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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Are you familiar with that feeling when you know you love a book but you don't know why? Well that's what I feel about this book.
I read this a long long time ago and now I don't even know what it's all about. I just have positive feelings with the book and I'M SURE that I loved it before. Curse this rusty memory. Maybe I'll re-read to find out why I loved it.
I read this a long long time ago and now I don't even know what it's all about. I just have positive feelings with the book and I'M SURE that I loved it before. Curse this rusty memory. Maybe I'll re-read to find out why I loved it.
I did not expect the kids to like this book as much as they did. I was getting a misty-eyed when Carla was taking it from the “taxpayers.” Great book.
Not much to say about this book. I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Because of the cover I thought it would be a book with a transgender character, but when I read it I was pleasantly surprised and confused.
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom is one of those books that surprises you with how much heart it has. I expected a simple school story, but what I got was an emotional journey about self-worth, friendship, and change.
Bradley Chalkers is such a unique and complex character—at first, he’s the kid everyone avoids, a troublemaker who seems beyond help. But as the story unfolds, we see a boy who is lonely, insecure, and desperate to be understood. His relationship with the new school counsellor, Carla, is the highlight of the book. She sees something in Bradley that no one else does, and watching him slowly open up and try to change is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
The book is full of humour, but it also touches on deep, emotional themes like self-doubt, bullying, and the fear of failure. I really appreciated how Sachar doesn’t make Bradley’s transformation easy or instant—it feels real, with setbacks and struggles along the way. The supporting characters, like Jeff, also add to the story, showing how friendship can be messy but meaningful.
The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is that the ending, while satisfying, felt a little abrupt. I wanted just a bit more closure for Bradley. But overall, this is a fantastic, meaningful read that I’d recommend to anyone—especially kids who feel like they don’t quite fit in.
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom is one of those books that surprises you with how much heart it has. I expected a simple school story, but what I got was an emotional journey about self-worth, friendship, and change.
Bradley Chalkers is such a unique and complex character—at first, he’s the kid everyone avoids, a troublemaker who seems beyond help. But as the story unfolds, we see a boy who is lonely, insecure, and desperate to be understood. His relationship with the new school counsellor, Carla, is the highlight of the book. She sees something in Bradley that no one else does, and watching him slowly open up and try to change is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
The book is full of humour, but it also touches on deep, emotional themes like self-doubt, bullying, and the fear of failure. I really appreciated how Sachar doesn’t make Bradley’s transformation easy or instant—it feels real, with setbacks and struggles along the way. The supporting characters, like Jeff, also add to the story, showing how friendship can be messy but meaningful.
The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is that the ending, while satisfying, felt a little abrupt. I wanted just a bit more closure for Bradley. But overall, this is a fantastic, meaningful read that I’d recommend to anyone—especially kids who feel like they don’t quite fit in.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hysterical! <-- initial reaction, but more importantly this book touches on some of the fears that young kiddos face and learning how to rise above that fear of rejection or even the fear of actually doing well.
Am glad I did not see the book cover represented here before finishing my copy, as it would have given me a different idea of Bradley. Instead, by not seeing this cover (the cover of my book is text-only) I was able to formulate my own idea of what Bradley might look like, and he doesn't look like this cover's Bradley.
I enjoyed this story and was rather moved by events in the second half of the book. Indeed, I was reading to myself at school this afternoon and decided to stop because I was getting choked up. This is another of the books being read by fifth graders at the school where I teach. It is the base story that all the students in one class are reading, and it is being used by the home base teacher to model reading workshop principles based upon those espoused by Teachers College in New York.
I find that even after finishing the book, Bradley is still a bit of a question mark for me. He reminds me a bit of two young men I know, both of whom have struggled with understanding social cues, one of which has Aspergers, which explains the social cue struggles. I have used these associations in thinking about Bradley, and my question mark is that I might be improperly labeling him, perhaps using a stereotype and then smirking at myself for falling prey to using a stereotype.
P.S. Added 10/23/17 - I continue to feel that Carla was treated unfairly. It seems to me that the "hearing" was one-sided and almost a stereotype in itself. Yes, this was a necessary plot device to move Bradley's story along, but mightn't there have been another possibility to achieve the same result?
I enjoyed this story and was rather moved by events in the second half of the book. Indeed, I was reading to myself at school this afternoon and decided to stop because I was getting choked up. This is another of the books being read by fifth graders at the school where I teach. It is the base story that all the students in one class are reading, and it is being used by the home base teacher to model reading workshop principles based upon those espoused by Teachers College in New York.
I find that even after finishing the book, Bradley is still a bit of a question mark for me. He reminds me a bit of two young men I know, both of whom have struggled with understanding social cues, one of which has Aspergers, which explains the social cue struggles. I have used these associations in thinking about Bradley, and my question mark is that I might be improperly labeling him, perhaps using a stereotype and then smirking at myself for falling prey to using a stereotype.
P.S. Added 10/23/17 - I continue to feel that Carla was treated unfairly. It seems to me that the "hearing" was one-sided and almost a stereotype in itself. Yes, this was a necessary plot device to move Bradley's story along, but mightn't there have been another possibility to achieve the same result?
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I remember reading this book in the third grade and falling in love with it. About a boy who accidentally goes in the girl's bathroom. Mixed with Mr. Sachar's unforgettably humor, this book is a must read for elementary kids!