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Students will create a VoiceThread giving a voice to an animal or object that does not have one. Here they will provide a narrative explaining why "they" need help and what can be done. The videos will be posted on a class blog.

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Students will contact a local animal shelter and figure out what items they need. Students will then create a school-wide drive for raising these needed items. Students will then create gift baskets for the different animals.

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A video explaining more about animal shelters.

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A Time article on another famous woman who fought for the preservation of historic buildings in New York City

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The Woman Who Helped Save New York City's Historic Buildings

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Gayle emerged as a leader among the architects, historians and community activists who cherished the city's history and character

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When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight For an American Icon by Natasha Wing. Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

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When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight For an American Icon by Natasha Wing. Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

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This true story follows Jackie's fight for saving Grand Central Station. Developers wanted to tear it down to build a skyscraper, but Jackie fought hard and with the help of many others, was able to preserve the historic building.

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When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight for an American Icon

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Before she was an iconic First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy was a born-and-raised New Yorker. She loved everything about her city, from the natural...

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125 Pet Rescues: From Pound to Palace by National Geographic Kids

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125 Pet Rescues: From Pound to Palace by National Geographic Kids

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This heartwarming non-fiction texts gives multiple true stories of animals being saved. It also includes humorous stories and tips on how to help animals in need.

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125 Pet Rescues: From Pound to Palace: Homeless Pets Made Happy

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This is a collection of hilarious and heartwarming stories of dogs, cats, and all types of pets given a second chance, and the human animal lovers who rescued...

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The Rescue (Dog Whisperer Series) by Nicholas Edwards and Ellen Emerson White

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The Rescue (Dog Whisperer Series) by Nicholas Edwards and Ellen Emerson White

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This young adult novel is about a young girls special connection with a dog. After rescuing Zack the two form a bond and begin to be able to read each other's minds. This story follows their adventures together and the way they help others.

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The Paperback of the The Rescue (Dog Whisperer Series) by Nicholas Edwards, Ellen Emerson White | at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!

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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Illustrated by Patricia Castelao

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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Illustrated by Patricia Castelao

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In this young adult novel, Ivan is followed through his life in the Mall as a main attraction. It shows how sad and bored he is as he spends his days aimlessly in a concrete box. With the use of his artistic skills and a caring young girl, she is able to speak up for Ivan and get him to a zoo.

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The One and Only Ivan (Newbery Medal Winner)|Paperback

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The #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan is now a major motion picture streaming on Disney+, with a star-studded cast including Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Bryan Cranston, and...

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Hobbes Goes Home by Tami Crupi-Zeman and Bruce Zeman Jr. Illustrated by Shaunna Peterson

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Hobbes Goes Home by Tami Crupi-Zeman and Bruce Zeman Jr. Illustrated by Shaunna Peterson

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This is an uplifting picture book of a dachshunds experience going from an abusive family to an animal shelter. He goes through his own challenges at the animal shelter before being adopted.

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How To Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham 

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How To Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham 

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In this story, a young boy notices a hurt bird that everyone else walks by. Will takes this bird home and nurses him back to health.

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Overview

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

In a spare urban fable, Bob Graham brings us one small boy, one loving family, and one miraculous story of hope and healing.
"No one saw the bird fall."

In a city full of hurried people, only young Will notices the bird lying hurt on the ground. With the help of his sympathetic mother, he gently wraps the injured bird and takes it home. In classic Bob Graham style, the beauty is in the details: the careful ministrations with an eyedropper, the bedroom filled with animal memorabilia, the saving of the single feather as a good-luck charm for the bird's return to the sky. Wistful and uplifting, here is a tale of possibility — and of the souls who never doubt its power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9780763698416

Publisher:

Candlewick Press

Publication date:

07/18/2017

Edition description:

Reprint

Pages:

40

Sales rank:

174,150

Product dimensions:

7.20(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.20(d)

Age Range:

3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children.

Of HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING, he says: "In troubled times, when many of us are losing contact with the natural world, I wanted to show that there is still hope in a coming generation of children who have curiosity and empathy with the world around them, and that care and attention can sometimes fix broken wings."

Bob Graham lives in Australia.

Table of Contents

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children.

Of HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING, he says: "In troubled times, when many of us are losing contact with the natural world, I wanted to show that there is still hope in a coming generation of children who have curiosity and empathy with the world around them, and that care and attention can sometimes fix broken wings."

Bob Graham lives in Australia.

Recipe

Bob Graham is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children.

Of HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING, he says: "In troubled times, when many of us are losing contact with the natural world, I wanted to show that there is still hope in a coming generation of children who have curiosity and empathy with the world around them, and that care and attention can sometimes fix broken wings."

Bob Graham lives in Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Quietly, effectively, Graham tells the simple story of a boy who finds a fallen bird and nurses it back to health. The text is minimal...the art has effectively utilized the oversize format, filling it with full-page pictures, vertical and horizontal strips, and cartoon-style boxes in cloudy hues ... Because this is such a visual piece—readers, young and old, will return to the story to look more deeply; they won't be disappointed.
-Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

The simplicity of Graham's story contains a surprising power.
—The New York Times

"High above the city, no one heard the soft thud of feathers against glass," begins Graham ("Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate). And no one notices the wounded pigeon that falls to the sidewalk-until Will comes along. In this sparsely worded story, Will and his parents nurse the pigeon to health and then release him back into the sky. Graham breaks his watercolor-and-ink cartoons into full-bleed spreads and large and small comics-like panels, enabling him to dwell on each moment of tender loving care and to preach patience: the "x"s entered on a wall calendar and a series of drawings depicting the phases of the moon show readers that the pigeon's recovery takes a good month. The solemnity and earnestness with which the family goes about the task may exasperate some grown-ups; it's a pigeon, after all. But many readers will savor the way Will's parents unquestioningly rally around him, and appreciate the opportunity to imagine themselves as selfless healers. Ages 5-up. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly

In the middle of the busy city no one notices the bird that has hit a window and fallen—no one except young Will. He stops, ignores his mother's warning, picks up the bird and insists on taking it home, along with a lost feather. His mother and dad work with him to try to heal the broken wing. "With rest...and time...and a little hope...a bird may fly again." And we follow the emotion-packed visual tale paired with the spare text all the way to the happy ending. The small amount of text is unremarkable. But Graham's visual story is magical, beginning on the front endpapers. The double-page picture focused on Will bending to gently pick up the bird clearly shows his concern. The next double page is textless; as all sorts of people walk around him, a subtle yellow spot is on Will and the bird in the middle. Ink and watercolor with brushed chalk backgrounds create the sequence of sketchy, gentle images that tell the tale in vignettes and a variety of scene sizes. Will's cherishing of the single feather throughout adds to the emotional impact. There is a lesson of hope here for all. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

K-Gr 2

Poignantly told and visually rich, this narrative flies high. When a pigeon breaks its wing, no one notices except Will. Sporting a bright red jacket, starkly contrasted against his drab surroundings, he and his parents take the injured creature into their home. Clean lines and effective panels showcase its steady recovery, readily receiving encouragement from the family along the way. Graham's succinct text masterfully reveals the bird's resilience. "A loose feather can't be put back/but a broken wing can sometimes heal." Pen, watercolor, and chalk illustrations add depth to this tender tale as the injured bird wistfully watches a flock of flyers outside Will's window. Exemplary use of color and perspective denote shifting moods, and thin lines enhance the vulnerability of this boy and his bird. Gently expressed and honestly delivered, this quiet, yet powerful story provides young readers with an affirming conclusion.- Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayatteville, NC

School Library Journal

Captioned by brief phrases that sometimes give way to entirely wordless pages or spreads, this spare episode celebrates the spirit of compassion in a small child. Crowds of passersby step over an injured pigeon on the sidewalk, but young Will picks it up and makes his mother carry it home. He and his solicitous parents bandage and care for the bird, but will it ever heal? "With rest . . . and time . . . and a little hope . . . a bird may fly again," is Graham's reassuring message, and so it proves on the final spread when the released patient soars into the sky. Will's bright red jacket makes it easy to pick him out amid the paler-hued pedestrians and tall skyscrapers, which unfold in sequential panels and full-page spreads, the illustrator's "camera" displaying masterful control over pacing and perspective. This isn't as personal as Matteo Pericoli's True Story of Stellina (2006), but it will draw a younger audience, and is imbued with the same sensitivity and sense of intimacy. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More

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Eligible for FREE SHIPPING Use Standard Shipping , For guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24. 13 New & Used from $4.63 How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham In a spare urban fable, Bob Graham brings us one small boy, one loving family, and one miraculous story of hope and healing.

