Pippi Goes to School

Pippi Långstrump

by Astrid Lindgren, Michael Chesworth (Illustrator)

Pippi Longstocking has her own special way of doing everything, even going to school. She's not about to walk, she'd rather ride her horse. And Pippi can't be bothered with spelling and math; she's more interested in drawing on the floor and finding out when Christmas vacation starts. Pippi may be ready for school, but is school ready for Pippi?

Pippi Goes to School is a great introduction for young children to the wacky, wonderful world of Pippi Longstocking.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Picture Books, Humor, Classics, School, Adventure

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren, née Ericsson, (1907 - 2002) was a Swedish children's book author and screenwriter, whose many titles were translated into 85 languages and published in more than 100 countries. She has sold roughly 165 million copies worldwide. Today, she is most remembered for writing the Pippi Longstocking books, as well as the Karlsson-on-the-Roof book series.

Awards:
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (1958)

Reviews

[Sheri]

Pippi’s just the kind of girl that you can’t guess what she’ll do or say next, but you want to be there to be part of the fun too. She’s daring and different and fun and adventure are certain when she’s around.

In this short story, free-spirited and attention seeking Pippi decides to go to school to see what it’s all about. After a day of arithmetic, reading, drawing, and singing, all done Pippi style, of course, Pippi decides that school is just not for her. It makes her dizzy in the head and “too much learning tires even the healthiest." With Pippi’s wild imagination fueling her fantastical escapades, she leaves everyone in the dust as she closes out another adventure.

[Melly *]

Lovely pictures, exciting stories! Always love Pippi Longstocking's stories!

[Eric Hinkle]

An except from the book in picture book form

[Allie R]

Vibrant and eccentric Pippi Longstocking spends her days playing with her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, riding her horse and playing in the garden—she does not attend school like her friends Annika and Tommy. However, when Tommy and Annika tell Pippi that they get Christmas vacation, Pippi changes her mind and wants to attend school. At school, it is clear that Pippi does not fit in. She questions the teacher, does not answer the math problems and in the teacher’s eyes, she is a very “unruly” student. Pippi begins to see that school is not as fun as she thought, so she decides to leave. She tells her classmates that she is going to other schools and will work around their vacations—that way she never has to attend school, but can simply enjoy her time off.
Astrid Lindgren’s beloved character, Pippi Longstocking, is at it again in this story. Her vibrant personality and humor make this book an enjoyable read for all ages. Pippi’s “unruly” behavior at school is humorous, but she does not let the ‘rules’ in school define her. This story is just a part of the Pippi Longstocking series, recommended for students grades 1-3.

[laura]

this is a chapter from pippi longstocking made into a book in and of itself. the illustrations are fun.

[Catherine Woodman]

I do not like the sequels as well as the orginal story, but you get hooked, and this is a good story

[Xavier University Library]

Remembering reading in elementary. I thought I was getting the chapter book not Juvenile illustrated edition. It was fun reading condensed version with illustrations as fun!

[Stacie]

Pippi takes her exuberant outlook on life to school with predictable unpredictable results.

[Bri Vogel]

i clearly remember my gasp and giggle when i read the title of this book. schooool? what will she do at school?!

[Alex Buddington]

Book title: Pippi Goes to School
Author: Astrid Lindgren
Illustrator: Michael Chesworth

Reading level: LG
Book level: 4.6

Book summary: Pippi Longstocking decides to go school. Much to her teacher's dismay, Pippi has her own way of doing things and is not likely to follow the rules of the classroom.

Bookshelf mentor writing trait:

Word choice - The author uses lively and creative words to jazz up the story. There is ample wordplay adding amusement to the reading. One great example of word choice appears on page 15: "My name is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking, daughter of Captain Efraim Longstocking. Pippi is really only a nickname, because Papa thought that Pippilotta was too long to say." There are tongue twisters peppered throughout the text. By utilizing a strong and diverse choice of words, the story comes to life and the reader is much more likely to create a vision of Pippi Longstocking in their head.

Other suggestions:

I would incorporate this story into a vocabulary lesson. For students that read the text, they may encounter certain words of phrases that are unfamiliar. Students could circle those words or write them down as a list when they read the story. After reading is over, they could use a dictionary to define the words. After that, the students could try using the new words in a sentence or writing their own definitions of the words.

[Ian J. Peterson]

I’ve been a huge Astrid Lindgren fan since childhood, and Pippi Goes to School is one of those stories that perfectly captures why Pippi Longstocking never grows old—no matter how many times you return to her.

The setup is wonderfully simple: Pippi decides to try school. What follows is pure, delightful chaos. Pippi doesn’t reject learning—she just approaches it entirely on her own terms. Arithmetic becomes storytelling, spelling becomes invention, and classroom rules are treated as optional suggestions. Tommy and Annika sit somewhere between horror and admiration as Pippi turns the idea of “proper education” upside down.

What makes this story special is how gently subversive it is. Lindgren isn’t mocking learning; she’s questioning rigid systems that forget curiosity, imagination, and joy. Pippi isn’t stupid or lazy—she’s wildly intelligent in a way that doesn’t fit into boxes. As a child, this felt liberating. As an adult, it still does.

I’ve read the Pippi books over and over again, in both English and German, and this one always makes me smile. It’s short, playful, and comforting—a perfect reminder of childhood afternoons spent reading just for pleasure. Every return to Pippi feels like sitting down with an old friend who reminds you that the world doesn’t always have to make sense to be wonderful.

[Ing-Marie Stenglein]

One of my favorite books as a child growing up in Sweden. If you’re Swedish you might be able to relate a little bit better to the environment in which this book is written. The author of this book is amazing, her imagination and creativity is fabulous. She’s written a number of other books too that might be of interest too for everyone.

[Judy Tarver]

This book was one of the better ones in my opinion although all of them are great fun for a child to read about Pippi’s unique adventures. A true classic in children’s books.

[Michaela]

Bakvendtland i Pippiformat. Det var knyst i baksetet når vi hørte på denne.

[Boris Gregoric]

Looks like the early cues to the near total Idiocracy we are suffering under ever since the 'elite' hijacked our planet....

[Faith McKay]

i clearly remember my gasp and giggle when i read the title of this book. schooool? what will she do at school?!

[Tanya]

The daughter didn't much like. Second grade. A good reader but not perfectly fluent yet.

[Stephan]

Funny. Swedish humor at its best.

[Ilyse Ang]

Interesting book

[Ilsa Ang]

One of my favourite books

[Kimberly MacCee]

H (4) says, "This book is so cool. I have not read it before now. Pippi, her monkey, and her horse are the best in the whole wide world!"

[Aime Flanagan]

It was an awesome book

[Panna]

A

[Deja Bertucci]

I'm interested in trying this one out on my six-year-old. The illustrations make Pippi look a bit insane and scary to me, but we'll see what she thinks.