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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book for upper Elementary and Middle school kids, March 29, 2005
This review is from: Middle School Blues (Paperback)
"Middle School Blues" is a really good book. I'm finishing eighth grade (middle schools in our state are from grades 6 through 8) and this book is really good story about how middle school really is.
I remember leaving elementary school and starting Middle school for the first time and wish I had read "Middle School Blues" before hand. Reading this book, kids realize middle school is a huge, huge change and its 100 percent OK to be nervous and confused for the first week or so. Kids like Cindy and I need to be reassured that we will find all our classes, we'll remember their locker combinations and that we all will eventually get over the initial shock of having to take a shower after PE.
The chapter in the beginning of the book on Cindy's first day of PE was all to real to me! Like Cindy, our school requires showers. Also just like Cindy's school, our girl locker room just has one huge communal shower room. "Middle School Blues" handles this topic very well. Like Cindy and her friends, I and most of the girls in my class were quite uncomfortable with the idea of showering in public at school. Most new sixth graders in my school are like Cindy in the book, in that no one has ever seen them bathe since they were 4 or so years old! But as my Gym teacher Mrs. Mannering told our class on the first day, showering is a part of hygiene. And hygeine is part of physical education. And she says the school system policy is there is no better time to teach it than in real situations, such as at the end of school PE class.
It is awkward to have to shower in front of everyone, but you do get use to it. You have to understand that almost all the girls feel the exact same as you, and you have nothing to worry about. After a few weeks, most students who did not like the idea of taking a shower after class usually convert to liking a shower and even demanding a shower after class.
"Middle School Blues" really teaches us about Middle School and Middle School helps teach us about life. I think elementary schools should have all kids read this book prior to entering middle school.
Amy
8th grade
Pinellas Park, FL
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I cannot wait to re-read this book!, August 2, 2002
This review is from: Middle School Blues (Paperback)
I'm 22 now, but when I went into middle school, this book was my very favorite. It really helped me through the tough times...it made me feel good to think that I wasn't the only one who felt the way I did about things...obviously the author knew and communicated it through her character. I now work in a children's library and I have asked my supervisor to buy the book for the stacks. I think every 10-12 year old girl would love to read it!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
really funny book for middle school kids, May 5, 2005
This review is from: Middle School Blues (Paperback)
This book is really funny. Despite a terrible beginning in school, twelve year-old Cindy discovers that seventh grade isn't nearly as awful as she expected. Before the year is over Cindy manages to reestablish some old friendships, make new ones, plus wins a creative writing contest!
One part of the book I really thought humorous, yet real-life, was the chapter where Cindy first had to take a shower after PE. Students having to run around in a huge shower room together naked as jay birds is many elementary kids 'worst nightmare'. My gym teacher has really good pointers, bganssle com tsshowers html, for parents and kids who share this worry. Kids who feel awkward about their first showers at school, just be like Cindy in the book and give it a try. Soon the discomfort will pass. I disagree with Tracy's view that schools should change the rules for gym and showers. Nearly all the parents who took part in Tracy's poll, misterpoll com 1335548515 html, agreed that school showers are a good idea, and that kids should shower without a bathing suit after PE unless thay have a note from a doctor with a valid excuse. The poll results are from parents, who should care about their own kids and want whats best for them.
You'll have to read the book yourself to learn the rest of the story of Cindy's first year in middle school! If you like this book I also recommend Space Station Seventh Grade also listed on Amazon.
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