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Students will create a community night at their school. Hosting members in the community they will provide a dinner to all that attend. At the night, students will be asked to interview different community members to learn more about them, and to also ask of ways to improve the community.

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Students will in groups create a multimedia representation of their community. Using Storybird, students can create a story about their community or a poem.

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A website about a community garden in New York City

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With underwriting from Target, NYRP commissioned acclaimed landscape designer Sean Conway to re-imagine a child-friendly, green space to better the neighborhood's diverse needs. Conway's design includes an expansive lawn, which often accommodates large groups for free arts performances and serves the neighboring school as an outdoor classroom.

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If you click on the link, you will see an image of a basic community map.

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Community map clipart - Clip Art Library

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In this beautifully illustrated picture book, when the city's power shuts off, the community lights up. Without power everyone goes to the top of the buildings to view the stars that they normally cannot see. This is a moment where everyone stops and comes together and enjoys an unfortunate situation.

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One hot summer night in the city, all the power goes out. The TV shuts off and a boy wails, "Mommm!" His sister can no longer use the phone, Mom can't work on her...

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After a bus is abandoned on a normally busy street, it begins to change the community members. They all come together and refurbish the bus and turn it into a community center where a variety of cultures are celebrated.

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Could a broken-down bus really bring a whole city neighborhood together? Could it all start with a small girl named Stella?One morning in front of...

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In this young adult novel, Caitlin is followed as she works through the grief of losing her brother, while also having Asperger's. Not only is she working through her grief, but so is the entire community after the school shooting that took her brother's life. In this story, the community comes together for differing events to change the atmosphere.

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THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER and ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NOVELS OF OUR TIME FOR YOUNG READERSCaitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is...

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Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez

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Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez

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This picture book is based off of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego California. In this story, Maria is a young girl who gives her drawings to others in the community. She begins drawing murals on walls, and the community members also begin to participate and beautify the area.

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Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood

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What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine! Based on the true story of the...

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Green Green: A Community Gardening Story by Marie Lamba and Baldev Lamba. Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

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Green Green: A Community Gardening Story by Marie Lamba and Baldev Lamba. Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

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In this story, children come together to create a community garden in the middle of their city. Community members from all different backgrounds come together to work on the garden.

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Green Green: A Community Gardening Story

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Green grass is wide and fresh and clean for a family to play in, and brown dirt is perfect for digging a garden. But when gray buildings start to rise up and a...

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Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building by Scot Ritchie

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Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building by Scot Ritchie

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In this nonfiction picture book, five children participate in multiple activities in their community to raise money for the local library. This text does a wonderful job of detailing different aspects of a community and how they all work together.

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Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building

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The Hardcover of the Look Where We Live!: A First Book of Community Building by Scot Ritchie at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!

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Students will create an anti-bullying task force. They will lead discussions with younger students about bullying and explain to them different steps that can be taken to prevent bullying.

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Students will be asked to create their own video PSA on bullying. They will do this in groups by writing their own script and creating the video. The video will be presented to the school.

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A blog identifying the differing roles in bullying.

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There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.

Importance of Not Labeling Kids

When referring to a bullying situation, it is easy to call the kids who bully others "bullies" and those who are targeted "victims," but this may have unintended consequences. When children are labeled as "bullies" or "victims" it may:

Send the message that the child's behavior cannot change

Fail to recognize the multiple roles children might play in different bullying situations

Disregard other factors contributing to the behavior such as peer influence or school climate

Instead of labeling the children involved, focus on the behavior. For instance:

Instead of calling a child a "bully," refer to them as "the child who bullied"

Instead of calling a child a "victim," refer to them as "the child who was bullied"

Instead of calling a child a "bully/victim," refer to them as "the child who was both bullied and bullied others."

Kids Involved in Bullying

The roles kids play in bullying are not limited to those who bully others and those who are bullied. Some researchers talk about the "circle of bullying" to define both those directly involved in bullying and those who actively or passively assist the behavior or defend against it. Direct roles include:

Kids who Bully: These children engage in bullying behavior towards their peers. There are many risk factors that may contribute to the child's involvement in the behavior. Often, these students require support to change their behavior and address any other challenges that may be influencing their behavior.

Kids who are Bullied: These children are the targets of bullying behavior. Some factors put children at more risk of being bullied, but not all children with these characteristics will be bullied. Sometimes, these children may need help learning how to respond to bullying.

Even if a child is not directly involved in bullying, they may be contributing to the behavior. Witnessing the behavior may also affect the child, so it is important for them to learn what they should do when they see bullying happen. Roles kids play when they witness bullying include:

Kids who Assist: These children may not start the bullying or lead in the bullying behavior, but serve as an "assistant" to children who are bullying. These children may encourage the bullying behavior and occasionally join in.

Kids who Reinforce: These children are not directly involved in the bullying behavior but they give the bullying an audience. They will often laugh or provide support for the children who are engaging in bullying. This may encourage the bullying to continue.

Outsiders: These children remain separate from the bullying situation. They neither reinforce the bullying behavior nor defend the child being bullied. Some may watch what is going on but do not provide feedback about the situation to show they are on anyone's side. Even so, providing an audience may encourage the bullying behavior.
These kids often want to help, but don't know how. Learn how to be "more than a bystander."

Kids who Defend: These children actively comfort the child being bullied and may come to the child's defense when bullying occurs.

Most kids play more than one role in bullying over time. In some cases, they may be directly involved in bullying as the one bullying others or being bullied and in others they may witness bullying and play an assisting or defending role. Every situation is different. Some kids are both bullied and bully others. It is important to note the multiple roles kids play, because:

Those who are both bullied and bully others may be at more risk for negative outcomes, such as depression or suicidal ideation.

It highlights the need to engage all kids in prevention efforts, not just those who are known to be directly involved.

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There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied.

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A video of a third grader talking about different ways to be a good friend.

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What elementary school students can do about bullying!

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Students from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Carmel Clay Schools were recently honored for their winning ideas in Bright House Networks and Net Literacy's Students Against Bullying Contest. The campaign is part of Bright House Networks and Net Literacy's push to promote young people as active allies and advocates in bullying prevention.

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The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy. Illustrated by Kim Shaw

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The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy. Illustrated by Kim Shaw

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In this story, Pete goes to a new school and quickly learns that they do not tolerate bullying. His new classmates stand up for their peers when Pete begins to bully them. They come together and try and change Pete's ways as a bully.

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Overview

The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson, Maria Dismondy

Have you ever seen a bully in action and done nothing about it? The kids at Pete's new school get involved, instead of being bystanders. When Pete begins to behave badly, his classmates teach him about "The Promise". Will Pete decide to shed his bullying habits and make "The Promise"?

