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Aesop Elementary School #2
The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School
Here's a chapter book with all the kid appeal and absurd mayhem of Louis Sachar's classic Sideways Stories from Wayside School! These hilarious fables, complete with morals, will make you wish you went to Aesop Elementary.
Welcome back to Mr. Jupiter's inimitable class in this companion to The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School. His rambunctious, special students are fifth graders now . . . and they rule the school! Bernadette Braggadoccio stirs things up when her probing investigative reporting for the school's TV station reveals some scandalous stuff. But . . . don't believe everything you hear. Is that new art teacher really a crazy lady with zillions of cats, or could there be more to this story?
So whether readers knew Mr. Jupiter's class back in fourth grade or are new to Aesop Elementary, they'll be chomping at the bit to join these fabled fifth graders for the zaniest school year ever.
From the Hardcover edition.
Welcome back to Mr. Jupiter's inimitable class in this companion to The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School. His rambunctious, special students are fifth graders now . . . and they rule the school! Bernadette Braggadoccio stirs things up when her probing investigative reporting for the school's TV station reveals some scandalous stuff. But . . . don't believe everything you hear. Is that new art teacher really a crazy lady with zillions of cats, or could there be more to this story?
So whether readers knew Mr. Jupiter's class back in fourth grade or are new to Aesop Elementary, they'll be chomping at the bit to join these fabled fifth graders for the zaniest school year ever.
From the Hardcover edition.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2010
About the author
Candace Fleming
69 books492 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
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August 12, 2016The book tells the story of comic novels stories. Here’s a chapter with different chapter of each little story. Why I write for this book, because I had a contrary teacher in my school life. I want to know what different reactions between two types of teachers. The book relates how the classic and funny wired teacher taught their students and the teacher always goes his ways. He didn’t follow school rules.
At the start of the new term, the Aesop elementary school headmaster engaged five training teachers to come to the school. One of the teachers taught their students very unusual. For instance, he allowed his students to do makeup or not wear uniforms in the school. He doesn't follow Aesop elementary school rules. The other teachers didn't allow his ways, but every students were very liked of him.
One of chapters describes his students are very smart, charming, unique and many interactions with their training teacher. The chapter shows the teacher and students relations are very tight and we can know from their interactions. For example, one day the training teacher needed to write the self-criticism form. Because the training teacher was unruly in the school, he let his students be noisy in the class. Actually, his students expressed their opinions, the training teacher liked listening for his students thinking.
The students expressed their opinions at the first time. Nobody liked this teacher let them to express their opinions, so everyone liked him very much. Other teacher saw his classroom too noisy and they told to headmaster. However, the students knew the training teacher needed to write the self-criticism form and the students helped teachers to tell the headmaster to not punish their teacher and they just expressed their opinions.
In my opinion, the students just want to say their thinking, the teacher let them to express their thoughts. The teacher is a patient guy, I think in my elementary school life that I need to be quiet in the classroom. Because we are kids, the teacher hopes we could be quiet in the classroom. In the book, the training teacher wanted to know about his students opinions.
Then, the students were many feedback to him. The teacher wanted to listen for everybody, and he didn’t follow rules in the classroom. Even though you can eat and relax in the classroom. Because he thought the students were all day in school. This part I could not agree for training teacher, because the student should be have a student’s attitude. Maybe the teacher wanted to be close them. To sum up, this is a good thing, because no teacher like the training teacher can patient and truly love his students. It shows how relationship of students and teacher. The teacher must truly love his students and not just work and students must truly like their teacher.
It is a highly entreating read you can enjoy the fun stories and had fun trying to guess what the students respond to the teacher, because the students were very smart and clever.
I loved all the different character, qualities and how they show different interactions. Although, some of parts I couldn't agree about his style in the class. If the teacher pampers the students, they might give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. So, I thoroughly it highly entreating read.
At the start of the new term, the Aesop elementary school headmaster engaged five training teachers to come to the school. One of the teachers taught their students very unusual. For instance, he allowed his students to do makeup or not wear uniforms in the school. He doesn't follow Aesop elementary school rules. The other teachers didn't allow his ways, but every students were very liked of him.
One of chapters describes his students are very smart, charming, unique and many interactions with their training teacher. The chapter shows the teacher and students relations are very tight and we can know from their interactions. For example, one day the training teacher needed to write the self-criticism form. Because the training teacher was unruly in the school, he let his students be noisy in the class. Actually, his students expressed their opinions, the training teacher liked listening for his students thinking.
The students expressed their opinions at the first time. Nobody liked this teacher let them to express their opinions, so everyone liked him very much. Other teacher saw his classroom too noisy and they told to headmaster. However, the students knew the training teacher needed to write the self-criticism form and the students helped teachers to tell the headmaster to not punish their teacher and they just expressed their opinions.
