Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters
By Rachel Vail; Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Feiwel & Friends, 2010
Pages: 256
Suggested Ages: 8-11
ISBN-13: 0312532903
His name is Justin Krzeszewski. Not so easy to pronounce. So he’s called Justin K. Until some kids give him a nickname: Justin Case. He doesn’t like that name, but it suits him. He’s a kid who worries – all the time – about everything.
Spend third grade with Justin in this day-by-day chronicle: from the disappointment of not getting the teacher he wants – the one all his friends have -- to the stress of Saturdays at soccer (in Fall) and baseball (in Spring), to wanting a dog, getting the dog, and then being afraid of the dog, to loosing his favorite stuffed toy (even though he’s too old for stuffed animals). Justin tells it all in his own honest, vulnerable, funny voice. Lucky readers will feel they’ve made a real friend.
Reviewed by LLW.
THEMES: BEST FRIENDS. DIARIES. DOGS. SCHOOLS & SCHOOL STORIES.
His name is Justin Krzeszewski. Not so easy to pronounce. So he’s called Justin K. Until some kids give him a nickname: Justin Case. He doesn’t like that name, but it suits him. He’s a kid who worries – all the time – about everything.
Spend third grade with Justin in this day-by-day chronicle: from the disappointment of not getting the teacher he wants – the one all his friends have -- to the stress of Saturdays at soccer (in Fall) and baseball (in Spring), to wanting a dog, getting the dog, and then being afraid of the dog, to loosing his favorite stuffed toy (even though he’s too old for stuffed animals). Justin tells it all in his own honest, vulnerable, funny voice. Lucky readers will feel they’ve made a real friend.
Teaching Tip: Justin makes lots of lists, for example: the things he likes and the things he doesn’t like. Have each student make a list of five of their favorite things and five of their least favorite things. If you wish, give them categories for the five items: food; subjects in school; sports/games; tv shows; books. Then gather all the responses and compile a class list – with the things most students shared at the top of each list. The kids will be surprised to see how much they share with their classmates.
Reviewed by LLW.
THEMES: BEST FRIENDS. DIARIES. DOGS. SCHOOLS & SCHOOL STORIES.
- The format will remind many readers of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Abrams), but with fewer illustrations and a more reflective tone than Jeff Kinney's series.
- School Library Journal