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9781933916729

Publisher:

Early Learning Foundation

Publication date:

09/30/2010

Pages:

32

Sales rank:

29,527

Product dimensions:

8.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.30(d)

Age Range:

5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bob Sornson is a best-selling author and internationally acclaimed presenter, and has offered workshops and keynotes in 48 states. His work focuses on the implementation of high-quality competency based learning, early learning success, and parent engagement. For over thirty years he worked as a teacher and as an administrator in Michigan public schools, developed an acclaimed model early learning success initiative, and in 2001 founded the Early Learning Foundation.

A prolific author, Bob has written best-selling books for educators, parents and children, along with many journal publications. His books include Over-Tested and Under-Prepared: Using Competency Based Learning to Transform Our Schools, Essential Math Skills, Fanatically Formative, Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning about Empathy, The Juice Box Bully, and many others.

Bob's work is dedicated to giving far more students a real chance for learning and life success. He can be contacted at Bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

Table of Contents

Bob Sornson is a best-selling author and internationally acclaimed presenter, and has offered workshops and keynotes in 48 states. His work focuses on the implementation of high-quality competency based learning, early learning success, and parent engagement. For over thirty years he worked as a teacher and as an administrator in Michigan public schools, developed an acclaimed model early learning success initiative, and in 2001 founded the Early Learning Foundation.

Bob's work is dedicated to giving far more students a real chance for learning and life success. He can be contacted at Bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

Recipe

Bob Sornson is a best-selling author and internationally acclaimed presenter, and has offered workshops and keynotes in 48 states. His work focuses on the implementation of high-quality competency based learning, early learning success, and parent engagement. For over thirty years he worked as a teacher and as an administrator in Michigan public schools, developed an acclaimed model early learning success initiative, and in 2001 founded the Early Learning Foundation.

Bob's work is dedicated to giving far more students a real chance for learning and life success. He can be contacted at Bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others

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Eligible for FREE SHIPPING Use Standard Shipping , For guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24. 17 New & Used from $1.99 The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson, Maria Dismondy Have you ever seen a bully in action and done nothing about it?

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Confessions of a Former Bully by Trudy Ludwig. Illustrated by Beth Adams 

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Confessions of a Former Bully by Trudy Ludwig. Illustrated by Beth Adams 

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This is a unique story on bullying, as it is told from the bully. In this story, Katie narrates her thoughts as she learns how others feel and get hurt by bullying.

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After Katie gets caught teasing a schoolmate, she's told to meet with Mrs. Petrowski, the school counselor, so she can make right her wrong and learn to be a...

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Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley 

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Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley 

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This young adult novel follows a young Gertie on her quest to be the most impressive fifth grader to wow her mother who had left her. When a new girl comes to school, her plans begin to become complicated and the two girls begin to bully each other.

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Overview

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki

Gertie is a girl on a mission to be the best fifth grader ever in order to show her estranged mother that Gertie doesn't need her—not one bit!

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9780374302610

Publisher:

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication date:

10/04/2016

Pages:

256

Sales rank:

140,507

Product dimensions:

5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

Lexile:

720L ( what's this?)

Age Range:

8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kate Beasley holds a Masters in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family in Claxton, Georgia, with two dogs, one parrot, lots of cows, and a cat named Edgar. Gertie's Leap to Greatness is her first novel.

Read an Excerpt

Gertie's Leap to Greatness

By Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Copyright © 2016 Kate Beasley
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-374-30262-7

CHAPTER 1
A Monstrosity of Science
The bullfrog was only half dead, which was perfect.

He hunkered in the dark culvert under the driveway and gazed at Gertie Reece Foy with a tragical gleam in his eye, as if he knew that her face was the last lovely thing he would ever see.

Gertie stuck her head and shoulders in the culvert and grabbed the frog. His fat legs dangled over her fingers.

She ran to the house and pushed the kitchen door open with her back. Laying the frog on the counter, she ripped open the drawer that held all the unusual and exciting kitchen equipment. She rummaged through cheese graters, bottle openers, and tongs, glancing up every other second to make sure the frog hadn't moved or, worse, died.

"What's going on in there?" Aunt Rae yelled from the living room.

"Nothing!" Gertie whipped out the turkey baster.

She wiggled her index finger between the frog's lips - if you could call them lips - and poked the pipette into his mouth. Then she squeezed the blue bulb at the other end, forcing oxygen into his lungs.

The air must have revived him quickly, or maybe he was a little less dead than Gertie had hoped, because he sprang for the edge of the counter. Gertie lunged sideways and cupped her hands over him.

"There, there," she said. "You're safe now."

She peeked at him through her fingers, and he peeked back at her, his eyeballs quivering with gratitude. Or maybe they quivered with rage. It was hard to tell.

She wrapped her hands around the frog's middle, turned on her heel, and crashed into a soft, flowery stomach.

"Oof," said Aunt Rae. She blinked at the frog in Gertie's hands. "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?"

"I resuscitated him." Gertie held the frog closer.

Aunt Rae moved to stand over the air vent in the kitchen floor, and her housedress ballooned around her legs. "You what?"

"Resuscitated," said Gertie. "It means I brought him back to life."

"I know what it means." Aunt Rae swayed her weight from foot to foot. " Why'd you resuscitate a ugly old bullfrog? That's what I don't know."

Gertie sighed. She spent a lot of time explaining things that should have been obvious to people. "I did it so he could become a miracle of science," she said.

"Huh." Aunt Rae wrinkled her nose at the frog. "Looks more like a monstrosity of science to me."

Gertie gasped. "Oh my Lord."

"What?"

"Aunt Rae, that's even better!"

The monstrosity of science wriggled in her hands, and Gertie tried to hold him tighter but not so much tighter that his eyes would pop right out of his head and fall on the floor.

"I've got to get him in his box, Aunt Rae," Gertie said, "before his eyes roll around on the floor and we have to stick them back."

"Why would -" Aunt Rae began.

"Oh my Lord! I don't have time to explain every little detail!"

"All right, all right." Aunt Rae patted down her skirt. "But I want you to use bleach on my counter when you're done, you hear me?"

* * *

Gertie put the frog and some nice wet leaves in a shoe box. Then she rubber-banded on the lid and went out to the porch. The Zapper-2000, a bug zapper big enough to fry baby dragons, hung from the rafters.

Phase One of the mission was off to a good start.

Gertie always had at least one mission in the works, and she never, ever failed to complete her missions. It didn't matter that she wasn't the fastest or the smartest or the tallest, because what made Gertie a force to be reckoned with was the fact that she never gave up. Not ever. Her father liked to say that she was a bulldog with its jaws locked on a car tire.

Gertie was thinking about having that printed on business cards she could hand out to people.

She crouched in the fluorescent blue beam of light beneath the Zapper-2000 and collected a handful of the mosquito bodies that littered the ground. As she worked, the cicadas and crickets started sawing their night song. Gertie stood and watched the sun set on the last day of summer vacation.

With these tasty mosquitoes, the bullfrog was sure to be fat and croaky tomorrow. And with a fat and croaky bullfrog to take with her, Gertie was sure to have the best summer speech of any student at Carroll Elementary. She curled her toes over the edge of the porch boards.

She, Gertie Reece Foy, was going to be the greatest fifth grader in the whole school, world, and universe!

And that was just Phase One.

CHAPTER 2
You're in My Seat
Gertie had a reason for wanting to be the greatest fifth grader in the world. Two days before the resuscitation of the bullfrog, something big had happened. She had seen a sign.

