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Third Grade #1
Third Grade Stinks!
Gordie loves his third grade teacher, but sharing a locker with a girl instead of his best friend, plus trouble with a school bully, may ruin his best year ever.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2001
About the author
Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna
25 books24 followersA former elementary school teacher, Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKenna lives in Pittsburgh with her family. She is best known for her Murphy series, based on her own family.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Currently Reading
March 7, 2011so far it's cool
September 20, 2016
Title (italicize): Third Grade Stinks!
Author: Colleen O’Shaughnessy McKenna
Illustrator (if separate from author): Stephanie Roth
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book
Theme(s): School, Behavior,
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “’Doug wake up.’ Gordie tugged his brother’s leg.”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): Gordie enters third grade excited for the new school year. He soon finds out it will not go as planned when his friend is not on the bus, a girl he does not like is in his class, and he is told he must share a locker with her. Gordie devises a plan and keeps readers interested if third grade will get any better.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste): Janice Harrington (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, November 2001 (Vol. 55, No. 3))
Gordie s best-laid plans for third grade (which include sharing a locker with best bud, Lamont, and having the best year of his life) go awry when his new teacher assigns as his lockermate the bossy Lucy Diaz, who will undoubtedly fill the locker with stuffed animals and a zillion pictures of flowers and kittens. In a desperate effort to ensure that his plans come to pass, Gordie plots with Lamont to stink Lucy out of the shared locker. After two failed attempts at acquiring appropriately smelly items, Gordie finally resorts to a chunk of fragrant cheese but, to his surprise, learns that Lucy actually loves Limburger. After she demonstrates an interest in baseball cards (which he and Lamont collect) and saves him from being stuffed into their locker by the school bully, Gordie decides that maybe neither Lucy nor third grade will be so bad after all. Though the plot is a bit simplistic and the characterization minimal, McKenna’s writing is clear and accessible, with some just-right observations about life in a third-grade classroom (Gordie s exasperated teacher snaps at her complaining students: If you don t want to act like good third graders, then you can march down the hall [to] room three. Room 9 got quiet. Nobody said a word. Room 3 was second grade. Roth s full- and half-page illustrations use a monochromatic palette of washes and pencil lines to depict this multicultural cast with warmth and gentle humor. Readers who are just starting to tackle chapter books such as Stephanie Greene s Owen Foote series (Owen Foote, Second-Grade Strongman, BCCB 3/96, etc.) will appreciate both the boy vs. girl aspect and the quest for odoriferous objects. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2001, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2001, Holiday House, 99p, $15.95. Grades 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Holiday House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste): Lauren Peterson (Booklist, Dec. 15, 2001 (Vol. 98, No. 8))
Gordie is so excited about starting third grade that he wakes up at 4:00 a.m. on the first day and lies in bed hugging his new planner book. On page three he has written, "Make sure I share a locker with Lamont Hayes." Lamont is Gordie's best friend, and they are planning to hang baseball cards in their locker. Unfortunately, their teacher also has a planner, and hers says that Gordie will be sharing a locker with Lucy Diaz. So Gordie devises a scheme to remedy things. After the first plan fails, he gets some stinky Limburger cheese to put in the locker. As luck would have it, Lucy loves Limburger cheese, and the unexpected "gift" starts a dialogue between the two kids. More sophisticated readers will groan at the unbelievable ending, which comes about too quickly (Gordie decides that Lucy will be a fine locker mate after all). Youngsters ready to read or listen to a long chapter book will probably be the best audience for this lightweight, light-hearted story. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2001, Holiday, $15.95. Gr. 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Holiday House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Both reviews recognize the plot and how it develops from Gordie’s terrible first day to much better third grade year. They note that this book is on the simpler side, but great to read aloud to younger kids or a starting chapter book for older kids. The reviewers comment that Gordie’s behavior and dialogue throughout the plot are humorous and on point for a third grade classroom. The minimal illustrations enhance the story, and break up the text for beginning chapter book readers.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
The text introduces learners to basic literary elements. It is using descriptive language alongside similies and metaphors to engage readers and heighten their understanding. This vivid language allows readers to form their own mental pictures. As well as this, the book contains a lot of dialogue, which gives young readers clear characterization and helps to build perspective.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
I think that this book would be a good addition at the end of the year for a second grade classroom, or beginning of the year for third grade. As the reviewers wrote above, Gordie’s experience is comical and relatable for young children. This will put them in the shoes of Gordie and they will establish connections with each character. This book would be best for a read aloud and reflection.
