Today Was a Terrible Day

Ronald Morgan #1

by Patricia Reilly Giff, Susanna Natti (Illustrator)

Follow the humorous mishaps of a second grader who is learning to read.

Nothing's going right for Ronald—he drops his pencils, inadvertently squirts water on Joy’s dress, mistakenly eats Jimmy’s sandwich, misses the ball during recess, loses his ice cream money, and drops Miss Tyler’s plant. But his teacher helps him get over his bad day with a confidence boosting note.

"Giff cleverly circumvents what could be a humdrum conclusion in a witty, satisfying way. Ronald’s growing frustrations are wonderfully captured in the woebegone expressions and childlike stances that Natti effectively balances with happy scenes of success.” — Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 1980

About the author

Patricia Reilly Giff was the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan's Song, a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily's Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily's Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.

Reviews

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teaches a good lesson

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today Was a Terrible Day (Ronald Morgan #1) by Patricia Reilly Giff, Illustrations -Susanna Natti- Hindi language translation by Vidushak- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates one day activity in school of a child named Ronald Morgan. In school, pupils are divided in Houses which perform various subject wise and sports activities. Second, one pupil waters all the flower pots every day. Other pupils in the class of Ronald Morgan are Jimmy, Ellis, Rosemary. Today is a tough day for Ronald. His pencil fell down while he was writing. When he crouched on the ground to pick it, the teacher scolded him. His home -work note book was not signed by his mother. Ronald signed for his mother. His teacher caught him. Ronald was hungry before lunch. He picked up a sandwich from his bag. Now, his could not diffentiate between his bag and his friend’s bag. He ate his friend’s sandwich. During lunch, he had to share his food with his friend. During lunch, while playing baseball, he could not catch a ball coming towards him. He fell on the ground. His pocket money also fell down. Thus, he was deprived to buying ice cream. Ronald forgot to water the flower plants pots. While he was watering the pots, one pot fell on the ground and broke. Miss Tyler, the class teacher wrote in his note book- “Today your day was tough but tomorrow it will be fine because tomorrow it is my birthday.” Ronald was able to read the note. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Gloria Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronald is having a rough day. Each event features Ronald experiencing embarrassment, bad luck, or defeat from peer and adult relationships at school. It all began with him dropping his pencil, which snowballs worse and worse. In the end, his teacher writes a note to him. After feeling success of being able to read the note he feels a sense of confidence again.
The illustrations in this book depict Ronald's facial expressions and emotions quite well. Ronald's positioning in many pages further alludes to his overall sense of self throughout the story. Even the colors of his outfit in contrast to other characters in the book are much more drab. While the story ends with Ronald feeling better about himself, I found that the note he read was a little odd as well as the conversation he had with his best friend on the phone when he gets home.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second-grader Ronald Morgan is having a difficult day. It begins when he drops his pencil and things deteriorate for him as the day proceeds. With nothing going right, Ronald is feeling low and sad and unsuccessful until a note from his teacher changes everything.

Early readers are the target audience for this picture book story. With its focus on children’s self-esteem, emotions, and school issues, children in the primary grades are sure to find it relatable. The touching ending allows the young reader to discover that even the worst of days can bring something good and ensures that they will applaud Ronald’s ultimate success.

With pictures that perfectly capture Ronald’s expressions as he experiences a variety of difficult experiences throughout the day, this is sure to become a favorite of young readers.

Recommended.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars -- This first of the Ronald Morgan series finds him having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day ala Alexander in Judith Viorst's 1972 publication. Ronald knocks a plant pot off the windowsill as the plant monitor. He drops a ball during a baseball game at recess and causes his team to lose the game. And he sneaks into the coat closet and accidentally eats the sandwich out of the wrong brown paper bag. These are not the only things that happen either. Unlike Alexander, though, Ronald is redeemed by a thoughtful note from his teacher that he takes home at the end of the day.
"Dear Ronald,
I'm sorry you had a sad day. Tomorrow will be a happy one because it's my birthday. You and I will make it happy.
Love, Miss Tyler"
May we all be so lucky to have had a Miss Tyler. Ronald takes her a new plant as a birthday present.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronald Morgan had a very terrible day at school. He kept getting in trouble by Ms.Tyler and when he did all of his class mates would laugh at him. Everything that caused him to get in trouble wasn't done on purpose, but rather on accident. I feel that this story was told from a child's perspective when they get in trouble because teachers may think they're doing things on purpose just to get attention or get in trouble. For Ronald it was different because he wasn't crawling under the table he was just trying to get his pencil. This book shows that a terrible day doesn't last your whole life. It shows that it's okay to make mistakes and for Ronald his terrible day ended up being good that something good came out of a terrible day.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second-grader has a crummy day in this realistic story. Everything seems to be going wrong for Ronald throughout his day at school, until a thoughtful note brightens his day at the book's conclusion.

This is more likely to be a nostalgia read for adults, as several elements of the book are now dated. A modern picture book would never have a kid identifying himself as being "in the dumb class" or have so much unexamined bullying.

[Meridith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Ronald Morgan is just having one of those days where everything seems to go wrong. Ronald is teased by his classmates, forgets his homework, gets caught eating a sandwich in the closet (stranger things have happened in a 2nd grade classroom), misses the ball at recess, gets in trouble at the drinking fountain, but the icing on the cake is the humiliation of stumbling on his words when it is his turn to read in the group. Ronald is just mortified and depressed by his reading performance and is quite aware that his reading group, the Rockets, are not really blasting off anywhere anytime soon. Before the end of the day Ronald's teacher, Miss Tyler, slips him a note and tells him to read it on his way home. Ronald opens the letter and to his surprise he can actually read it. Ronald is delighted and for the first time he sees himself as a reader!

I am sure many children could relate to Ronald's terrible day and would enjoy reading this story. It is a simple text that is appropriate for beginning readers. The illustrations depict a typical traditional school setting that most children could relate to. The expressions on the children's faces throughout the story are priceless because they are true to the faces children make on a day to day basis in the classroom. Susanna Natti has perfected the miserable student look!

The obvious message for the reader is that we all have bad days and that nobody is perfect. Another message that the book sends is that teachers have the ability to make or break a student's day. In this story, Miss Tyler does a little of both. It is through her labeling of reading groups and round robin teaching style that she actually diminishes Ronald's confidence and gives him intense anxiety about his reading ability. It is important as teachers that we question the effects of certain practices in our classroom. On the other hand, Miss Tyler writes Ronald a special note to make him feel better after his terrible day which boosts his confidence because he can actually read it. Ronald teaches us the importance of seeing yourself as a reader and how easily a teacher can help or hinder that feeling.

[Annabellecarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today Was a Terrible Day delves into all the bad things that occurred for poor Ronald Morgan in the space of one school day. Ronald was in trouble for all different reasons, he accidentally ate Jimmy's sandwich, knocked Miss Tyler's plant of the windowsill and made mistakes in his 'dumb' reading group. Nothing was going right for Ronald today; his classmates were giving him a hard time and he began to feel like he wasn't good enough or as smart as his friends.
The emotion of the story is swayed when his teacher Miss Tyler gave him a note to read; she told him that tomorrow would be a better day. Ronald was able to read it! This note is a reminder that when we think we are not good enough, there is always somebody who believes in us. Ronald's success in reading the note made him much happier and confident in his own abilities.
This book demonstrates that we all have bad day's and the more we try to make it better the worse it gets, Miss Tyler reminds us of this and how it is important not to dwell on these bad things but look forward to tomorrow being a new and better day.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Today was a Terrible Day” by Patricia Reilly Giff was a story about a boy, Ronald Morgan, who had a terrible day. Like our protagonist I have had terrible days where it seem I can’t do anything right, so I am able to relate to him quite naturally. Ronald Morgan is a second grader who is learning to read. At the start of the story and Ronald Morgan’s terrible day he is unable to spell and read. At the end he discovers something wonderful that turns his terrible day around. His teacher is a bit irritated by Ronald Morgan’s mistakes but in the end is a very understanding teacher. It is a good book teaching that life can have mishaps, and reading can be a challenge but if you keep trying things are sure to change. I liked Miss Tyler since she was an understanding teach despite all the trouble Ronald Morgan seemed to have gotten himself into. She understood he was having a terrible day and tried to help him move on for a happier day tomorrow.