Not the kind of Sign with a capital S that people saw in crystal balls or tea leaves or unusual mold formations on cheese. No. Gertie had seen a Sunshine Realty sign.

The sign was in front of the house where Gertie's mother lived, and it said For Sale by Sunshine Realty. That sign was the reason Gertie was on her most important mission yet. And it was the reason why, when she woke up on the first morning of fifth grade, she launched herself out of bed, ran to the bathroom, and brushed her teeth with extra froth in front of the mirror.

Gertie had brown hair which she wore in a ponytail that stuck straight out the top of her head, which encouraged blood flow to her brain, which made her have lots of ideas. She also had a biggish nose and a pointy chin. She had freckles on her face, and she had elbows halfway down her arms. As always, she looked exactly like herself.

She pointed her toothbrush at her reflection. "This is your moment," she said, and she wiped away her toothpaste beard.

In her bedroom, she put on shorts, her favorite blue T-shirt, and the twenty-five-percent-off sandals Aunt Rae had bought her. Then she fastened a gold locket around her neck. Gertie dropped the locket down the front of her shirt and picked up the shoe box, enjoying the weight it had to it. Nothing, she decided, was as comforting as the weight of a nice, healthy bullfrog.

When Gertie marched into the kitchen, Aunt Rae held out a package of Twinkies, and Gertie snatched it out of the air with her free hand. She stepped through the screen door, then stopped and tilted her head, waiting.

"Give 'em hell, baby," called Aunt Rae.

Gertie tapped the Twinkies to her brow in a salute and let the door bang shut behind her.

* * *

On the bus, Gertie sat next to one of her two best friends. His name was Junior Parks.

Junior had a lot of nervous energy, which must have burned up a lot of calories, because he was the skinniest boy in their class. He was so skinny that some people said he had worms, which he didn't, but Gertie would've been friends with him even if he did, because she wasn't squeamish about worms.

Junior was probably so nervous because of his name. His name wasn't Mitchell Parks Jr. or Benji Parks Jr. His father's name was Junior Parks. So Junior's name was Junior Parks Jr.

He always introduced himself as Junior Parks the Second, but everyone still called him Junior Jr.

"What's in the box?" Junior asked the moment Gertie sat down.

You could always count on Junior to notice little details. He was worried that anything new might be a threat to him. For instance, right now he was probably afraid that the box held something horrible, like a severed hand or a dead rat or a nice present for everyone in the class except him.

Gertie settled the shoe box in her lap and patted the lid. "You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" She nibbled a Twinkie. Most people thought the middles were plain cream-filled, but she could taste a hint of lemon.

Junior gnawed his lip.

Gertie gave in. A little. "It's for my summer speech."

Junior's eyes widened, and his shoes kicked the seat in front of him. "I forgot about the summer speech," he said in a strangled voice.

" How could you forget something this important?" Gertie asked.

On the first day of school, every class at Carroll Elementary spent the morning on the summer speeches. Each student stood in front of their class and told the one most interesting thing that had happened that summer. The teachers said the speeches weren't a competition, but the students knew better.

In first grade, Gertie hadn't known about the speeches, so she hadn't been prepared. She'd only stumbled through, trying at the last moment to think of something juicy.

In second grade, she had carefully reviewed her summer and chosen what had to be the most interesting event - when she'd eaten fifteen oysters without throwing up. But that was the year Roy Caldwell had climbed up a pecan tree and refused to come down for two whole days, just so he would have the best story.

In third grade, Gertie should have won with her reenactment of what had happened on the oil rig where her father worked. Now, that had been a humdinger of a summer speech.

The important thing wasn't what you told, but how you told it. It was one thing to say that your father was working on an oil rig. It was another thing altogether if you said that alarms had gone off because one of the pumps was under pressure, and everybody had jumped off the platform and into the shark-and-eel-infested ocean.

Unfortunately, that was the same summer Ella Jenkins had had her appendix taken out in the hospital, and she had a lumpy purple scar to prove it.

Gertie didn't even want to think about the fourth-grade speeches when Leo Riggs had shaved off his left eyebrow.

But this year was Gertie's year. It had to be. She licked the last of the greasy yellow Twinkie crumbs off her fingers as the bus turned onto Jones Street. Gertie scooted to the edge of her seat.

The houses on Jones Street seemed impressively housey to Gertie. Aunt Rae's house had flaky paint and crooked doorframes. These houses had straight rows of brick and graceful columns and brass knockers that gleamed on tall front doors.

But that wasn't the most interesting thing about Jones Street.

The most interesting thing was that Gertie's mother lived there. Her name was Rachel Collins.

When Gertie was just a baby, Rachel had gone off to live in the house on Jones Street. The only things she'd left behind were the locket, Gertie's father, and Gertie.

Gertie's father, Frank Foy, said that Rachel Collins had left because she wasn't happy and she had to leave to find out if something else would make her happy.

Gertie thought that wasn't any kind of reason to leave. After all, sometimes she wasn't happy about going to school, but she had to anyway. And she was never happy about going to church, but Aunt Rae dragged her along. And plenty of times she was very not happy with Aunt Rae when she wouldn't let Gertie stay up late or wear her pajamas to the grocery store. But she never left Aunt Rae.

Gertie's father explained that Rachel Collins had been a different kind of unhappy. For her, being with them was like wearing a pair of shoes that were too tight. You could limp along for a while, but your feet would just hurt more and more until you were sure that if you walked one step further in those shoes, they'd squeeze your toes off.

Gertie said that plenty of people did just fine without toes.

But it didn't matter what Gertie thought, because Rachel had stepped out of Frank and Gertie's life and into the housiest house on Jones Street, where a big poplar tree grew in the front yard and where now a Sunshine Realty sign was stuck in trimmed grass.

The sign still said For Sale.

Gertie sighed and leaned back against the bus seat.

Rachel Collins's house was for sale because she was moving away because she was getting married to a man named Walter who lived in Mobile with his own family. Everyone around town was talking about it.

Most kids would probably be upset if their mother was getting married to a strange man named Walter and leaving forever and didn't even tell them about it, but Gertie was not most kids.

She was absolutely not upset, because she had a plan. More than a plan. She had a mission.

Now she touched the front of her shirt so that the locket could remind her of what she had to do. As soon as she gave the best summer speech and claimed her rightful position as the greatest fifth grader in the world, she would launch Phase Two. She was going to take the locket back to her mother. She'd show up on her mother's front porch, gleaming with greatness, swinging the locket on its chain, and she'd say, breezy as a gale-force wind, Didn't want you to forget this while you were packing. And then Rachel Collins would know that Gertie Foy was one-hundred-percent, not-from-concentrate awesome and that she didn't need a mother anyway. So there.

Gertie patted the shoe box.

"It's a bullfrog," she told Junior in a voice low enough that the other kids wouldn't hear.

"Wow." Junior looked even more miserable. "Bet your speech is going to be good."

Junior never did well at speeches. He got so nervous that his feet started kicking around, and he wound up knocking over desks and bruising people's shins. But Gertie was an excellent public speaker because she practiced all the time in front of the bathroom mirror.

"It'll be the best," she promised.

* * *

As they walked to their new classroom, Gertie was careful not to let her fingers cover the air holes on the shoe box.

She pushed through the noisy students and set her shoe box on a desk in the front row. Junior put his bag on the chair beside hers, his arms swinging by his sides even though he wasn't walking anymore.

Gertie's classmates were choosing seats, saying hello to friends they hadn't seen all summer, and arranging new school supplies in their cubbies. Jean Zeller was turning away from the pencil sharpener.

