Gettin' Through Thursday [Hardcover]

Melrose Cooper (Author), Nneka Bennett (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

On Thursdays, the day before payday, spirits are as low as provisions. Thursday is also the day report cards arrive, and Andre is excited and proud of his grades, but he's also worried because Mama has promised a party for any child who makes the honor roll. How will she throw a party when report card day falls on Thursday? Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-In this sweetly didactic story about a single-parent African-American family that's dependent upon Mama's Friday paycheck, the children have been promised a royal celebration if any one of the three makes the honor roll. Consequently, third-grader Andre is thrilled when his teacher tells him he is one of two children in his class to receive that honor. But sadly, report-card day is Thursday, when money is very low, and the child is bitterly disappointed that he can't have his party on the day of his triumph. How his mother and siblings surmount this problem makes a satisfying resolution to the plot. Family love and respect for education are stressed in this believable story. The children complain about the things they can't have right away, but Mama always has a practical suggestion to tide them over. The narrative is conversational and colloquial, written in Andre's words. Strong, tender watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations spread across facing pages and show the boy at school and the family in their modest but comfortable home.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880000679
• ISBN-13: 978-1880000670
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming Story, May 8, 2001

By 

"ldoyle98" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gettin' Through Thursday (Paperback)

I had the opportunity to share this book with a third grade class of an inner-city school during a Read-Aloud Day. This story of third-grader Andre captured the students' attention because he was someone just like themselves. The students could relate to the ethnic background of the family and could sympathize with the family's struggle to get through the week until the next paycheck arrived. I especially appreciated how the story showed how families that are not "well-to-do" can problem-solve creatively...this family may be short on money, but never are they short on love. The illustrations are beautiful and do an excellent job of supporting the story. I highly recommend this book as part of a multicultural curriculum as well as to share with your children at home.