensory and descriptive writing. Katie Woo groans, sneezes, shivers and dreams.

“I don’t want bugs running around in my tummy!”
“I feel so hot I might melt!”
“Don’t worry…you’re not ice cream”

The author also covers some basic misconceptions and synonyms in a playful way. As an educator I might also take a look at this text to discuss dialogue; much of the dialogue is between the mother and daughter as the mom tries to take care of Katie Woo; the dialogue itself is in the present tense however the book and action takes place in the preterit. The author takes the opportunity to use interesting verbs like “reassured her” or “blessed her.”

The book itself is only 3 Chapters but sets up a nice story arc, an introduction, a climax (getting sick), and a resolution (getting better). Looking at the second two chapters a bit closer might be fun to have children notice how the author can set the same scene and deliver two different actions / reactions. In both Chapters there is a soup scene with the mother; in the first episode Katie Woo is seemingly ill-tempered and sick, while in the latter she is visibly better. I would have the students compare the differences in language and use of words to determine how the author is able to accomplish this.

[Jordan]

I really enjoyed this fiction book. It could be called realistic fiction because it is about young girl who gets sick, and that is a common thing to happen to kids. I chose this book because I liked that the author used a young Asian girl as the main character, and liked that the title rhymed. This book would be good for primary grades who want to practice reading beginning chapter books. I also enjoyed that the book has discussion questions and writing prompts in the back. In the book, Katie Woo starts to feel funny and finds out she is sick. Kids can relate to this when they are sick. This book is part of many books in a series.

[Keri Schnug]

This book was super cute, this would be good for when a bunch of students are gone with the flu to give them ideas of how to make others feel better. She explains exactly how I feel when I have the flu!

[Katie Fitzgerald]

No review.

[Burbank Library Children's Department]

A simple early reader that introduces the concept of chapters to little ones. The Katie Woo series is a fun collection for first graders ready to tackle their first chapter book.

AR 1.9

[Erica Douglas]

Love this series for young girls. Good moral stories, a great heroine, and manageable chapter length for the 3-4 year old reader. My daughter loves Katie woo.

[Alison Guo]

Kaite woo has a flu. She coughs and coughs and achoo.

[sana ୨୧]

i remember really loving katie woo when i was younger. me then would probably rate it a five with the rest of my selection of books. either that or a 4.5

[BeatriceMM]

I thought that it was more of little kids book

[Melanie Swider Wenz]

2nd grade TC trade book

[james davis]

Is it free