Jean was Gertie's other best friend, and she was the smartest person Gertie had ever met. A long time ago, Roy Caldwell and his friends had called her Jean-ius to tease her, but Jean had liked the nickname so much that she had started writing it at the top of her assignments. Jean blew the shavings off her lethally sharp pencil points and walked over to Gertie and Junior.

"They're number twos," Jean said, brandishing the pencils. "I made sure they were number twos. What kind are yours?" She narrowed her eyes at Junior's empty desk.

"Umm." Junior unzipped his bag and peered inside. "Yellows?"

Jean rolled her eyes. "It's okay, I brought extras."

Jean took the last seat in the front row, right beside Gertie. Gertie was sandwiched between her two best friends, holding a new pencil, and thinking that she'd accomplish this mission in record time, when something poked the back of her neck.

"You're in my seat."

CHAPTER 3
Squish
The finger that had poked Gertie's neck was bony and had a pink-polished nail. Its owner was a yellow-haired girl who had green eyes and shimmery lip gloss.

"Did you hear me?" the girl said, and raised her eyebrows. "You're in my seat."

Gertie reassured herself that her shoe box with her frog was sitting on top of her desk before she answered the girl. "I'm already sitting here," she said.

"Yes, but I'm new here." The girl crossed her arms and began to tap her foot, waiting for Gertie to move out of her way.

Kids who had been examining each other's new shoes and haircuts looked up at the girl.

"Well, we're old here," Jean said, and crossed her arms, too.

The foot stopped tapping.

"But we could move," said Junior quickly, looking from one girl to another. "We could sit in the back or just go away somewhere and ... and ..."

Gertie stared at Junior until his voice dried up like a raisin.

"But Ms. Simms said I could sit here." The girl smiled. "Because I'm new. I need to sit in the front so I can keep up with everything."

New people weren't the only ones who had special reasons for needing to sit in the front. For instance, Gertie needed the front because when they watched movies she didn't want to have to look past other people's heads. And Jean liked the front row because she needed to make sure teachers saw her when she raised her hand. And Junior Jr. hated the front row, but he had to sit there anyway to be with Gertie and Jean.

"Ms. Simms didn't say any such thing," Gertie said.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki. Copyright © 2016 Kate Beasley. Excerpted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

First Chapter

Gertie's Leap to Greatness

By Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Copyright © 2016 Kate Beasley
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-374-30262-7

CHAPTER 1
A Monstrosity of Science
The bullfrog was only half dead, which was perfect.

He hunkered in the dark culvert under the driveway and gazed at Gertie Reece Foy with a tragical gleam in his eye, as if he knew that her face was the last lovely thing he would ever see.

Gertie stuck her head and shoulders in the culvert and grabbed the frog. His fat legs dangled over her fingers.

She ran to the house and pushed the kitchen door open with her back. Laying the frog on the counter, she ripped open the drawer that held all the unusual and exciting kitchen equipment. She rummaged through cheese graters, bottle openers, and tongs, glancing up every other second to make sure the frog hadn't moved or, worse, died.

"What's going on in there?" Aunt Rae yelled from the living room.

"Nothing!" Gertie whipped out the turkey baster.

She wiggled her index finger between the frog's lips - if you could call them lips - and poked the pipette into his mouth. Then she squeezed the blue bulb at the other end, forcing oxygen into his lungs.

The air must have revived him quickly, or maybe he was a little less dead than Gertie had hoped, because he sprang for the edge of the counter. Gertie lunged sideways and cupped her hands over him.

"There, there," she said. "You're safe now."

She peeked at him through her fingers, and he peeked back at her, his eyeballs quivering with gratitude. Or maybe they quivered with rage. It was hard to tell.

She wrapped her hands around the frog's middle, turned on her heel, and crashed into a soft, flowery stomach.

"Oof," said Aunt Rae. She blinked at the frog in Gertie's hands. "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?"

"I resuscitated him." Gertie held the frog closer.

Aunt Rae moved to stand over the air vent in the kitchen floor, and her housedress ballooned around her legs. "You what?"

"Resuscitated," said Gertie. "It means I brought him back to life."

"I know what it means." Aunt Rae swayed her weight from foot to foot. " Why'd you resuscitate a ugly old bullfrog? That's what I don't know."

Gertie sighed. She spent a lot of time explaining things that should have been obvious to people. "I did it so he could become a miracle of science," she said.

"Huh." Aunt Rae wrinkled her nose at the frog. "Looks more like a monstrosity of science to me."

Gertie gasped. "Oh my Lord."

"What?"

"Aunt Rae, that's even better!"

The monstrosity of science wriggled in her hands, and Gertie tried to hold him tighter but not so much tighter that his eyes would pop right out of his head and fall on the floor.

"I've got to get him in his box, Aunt Rae," Gertie said, "before his eyes roll around on the floor and we have to stick them back."

"Why would -" Aunt Rae began.

"Oh my Lord! I don't have time to explain every little detail!"

"All right, all right." Aunt Rae patted down her skirt. "But I want you to use bleach on my counter when you're done, you hear me?"

* * *

Gertie put the frog and some nice wet leaves in a shoe box. Then she rubber-banded on the lid and went out to the porch. The Zapper-2000, a bug zapper big enough to fry baby dragons, hung from the rafters.

Phase One of the mission was off to a good start.

Gertie always had at least one mission in the works, and she never, ever failed to complete her missions. It didn't matter that she wasn't the fastest or the smartest or the tallest, because what made Gertie a force to be reckoned with was the fact that she never gave up. Not ever. Her father liked to say that she was a bulldog with its jaws locked on a car tire.

Gertie was thinking about having that printed on business cards she could hand out to people.

She crouched in the fluorescent blue beam of light beneath the Zapper-2000 and collected a handful of the mosquito bodies that littered the ground. As she worked, the cicadas and crickets started sawing their night song. Gertie stood and watched the sun set on the last day of summer vacation.

With these tasty mosquitoes, the bullfrog was sure to be fat and croaky tomorrow. And with a fat and croaky bullfrog to take with her, Gertie was sure to have the best summer speech of any student at Carroll Elementary. She curled her toes over the edge of the porch boards.

She, Gertie Reece Foy, was going to be the greatest fifth grader in the whole school, world, and universe!

And that was just Phase One.

CHAPTER 2
You're in My Seat
Gertie had a reason for wanting to be the greatest fifth grader in the world. Two days before the resuscitation of the bullfrog, something big had happened. She had seen a sign.

Not the kind of Sign with a capital S that people saw in crystal balls or tea leaves or unusual mold formations on cheese. No. Gertie had seen a Sunshine Realty sign.

The sign was in front of the house where Gertie's mother lived, and it said For Sale by Sunshine Realty. That sign was the reason Gertie was on her most important mission yet. And it was the reason why, when she woke up on the first morning of fifth grade, she launched herself out of bed, ran to the bathroom, and brushed her teeth with extra froth in front of the mirror.

Gertie had brown hair which she wore in a ponytail that stuck straight out the top of her head, which encouraged blood flow to her brain, which made her have lots of ideas. She also had a biggish nose and a pointy chin. She had freckles on her face, and she had elbows halfway down her arms. As always, she looked exactly like herself.

She pointed her toothbrush at her reflection. "This is your moment," she said, and she wiped away her toothpaste beard.

In her bedroom, she put on shorts, her favorite blue T-shirt, and the twenty-five-percent-off sandals Aunt Rae had bought her. Then she fastened a gold locket around her neck. Gertie dropped the locket down the front of her shirt and picked up the shoe box, enjoying the weight it had to it. Nothing, she decided, was as comforting as the weight of a nice, healthy bullfrog.