In my opinion, the students just want to say their thinking, the teacher let them to express their thoughts. The teacher is a patient guy, I think in my elementary school life that I need to be quiet in the classroom. Because we are kids, the teacher hopes we could be quiet in the classroom. In the book, the training teacher wanted to know about his students opinions.
Then, the students were many feedback to him. The teacher wanted to listen for everybody, and he didn’t follow rules in the classroom. Even though you can eat and relax in the classroom. Because he thought the students were all day in school. This part I could not agree for training teacher, because the student should be have a student’s attitude. Maybe the teacher wanted to be close them. To sum up, this is a good thing, because no teacher like the training teacher can patient and truly love his students. It shows how relationship of students and teacher. The teacher must truly love his students and not just work and students must truly like their teacher.
It is a highly entreating read you can enjoy the fun stories and had fun trying to guess what the students respond to the teacher, because the students were very smart and clever.
I loved all the different character, qualities and how they show different interactions. Although, some of parts I couldn't agree about his style in the class. If the teacher pampers the students, they might give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. So, I thoroughly it highly entreating read.
March 26, 2023
This is the first one that came in so I recognize that I'm reading out of order but this one was entertaining. A class of fifth graders under Mr. Jupiter was wild and zany in addition to being good-natured and what school should be about (within reason).
March 8, 2019
I laughed so much with this book! It's a great sequel to The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School.
Currently reading
January 24, 2020Thrilling
This book was an amazing adventure! This book is great for 4th, 5th, or 6th graders. Amazing! Amusing! Entertaining! ♥
This book was an amazing adventure! This book is great for 4th, 5th, or 6th graders. Amazing! Amusing! Entertaining! ♥
September 19, 2020
I like the morals after each chapter
December 31, 2020
Pretty much the same as the fourth graders – these are very obviously morality tales and the window dressing doesn’t add much value.
October 13, 2014
The kids from Aesop Elementary School are back, and this time they rule the school as 5th graders! Rejoining them is their beloved kooky teacher Mr. Harry Valentine Jupiter, the only staff member at the school brave enough to take on this class of rowdy misfits.
Each chapter, which ends in—what else?—a moral, contains a quick and funny story from the school year and highlights the different students who make up Mr. Jupiter’s unconventional class. Throughout the final year at Aesop, Mr. Jupiter’s students solve mysteries, learn math and art, teach their guinea pigs how to sing, take over the school TV station, try their hands at contortionism, and more!
Each character, like brash Bernadette Braggaddocio, class clown duo Lenny and Bruce, and food-loving Ham Samitch, is delightfully silly, and reluctant readers would very likely enjoy their antics. Fans of Wayside School is Falling Down are sure to snap up this book, as well as its prequel, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School.
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
Each chapter, which ends in—what else?—a moral, contains a quick and funny story from the school year and highlights the different students who make up Mr. Jupiter’s unconventional class. Throughout the final year at Aesop, Mr. Jupiter’s students solve mysteries, learn math and art, teach their guinea pigs how to sing, take over the school TV station, try their hands at contortionism, and more!
Each character, like brash Bernadette Braggaddocio, class clown duo Lenny and Bruce, and food-loving Ham Samitch, is delightfully silly, and reluctant readers would very likely enjoy their antics. Fans of Wayside School is Falling Down are sure to snap up this book, as well as its prequel, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School.
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
August 18, 2011
I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. Too many one- ... actually, half-note characters, too much absurdity that I didn't find all that amusing. But the kids it's written for would probably have a different opinion.
I do have to say that it could kick off lessons on:
- fables/morals
- descriptive character names a la Dickens
- spelling
- journalistic integrity
- crochet
- reading music
- geography
But I probably won't be teaching any of them in relation to this book, because I don't want to have to read it again.
I do have to say that it could kick off lessons on:
- fables/morals
- descriptive character names a la Dickens
- spelling
- journalistic integrity
- crochet
- reading music
- geography
But I probably won't be teaching any of them in relation to this book, because I don't want to have to read it again.
August 13, 2019
A wonderful book to read at a chapter a day. The moral at the end of each chapter would be better digested at this leisurely pace. I enjoyed the way the children are growing and changing under Mr. Jupiter's quirky methods of teaching. They are acquiring a background for learning that will make them all better life long learners. And Mr. Jupiter himself is adjusting in ways that find him changed at the end. I don't think he was ever able to stay with a group of students long enough to acquire the kind of friendship that was displayed at the finish of the school year.
