Imagine that you are sitting in your classroom when the door opens and in walks a new student. She is wearing pajamas and cowboy boots while holding a dictionary and a lunch box. Are you curious about her? How about when she announces that her name is Gooney Bird Greene? Well that is exactly what happened at the Watertower Elementary School one October morning. The rest of the class was amazed by her at that very first moment and soon learned of her incredible storytelling ability. Soon Gooney Bird, who loved being at the center of everything, took the class and teacher on a wonderful adventure through her stories. She shared the importance of strong vocabulary, building of plot and creating suspense and interest with her tales. By the end of the year, each child understood that they all had wonderful stories to tell and they couldn’t wait to begin.
This book will capture the reader from page 1 by the quirky style of the main character. It is also a wonderful read-aloud to use when talking about writing skills and style. It is writer’s workshop wrapped up in a delightful story. Ages 6-9
Reviewed by Alexis Cuff – Elementary Teacher Librarian Palisades School District, PA.
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From the moment Gooney Bird Greene arrives at Watertower Elementary School, her fellow second-graders are intrigued by her unique sense of style and her unusual lunches. So when story time arrives, the choice is unanimous: they want to hear about Gooney Bird Greene. And that suits Gooney Bird just fine, because, as it turns out, she has quite a few interesting and "absolutely true" stories to tell. Through Gooney Bird and her tales, the acclaimed author Lois Lowry introduces young readers to the elements of storytelling. This book will encourage the storyteller in everyone.---from the publisher
128 pages 978-0544225275 Ages 6-9
Keywords: girls and women, humor, storytelling, school, being yourself, self confidence, self reliance, self esteem, part of a series, chapter book, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old