Author: Colleen O’Shaughnessy McKenna
Illustrator (if separate from author): Stephanie Roth
Genre: Transitional Chapter Book
Theme(s): School, Behavior,
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “’Doug wake up.’ Gordie tugged his brother’s leg.”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): Gordie enters third grade excited for the new school year. He soon finds out it will not go as planned when his friend is not on the bus, a girl he does not like is in his class, and he is told he must share a locker with her. Gordie devises a plan and keeps readers interested if third grade will get any better.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste): Janice Harrington (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, November 2001 (Vol. 55, No. 3))
Gordie s best-laid plans for third grade (which include sharing a locker with best bud, Lamont, and having the best year of his life) go awry when his new teacher assigns as his lockermate the bossy Lucy Diaz, who will undoubtedly fill the locker with stuffed animals and a zillion pictures of flowers and kittens. In a desperate effort to ensure that his plans come to pass, Gordie plots with Lamont to stink Lucy out of the shared locker. After two failed attempts at acquiring appropriately smelly items, Gordie finally resorts to a chunk of fragrant cheese but, to his surprise, learns that Lucy actually loves Limburger. After she demonstrates an interest in baseball cards (which he and Lamont collect) and saves him from being stuffed into their locker by the school bully, Gordie decides that maybe neither Lucy nor third grade will be so bad after all. Though the plot is a bit simplistic and the characterization minimal, McKenna’s writing is clear and accessible, with some just-right observations about life in a third-grade classroom (Gordie s exasperated teacher snaps at her complaining students: If you don t want to act like good third graders, then you can march down the hall [to] room three. Room 9 got quiet. Nobody said a word. Room 3 was second grade. Roth s full- and half-page illustrations use a monochromatic palette of washes and pencil lines to depict this multicultural cast with warmth and gentle humor. Readers who are just starting to tackle chapter books such as Stephanie Greene s Owen Foote series (Owen Foote, Second-Grade Strongman, BCCB 3/96, etc.) will appreciate both the boy vs. girl aspect and the quest for odoriferous objects. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2001, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2001, Holiday House, 99p, $15.95. Grades 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Holiday House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste): Lauren Peterson (Booklist, Dec. 15, 2001 (Vol. 98, No. 8))
Gordie is so excited about starting third grade that he wakes up at 4:00 a.m. on the first day and lies in bed hugging his new planner book. On page three he has written, "Make sure I share a locker with Lamont Hayes." Lamont is Gordie's best friend, and they are planning to hang baseball cards in their locker. Unfortunately, their teacher also has a planner, and hers says that Gordie will be sharing a locker with Lucy Diaz. So Gordie devises a scheme to remedy things. After the first plan fails, he gets some stinky Limburger cheese to put in the locker. As luck would have it, Lucy loves Limburger cheese, and the unexpected "gift" starts a dialogue between the two kids. More sophisticated readers will groan at the unbelievable ending, which comes about too quickly (Gordie decides that Lucy will be a fine locker mate after all). Youngsters ready to read or listen to a long chapter book will probably be the best audience for this lightweight, light-hearted story. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2001, Holiday, $15.95. Gr. 2-4.
(PUBLISHER: Holiday House (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2001.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Both reviews recognize the plot and how it develops from Gordie’s terrible first day to much better third grade year. They note that this book is on the simpler side, but great to read aloud to younger kids or a starting chapter book for older kids. The reviewers comment that Gordie’s behavior and dialogue throughout the plot are humorous and on point for a third grade classroom. The minimal illustrations enhance the story, and break up the text for beginning chapter book readers.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
The text introduces learners to basic literary elements. It is using descriptive language alongside similies and metaphors to engage readers and heighten their understanding. This vivid language allows readers to form their own mental pictures. As well as this, the book contains a lot of dialogue, which gives young readers clear characterization and helps to build perspective.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
I think that this book would be a good addition at the end of the year for a second grade classroom, or beginning of the year for third grade. As the reviewers wrote above, Gordie’s experience is comical and relatable for young children. This will put them in the shoes of Gordie and they will establish connections with each character. This book would be best for a read aloud and reflection.
December 28, 2022
Gordie loves his third grade teacher, but sharing a locker with a girl instead of his best friend and trouble with a school bully may ruin his best year ever.
February 23, 2017
This would be a good book for middle to upper elementary. It teaches them to not judge a book by its cover and to have an open mind in new situations. I could ask the students about a time they thought something was going to turn out bad, but then didn't.
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August 27, 2010I loved this book it was totally awesome! I couldn't put it down when I was reading! I really do recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews