Molly McGinty Has a Good Day [Library Binding]

Gary Paulsen (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

TODAY MOLLY

Learned her wacky grandma was coming to spend the day at school with her;

Lost her Notebook with Everything that Matters in it, including her homework;

Got a black eye.

Tore her skirt.

And it’s only 9 a.m.

Could things get any worse?

You bet!


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Molly McGinty, a sixth-grader at Our Lady of Mercy Middle School, is panicked over the loss of her three-ring binder. In it she keeps everything she needs to be organized, such as homework assignments, addresses, and due dates of library books and her grandmother's bills. To make things worse, her extraverted and unconventional grandmother and guardian, Irene, comes to school on Senior Citizens' Day. The woman introduces the French class to vocabulary that sound like swear words, gets busted for smoking in the girls' room, initiates a poetry slam, and talks Father Connery into letting the social studies class listen to a baseball game as an example of democracy in action. Despite her embarrassment, Molly comes to appreciate the school's social misfits and also snags a boyfriend. And by the time she recovers her notebook, she's learned, thanks to Irene, "to go with the flow." Although the overexuberant woman is a little hard to believe, the character still works. This light, breezy romp is humorous and as unpredictable as Grandma Irene.–Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. In his latest novel, Paulsen easily moves from wilderness and military adventures to farce about survival at home and at school. Molly is organized, you might say obsessive, so when she loses her multipocket three-ring binder, which contains lists of "Everything She Needed to Live," she is devastated--especially since it is Senior Citizens Day at her middle school, and her flamboyant, embarrassing grandmother, Irene, is attending. Clad in purple suede pants and glittering beads, Irene wants her dear Molly to forget "effective organizational techniques" and loosen up. Irene is a hit as she challenges silly grammar lessons, pals with the delinquents, and gets busted for smoking in the girls' bathroom. Some of the jokes may appeal more to adults than to children, but middle-graders will enjoy the wild schoolyard and classroom slapstick, even as they feel for the kid who has to watch over her unpredictable, loving caregiver. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 112 pages
• Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038590911X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385909112
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,846,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young readers. He has written more than one hundred book for adults and young readers, and is the author of three Newberry Honor titles: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. He divides his time among Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm still guffawing over this hilarious tale..., November 24, 2004

By 

Bill's Books (www.alan-ya.org) (Urbana, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (Hardcover)

When overly organized, straight-laced sixth-grader Molly's completely disorganized, outgoing grandmother, with whom she's been living since her parents died in a car crash, comes to her school on Senior Citizens' Day, Molly is embarrassed by her grandmother's hilarious escapades such as befriending the school's social misfits, being sent to the office for smoking, having her French class find words that sound like swear words, etc. (M) (RR) I'm still guffawing over this hilarious tale, filled with love as much as laughs!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Sis and I had a Good Day with Molly McGinty, September 30, 2004

By 

Beth Saboori (Santa Monica, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (Hardcover)

My little sister and I started our own book group (right now we're the only two members!) and "Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day" by Gary Paulsen was our first selection. This book is targeted to the fourth to sixth grade level (my sister is in fifth grade) and proved to be not only a fun book to read, but also taught some good value lessons.

The title is a little deceiving at first, because when we meet Molly McGinty, she appears to be having the worst day of her life. She has lost her binder that contains everything of importance to her (her addresses, her homework, etc.) What could possibly happen to make things even worse? Her grandmother is coming to talk at school for Senior Citizen's Day and she's wearing purple suede pants! Grandmother Irene has Molly carry around her humongous purse, which she promptly trips over, causing her to get a black eye. And that's not all... Molly is mortified as Irene is caught smoking in the ladies room and teaches vocabulary in French class that sound just like cuss words.

What turns this day into a really good day in my opinion is that by the end of the book Molly has come to see her grandmother in a new light. This bad day has also shown Molly that she needs to take things as they come.

We both give this wonderful book five stars. It kept us interested, it was unpredictable and made us laugh out loud. My sister was able to relate to Molly and this book was a jumping off point for us to discuss some of the wackier members of our family. It made for a great bonding experience. Thank you Gary Paulsen!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny, entertaining departure from Paulsen's usual style, October 22, 2004

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (Hardcover)

What a day Molly McGinty is having! She lost her notebook that contained everything she needs to live. She tore her skirt and got a black eye. And she finds out that her crazy grandmother, Irene, will be spending the day at school with her. How can her day get any worse?

Well, it does. Her grandma is caught smoking in the girl's room, and Molly gets detention for skipping Science class to bail her out. Irene is a free spirit who teaches Molly how to live in the moment. Our Lady of Mercy Middle School will never be the same again after her visit. Will Molly ever change and learn to be more flexible?

Gary Paulsen is the author of many critically acclaimed books for young people. THE WINTER ROOM, HATCHET and DOGSONG were all Newbery Honor books. With MOLLY MCGINTY, he has stepped out of his comfort zone and written a light, funny and entertaining novel.

Early middle school and late elementary students will giggle all the way through this fun romp of a book. I hope Mr. Paulsen writes a sequel to this amusing story.

--- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner