Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth

by Lester L. Laminack, Kathleen Garry McCord (Illustrator)

When Trevor's Grandma Sally shows his class how to make old-fashioned taffy, he learns there are also fun ways to pull a tooth! Lester Laminack's humorous story captures the anxious joy that each child experiences with his or her first loose tooth.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 1998

About the author

Lester L. Laminack is Professor Emeritus from department of Birth-Kindergarten, Elementary and Middle Grades Education, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina where he received two awards for excellence in teaching [the Botner Superior Teaching Award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award]. Lester is now a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States. He is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English and served three years as co-editor of the NCTE journal Primary Voices and as editor of the Children’s Book Review Department of the NCTE journal Language Arts (2003-2006). He also served as a teaching editor for the magazine Teaching K-8 and wrote the Parent Connection column (2000-2002). He is a former member of the Whole Language Umbrella Governing Board, a former member of the Governing Board and Secretary of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children, and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Center for the Expansion of Language and Thinking. He served as the Basic Reading Consultant to Literacy Volunteers of America from 1987 through 2001. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Our Children’s Place [www.ourchildrensplace.com].

His academic publications include several books including Learning with Zachary (Scholastic), Spelling in Use (NCTE), Volunteers Working with Young Readers (NCTE), and his contributions to The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts (NCTE), Learning Under the Influence of Language and Literature (Heinemann) Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum (Heinemann, Cracking Open the Author’s Craft (Scholastic) and Unwrapping the Read Aloud (Scholastic). In addition he has several articles published in journals such as The Reading Teacher, Early Years, Science and Children, Language Arts, Teaching pre-K/​8, Primary Voices, and Young Children. Lester is also the author of six children’s books: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor’s Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Tea Cakes, Jake’s 100th Day of School, Snow Day! and most recently, Three Hens and a Peacock all from Peachtree Publishers.

Lester was born July 11, 1956 in Flint, Michigan. His mom and dad had left their families in Alabama and moved to Michigan where his dad, Jimmy, worked for GM. But Michigan is long way from Alabama when you have a two year old and a brand new baby. So, just two weeks after Lester was born his parents packed everything and moved back to their hometown, Heflin, Alabama. They wanted Lester and his brother Scott to grow up near grandparents, aunts and uncles and lots of cousins.

When Lester was 6 the family moved again. This time to Zachary, LA where Lester attended part of 1st and all of 2nd grade. Then they moved back to Heflin where he completed 3rd grade and 4th grade. In April of 1966, while he was in the 4th grade, Lester's sister, Amanada, was born. She was so little when they brought her home that he had to hold her on a pillow. Every day when he came home from school he held her and told her stories. Some people think that's why he is a writer. Lester and Amanda have always been very close even though he is 10 years older.

When Scott was in the 7th grade and Lester was in the 5th grade and Amanda was just one year old the family moved again. This time it was to Key West, FL. They lived there under a year before moving back to Alabama.

Lester finished high school back in Heflin and then earned a BS and MS in Elementary Education from Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL. Then he earned an Ed.D. in Elementary Education and Reading from Auburn University, Auburn AL.

And now Lester lives downtown in Asheville, North Carolina. He starts every day with a cup of coffee, loves to listen to music and NPR. He plays saxophone and a Native American flute made from river cane. He reads a lot of children's books, Southern Fiction, poetry, and b

Reviews

[Skyler Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevor is the only one in his class who has not lost his tooth yet. He realizes one day that he has a loose tooth and tells all his friends. His friends warn him about the ways that people pull your teeth it and tell him to be careful. Trevor is worried that someone will pull his tooth and it will hurt, but his Grandma Sally shows him that she has some “loose teeth” too and when Trevor finally loses his tooth, they are all a part of the Missing Tooth Club.
I love this book. I think it is so cute and that the younger grades would absolutely love and relate to. I think that little kids will relate to how Trevor feels about being scared for his tooth to come out and also being one of the only kids who has not lost a tooth yet. I think that this book could help students feel included if they are behind or ahead in losing their teeth.
I would definitely use this in my classroom and read it to my class. I think that this book could be very useful in teaching students that everyone grows and loses teeth and different rates and that everyone is different. I think that it can help students feel comforted to know that they are not the only ones to not lose teeth yet.

