The Noisy Classroom

by Angela Shanté, Alison Hawkins (Illustrations)

The first day of school is coming... and I'm going to be in the noisy class. Any class but the noisy class will do!

A young girl is about to enter the third grade, but this year she's put into Ms. Johnson's noisy class. Everything about the noisy class is odd. While all the other classes are quiet, Ms. Johnson sings and the kids chatter all day. The door is always closed, yet sounds from it can be heard in the hallway. With summer coming to an end and school starting, the girl realizes that soon she'll be going to the noisy class. What will school be like now?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, School

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Angela Shanté is a former K-12 classroom teacher, and award-winning author of THE NOISY CLASSROOM, a picture book that she wrote about her third-grade classroom to help soothe childhood anxiety associated with school and change. The second book in the series, THE NOISY CLASSROOM GOES TO THE MUSEUM pubs MAY 2023.

With almost 20 years of experience in education and advocacy work, Angela is focused on using her voice and platform to support, highlight, and make space for marginalized creatives in the arts and in education. In addition to her creative work, Angela works as an educational/DEI consultant supporting creative, educational, and culturally relevant projects, training, and workshops for students, adults, and organizations.

Her debut YA title THE UNBOXING OF A BLACK GIRL comes out in 2024.

Reviews

[Melissa (Post Vacation Blues) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful children's book that will help kids to realize that not everything different or unfamiliar is bad.
A young girl is dismayed to find out that she will be in Ms. Johnson's third grade class next year-The Noisy Class! She is used to quiet and straight lines and rules, and nothing about Ms. Johnson's class feels familiar. So unfamiliar in fact that she wants to move to Antarctica instead. Yet when she experiences the classroom, even though she doesn't think she's learning anything, she comes to realize that maybe The Noisy Class isn't so bad after all.
Angela Shante writes this book from her own experiences as teacher Ms. Johnson (because that is who she actually is). She shares her experiences with leading a different type of classroom that encourages student-directed and hands-on learning. This book can help reluctant students learn that embracing the unfamiliar can lead to amazing things.
This is also a great representative story with many multicultural characters that can help children to see others that look like themselves shown on the page.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Seth Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, I think that this book absolutely nails the all-too-familiar feeling that many students feel when they move into a new classroom. The narrator of the story is moving on from her 2nd grade class and her only wish is that she doesn’t get placed into the “noisy classroom”. Of course, she does and she worries all summer and tries to think of ways to get out of it. When she finally gets into the third grade, she realizes that the noisy classroom isn’t such a bad place after all. I love how this book represents so many different students. Almost anybody can see themselves represented in the class.

This story also introduces another wonderful character, Miss Johnson. She is the teacher of the classroom that has been labeled “the noisy class” in the school. In reality, her class is a great example of a student-centered classroom. When most other classes sit in rows and wait their turn to speak, Miss Johnson has the kids out of their seats. Students are encouraged to talk, sing, and act out their thoughts. This comes with a certain level of noise, and Miss Johnson has embraced that. Such a great character to represent all of the great non traditional classrooms out there. Many teachers (myself included) could learn a lot from Miss Johnson’s class.

I will be reading this book to my class every fall and making it available for all of my students to read over and over. I can’t emphasize enough how highly I recommend this book!

[William Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from The Library Thing, Early Reviewers Group.

First I love the fact that the family and characters in the story are multi-cultural. Secondly as we are all going back to school in uncertain times, the nervousness and uneasiness about changing grades and going into a classroom that seems so different could help ease some of that anxiety for children. Children are so use to a routine of almost always being quite in school that if they see a room like Ms. Johnson's or know they are going to be a part of it it could lead to some uneasy feelings.

I also believe that this book, could hep parents and guardians of children feel comfortable with the idea that there is more than one way for a classroom to operate and that teaching methods that may not be the most common at your school can be just as effective. As someone in school working on his Elementary Education and working in schools now, I can totally see this room in schools I have worked and I can even see where maybe not to the degree of this story but I can see myself including pieces of this model in my future classroom.

