The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates [Paperback]

Susan Shreve (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 1993 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

In this Knopf Paperback reissue, Joshua is devastated to learn that he must repeat third grade. But he manages to survive the taunts of former classmates, learn something important about himself, and make it through the year with the help of a sympathetic teacher in this "funny, touching, and realistic story."--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The humorous trials and tribulations of this put-upon protagonist include having to repeat the third grade, and being chosen best friend by the class dork. Ages 7-11.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-For Joshua T. Bates, summer vacation ended with being told he would be returning to third grade, instead of moving into fourth with all his friends. All the anger, humiliation, and degradation of "flunking" are revealed in his first days of school as most of his fourth grade classmates won't play with him, and Tommy Wilhelm teases and embarrasses him. Fortunately, his teacher tutors, befriends, and makes him a class helper so that his respect and self-esteem are reinstated. This is an unabridged reading of the book by Susan Shreve (Knopf, 1984). The technical quality is excellent. Johnny Heller reads the book capably. With the new promotion policies that many school districts are adopting, this story may help those students who are held back to develop skills at their age-appropriate levels. The difficulties and values of learning to read are reflected in the text. The only dated item is how the boys wear their baseball caps. Third and fourth grade teachers will find this a useful story for individuals or groups.
Ann Elders, Mark Twain Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (April 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679841873
• ISBN-13: 978-0679841876
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.3 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,223,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Flunking of Doug Collier, June 6, 2002

By 

D. COLLIER "Top Guhzillion Reviewer" (Brownwood, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates (Paperback)

I can still remember how it felt. I was held back in the 6th grade (unlike Joshua, in my case it was my own fault), and though Joshua didn't realize it, he was actually very fortunate to have been held back earlier rather than later.

Susan Shreve must have been held back herself as a child, or had at least one of her own children held back, or dealt with many students who have been held back. She writes the story in such a way as to meet the reader right where they are. She seems to identify with someone who has had to repeat (or is in the process of repeating) a grade for whatever reason.

Although it is a very short story (initially written for my generation -- see the "Pac-Man" refernces), it still brings home some very important messages for young kids struggling in school, whether it be academically or socially. Also, in the tradition of Katherine Paterson's "Bridge To Terebithia" and Louis Sachar's "There's a Boy In the Girl's Bathroom", this story also does a wonderful job of offering us the character of a teacher who is able to reach the student on a deep and meaningful level...the kind of teacher we never forget about no matter how old we get.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sad, funny and realistic, March 30, 2001

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates (Paperback)

Joshua T. Bates has a rather nasty surprise at the beginning of our tale. It's a few days before school when his mother drops the news on him: he has failed 3rd grade and will repeat. Joshua at first doesn't believe her, and then decides that at his first opportunity he's moving to South Africa. ESPECIALLY after his sister, who has had no trouble through school, ribs him about it.

What could be worse than spending a year behind all your friends?? What's worse than being three times as mature-heck, 10 times as mature-as all the incoming third grade students?? What could be worse than reading the same ol' stories over and over and over again, all year long?? Well, I suppose terminal cancer would be much worse, but when you're in 3rd grade, being retained is a fate worse than death. Meanwhile, Joshua's fate has just been sealed.

What will strike readers about "The Flunking..." is how realistic it is. Joshua is embarrassed, ashamed, feels like a true flunky and seriously contemplates moving to S. Africa, if only he could get a ride there. He goes from trying to make the best of the situation to feeling so down and depressed he can hardly stand it. In other words, his character is HUMAN, and the author freely lets him run the gamut of human emotions... Especially third grade male emotions, which are usually quite complicated.

He eventually learns to work hard, and through the kindness of his teacher (who he first thought of as a human military tank) he begins to learn about himself. His teacher, also, is going through some very tough times, and she shares a bit of her personal life with Joshua. This not only makes HER character that much more human, but also connects with Joshua and teaches him the valuable lesson that at some point in their life, EVERYONE has to deal with a situation that makes them want to crawl into a hole and die. Most of us DON'T die, of course (though we may crawl into holes of one sort or another), and most of us go on through the experience and come out the other side being better, wiser people.

"The Flunking..." may not be for everyone-beginning or reluctant readers may not enjoy the book as much because most of the action taking place is verbal or emotional; no bombs explode, no spaceships blast off to outer space, the universe isn't threatened and then saved. However, most of us won't experience exploding bombs or spaceship rides, but we WILL experience setbacks and disappointments in our lives. For this reason, and to explore the genre of "character development", "The Flunking..." is an excellent choice. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go for it, February 4, 2002

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates (Paperback)

This is a perfect book for second or third graders who are becoming independent readers, and offers the spice of encouragement to the reluctant ones.

Joshua T. Bates ought to have been going into fourth grade in the fall. But he had flunked third grade the year before. He couldn't read well enough, and his math skills left something to be desired.

Having to enter a third grade class with kids a year younger was a humiliation for Joshua. Everyone at Mirch Elementary knew it and would not let him forget. Worse than that--if such a thing were possible--was the pasting he took on the schoolyard from the school bullies. Neither Tommy Wilhelm nor Billy Nickel would let Joshua play team sports with the fourth graders.

Joshua of course pulled his studies together and showed up both bullies in a rather surprising set of circumstances. How he did it is what keeps children turning these pages.

I read this story aloud to one of our children, in her reluctant reader stage. By the end, she was anxious to read alone. She raced through the next two books in the trilogy herself. Our son plowed through all three books, also in second grade, without a hitch. Go for it. Alyssa A. Lappen