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The School Story
Summary
Twelve-year-old Natalie Nelson has written a powerful school story. It's a short novel called "The Cheater," and her best friend Zoe is certain it should be published. All Natalie has to do is give the manuscript to her mom, an editor at a big publishing house. However Natalie doesn't want any favors from her mom. Still, Zoe won't drop the idea.
Spurred into action, Natalie invents a pen name for herself and Zoe becomes a self-styled literary agent. But if the girls are to succeed, they'll need support from their wary English teacher, legal advice from Zoe's tough-talking father, and some clever maneuvering to outwit the overbearing editor in chief of Shipley Junior Books.
Andrew Clements, the best-selling author of Frindle, The Landry News, and The Janitor's Boy, delights his audience with this story of two irrepressible girls who use their talent, ingenuity, and a little cunning to try to make a young writer's dream come true.
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Reviews
I love this book it's awesome good job my favorite
I loved this book so much because somebody was making a book and I didn't want it to end. -Max, age 6 3/4
loved it
Informative
Abandon, because I didn't know what is happening in the story even though I back up and re-read.
This is a wonderful children's novel, recommended to me by a friend. Twelve-year-old Natalie has written a short novel, and her best friend Zoe is convinced it should be published. Natalie's mother is an editor working in a publishing house, but Natalie doesn't want her to be biased... so the girls enlist the help of their English teacher, invent pseudonyms for themselves, and work out how to get the book into Natalie's mother's hands.
The characterisation is excellent, contrasting the quiet Natalie who lacks confidence and the outgoing, sometimes pushy Zoe; it's this contrast which moves the story along, making it difficult to put down, even though some of the ideas the girls have seem rather far-fetched when I think about it now. It's educational in a low-key kind of way, covering as it does the processes required to get a book published, including the legal contracts and publicity. There are are one or two less likeable, caricatured people - Natalie's mother's boss springs to mind - and while it isn't a humorous novel, there's a light-hearted feel to it which made me smile in places.
It's more than just the story of Natalie's novel; there are themes to be explored, such as office rivalry, and coming to terms with the loss of a parent, as well as the importance of standing up for one's dreams. Intended for approximate ages 8-12, this would probably appeal to some teenagers too... and parents! Highly recommended.
The characterisation is excellent, contrasting the quiet Natalie who lacks confidence and the outgoing, sometimes pushy Zoe; it's this contrast which moves the story along, making it difficult to put down, even though some of the ideas the girls have seem rather far-fetched when I think about it now. It's educational in a low-key kind of way, covering as it does the processes required to get a book published, including the legal contracts and publicity. There are are one or two less likeable, caricatured people - Natalie's mother's boss springs to mind - and while it isn't a humorous novel, there's a light-hearted feel to it which made me smile in places.
It's more than just the story of Natalie's novel; there are themes to be explored, such as office rivalry, and coming to terms with the loss of a parent, as well as the importance of standing up for one's dreams. Intended for approximate ages 8-12, this would probably appeal to some teenagers too... and parents! Highly recommended.
I enjoyed reading this chapter book for a few reasons. First, the author includes pictures throughout the book to provide context to the text. For example, the two main characters are having a phone call with each other. The author illustrated the two girls so the readers could have a better understanding of their conversation. Second, the author used a lot of text features to make the book more interesting. For example, when the main character in the story is writing her book, the author indents the text and uses a different font to make it stand out. I think the overall message of this book is If you believe in yourself, then you can accomplish anything.
This one tugged at my heart, when it finally came together. I loved this story, felt very attached to the characters and was truly intrigued by the story as a whole.
I read this book aloud to my daughters.The book was outstanding!! We all loved it! Zoe and Natalie were loveable characters, and the plan they concocted to get Natalie's manuscript published was very entertaining. The book was brilliantly written, extremely enjoyable, and very empowering for children.I loved the warm, genuine friendship between Zoe and Natalie: Two friends who would do anything for each other and stick by one another.We haven't yet read anything else by Clements, but we will definitely look into his other novels!
Okay, I admit, this is a children's book. But I just loved it anyway. I liked the idea that a kid could write a book and get it published, without the publisher knowing who she was! Maybe I'll go behind my parents' backs and finally get my book published too. Although, at 17, it's a little late for that.
I've been an Andrew Clements fan ever since I read Things Unseen, and this earlier book did not disappoint. I loved the publishing industry background, and the great way the main characters came to life, complete with photo id no less. Selznick did a wonderful job with the illustrations, and I especially loved the way the last picture was such a satisfying conclusion to an already good story.