When Gertie marched into the kitchen, Aunt Rae held out a package of Twinkies, and Gertie snatched it out of the air with her free hand. She stepped through the screen door, then stopped and tilted her head, waiting.

"Give 'em hell, baby," called Aunt Rae.

Gertie tapped the Twinkies to her brow in a salute and let the door bang shut behind her.

* * *

On the bus, Gertie sat next to one of her two best friends. His name was Junior Parks.

Junior had a lot of nervous energy, which must have burned up a lot of calories, because he was the skinniest boy in their class. He was so skinny that some people said he had worms, which he didn't, but Gertie would've been friends with him even if he did, because she wasn't squeamish about worms.

Junior was probably so nervous because of his name. His name wasn't Mitchell Parks Jr. or Benji Parks Jr. His father's name was Junior Parks. So Junior's name was Junior Parks Jr.

He always introduced himself as Junior Parks the Second, but everyone still called him Junior Jr.

"What's in the box?" Junior asked the moment Gertie sat down.

You could always count on Junior to notice little details. He was worried that anything new might be a threat to him. For instance, right now he was probably afraid that the box held something horrible, like a severed hand or a dead rat or a nice present for everyone in the class except him.

Gertie settled the shoe box in her lap and patted the lid. "You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" She nibbled a Twinkie. Most people thought the middles were plain cream-filled, but she could taste a hint of lemon.

Junior gnawed his lip.

Gertie gave in. A little. "It's for my summer speech."

Junior's eyes widened, and his shoes kicked the seat in front of him. "I forgot about the summer speech," he said in a strangled voice.

" How could you forget something this important?" Gertie asked.

On the first day of school, every class at Carroll Elementary spent the morning on the summer speeches. Each student stood in front of their class and told the one most interesting thing that had happened that summer. The teachers said the speeches weren't a competition, but the students knew better.

In first grade, Gertie hadn't known about the speeches, so she hadn't been prepared. She'd only stumbled through, trying at the last moment to think of something juicy.

In second grade, she had carefully reviewed her summer and chosen what had to be the most interesting event - when she'd eaten fifteen oysters without throwing up. But that was the year Roy Caldwell had climbed up a pecan tree and refused to come down for two whole days, just so he would have the best story.

In third grade, Gertie should have won with her reenactment of what had happened on the oil rig where her father worked. Now, that had been a humdinger of a summer speech.

The important thing wasn't what you told, but how you told it. It was one thing to say that your father was working on an oil rig. It was another thing altogether if you said that alarms had gone off because one of the pumps was under pressure, and everybody had jumped off the platform and into the shark-and-eel-infested ocean.

Unfortunately, that was the same summer Ella Jenkins had had her appendix taken out in the hospital, and she had a lumpy purple scar to prove it.

Gertie didn't even want to think about the fourth-grade speeches when Leo Riggs had shaved off his left eyebrow.

But this year was Gertie's year. It had to be. She licked the last of the greasy yellow Twinkie crumbs off her fingers as the bus turned onto Jones Street. Gertie scooted to the edge of her seat.

The houses on Jones Street seemed impressively housey to Gertie. Aunt Rae's house had flaky paint and crooked doorframes. These houses had straight rows of brick and graceful columns and brass knockers that gleamed on tall front doors.

But that wasn't the most interesting thing about Jones Street.

The most interesting thing was that Gertie's mother lived there. Her name was Rachel Collins.

When Gertie was just a baby, Rachel had gone off to live in the house on Jones Street. The only things she'd left behind were the locket, Gertie's father, and Gertie.

Gertie's father, Frank Foy, said that Rachel Collins had left because she wasn't happy and she had to leave to find out if something else would make her happy.

Gertie thought that wasn't any kind of reason to leave. After all, sometimes she wasn't happy about going to school, but she had to anyway. And she was never happy about going to church, but Aunt Rae dragged her along. And plenty of times she was very not happy with Aunt Rae when she wouldn't let Gertie stay up late or wear her pajamas to the grocery store. But she never left Aunt Rae.

Gertie's father explained that Rachel Collins had been a different kind of unhappy. For her, being with them was like wearing a pair of shoes that were too tight. You could limp along for a while, but your feet would just hurt more and more until you were sure that if you walked one step further in those shoes, they'd squeeze your toes off.

Gertie said that plenty of people did just fine without toes.

But it didn't matter what Gertie thought, because Rachel had stepped out of Frank and Gertie's life and into the housiest house on Jones Street, where a big poplar tree grew in the front yard and where now a Sunshine Realty sign was stuck in trimmed grass.

The sign still said For Sale.

Gertie sighed and leaned back against the bus seat.

Rachel Collins's house was for sale because she was moving away because she was getting married to a man named Walter who lived in Mobile with his own family. Everyone around town was talking about it.

Most kids would probably be upset if their mother was getting married to a strange man named Walter and leaving forever and didn't even tell them about it, but Gertie was not most kids.

She was absolutely not upset, because she had a plan. More than a plan. She had a mission.

Now she touched the front of her shirt so that the locket could remind her of what she had to do. As soon as she gave the best summer speech and claimed her rightful position as the greatest fifth grader in the world, she would launch Phase Two. She was going to take the locket back to her mother. She'd show up on her mother's front porch, gleaming with greatness, swinging the locket on its chain, and she'd say, breezy as a gale-force wind, Didn't want you to forget this while you were packing. And then Rachel Collins would know that Gertie Foy was one-hundred-percent, not-from-concentrate awesome and that she didn't need a mother anyway. So there.

Gertie patted the shoe box.

"It's a bullfrog," she told Junior in a voice low enough that the other kids wouldn't hear.

"Wow." Junior looked even more miserable. "Bet your speech is going to be good."

Junior never did well at speeches. He got so nervous that his feet started kicking around, and he wound up knocking over desks and bruising people's shins. But Gertie was an excellent public speaker because she practiced all the time in front of the bathroom mirror.

"It'll be the best," she promised.

* * *

As they walked to their new classroom, Gertie was careful not to let her fingers cover the air holes on the shoe box.

She pushed through the noisy students and set her shoe box on a desk in the front row. Junior put his bag on the chair beside hers, his arms swinging by his sides even though he wasn't walking anymore.

Gertie's classmates were choosing seats, saying hello to friends they hadn't seen all summer, and arranging new school supplies in their cubbies. Jean Zeller was turning away from the pencil sharpener.

Jean was Gertie's other best friend, and she was the smartest person Gertie had ever met. A long time ago, Roy Caldwell and his friends had called her Jean-ius to tease her, but Jean had liked the nickname so much that she had started writing it at the top of her assignments. Jean blew the shavings off her lethally sharp pencil points and walked over to Gertie and Junior.

"They're number twos," Jean said, brandishing the pencils. "I made sure they were number twos. What kind are yours?" She narrowed her eyes at Junior's empty desk.

"Umm." Junior unzipped his bag and peered inside. "Yellows?"

Jean rolled her eyes. "It's okay, I brought extras."

Jean took the last seat in the front row, right beside Gertie. Gertie was sandwiched between her two best friends, holding a new pencil, and thinking that she'd accomplish this mission in record time, when something poked the back of her neck.

"You're in my seat."

CHAPTER 3
Squish
The finger that had poked Gertie's neck was bony and had a pink-polished nail. Its owner was a yellow-haired girl who had green eyes and shimmery lip gloss.

"Did you hear me?" the girl said, and raised her eyebrows. "You're in my seat."

Gertie reassured herself that her shoe box with her frog was sitting on top of her desk before she answered the girl. "I'm already sitting here," she said.

"Yes, but I'm new here." The girl crossed her arms and began to tap her foot, waiting for Gertie to move out of her way.