[Juso · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Trevor's Wiggly-wobbly Tooth" is a great story about a boy named Trevor and his many ways to try and take his tooth out. Everyone in Trevor's class had a missing tooth, except for Trevor. One day, Trevor feels his tooth is ready to come out and his friends tell him about the many ways that he can pull his tooth out, like tying a string to the doorknob and the other end to his tooth, or tie a string around a bike and the other end around his tooth and just pull it out. But Grandma Sally told Trevor that all he needed to do was wait and it will come out. One day Grandma Sally came to school to make taffy candy. When Trevor pulled pn the taffy with his mouth, the tooth fell out!
This book repeats the phrase "Wibbly-Wobbly" throughout the story. I could use this book to teach students about repetition and how they can use repetition I'm their own writing. An extension activity I could do is to have students come up with their own phrases that they could use in their writing.

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, Trevor has a wiggly tooth - the last student in his class to get one. His friends give him advice about what not to allow others to do (most of these including string tied to the tooth or use of pliers),and Trevor gets more and more worried despite his mother's encouragement that the tooth will come out in its own good time. The end, when of course the tooth comes out, holds a funny surprise not just for Trevor but for his entire class.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trevor is the only one is his class that is not a part of the missing tooth club. He despartely wants to get this tooth out...but he does not want to follow any of his classmates advice. Finally Grandma comes to class to make taffy. Out comes the tooth...Trevor is very happy, and Grandma lets him in on a little secret, she is also a part of the missing tooth club.

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy that is eager to join his classmates in the Miss Tooth Club. When he gets his first loose tooth, Trevor is excited. Then, his classmates tell him stories about how people tried to pull their teeth and Trevor gets scared. This story is a good way to ease the minds of young students that are worried about loosing their teeth.

[Betty Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Trevor's Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth' is a fun story to teach what can children do if they have a wiggly-wobbly tooth. In the book, Trevor becomes scared about the story about his friends' stories how their family try to pull their tooth out. However, at last, the tooth came out during he was eating a candy.

[Olivia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy loses his tooth. This is relate able to students in 1st-3rd grade who are loosing their teeth. It can be an modeling book to learn bwtn fables (wise-tales or made up myths) and the truth. Students can write about this as a personal experience about a tooth.
Can teach them about describing and using adjectives.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great read for younger children because it shows younger children that everyone looses their teeth and that its normal to have fears or worries as Trevor did. This book is a great entertaining book that I can use in my classroom as a read aloud or in my library.

[Shira Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might be a great way to teach about text to self connection depending on the age group (children who are experiencing losing teeth). However, over all I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I felt asthough it was a little too long.

[Mekia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good book to ease the fear of students who have wobbly teeth. There are many different ways that Trevor's friend tells him that teeth can be pulled. His grandmother eventually shows up at the school and shows him a fun way of pulling teeth.

[Jessica Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to first graders. All of the kids can relate to the characters in this book since they are all losing teeth! This book is so cute and fun and a great idea to read when there is extra time during class!

[Raras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ceritanya lucu & bagus. ceritanya membuat anak kecil tidak takut untuk mencopot giginya.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute story about a young boy named Trevor. He has a lose tooth and searches for ways to get it out. A great book to read in first grade when children are loosing their teeth.

[Hira · Rating 5 out of 5]

word conciousness

[Jas]

This book reminds me of the same incident from my review of Jakes 100th day of school cause i gt it on that same day, so check it out. Otherwise it is a cool book.

[Kelly Shiverdecker]

Published: 1998

This realistic fiction book is about a boy named Trevor who is the last one in his class to lose his front teeth, until one day he bit into a piece of taffy and his tooth fell out.

[Deja Bertucci]

I've been looking for a good book about losing teeth, but this one just grossed me out. Yuck.