*Chapter book, realistic and contemporary fiction
*Third-grade girl as main character
*Rating: I’m a huge fan of Sara Pennypacker and the Clementine series. This is book four, and it is as cute as ever. If you are a pet lover, it can be a little sad in the middle–but happy endings all around (even for Margaret. 
Short, short summary:
In Clementine’s third grade class, she has been chosen as friend of the week. This comes with all sorts of privileges such as line leader, but Clementine is most excited, well and anxious, about the booklet she’ll receive at the end of the week. All the kids will write a message to her, and she wants to make sure they have something nice to write. She wants hers to be as good as Margaret’s from last year. She spends all week coming up with grand plans, like only Clementine can, so she’ll have the best Friend of the Week booklet ever. However, the importance of this week is put into perspective when Moisturizer, Clementine’s beloved cat, goes missing.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. A fun emotional intelligence activity is to have everybody in the classroom draw the name of another classmate. Then the students have to write something nice about the person whose name they drew. You write/draw it on an 8 x 10 inch piece of construction paper. You can draw students’ attention to how Clementine feels when she reads the nice comments on her Friend of the Week booklet. (If you homeschool, you can do this activity with members of the family and post the nice things on the refrigerator!)
2. In this segment of Clementine, Margaret shows her younger friend just how much she likes her and how important Clementine is to Margaret. Ask students what Margaret does to show her friendship in the novel. How does Clementine react? Then how does Margaret maintain her personality at the end of the novel?
3. There are really two problems in this novel–one is created by Clementine trying to figure out something wonderful to do for her friends, so they’ll write nice things in her booklet, and the other is when Moisturizer goes missing. How are these problems solved in the novel? This is an easy book to talk about problems and solutions because in each case, Clementine does different, obvious tasks to attempt to solve her problems.
*Chapter book for second to fourth graders, realistic contemporary
*Third-grade girl as main character
*Rating: Clementine’s Letter is laugh-out-loud funny while being touching and so true to life at the same time!
Short, short summary: Clementine is back and in third grade. She is finally “in sync” with her teacher, Mr. D’Matz (be careful how you say his name–you might accidentally say two bad words, according to Clementine). Her principal visits are fewer. But one day, Mr. D’Matz sends Clementine to get the principal who has a special announcement about the teacher. Mr. D’Matz could be selected to spend the rest of the school year in Egypt. But Clementine can’t believe her ears, and she doesn’t think much of this special announcement. Mr. D’Matz promised to do all sorts of fun activities with his third grade students; and if he leaves, he will be breaking his promise. So, when Clementine has an assignment to write a letter of recommendation for her teacher to receive this chance of a lifetime, she decides to write quite a letter. She even asks her parents how to spell, “Menace to Society.” In Clementine’s Letter, Sara Pennypacker writes a funny tale once again with lovable, quirky Clementine in the middle–still searching for vegetable names for her brother and trying to help her mom organize her art supplies.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Clementine is angry at Mr. D’Matz for breaking his promise; but as he explains, he didn’t know that he was going to be up for this award or given the chance to go to Egypt. Ask students to write in reading sreponse journals if they think Clementine should be angry at Mr. D’Matz. Do they agree that he broke his promise? Have they ever made a promise that they had to break? Has someone else ever made a promise to them that was broken? Should people be careful when they use the words, “I promise”? If you are reading this book with your child at home, have a discussion with him or her about promises. This is often a hot topic between kids and parents, and Sara Pennypacker’s book can help you get the conversation started.
2. When Clementine writes her letter, the reader does not know everything that she says, but it is easy to guess that she wrote a lot of bad things about her teacher. Ask students to use their prediction skills and predict what they think will happen to Mr. D’Matz and Clementine because of her letter. Will Clementine’s letter stop her teacher from going to Egypt? Will she get in trouble for writing this letter? Ask students to base their predictions on book details or personal life experiences.
3. In Clementine’s Letter, she visits an Asian-American grocery store to find more vegetable names for her brother. Based on what she calls her brother after her visit, what are some vegetables she found at the grocery store? Ask students to make a list. If you (and your students) are really brave, you could bring in some of these vegetables for children to try. If you are at home with your child, maybe you could visit a grocery store similar to the one Clementine goes to in Boston.
Have you and your child or students read Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker? If so, what are your thoughts? What discussions or activities did you do?
Two weeks ago, I talked about Judy Blume’s classic Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret and about the recent controversy over book covers. As you can see, today’s Timeless Thursday book Ramona Quimby, Age 8 also has a new, modern book cover, but that’s not what I’m here to blog about today.
Beverly Cleary has created some of the most endearing child characters ever, and my favorite is Ramona. Some more modern writers have written stories about strong,funny, independent girls such as Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine series or Susan Patron’s award-winning character, Lucky. I love these new girl characters, but my heart still belongs to Ramona. I am an only child, and as much as Beezus and Ramona might have driven each other crazy, I wanted my Beezus. I also remember learning to write cursive and being as proud as Ramona was when she wrote Ramona Quimby, Age 8 carefully in cursive. I could relate to Ramona, and that is why she will forever remain timeless in my heart.
Why would kids today want to read a book written by Beverly Cleary in 1981? Why wouldn’t they? The answer is as clear as day on the front cover of the latest version of Ramona Quimby, Age 8–”Life as a third grader is tough!” Don’t all elementary kids think they have it the toughest? Don’t they want to read something written by an author who truly understands them? Yes and yes!
So, although there are new, wonderful books out, don’t forget to share the old classics with your children and your students, too. If they haven’t heard of Ramona Quimby yet, give them this first book and let them decide for themselves.
What’s your favorite Beverly Cleary book?
