Lunch Money: And Other Poems About School [Hardcover]

Carol Shields (Author)

Book Description

Twenty-three poems capture the experiences of schoolchildren, from running to catch the bus in the morning and an unruly pledge of allegiance to substitute teachers and recess rules.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?A frisky collection of 24 childlike perceptions of the zanier happenings during a school day. The poems' appeal relies on irreverent topics, robust action, sing-song rhythms, and rhyming couplets. The bright, expressive cartoonstyle illustrations highlight the rollicking nature of most of the selections. Kids will greet them with enthusiasm, but there needs to be more to poetry than rhyming words. Some of the verses do challenge young minds. The child in "Who Needs School?" has art, spelling, and calculator skills thanks to her computer, but realizes, "...Just don't unplug me and I'll be fine." "Moonwalker" features the joyous, imaginative characters a youngster creates on her way home. "Outside/Inside" contrasts the vibrant goings-on outside the classroom to the humdrum inside. The word-counting antics of the struggling boy in "Book Report" leave a poignant message. In all, good for a quick, fun fix on a down day.?Ronald Jobe, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-3, younger for reading aloud. The daily events of school provide lots of fun in these bouncing rhymes and brightly colored cartoon pictures. There are verses about running for the bus in the morning, gossiping on the jungle gym, swapping and reswapping lunch, doing homework, and counting every single word for that book report ("This was a very, very, very nice book" ). Most of the situations are social, though there are some dreamers lost in a book or walking on the moon or hooked up to the Nintendo. The funniest piece, about the kindergarten show, is a medley of fractured fairy tales ("Little Red Riding Hood sat on Miss Muffet" ). Kids might want to read aloud the comic monologues, such as "Math My Way," and perhaps stage the group scenarios, such as "Pledge," where the solemnity is undercut by the inevitable classroom farce. Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525453458
• ISBN-13: 978-0525453451
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,751,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I know Carol and she's,uh, pretty cool.EH HEH HEH HEH., July 8, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Lunch Money: And Other Poems About School (Hardcover)

Carol did her own review of her first book (I Am Really A Princess), so I shall do one of this book. I'm really not one to go around reading children's books, like, as a hobby, but one day, the author herself told me to read her book. I did and everything in it was true. From waking up late and almost missing the bus, to colds, to a little girl named Annie who's so into her book that she misses natural disasters and big black bugs, not to mention runaway busses. My very favorite poems include: "Amanda"(about a boy who thinks a girl likes him because she treats him so bad,) "Simon Says" (This poem is one sentence that's six lines long. I dare you to try to read it in one breath, I can,)"Far Away"(Annie's poem,) and "Clock Watching"(teachers will LOVE this one,) those are just a few. If you're an adult that's just messing around in the Children's section, go to the bookstore and FIND THIS BOOK!!!! If you're looking for the perfect book for you're school-age kids, go to the bookstore and FIND THIS BOOK!!!! Basically, if you're breathing, FIND THIS BOOK!!!! I guarantee this will tickle your funnybone 'til you pop!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book !, March 12, 2001

By 

Beverly S. (Franklin, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lunch Money And Other Poems About School (Picture Puffin) (Paperback)

I am a student teacher and I used this book in a first grade class during a unit on poetry. The students loved it. I had to read each poem at least 3 times each before moving on to the next one. Now, my students want to read the book on their own. The poems are great to use for short skits/plays. My class loved performing "The Flag" and "Moonwalker". This is a must for any classroom that wants to get students involved in poetry.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second graders think this book rules !, January 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lunch Money And Other Poems About School (Picture Puffin) (Paperback)

I recently read this collection of poems to my second graders and they loved every minute ! The pictures are delightful and interesting and the poems really relate to their school days. Bravo !