Kids who had been examining each other's new shoes and haircuts looked up at the girl.

"Well, we're old here," Jean said, and crossed her arms, too.

The foot stopped tapping.

"But we could move," said Junior quickly, looking from one girl to another. "We could sit in the back or just go away somewhere and ... and ..."

Gertie stared at Junior until his voice dried up like a raisin.

"But Ms. Simms said I could sit here." The girl smiled. "Because I'm new. I need to sit in the front so I can keep up with everything."

New people weren't the only ones who had special reasons for needing to sit in the front. For instance, Gertie needed the front because when they watched movies she didn't want to have to look past other people's heads. And Jean liked the front row because she needed to make sure teachers saw her when she raised her hand. And Junior Jr. hated the front row, but he had to sit there anyway to be with Gertie and Jean.

"Ms. Simms didn't say any such thing," Gertie said.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki. Copyright © 2016 Kate Beasley. Excerpted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
1 * A Monstrosity of Science,
2 * You're in My Seat,
3 * Squish,
4 * What's a Mary Sue Spivey?,
5 * Nope,
6 * Upset About North Dakota,
7 * With a G,
8 * That Superior Smoothness,
9 * No Way You Could Be Born on Krypton,
10 * Who Wants to Go Next?,
11 * Well Done, Gertie,
12 * There's Right and Then There's Right,
13 * People Are Fickle,
14 * Delilah,
15 * Oh, Junior,
16 * A Very Good Opportunity,
17 * What Happens to the Junk Food?,
18 * I Loathe Peas,
19 * A Potato Never Quivers,
20 * I Won't Tell,
21 * It's at Six,
22 * How Will I Carry On?,
23 * Ger-tie! Ger-tie! Ger-tie!,
24 * Everybody Messes Up,
25 * You Stupid Ham Hock!,
26 * More Bath Tissue,
27 * I'm Fatty and Delicious,
EPILOGUE Glory, Glory, Glory,
About the Author and Illustrator,
Copyright,

Reading Group Guide

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
1 * A Monstrosity of Science,
2 * You're in My Seat,
3 * Squish,
4 * What's a Mary Sue Spivey?,
5 * Nope,
6 * Upset About North Dakota,
7 * With a G,
8 * That Superior Smoothness,
9 * No Way You Could Be Born on Krypton,
10 * Who Wants to Go Next?,
11 * Well Done, Gertie,
12 * There's Right and Then There's Right,
13 * People Are Fickle,
14 * Delilah,
15 * Oh, Junior,
16 * A Very Good Opportunity,
17 * What Happens to the Junk Food?,
18 * I Loathe Peas,
19 * A Potato Never Quivers,
20 * I Won't Tell,
21 * It's at Six,
22 * How Will I Carry On?,
23 * Ger-tie! Ger-tie! Ger-tie!,
24 * Everybody Messes Up,
25 * You Stupid Ham Hock!,
26 * More Bath Tissue,
27 * I'm Fatty and Delicious,
EPILOGUE Glory, Glory, Glory,
About the Author and Illustrator,
Copyright,

Interviews

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
1 * A Monstrosity of Science,
2 * You're in My Seat,
3 * Squish,
4 * What's a Mary Sue Spivey?,
5 * Nope,
6 * Upset About North Dakota,
7 * With a G,
8 * That Superior Smoothness,
9 * No Way You Could Be Born on Krypton,
10 * Who Wants to Go Next?,
11 * Well Done, Gertie,
12 * There's Right and Then There's Right,
13 * People Are Fickle,
14 * Delilah,
15 * Oh, Junior,
16 * A Very Good Opportunity,
17 * What Happens to the Junk Food?,
18 * I Loathe Peas,
19 * A Potato Never Quivers,
20 * I Won't Tell,
21 * It's at Six,
22 * How Will I Carry On?,
23 * Ger-tie! Ger-tie! Ger-tie!,
24 * Everybody Messes Up,
25 * You Stupid Ham Hock!,
26 * More Bath Tissue,
27 * I'm Fatty and Delicious,
EPILOGUE Glory, Glory, Glory,
About the Author and Illustrator,
Copyright,

Recipe

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
1 * A Monstrosity of Science,
2 * You're in My Seat,
3 * Squish,
4 * What's a Mary Sue Spivey?,
5 * Nope,
6 * Upset About North Dakota,
7 * With a G,
8 * That Superior Smoothness,
9 * No Way You Could Be Born on Krypton,
10 * Who Wants to Go Next?,
11 * Well Done, Gertie,
12 * There's Right and Then There's Right,
13 * People Are Fickle,
14 * Delilah,
15 * Oh, Junior,
16 * A Very Good Opportunity,
17 * What Happens to the Junk Food?,
18 * I Loathe Peas,
19 * A Potato Never Quivers,
20 * I Won't Tell,
21 * It's at Six,
22 * How Will I Carry On?,
23 * Ger-tie! Ger-tie! Ger-tie!,
24 * Everybody Messes Up,
25 * You Stupid Ham Hock!,
26 * More Bath Tissue,
27 * I'm Fatty and Delicious,
EPILOGUE Glory, Glory, Glory,
About the Author and Illustrator,
Copyright,

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Eligible for FREE SHIPPING Use Standard Shipping , For guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24. 38 New & Used from $1.99 Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley, Jillian Tamaki Gertie is a girl on a mission to be the best fifth grader ever in order to show her estranged mother that Gertie doesn't need her-not one bit!

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The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. Illustrated by Patrice Barton 

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The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. Illustrated by Patrice Barton 

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A young boy, Brian, has always seemed invisible when it came to his peers and even his teacher. This is until a new boy, Justin, comes to school and befriends Brian.

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Eligible for FREE SHIPPING

Get it by Wednesday, December 6 , Order by 12:00 PM Eastern and choose Expedited Delivery during checkout.
Same Day delivery in Manhattan.Details
18 New & Used from $7.99

Overview

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, Patrice Barton

A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend...
Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class.

When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.

From esteemed author and speaker Trudy Ludwig and acclaimed illustrator Patrice Barton, this gentle story shows how small acts of kindness can help children feel included and allow them to flourish. Any parent, teacher, or counselor looking for material that sensitively addresses the needs of quieter children will find The Invisible Boy a valuable and important resource.

Includes backmatter with discussion questions and resources for further reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9781582464503

Publisher:

Random House Children's Books

Publication date:

10/08/2013

Pages:

40

Sales rank:

7,457

Product dimensions:

8.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)

Lexile:

AD680L ( what's this?)

Age Range:

6 - 9 Years

About the Author

TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author who specializes in writing children's books that help kids cope with and thrive in their social world, including My Secret Bully and Confessions of a Former Bully. She has received rave reviews from educators, experts, organizations, and parents at schools and conferences around the US for her passion and compassion in addressing peer aggression and friendship issues. An active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Trudy also collaborates with organizations like the Committee for Children and ConnectSafely.org, and has served as content advisor for Sesame Street Workshop. Trudy's books have won the Mom's Choice Gold Award, the IBPA Gold Benjamin Franklin Award, and the NAPPA Gold Medal, and also been recognized as NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Books for Young People. Visit her at trudyludwig.com.

PATRICE BARTON earned a BFA in studio art from the University of Texas in Austin, where she lives with her husband and son. Her books include Sweet Moon Baby written by Karen Henry Clark; Mine! by Shutta Crum; I Like Old Clothes by Mary Ann Hoberman and Rosie Sprout's Time to Shine by Allison Wortche-all available from Knopf.

