Pennypacker, Sara. Clementine

[Tess]

If the author is eligible, I believe this book should be on our list. Thanks!

[Mary]

Thanks for suggesting this book, Tess. The author lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the book has a copyright date of 2006, so I think it is eligible. I have not yet read it, but I've moved it to the top of my "to be read" pile. (The illustrations by Marla Frazee look like great fun, too.)

[Mary]

I love this book!

Clementine is a wonderful character with an incredibly clear and defined voice. The story itself is laugh-out-loud funny and would be great as a classroom read-aloud.

Sometimes it is difficult for me to separate "liking" or "enjoying" a book or a character in a book and examining -- for the purposes of the Mock Newbery discussion -- whether the writing is truly "distinguished." I think this can be made even more difficult when the book in question is at a lower reading level.

So I turned to the actual criteria of the Newbery committee:

In identifying "Distinguished Writing" in a book for children, Committee members need to consider the following:

(adapted from the official Newbery Terms & Criteria found at www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberyterms/newberyterms.htm)

Looking at these criteria, Clementine has moved into the handful of books which I think are strong contenders this year. I recommend all of you read it! I'd love to know what you think!

[martha]

This is a good early chapter book, and would appeal especialy to girls who like Ramona, Judy Moody, Junie B Jones, and Amber Brown. The author has managed to create a charming, spunky heroine in Clementine, without copying any of the previously-mentioned characters. I haven't decided yet if it's Newbery-worthy, but I definitely plan to booktalk it to my third graders. Is this the first of a series? I hope so!

[phyllis]

Well, I'll try this again; my first reply is floating out there in cyberspace.
I just finished CLEMENTINE and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, something kept nagging at me throughtout the whole book. I kept feeling that the two girls, Clementine and Margaret, were younger than therir 8 and 9 years of age. They felt more like second graders - 7 year olds. And that bothered me because looking at the Newbery criteria that Mary wisely posted, the accuracy of the information - age level - didn't seem true to me, but this book fit everything else that was required. It was only when I thought back to my own daughter when she was 8, and remembered one of the "crazy" things she did that I finally changed my mind. When Elaine was 8, she had been warned mulitple times to NOT stick anything into a light socket except for a light plug and we would do that. I remember thinking that she had a thorough understanding of that and totally understood the "consequences" of what would happen if she put something into the socket. Well, one day at my mother's all of a sudden there was this scream and then crying coming from the back bedroom. Here, after all the talk and explanations, with us believing she understood, Elaine had taken a car key and stuck it right into the socket and of course, received a big shock. Her reason for doing so was that she and her 3 year old sister were playing "car" and she was starting the motor! Once I remembered that, I no longer had any problem with the age of the characters.
I think this is a wonderful younger chapter book and because of it fulfilling all the Newbery requirments - the intrepretation of it's theme, its clarity and orgainiztion, its clear plot, its delineation of its characters - the exasperation of the "princi PAL," the sweetness of Mrs. Jacobi, and of course, the spunkiness of Clementine herself, the setting - I could clearly see and hear the pigeons rising in unison, and its funny but touching style, I think it should be worthy of a Newbery nomination. In fact, I'm recommending it to another "grandma" so she can get it for two of her grandchildren for Christmas. What a great read-aloud to a class.
Sorry to go on so long. I said I was rusty at this.

[deba]

Even though she may remind you of Junie B. or Ramona, Clementine is a delightful new character with her very own true, original voice. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, this book leaves the reader wanting more; a true sign of a good read! Frazee's illustrations are a perfect complement as well. A nice contrast to this age level's all too often formulaic fiction!

[Tess]

I love the energy of Clementine and the pace of the story. I am not sure I believe her parents wouldn't come running because of the smell while she is spraying all her belongings with cleaner though, unless she was just using water? I do find it completely believeable that she would think that was a good idea.

This book is one that I plan to argue strongly for a Mock Newbery Honor.