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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
My kids loved it! We listened to the audible recording on a roadtrip and we all laughed!
Previewed as a read aloud for my class. A fun read for the beginning of the year - could make for some fun writing assignments tied to it as well!
A perfect read-aloud for 5-8 year old girls (or boys). It reminds me of Beverly Cleary but the setting is all in the classroom. I love how it engages kids in storytelling.
I read this book out lout to two small groups of 2nd graders in a book club setting. After each chapter we would talk about what happened and answer some questions together in a packet.
This book does that sneaky teaching thing - Gooney Bird elements of storytelling without sounding too lecture-y. Each time we sat down to read together I would ask my students "Does Gooney Bird tell absolutely true stories?" and we would discuss what we thought. Generally the conclusion was that to Gooney Bird they are absolutely true, although she leaves key pieces of information out.
Other things we talked about were truth vs. lies, what all of Gooney Bird's stories have in common, how the truth can change depending on whose truth it is, and how we'd feel if we had a friend like Gooney Bird. We also learned how to make origami stars out of paper strips like they do in the book! Fortunately none of them stuck them in their noses, though. :)
The students enjoyed it much more than I did. I can't help but analyze the behavior of teachers in books, and I wasn't crazy about Mrs. Pigeon. While my students enjoyed the elements of mystery and figuring out what parts of Gooney Bird's stories are true vs. what is misinterpreted, I personally do not enjoy stories like that.
This book does that sneaky teaching thing - Gooney Bird elements of storytelling without sounding too lecture-y. Each time we sat down to read together I would ask my students "Does Gooney Bird tell absolutely true stories?" and we would discuss what we thought. Generally the conclusion was that to Gooney Bird they are absolutely true, although she leaves key pieces of information out.
Other things we talked about were truth vs. lies, what all of Gooney Bird's stories have in common, how the truth can change depending on whose truth it is, and how we'd feel if we had a friend like Gooney Bird. We also learned how to make origami stars out of paper strips like they do in the book! Fortunately none of them stuck them in their noses, though. :)
The students enjoyed it much more than I did. I can't help but analyze the behavior of teachers in books, and I wasn't crazy about Mrs. Pigeon. While my students enjoyed the elements of mystery and figuring out what parts of Gooney Bird's stories are true vs. what is misinterpreted, I personally do not enjoy stories like that.
Another really cute story - this time about a likable, quirky character named Gooney Bird. The book is really about storytelling and I loved the way Lowry jumps between the plot and Gooney Bird's "absolutely true" tales. There's some fun wordplay for the word nerds too.
Course evaluation:
Personal Response: This was a fun way to teach storytelling. Gooney Bird is a charming character and I greatly enjoyed the wordplay involved in her stories.
Evaluation: Lowry’s use of dialogue has a realistic flow and will feel authentic to readers; the students interrupt each other, veer off topic easily, and reflect the typical speech patterns of young children. As a result, Lowry’s characterization is strong even though there isn’t much growth or change; the story takes place over one week, yet each student has unique traits and is recognizable by the end. The changes in text font and size also clearly mark Gooney Bird’s stories from the plot, which remove any confusion for younger readers. Thomas’ few drawings show all of the Gooney Bird’s outfits, an excellent addition to the book; the illustrations allow the reader to really appreciate Gooney Bird’s style and set the tone for her individualism.
Course evaluation:
Personal Response: This was a fun way to teach storytelling. Gooney Bird is a charming character and I greatly enjoyed the wordplay involved in her stories.
Evaluation: Lowry’s use of dialogue has a realistic flow and will feel authentic to readers; the students interrupt each other, veer off topic easily, and reflect the typical speech patterns of young children. As a result, Lowry’s characterization is strong even though there isn’t much growth or change; the story takes place over one week, yet each student has unique traits and is recognizable by the end. The changes in text font and size also clearly mark Gooney Bird’s stories from the plot, which remove any confusion for younger readers. Thomas’ few drawings show all of the Gooney Bird’s outfits, an excellent addition to the book; the illustrations allow the reader to really appreciate Gooney Bird’s style and set the tone for her individualism.
Literally my favorite book in the third grade! I dressed up as her on our favorite book character day!!
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Gooney is a fascinating and clever story teller with a message for all the students. Yet what I liked most about Gooney Bird Greene is how clever the teacher is as well, and what a good teacher she is by being flexible, challenging her class, and reigning them in all at the sae time.
Perfectly pitched story of a girl who tells stories and how stories are told and what it's like to tell stories to 2nd graders.
It tries to hard to shove the message of accepting differences and eccentricities down your throat. I hate books like that.