The pictures are delightful and wonderfully bright. I believe this story really can be used at any point but especially at the end of the year to know that yes they are leaving one room and that their class maybe different but they are and will still be cared about. Their teachers are thinking about them while they are home for summer break and planning for what the new year will be.

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a student in Grade 2 who realizes she's going to the "noisy class" for Grade 3 after being in one of the many other "quiet" classes. She think about going to Antarctica over the summer so that she doesn't have to go. She've very hesitant on the first day, but warms up over the course of the day, but still isn't sure. Over the course of the first week, she talks about how she feels like she isn't even learning because she's having so much fun! She talks about all the fun things they did and that they were, actually, quite noisy.

This is a story about the apprehension of moving to a new class at the beginning of the year and all that that entails. This would be a great first day back book. The fun, bright, colourful images will capture kids' imaginations. Loved the diversity of the students as well and feel like many students would be able to see themselves in this book in different ways. Great story for parents as well to be able to begin conversations about going back to school and talk about how their own children are feeling.

[Taunya Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Noisy Classroom by Angela Shante

In The Noisy Classroom, a little girl in the second grade tells every reason why she does not want to be in the Noisy Class come third grade. She gives every reason why this would not be acceptable.

This book is geared towards those in 2nd and 3rd grade although it is a good read for any age. My five year old loved it. It is an absolutely adorable story that shows exactly what many children feel when it's time to move on to a higher grade. It is also beautifully illustrated.

I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

[Colleen Cahill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect back to school read aloud for third graders or really any mid to upper elementary student!

I was able to use this to do informal assessments on their comprehension skills such as making connections, text to self/world, character traits, character development/change. We spent a week breaking apart all the features to closely read this text.

The illustrations were spot on and there was a character everyone looked like! Representation For our kiddos is so important, and this book has it! I highly recommend it!!! The kids loved it!!!

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back-to-school picture books tend to be upbeat and welcoming, with some directed at (or incorporating) a generalized anxiety among some of the "new kids" going to school. This is the first I've read that directly addresses a girl who seems to be a very self-aware sensory-sensitive kid who enjoys school but can be easily overwhelmed or intimidated by NOISE. The character is well-aware of "that" teacher and her noisy classroom, filled with music and voices and movement and seems so different from the quietly ordered classrooms and lines she's experienced so far.
The set-up for introducing her real anxiety and anticipation contrasts well with hints that things going on in that classroom may not be so awful. When her back-to-school info shows she will have Ms. Johnson, "that teacher". Despite several familiar avoidance techniques, she enters the class and soon discovers that every single bit of what she perceived as "noise" is engaging, lively learning with healthy doses of fun. Tine flies in this environment and she is able to offer a word of support to some anxious younger students that she notices in the halls.
This is an excellent nod to the fact that individual students do well in a variety of settings. In this case she adapts well, but sharing the book (with kids AND teachers) is a great reminder that accommodating learning styles (and individual concerns) can maximize success on all sides.

[Eba Johnson]

I first read this book alone on my birthday. I was excited to share it with my grand children. I pre ordered it. I didn't realize that my now adult son would bring up his childhood experience, I remembered but I did not know if he did. My son was about to enter 3rd grade and he was fearful the entire summer about his new teacher and what other students said about him. It was his first experience having a male teacher and a White teacher. He fussed all summer and this book resonated with me and him when he read it as well. Thank you to the author @angelashante and illustrator @allisonhawkins for your creativity, your experiences and your ability to make me laugh, cry and rejoice all while reading an amazing children's story.

[Tasha Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!!! Every child could identify with the jitters that come along with change and moving on to the next class. The illustrations were fantastic. I can read it a dozen times and each time find something new to smile about. It’s a must read!!!

[Lesa Dierking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book arrived today after receiving it from the Early Reviewers forum on LibraryThing. Although I now work in a public library, and lead storytimes for primarily preschool-age children, as a former elementary school teacher, I find this to be a very timely topic for a book for kids. Heck, it would be great for parents who aren't sure "what is going on in schools nowadays." On the way out are the "traditional" classrooms where all is quiet and desks are all in a row. Coming in are the more fluid, transitional classrooms, and this is addressed in a fun way in this book. Fearful are not the parents necessarily, but the student who will be transitioning from a traditional setting to a "noisy classroom".