August 28, 2010
I had high hopes for this one. The review that I read compared it to "Sideways Stories from Wayside School", which was one of my favorite books growing up. This book was definitely no "Sideways Stories". The chapters felt short and underdeveloped, and the characters were flat. The supposedly-loveable teacher, Mr. Jupiter, around whom the book is centered, was barely sketched in. I just wasn't able to connect with this book on any level.
January 4, 2011
The cutesy character names really rubbed me the wrong way, but I stuck with it and the story grew on me. Mr. Jupiter's class of wacky 5th graders has all kinds of misadventures, promoted by the their unconventional teacher. Although I wouldn't call the chapters fables, each is summarized by a moral, and that is what I enjoyed most. I think this book would be enjoyed by 4-5th graders who enjoy school stories such as Dan Gutman's Weird School series.
February 4, 2011
What an odd little book. Zaney humor is really best when it's cleverly backed by some intelligance, and it's this book's smart use of fable that really saves the story. Each chapter (and the chapters all stand pretty well on their own as short stories) is ended with a moral from one of Aesop's fables. These morals do a decent job of pulling the odd humor together into something more cohesive.
November 24, 2011
Humorous, clever, and brings a new twist to Aesop's classic tales - just the thing to point today's kids back to the real thing. Presents fresh, smart classroom vignettes which culminate in a chapter-closing point based on Aesop's Fables. This could have been a disjointed disaster, but in Ms. Fleming's skilled hands we've got a funny, contemporary novel that appeals to all types of readers, and boys and girls alike.
For ages 8-11 (best for 4th and 5th graders)
available in paperback
For ages 8-11 (best for 4th and 5th graders)
available in paperback
July 1, 2013
I didn't like this book very much. Each chapter was supposed to be a re-telling of a fable, or at least it's just a story that kind of fits one of Aesop's morals.
Any way the names are all kinda lame and don't really have any need to be weird some are a little bit fun but honestly Wayside school books are better thought out.
For second and third grade who may not like full books yet and need a book where every chapter is a story, that is completed.
Any way the names are all kinda lame and don't really have any need to be weird some are a little bit fun but honestly Wayside school books are better thought out.
For second and third grade who may not like full books yet and need a book where every chapter is a story, that is completed.
August 4, 2010
I got the ARC at ALA and finally got around to reading it today.
I sort of wish I hadn't.
It wasn't terrible. But it wasn't good, either.
The first book, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School, was funnier.
I sort of wish I hadn't.
It wasn't terrible. But it wasn't good, either.
The first book, The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School, was funnier.
October 12, 2011
Silly, good-humored, fun. Similar to Wayside school, but more loosely plotted, which is fine. You almost feel as if the author is writing for both the teacher and students because the faculty room jokes and stereotypes are spot on - again, in a good way. I'd recommend to boys and girls - grades 3-5.
June 17, 2011
I think this book is a good friendship book and i love the storys and Morals in this book. I am a Obsessive reader which means i am always spotting a new book with potential and i definitaly found potential in this book.
January 29, 2012
I was hoping this sequel would be as fresh and fun as the first but I was disappointed. This book felt forced to me. I felt the character names and some of their situations were aimed more to adults than the children the book is marketed toward.
June 2, 2012
This is a rare read that has abuses a poetic device, alliteration, which made the story cornier than it needed to be. I love the allusions to the many scholarly topics mentioned that will hopefully spark young readers to learn beyond the classroom curriculum.
November 21, 2012
This book was really good. It was about students that no one wanted to teach other than Mr.Jupiter. While in fifth grade the class learns many lessons and has fun. This book has all the fables of the 1 fifth grade class.
April 6, 2014
I rated this book from a kid's point of view rather than an adult's. While a little silly and shallow for adults, I enjoyed the fun stories and had fun trying to guess what moral would go with the story. An inventive and fun twist on the classic fables.
January 14, 2010
Follows the fabled fourth graders and their intrepid teacher Mr. Jupiter to fifth grade. Starts a bit slowly and rapidly picks up steam. Amusing fables of life in a lively fifth grade. Fun.
February 6, 2011
Each chapter is a short story with a moral at the end.
February 3, 2011
This book is one of my favorites!!!!!!Everybody needs to read this book!!!!!!!
June 30, 2011
I love this book :D
October 14, 2011
Not as good as the first one, but still an entertaining read with Cirdan. I like to hear him giggle.
November 17, 2012
Just as annoying as the first
July 22, 2013
Continuation, still very cute.
July 23, 2013
I LOVE these books. All grades (and teachers) will love these witty fun books. This one was just as wonderful as the first book. This is a perfect kid book!
December 6, 2013
Found the humor tedious. I'm definitely not the right reader for this book, unfortunately. Liked the premise.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews