2 of 4 copies available
Approx. 3 hrs. 30 mins.
2 cassettes
From the best-selling author of Frindle, The Landry News, and The Janitor's Boy.
Twelve-year-old Natalie has written a fabulous book and is determined to get it published. Luckily, she has connections to the publishing world—her mother is an assistant editor at a major publisher. However, Natalie doesn't want any favors and doesn't want her mom to know that she wrote a novel. So she and her best friend Zoë devise a plan. Natalie uses a pseudonym, Zoë pretends to be an agent, and with a little help from an English teacher, the girls succeed. Not only does Natalie's mom publish the novel, but it exceeds everyone's expectations and becomes a bestseller!
Spencer Kayden is one of the stars of the hit Broadway musical Urinetown. She is also the voice of Mrs. Pepper on the popular children's series Blues Clues.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
September 23, 2003 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780739360569
- File size: 95211 KB
- Duration: 03:18:21
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- ATOS Level: 5.2
- Lexile® Measure: 760
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
-
Reviews
-
A fairy tale for the author-wannabe set, THE SCHOOL STORY follows 12-year-old Natalie Nelson as she writes her first novel, somewhat sneakily gets her editor mom to buy it, and goes on to multiple printings and talk show fame. Spencer Kayden (the voice of Mrs. Pepper on Nickelodeon's "Blue's Clues") does a nice job with a variety of characters, from the tyranical editor-in-chief to the fake agent, Natalie's friend, Zoe. There's even a sample scene from THE CHEATER, Natalie's epic opus, which, oddly, sounds like it might be better than THE SCHOOL STORY itself. Clements pays lip service to the idea that it's hard to sell a book, but this belies his words. M.C. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from May 28, 2001
Clements's (Frindle) absorbing novel centers on Natalie, a 12-year-old aspiring author who, since her father died in an automobile accident, lives alone with her mother, Hannah, a children's book editor for a New York City publisher. As the book opens, Natalie's best friend, Zoe, is reading the novel that Natalie is writing. The impulsive, take-charge Zoe decides it is good enough to be published and hatches a scheme to ensure that it is. The path from manuscript to bound book takes some funny turns, as the girls elicit the aid of their English teacher, who rents office space that serves as the faux headquarters of Natalie's self-appointed agent: Zoe. Clements strikes a poignant note with his plot within a plot, since the youngster's novel tells of a girl whose father stands up for her always—even when she is caught cheating in school. Through the use of alternating perspectives, he characterizes the two seventh graders as very different but equally likable parties in a "push-and-pull friendship." Though Natalie's is, indeed, a "school story," it is at heart a tale about the love between a father and daughter. In Zoe's eyes, "the book was like a good-bye poem from Natalie to her father," whom she misses enormously. Hannah, explaining to Natalie how she can recognize the rare gem of a manuscript among the many submissions she receives, says, "The good ones stand out like roses in a snowbank." This is one such standout. Ages 8-12. -
August 12, 2002
In a starred review, PW
called this book about a 12-year-old aspiring author a "standout. Indeed a 'school story,' this is at heart a tale about the love between a father and a daughter." Ages 8-12.
-