I think this book would be appropriate for K-3rd grade ages I suppose given the transition to 3rd grade noted in the story; the illustrations are cute and simple yet fully expressive.

Again, for those schools, classrooms, students who are transitioning to "flexible seating" and other more fluid classrooms this is a great book.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter is not school age yet but she absolutely adores this book. It's colorful and inviting and it helps kids sort out their anxiety and feelings as it relates to new surroundings.

[Brooke Colburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable, funny story! Kids often have such fear/anxiety about new teachers, and this book will really help those kids.

Noisy classrooms are the BEST classrooms!

[Sequoia Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! Who would have thought that some kids don’t like being so loud ;-). I really enjoyed how at first the child was skeptical about being in that particular classroom and tried to get her way out of being apart of that classroom. But once she actually went to the first day of school she realized that the class was so loud because the teacher allowed her students to express themselves. I would definitely read this book every year in my classroom.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this sweet story about a girl who is about to enter a new situation that she feels nervous about and watching how she adapts and grows to love her new experience. This is a wonderful "beginning of school" book to help children feel comfortable with new teachers and classroom experiences.

[Emma M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This! This is how learning should be! This is the experience I wish my kids could have in the classroom. This is the experience that many teachers wish they could provide! I loved this very fictional tale and I wish our public education experience resembled this a little more.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting a new grade is filled with uncertainty, especially when the teacher for that class has such an unconventional teaching style.

There were so many humorous moments in this picture book. The author sprinkled them into nearly every scene, and they only grew better over time. That was a wonderful way to approach a topic that can be a little sensitive for some kids. It’s hard to remain nervous about discussing something serious when the first few pages are already filled with laughter and joy.

This story seemed to be a little too dismissive of the idea that noisy classrooms are not going to be a good fit for every student. Some children who have sensory processing disorders, anxiety, and other diagnoses wouldn’t enjoy that type of learning environment at all. I wish this had been acknowledged alongside the encouragement to give scary things a try and not make assumptions ahead of time. This is something I’d be thrilled to read to some kids but hesitant to introduce to others depending on their personalities and reasons for being nervous about starting a new school year. The message itself was a good one. It was simply something that I would have liked to see tailored to its intended audience better and with a deeper sense of empathy for the young readers out there who need a quieter learning environment for any number of medical reasons.

With that being said, I did appreciate seeing how the main character reacted to the dreaded noisy classroom. She had thoughtful reasons for wanting to avoid it, and the creative method for getting out of it she slowly perfected over the summer made me laugh out loud. What a clever kid she was! I only grew more curious to see how she’d react to her first day back at school in the autumn when she had to face up to her fear. Her stubbornness and imaginative personality were going to be quite the match for her new teacher, and I didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

I’d recommend The Noisy Classroom to early elementary students who are a little nervous about adjusting to a new teacher this autumn.

[Jan Milusich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Noisy Classroom is a great book for children who might have first day of class jitters. It can show them that things aren't always as we expect them and in the case of The Noisy Classroom they're so much better!

[Kara M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Noisy Classroom is the perfect Back to School read aloud. It celebrates the types of deep learning that can occur in a hands-on learning environment.

