Clementine's Letter

Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine’s Letter. Illustrations by Marla Frazee. Hyperion, 2008. 150 pages. $14.99. ISBN 9780786838844.

Summary:

Clementine finally has the “hang” of third grade: she knows and loves her teacher, is at ease in her classroom, and is making fewer visits to Principal Rice’s office. But now her teacher might be headed to Egypt, to participate in a teachers’ excursion! When a temporary substitute spends a week in the classroom, Clementine is continuously thwarted by all of the new, unarticulated rules. This third volume of the popular Clementine series will meet the expectations of her fans: more irrepressible antics, real-life challenges, humorous moments, and some excellent new vegetable names for her toddler brother (Scallion, Bok Choy, Daikon, and Snow Pea, e.g.).

Curriculum Connections:

The Clementine series is a perfect text to use as an example of the realistic fiction genre. Clementine’s a believable girl, flawed and funny, who inhabits a realistic and detailed world that is populated by friends and family. Readers will identify with her mistakes and surmountable challenges.

Personal Reflections:

I had many laugh-out-loud moments during this installment of Clementine. Pennypacker adds just the right details so that the world is fully realized, without being overdone. For example, Clementine’s younger brother likes to greet each foot individually prior to getting out of bed; this charming detail gives a reader a clear idea about the general age of this young toddler, without needing to tell us his “exact” age in years.

Awards:

School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2008

Age/Interest Range:

7-12

Genre/Themes:

Humor, Friendship, Social Skills, School

Read-Alikes:

Clementine has lots of potential read-alikes: the Ramona series (Cleary), the Gooney Bird Greene series (Lowry), and Judy Moody (McDonald).