Zoo School [Hardcover]

Laurie Miller Hornik (Author), Debbie Tilley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Welcome to the Zoo School-where students have zookeepers for teachers and animals for textbooks! Ursula, Kitty, Robin, Leo, and Drake have just entered this very strange school, and right away they know something fishy is going on. The desks have animals in them, the cupboards are filled with animal food, and the classroom smells like, well . . . a zoo. Ew! Plus the teachers are batty, the lessons are loony, and the principal is missing. This school is ridiculous! But when the New School Inspectors threaten to close it down, the students have to decide for themselves whether this zooey school is worth saving. And, if so, they'll have to figure out a way to do it.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–This humorous fantasy focuses on five students who enter the new Zoo School where the motto is "Let the Animals Be Your Textbooks." Each child has a distinct idiosyncrasy that makes being in this environment a bit challenging; for example, Ursula prefers the rigidity of ordinary school and Drake is terrified of animals. The two zookeepers teach math by counting zebras' stripes, gym by swimming with seals, and writing by watching snakes move. When their homes are cleaned, the animals are moved to the classroom, and the youngsters never know what they will find there in the morning. The Learned Inspectors of New Schools (L.I.O.N.S.) must give their seal of approval in order for the facility to stay open. Their questionnaires appear throughout the book along with their ratings. When the inspectors decide that the school must be closed, and the mysterious principal, Ms. Ella Font, is nowhere to be found, it is up to the students to try to save the place that they have come to love. The characters are clearly developed, and all of the children gradually learn about themselves and the world around them. This evenly paced novel could be shared aloud with youngsters needing a step up from Joanna Cole's "Magic School Bus" series (Scholastic) or read independently by those who enjoy zany school stories like Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Turtleback, 1978).–Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Ursula and her friends have many concerns^B after they^B find themselves in an alternative Zoo School. Where are the books and tests? Is it safe to learn handwriting from a snake? When is lunchtime? What's more, they aren't sure that they agree with the school's motto, "Let the Animals Be Your Textbooks!" Three Learned Inspectors of New Schools (L. I. O. N. S.) have their doubts as well, as they follow the children through their day and attempt to interview the school's elusive principal, Ms. Font. Only after the school is ordered closed do the children realize how much they appreciate the teaching methods and work to get the school re-opened. Hornik's characters are amusingly eccentric, and children will enjoy the idea of a classroom filled with animals. Young readers may miss the absurdity of clueless inspectors making decisions based on partial information, but their teachers will surely appreciate the humor. A good choice for a classroom read-aloud. Tilley's illustrations were not available in the galley.^B Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (May 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618342044
• ISBN-13: 978-0618342044
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Batty teachers, loony lessons, and a vanished principal, May 14, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zoo School (Hardcover)

Kitty and friends have just entered a strange Zoo School where something fishy is going on: batty teachers, loony lessons, and a vanished principal. Is the silly school worth saving when inspectors decide to make ridiculous rules for it? The group must decide kids in grades 2-5 will find Zoo School a very different read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Easy Chapter Book, July 19, 2009

By 

S. Power (Detroit, Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zoo School (Hardcover)

This is a delightful kids book about a school at a zoo. My five year old was excited each night to hear what zany lesson the kids were going to have (gym class with seals, sorting and counting with real monkeys). It's the type of school every kid wishes they went to.

The book has about twelve chapters that aren't too long and it has a story which is entertaining to kids as well as adults so it's a fantastic book to read aloud to your child or your class. If your child is an independent reader (the book seems to be around the third grade reading level) they will enjoy this book. It is one of my daughters favorites.