Table of Contents

TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author who specializes in writing children's books that help kids cope with and thrive in their social world, including My Secret Bully and Confessions of a Former Bully. She has received rave reviews from educators, experts, organizations, and parents at schools and conferences around the US for her passion and compassion in addressing peer aggression and friendship issues. An active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Trudy also collaborates with organizations like the Committee for Children and ConnectSafely.org, and has served as content advisor for Sesame Street Workshop. Trudy's books have won the Mom's Choice Gold Award, the IBPA Gold Benjamin Franklin Award, and the NAPPA Gold Medal, and also been recognized as NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Books for Young People. Visit her at trudyludwig.com.

Recipe

TRUDY LUDWIG is a nationally acclaimed speaker and an award-winning author who specializes in writing children's books that help kids cope with and thrive in their social world, including My Secret Bully and Confessions of a Former Bully. She has received rave reviews from educators, experts, organizations, and parents at schools and conferences around the US for her passion and compassion in addressing peer aggression and friendship issues. An active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Trudy also collaborates with organizations like the Committee for Children and ConnectSafely.org, and has served as content advisor for Sesame Street Workshop. Trudy's books have won the Mom's Choice Gold Award, the IBPA Gold Benjamin Franklin Award, and the NAPPA Gold Medal, and also been recognized as NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Books for Young People. Visit her at trudyludwig.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2013
"Can you see Brian, the invisible boy?" Ludwig (Better Than You) asks readers. Brian's classmates seem to see right through him when it comes to the lunchroom, playground, or birthday parties. Even Brian's teacher is too busy with the kids who "take up a lot of space." A new kid named Justin notices Brian's kindness and drawing talent, and he matter-of-factly changes the paradigm ("Mrs. Carlotti said we can have up to three people in our group," Justin tells a classmate who wants to exclude Brian). Gradually, Brian-whom Barton (I Like Old Clothes) has heretofore depicted in b&w pencil with sad, vulnerable eyes-becomes a smiling, full-color character. Ludwig and Barton understand classroom dynamics (Barton is especially good at portraying how children gauge the attitude of their peers and act accordingly) and wisely refrain from lecturing readers or turning Justin into Brian's savior. Instead, they portray Brian's situation as a matter of groupthink that can be rebooted through small steps. It's a smart strategy, one that can be leveraged through the book's excellent discussion guide. Ages 6-9. Illustrator's agent: Christina A. Tugeau, CATugeau. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

USA Today, August 22, 2013:
"Illustrator Barton adds a wonderful touch by drawing all the other characters in color but sketching Brian in faint shades of black and white - at least at first....Before long, Brian, in living color, is not so invisible after all. It's a lovely lesson in the simple acts of friendship, especially recommended for the most popular kids in class."

Scholastic Instructor, Fall 2013:
" Pitch-perfect words and art."

Starred Review, School Library Journal, September 2013:
"This is a simple yet heartfelt story about a boy who has been excluded for no apparent reason but finds a way to cope and eventually gains acceptance."

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2013:
"Tender illustrations rendered in glowing hues capture Brian's isolation deftly...Use this to start a discussion: The author includes suggested questions and recommended reading lists for adults and children. Accessible, reassuring and hopeful."

Publishers Weekly, August 26, 2013:
" Ludwig and Barton understand classroom dynamics...They portray Brian's situation as a matter of groupthink that can be rebooted through small steps. It's a smart strategy, one that can be leveraged through the book's excellent discussion guide."

"Trudy Ludwig has given us the gift of another empathic, poignant book for children that addresses the complex topic of peer relationships...A must-read."
- Carrie Goldman, award-winning author of BULLIED: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know about Ending the Cycle of Fear

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2013
K-Gr 2-Brian feels invisible. His teacher hardly notices him, the other kids never invite him to play, and he eats lunch alone. But he loves to draw, so at recess, he creates comics about greedy pirates, battling space aliens, and superheroes with the power to make friends everywhere. One day, a new boy, Justin, joins the class. The other children make fun of him for eating Bulgogi, a Korean dish, but Brian slips him a friendly note. When it is time to find partners for a class project, Justin asks Brian to join him and another boy. Brian's artistic talents come in handy, and finally he is no longer invisible. This is a simple yet heartfelt story about a boy who has been excluded for no apparent reason but finds a way to cope and eventually gains acceptance. Barton's scribbly illustrations look like something Brian may have made. Pencil sketches painted digitally are set against lots of white space, and sometimes atop a background of Brian's drawings on lined notebook paper. At the start of this picture book, Brian is shown in shades of gray while the rest of the world is in color, a visual reminder of his isolation. Color starts to creep in as he is noticed by Justin. Once he becomes part of the group, he is revealed in full color. The thought-provoking story includes questions for discussion and suggested reading lists for adults and children in the back matter. Pair this highly recommended book with Jacqueline Woodson's Each Kindness (Penguin, 2012) for units on friendship or feelings.-Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

School Library Journal

2013-09-15
This endearing picture book about a timid boy who longs to belong has an agenda but delivers its message with great sensitivity. Brian wants to join in but is overlooked, even ostracized, by his classmates. Readers first see him alone on the front endpapers, drawing in chalk on the ground. The school scenarios are uncomfortably familiar: High-maintenance children get the teacher's attention; team captains choose kickball players by popularity and athletic ability; chatter about birthday parties indicates they are not inclusive events. Tender illustrations rendered in glowing hues capture Brian's isolation deftly; compared to the others and his surroundings, he appears in black and white. What saves Brian is his creativity. As he draws, Brian imagines amazing stories, including a poignant one about a superhero with the power to make friends. When a new boy takes some ribbing, it is Brian who leaves an illustrated note to make him feel better. The boy does not forget this gesture. It only takes one person noticing Brian for the others to see his talents have value; that he has something to contribute. Brian's colors pop. In the closing endpapers, Brian's classmates are spread around him on the ground, "wearing" his chalk-drawn wings and capes. Use this to start a discussion: The author includes suggested questions and recommended reading lists for adults and children. Accessible, reassuring and hopeful. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews

Brian is very much a real boy, but he does not feel so important. His classmates are chosen for kickball, invited to birthday parties and even asked to share during Choosing Time. Brian is ignored, neglected and sometimes forgotten. But Brian has a talent, and a creative imagination that helps him escape. He loves to draw dragons, tall buildings, superheroes and pirates. One day a new student, Justin, arrives in Brian's class. Justin uses chopsticks to eat bulgogi at lunch—to the dismay of his new, and audibly disturbed, classmates. The very next day Justin discovers a message in his cubby. You guessed it! It was from Brian, complete with a drawing of himself saying he thought he bulgogi looked yummy. This small act of kindness was just the thing to start a new friendship. Justin goes out of his way to include Brian in class activities, and even makes room for him at lunch! Success is his, and Brian is no longer invisible. Barton's illustrations are perfect for this story. A very shy Brian is initially depicted as small, and only in shades of grey. His classmates, teacher and their room are softly colored pencil sketches. It is when Justin invites Brian to join him and Emilio that we begin to 'see' Brian and his true colors—a shrewd and skillful effort on the part of the illustrator. Following the text are suggested readings for adults and children—and a brief list of discussion questions that can be asked in a classroom setting, or one—on—one on your lap. There should be more books like this that condone differences and even small random acts of kindness. Reviewer: Elizabeth young; Ages 5 to 10.

Children's Literature - Elizabeth young

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Eligible for FREE SHIPPING Get it by Wednesday, December 6 , Order by 12:00 PM Eastern and choose Expedited Delivery during checkout.Same Day delivery in Manhattan.Details 18 New & Used from $7.99 The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, Patrice Barton A simple act of kindness can transform an invisible boy into a friend...

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