Customer Reviews

Talented Clementine, The

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When Clementine arrived on the scene in 2006 it hit a nerve. Otherwise sane and rational adults began thwapping one another over the heads with the book screaming, "READ THIS! READ THIS! READ THIS!" Children were left abandoned as their parental units devoured the title. Kids, as it happened, quite enjoyed the book as well, but you could be forgiven for not noticing this through the swarm of "Clementine"-addled adults out there. Now the sequel has popped onto shelves everywhere and we are experiencing the calm before the storm. Copies are already flying off the shelves, but we won't experience the true gale-force winds of the faithful until the summer months. Then watch those copies simply fly. Sequels come with their own set of rules and regulations, of course. Rule #1 tends to be, "Be As Interesting As Your Predecessor," and is too often ignored by writers. NotPennypacker . A worthy sequel and a perfectly packaged little gem, "The Talented Clementine," will please the initiated and uninitiated Clementine-fans alike.

It's talent show time! Yes, the third and fourth graders of Clementine's school are gonna put on a production to beat the band and this puts our heroine in a bit of a pickle. Clementine has no talents. None.Zippo o' talentos . Well, none that she can perform anyway. She cannot dance or sing or cartwheel or Hula-Hoop. Her best friend Margaret can do all of these and more but even with her "help" Clementine's having some difficulty. And really, itisn 't until the day in question that she discovers something she can do that no other third grader seems capable of. Something that isn't flashy or even noticeable, but that quite positively saves the day.

The funny thing about this particular volume is that Pennnypacker has done away with a subplot. There's no A story paired with a lesser B story for kicks. This pup's A and only A from start to finish. You might think that would make the book tedious and slow, but the author appears to know what she's doing. The concept of figuring out what you do best is infinitely difficult to write about for any extended length of time without sounding like a broken record. All the more reason then for the author to add in details like Clementine super-gluing beerbottlecaps to the soles of her shoes in the hopes learning to tap. I can probably say with certainty that I've never read a children's early chapter book that contained a kid who stinks like a brewery. Other unique details include the presence of adults thataren 't villains. The Principal that Clementine is constantly excusing herself to talk to acts more like an infinitely patient psychotherapist than an authority figure.

I'd like to point out that what I'm doing right now (reviewing this book) is a dangerous thing. You have no idea the position I've placed myself in, do you? How easy it is, when reviewing a Clementine, to suddenly lapse into copying down quote after quote from the text without giving it a second thought. I might try to encourage you to read the book by typing something like, "And that's when the worried feeling - as if somebody were scribbling with a big black crayon - started up in my brains." That might work. Or I could slip in a little description of the school nurse that says, "She always looks bored, as if she's just killing time until a really good disease hits the school." I think you should count your lucky stars that I've too strong a sense of self-preservation to ever fall into that trap. Whew!

You know, if we're going to be perfectly honest with one another here, you should probably know that some people do not care for "Clementine". Such people have grown tired of the spunky-red-haired-female genre and equate Clem with Junie B. Jones and her pseudo-spunky ilk. Such people, nine times out of ten, have not physically sat down and read the book cover to cover, but some have and Clementine is just not their bag. I've also heard objections to Clementine's maturity or lack thereof. Some people didn't believe (as seen in the first book) that a third grader would be so immature as to cut off all of her best friend's hair. But even if that's your objection to "Clementine", there's nothing to stop you from loving its follow-up. Maturity varies with every individual. And if there's any way to describe this heroine, it's as an "individual" indeed.

So why do people like Pennypacker's books so much? Maybe it's because she's damn good at nailing little truths here and there. We know what it's like when a teacher is so excited by a program that they end up tacking on words to the Pledge of Allegiance like, "With liberty and justice for all and I know we're all very excited to get to our big project." Her characters feel believable. Clementine is self-involved, sure. What third graderisn 't? But she honestly feels a concern for her annoying baby brother. In fact, she's so afraid that the babysitter will forget that he's allergic to peanuts that she scrawls a, "NO PEANUTS FOR ME!" in blue permanent marker on his head so as to avoid any accidents.

One of the branches in my library system is mere days away from hosting an honest-to-goodness "Clementine" party. There will be a pin-the-bologna-glasses-on-the-face, a pigeon toss, and who knows what all. I was hoping there might be a wok spin, but no such luck. Now after having read the sequel, I wonder what additional crafts and ideas might come of this newest title. A howling contest? A bottle cap coloring station? The mind boggles. Whatever they decide upon, I know that they'll need plenty of copies of this book when it finally reaches their shelves. Once again, the Clementine-shaped ball that is this book gets knocked cleanly out of the park. A worthy continuation.

If your child read Clementine, then he or she will love Talented Clementine. Sara Pennypacker continues Clementine's adventure in her school's talent show. My 7 year old couldn't believe there was another book on Clementine. He and his reading group read the first one and loved it...boys and girls alike....they both could relate to the characters as well as the writing style. The only disappointment that my son showed when he finished reading Talented Clementine was he still did not know Clementine's brother's name. Sara Pennypacker is keeping that a secret for now. Guess she'll eventually let the readers know what the brother's name is. For now, the readers will just have to call him what his sister Clementine calls him: Broccoli, Spinach, etc.... Buy the book for your child...they will thank you!

The story is a comedy. It takes place in a big city. The main character is Clementine. She is an eight-year-old girl. She lives in an apartment building where her father is a building manager. The problem is that Clementine doesn't have a talent to perform at the talent show. On the day of the talent show she goes to the school talent palooza without a talent. Five minutes before the show starts she asks the principal, Ms. Rice, to use the phone to call her parents to not come to the talent show because she didn't have a talent. But it was too late. A surprise was waiting for her! After the talent show, her parents brought her to an expensive restaurant without her brother.

My favorite part was when she got the surprise at the theater because it was an excellent surprise. I read all of the Clementine books, and this one I like the most. You should read the book because it's a very exciting book!!!

A fun book to read aloud to a beginning reader. Our kindergarten granddaughter read it herself on the second time through..

I'd purchased this last year as a Christmas present for my neighbor's little girl. I'm told by the mom that not only did her daughter thoroughly enjoy the book, but the local school was so impressed with the story they're getting a copy for their library.
So I'd say it's a good choice for girls ages 9 and 10.

Discover your talent! Run quickly to buy yourself a copy of The Talented Clementine (2007) by Sara Pennypacker. This book is very cute! It is spunky and portrays the attitude one can imagine a child would have. As a teacher, I can verify that some of the things Clementine and the characters in the story say are truly what a child in that situation would say. You can hear a student in your mind saying that exact same thing. This book is so spunky that it will have you laughing out loud (lol). I caught myself, as an adult and teacher, doing just that. Reading this book as a teacher, I can see why it is a popular series. This sequel will definitely be just as popular if not more popular than the first Clementine. I enjoyed reading this book! I know that children of the same age level as the characters in this book will enjoy it as well. What better reason to read a story than for pure, true enjoyment! There is also a meaning within this story. Everyone is talented no matter who they are. It might take awhile to discover it, but everyone is special and talented at something. What a great message to send to children! Teachers, I would recommend suggesting or even utilizing this book as a read aloud in your classrooms. However, I would not recommend it for 11-12 year old children (5th or 6th graders). They might enjoy reading it themselves for enjoyment, but I think most of them would think it was "too little" for them.

My daughter absolutely enjoys the two Clementine books that she has read. She was so excited when she got this one. In her Art Class at school she had to do a project on a book & she chose this one.

My daughter couldn't wait for this sequel to her favorite chapter book, Clementine. I saved it for vacation, thinking it would keep her busy for days, but excitement and curiosity fueled a reading frenxy! She read and re-read during vacation and hasn't stopped talking about it since. An unexpected plus. A great way to instill the love of reading - highly recommended!

In the tradition of Beverly Cleary, Sara Pennypacker has creating the memorable character of Clementine. Both boys and girls will find a character and plot lines that connect to their own lives. Even the most reluctant readers will beg for more adventures of this spunky, offbeat Clementine. A must read for tweens anywhere! it also makes a good read-a-loud for teachers.

Writer Sarah Pennypacker and illustrator Marla Frazee join forces once again to continue exploring the adventures of Clementine, a very unique third grader with a very big problem in "The Talented Clementine" (the second book in the Clementine series).

In order to raise money for the school, Clementine's class is going to have a talent show where every student is expected to take part. That's all well and good if you have a talent, but Clementine doesn't seem to have any. Every other kid (literally) in the class is doing cartwheels. Her best friend, lovably-snooty Margaret the fourth grader, is going to explain how to dress fashionably. Everyone seems to have a great act. Except for Clementine.

In her search for a talent, Clementine discovers a lot of things she can do like math in her head better than her own father or Margaret's brother (who is not, Clementine is quick to point out, her boyfriend). But you can't do math in a talent show. Margaret tries to pass one of her numerous, and alphabetized, talents to Clementine. But after an ill-advised encounter with beer bottle caps, glue, and a pair of sneakers that seems like maybe not the best idea.

Just as Clementine is at the end of the rope, sure she has nothing to offer to the show--her school's principal realizes something Clementine had missed bringing everyone's new favorite third grader out on top.

I really loved the first installment in this series ("Clementine") and was thrilled to find that "The Talented Clementine" is just as good. Pennypacker keeps all of the good things from the first book while expanding the characters here. This book spends more time at Clementine's school and with Clementine's very cool, very likable mom and dad.

I also like that the book has some real drama as Clementine struggles to find a talent without getting too sad. By the end of the story everything is okay and, more importantly perhaps, Clementine and readers realize that everyone does have a talent (even if it's not always something you can perform on stage).

Frazee's illustrations continue to add to the prose making Clementine and her world even more vibrant than the text already does. The continuity is also admirable. It is clear from the illustrations of Margaret that her hair is growing out. Which, believe it or not, brings me to the next point: While the stories do work together, this book can stand alone. It would, of course, be better to read the series in order but not vital.

I dare say "The Talented Clementine" is as good as its predecessor "Clementine" and am anxiously awaiting the third installment in the series ("Clementine's Letter" is scheduled to release this April). I've said this before and I'll say it again: Clementine is a vivid, independent character who has the capacity to make reading fun for readers of all ages.