In the Dinosaur's Paw

The Kids of the Polk Street School #5

by Patricia Reilly Giff, Blanche Sims (Illustrator)

It's the first day back to school after winter vacation, and Richard Best is off to a bad start. Who ever heard of a January without any snow? And as usual, he has already forgotten something--the ruler Ms. Rooney had told him to bring for dinosaur day. Luckily Richard finds a ruler in his desk--with a dinosaur's initials--and he's sure the ruler is special. And then he finds out it has magic powers.



All his wishes begin to come Snow stars falling, he remembers to do his homework, and the bully Drake Evans gets sick. But now with Drake sick in bed, Richard begins to worry. His only hope is the magic ruler--but it's gone.



What will help him?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Dinosaurs

80 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1982

About the author

Patricia Reilly Giff was an American author and educator whose warm, emotionally resonant books made her a beloved figure in children's literature. After spending roughly two decades as a teacher, she turned to writing and brought a deep understanding of young readers to stories that balanced humor, resilience, and emotional truth. Educated at Marymount Manhattan College, St. John's University, and Hofstra University, she drew on both her classroom experience and literary instincts to create memorable fiction for children and middle-grade readers. She became especially well known for the popular Polk Street School series, which captured the everyday dramas of school life with charm and empathy. Beyond those books, she wrote acclaimed novels such as Lily's Crossing, Nory Ryan's Song, Pictures of Hollis Woods, Eleven, and Genevieve's War, often exploring themes of belonging, family, hardship, and courage. Her work earned wide recognition, including Newbery Honors, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults designation, and a Christopher Award. Giff also influenced younger writers through her workshops and teaching spirit. Throughout her career, she remained a compassionate literary voice whose stories spoke directly to children's fears, hopes, and imaginations.

Reviews

[B-zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saya tidak tahu ini buku berseri, saya beli karena penjualnya cuci gudang, dan saya baca karena saya butuh bacaan singkat. Kabar baiknya, buku ini bisa dibaca terpisah.

Richard Best membutuhkan penggaris di hari pertama sekolah usai libur Natal, untuk pelajaran tentang dinosaurus, tapi dia lupa di mana menyimpannya. Untungnya di sekolah dia menemukan penggaris di mejanya, yang menurut Matthew--kawannya--adalah penggaris milik dinosaurus karena inisial di atasnya. Setelah menemukan penggaris itu, Richard merasa segala keinginannya terkabul. Lambat laun perasaan gembira itu tergantikan oleh gelisah dan rasa bersalah karena dia merasa bertanggung jawab atas masalah yang dialami orang lain. Sayangnya saat dia berusaha memperbaikinya, penggaris itu hilang.

Karakter anak-anak dalam buku ini benar-benar amat sangat polos sekali, sesuai dengan usia mereka. Kenaifan dan keluguan bocah ini membuat beberapa hal dalam kisah terasa manis. Bahkan terhadap 'musuh' mereka bisa menjadi sangat pemaaf jika dihadapkan pada suatu masalah yang lebih besar, ketulusan hati yang pada dasarnya kita semua miliki jauh di dalam hati. Mungkin masalah-masalah anak terlihat sepele bagi kita orang dewasa, tapi seberapa jauh anak memikirkan masalah itu bisa jadi membuat kita malu karena mempermasalahkan hal yang seharusnya tidak perlu jadi masalah.

Sebenarnya buku ini lebih kepada kisah sehari-hari yang dibumbui dengan kisah 'penggaris dinosaurus' itu. Mungkin ada perkembangan karakter yang hendak digambarkan untuk keseluruhan serial besarnya. Jadi sepertinya membaca sesuai urutannya akan memberi pengalaman yang berbeda.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, I’ve read In the Dinosaur’s Paw (The Kids of the Polk Street School #5) by Patricia Reilly Giff more than once, and I must say, I find it to be pretty amazing, as well as superbly awesome too.

Basically, for the protagonist Richard “Beast” Best, the first day of school after winter break initially turns out not so good for him. For one thing, January comes, but without snow; this disappoints Richard, because snow is something he likes, and a snow day means school is closed. Also, Ms. Rooney had said they would need to bring a ruler for doing dinosaurs when they returned from winter break, and he can’t find a ruler.

But thankfully, Richard’s luck soon changes for the better when he looks in his desk and finds a ruler there — except it’s no ordinary ruler, as it has a dinosaur’s initials on it. He soon realizes it has magic powers when his wishes (if he could call them that) start coming true: snow begins falling and he remembers to do his homework.

If I had to choose one (or more than one) part of the book I’d pick as my favorite, it’d be this one for sure:

He ran downstairs.
“Could I have one more piece of looseleaf?” he asked.
Holly wiped her mouth. “No.”
“How come I never have looseleaf?” Richard asked his mother. “How come Holly has everything?”
“Because you keep making mistakes,” Holly said. “Because you keep wrecking up your paper.” (p. 34)

Of course, Richard soon realizes what Ms. Rooney meant by doing dinosaurs with a ruler; they had to measure how big a dinosaur was with the ruler.

If you want to know what happens next, I suggest reading the book.

Finally, I recommend this book to anyone who likes the Kids of the Polk Street School series by the late, great Patricia Reilly Giff, and I give it five stars as well (although ten stars would be even better). 📚📔

[J.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should have figured out the mystery, it was all there

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kids of the Polk Street School: In the Dinosaur's Paw was a lovely break in the long history book I've been slogging through at work. Drake Evans, former classmate of the held-back-a-grade Richard Best (Beast), runs after Beast yelling, "I'm going to get you!" when they're walking to school and ruins his snow fort. Before Christmas break, Ms. Rooney told everyone to bring rulers because they're "doing dinosaurs on the first day back," and Beast, whose study habits are such as to repeat second grade, forgets and marvels when a ruler appears in his desk, after which circumstances lead him to believe that he is in possession of a magic dinosaur ruler, which he uses to wish harm on Drake Evans. Another book from the fantastic series by Patricia Reilly Giff that reminds you of all the angst and pathos of childhood.

http://surfeitofbooks.blogspot.com/20...

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another installment of the Polk Street Kids books -- I think these are great for young kids. The kids are wholesome without being boring or contrived; there are no overt lessons, but always a sort of subtle one. This one is wonderful like the others.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much plot to this one, even for the intended age level.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- Ahhh, Youth! Belief that a ruler has mystical powers, like a Magic 8 Ball, is the highlight of this story of another week with Ms. Rooney's second-grade students. They are all looking forward to Friday when they will go on a trip to the museum with the third grade class to see a dinosaur. Well, they are 75% looking forward to it. Richard 'Beast' Best, who leads this story, dreads the inevitable meeting with the third-grade bully, Drake Evans. Matthew Jackson & Emily Arrow continue to provide solid support, with Jill Simon a growing character as well. This one was not bad!

[Riley Himes · Rating 2 out of 5]

very boring

[D Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro del nivel 6. Me alegro de que yo puedo leer en Español de este nivel. Había unas pocas de palabras que no supe. Aprendí algunas palabras nuevas.

[WSL Library]

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