This book, written by Barthe DeClements, was a favorite of mine when I was young. It originally came out in 1986, almost 30 years ago, but the values are the same today as back then.
The story is told in first person from the point of view of Jennifer, a girl who is 5th grade. We meet Jennifer and her classmates on one day early in the school year when Elsie comes to their class. Elsie is a girl who is extremely overweight, a problem which garners her many stares and much teasing from her classmates. I don’t want to give the plot away, but as the school year goes on some revelations are made about Elsie which helps her classmates to understand why she is the way she is.
This book has all of the components of a great story and is wonderful for ages 8 to 12. It really hits home that you should not bully someone if they are overweight, since you never know when there might be an underlying problem that is causing it.
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade is available on Kindle, Hardback, Paperback, and on Audible.
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