[Shelly Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your children are going to love The Noisy Classroom! Every child has fears of going to a new class at the beginning of each year. This is about a student that is nervous about finding out that her 3rd grade teacher is the teacher that has The Noisy Classroom. All summer she worries about being in this classroom. But, when school starts she learns quickly that she is loving this noisy class, teacher, and her new way of learning!
From the hard cover to the illustration of the students and classrooms, your child will enjoy every page!
I would highly recommend this book!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Noisy Classroom
Author: Angela Shanté, ill. by Alison Hawkins

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 21 readers:
21 would read another book by this author.
21 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
21 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
19 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
21 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“I think it's very difficult to start a new class. I know I was scared when I went into Year 5. I think a book like this might help young children to feel better and braver.” Boy, aged 8
“I like the illustrations a lot and I like that it was funny in parts. I also thought the message was really good for children. It can be frightening to do new things but it's often not as frightening as you think it's going to be.” Girl reader, aged 9 – with a little help from mum
“I thought this story was easy to follow and also fun to read. I think I'd much prefer a teacher who is fun then a teacher who is not. I think that the character in the story discovered that too.” Boy reader, aged 9 - with a little help from his teacher
“This book says school can be fun too. I think the writer is right. It is fun.” Girl, aged 7

To Sum It Up:
‘Perfect for young children starting in a new school or class. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Noisy Classroom by Angela Shanté and illustrated by Alison Hawkins beautifully depict both the excitement of starting school, but the anxiety, wondering what your teacher will be like and if you will be with your friends. A young girl in grade two is anxious about going into a grade three class known as "The Noisy Classroom," where noise is always present, and things seem out of control compared to her quieter structured classroom. She worries throughout the summer and has a plan if things don't work out. When fall arrives, she is indeed in The Noisy Classroom, which is very different from her previous room. There are no chairs, and they do a lot of singing and moving while skip counting and writing stories on the floor. She still is debating about implementing her plan because she is not learning, but of course, she is, just in a different way. An important story to share before school starts, to acknowledge and address any worries about starting school. It also serves as a reminder that everyone has their way of doing things and that different does not necessarily mean wrong. The Noisy Classroom is a diverse book and great read-aloud for parents and teachers to begin the new school year.
Publisher: West Margin Press Ingram Publishers Services
Release Date: 2021

[Elle Bouchard]

I absolutely loved this book! When I first read the title and saw the cover, my initial prediction was that the book would be about classroom management and how to create a quiet space even when noise surrounds you. To my surprise, the plot was quite the opposite and I was able to relate to the main character. When I was in kindergarten, I was constantly told that once you get to first grade things would be so different. There was no fun, no play, and would be expected to be quite at all times. When I got to first grade, I was surprised to find the opposite. This was my favorite teacher and can recall my most fun elementary experiences from this class.
I loved how this book debunked the myth that school isn’t fun. Children will be children and conversation, fun, and play can still be present throughout all grade levels. I think there is many kids who have anxiety progressing to the next grade because we are always told that the following year will be much harder and strict than the current. This simply isn’t always the case and it is unfair to portray it that way.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this via Hoopla after discovering Shante yesterday after having my mind blown with her poetry collection that's being published next month. Discovering she wrote several picture books was exciting and that she's an educator made me jump to read them. I'll read the second one in the series as well.

This is about a young girl anxious to go to her next year's classroom because what she knows about the class is that the teacher always has the parents waiting at the end of the day, they don't walk in straight, quiet lines when they leave the classroom, and the teacher always seems to be singing. She decides before the school year starts that she's going to run away to Antarctica, but decides to give the class she's been assigned (the noisy class) a try... for a week... and realizes that she's not learning/learning every day and it's actually kind of fun to enjoy school the way her class is.

It's another way to showcase that every classroom looks different and that one is not necessarily better than the other PLUS, learning is fun!

... and her family was the coolest.

[Stephani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that this book introduces ideas of non-traditional teaching methods, while also being a story meant to reassure children about dealing with changes. Would be suitable for children who have anxiety about moving to a new class. However, I also feel that this story is a bit dismissive of the idea that for some children, a noisy classroom really would be a terrible idea and implies that children with sensory disorders just need to get over it.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Bella Noorbakhsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasnt my favorite, it is lengthy, but it was not that interesting or grabbing my attention, but it is about a noisy classroom and the students not wanting to be at school!

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this one more than my daughter did!

[Miranda]

Read with my students for our reading contest

[Reading Kittens · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lovely story that teaches kids to give new teachers a chance and addresses the anxiety about starting a new school year in a fun way.