[Holly Frasier]

Today Was a Terrible Day by Patricia Reilly Giff was a cute book because of how relatable it could be to so many students in a variety of ages. In elementary school, Ronald Morgan seems to have all the worst along with the best of intentions. Throughout the day he gets embarrassed several times by the teacher for things he didn't mean to do badly. He becomes self conscious about the way he plays on the playground, the way he reads, and he begins to think he's dumb. All of this turns around in the end when his teacher writes his a simple yet encouraging note that he is able to read himself. I think this would be a great book for students in early elementary to hear because its not uncommon for someone to miss nap time or get embarrassed and become a little cranky. I believe this book suits 2nd and 3rd graders the most, though, because that is around the age where you start becoming easily embarrassed and really focus on your peer's views of you.

[Brigette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor little Ronald Morgan! I sometimes wonder if my second graders are having a day like he did. Giff describes perfectly how I'm sure many children feel as they learn to read: they're in the "dumb group" and can't even get things right there; they feel that nothing is working how it should then suddenly they can read! This book made me think a lot of my own second graders who struggle so much and how much I love seeing them light up when they realize that hey have learned something. This would entertain the kids I work with as well as give them hope that one day they'll look down at the note they're holding and know what it says.

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today Was a Terrible Day is a great book to read to younger children. I enjoyed it and so did my niece who is seven. This story is about a young boy who is having a horrible day, anything that can possibly go wrong is going wrong. To put the cherry on top of things he made mistakes in his reading group. His teacher gave him a note and Ronald realized he was able to read it! This is a great read for children because all children have those days were they feel unwanted or like they can not do things right and all they really need is a little attention and encouragement.

[Sherry Thornberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great reminder that every kid has a bad day when everything goes wrong. But as their teacher, you can turn it around so that bad day does not dictate the rest of their week. I like the way Ronald thinks the note home is a bad report but its just a little personal note saying, "I know today was bad for you, but tomorrow is my birthday and it will be better!"

[Jeff Szpirglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous read-aloud for making text to self connections. The premise of the bad day is something all kids can relate to, and I like that the author also lets the teacher have just as bad a day as the protagonist.

[Vanessa Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, my mother read to it to me. It's a very fabulous book, for the main character, it's a pity he's always being picked on for various wrong reasons. I read the Chinese translated version, equally as entertaining.

[Jeanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay children's story of mistakes made and a lesson learned, EXCEPT for the kid saying he and another kid were in the "dumb group" at school. First published in 1980, reprinted, unchanged, in 1984, '85, '86, and '87.

[kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sommetimes all it needs to make a terrible day better is a caring teacher who realizes we are all human and vulnerable

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book for a bad day, everyone can identify with Ronald Morgan and hope for someone as understanding as his teacher to make a bad day better.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Today Was a Terrible Day
Giff, Patricia Reilly
this book is another in a line of books taken from the original short story about a childs bad day at school

[Laura McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the classroom - This book offers a ver direct example of use of dialog in fist person narrative.

[Chelsea Kimmey · Rating 4 out of 5]

a book I would read in the beginning of the year to point out how words you say hurt others and how if you are having a bad day it isn't the end of the world

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Text to text: Alexander and the terrible horrible no good very bad day

[Abby]

ok

[Bridget]

Have the audio version

[Hapzydeco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic. Shows how to take a bad day and make it a positive one.