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Summary
Summary
Kelsey Green is the best reader in the third grade--well, maybe tied for best with know-it-all Simon Ellis. When the principal Mr. Boone announces a school-wide reading contest, complete with a pizza party for the winning class and a special certificate for the top readers in each grade, she knows she's just the person to lead Mrs. Molina's third graders to victory. But how can they win when her classmate Cody Harmon doesn't want to read anything, and even Kelsey's best friends Annika and Izzy don't live up to her expectations? And could Simon possibly be reading all of those books that he claims he is, or is he lying to steal Kelsey's rightful spot at the top?
Kelsey Green, Reading Queen is the first book in Claudia Mills's Franklin School Friends series.
Author Notes
Claudia Mills is an American author of children's books. She is also an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has written several children's series including: Mason Dixon Series, Gus and Granpa Series, West Creek Middle School Seres, and Dinah Series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
When the principal of Kelsey's school announces a month-long reading contest, Kelsey is positive she will lead her third-grade class to victory. Kelsey loves books like her best friends, Annika and Izzy, love math and running, and nothing is going to stop her class from winning-or stop Kelsey from reading the most books. Except, maybe, for Simon, who reads as voraciously as Kelsey, or Kelsey's parents, who insist she miss reading time to attend her siblings' various functions ("Her mother called it 'being a family' "). Certain that Simon is cheating, Kelsey enlists Annika and Izzy to help spy on him. Single-minded and a tad selfish, Kelsey isn't always the most pleasant of third-graders-but she's 100% realistic. And although Kelsey's excitement about the reading contest skews her priorities, she redeems herself (and shares her love of books) when she helps out a classmate who struggles with reading. Shepperson's (The Memory Bank) lively pencil illustrations capture the upbeat mood of this excellent first book in the Franklin School Friends series. Author's agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. Ages 7-10. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Kelsey might be the reading queen of her third-grade class, but her throne is threatened when principal Mr. Boone announces a school-wide reading challenge: two thousand books read before April, and he'll shave off his beard. What to do? Like every precocious reader who's ever gamed a summer reading club, Kelsey puts down The Secret Garden for Sarah, Plain and Tall, and any other "short but age-appropriate book she could find." First in a new series, the chapter book explores Mills's favorite subject -- everyday life with a side of ethical examination -- to good effect as Kelsey discovers the difference between loving to read and loving to win. In a considerable plus, the book name-checks a number of easy-reader and chapter-book classics so that Kelsey's enthusiasm can be passed right along. Frequent and aptly casual illustrations pace the narrative. roger sutton (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Can a third-grader like to read too much? Principal Boone throws down the gauntlet: He will shave his beard if the students at Franklin School read 2,000 books in a month. Kelsey Green is excited. After all, she is the best reader in her class. Kelsey doesn't care if the winning class wins a pizza party or if the principal shaves his beard or kisses a pig, but she does care if she beats classmate Simon Ellis, therefore securing her name on a plaque. Kelsey's competitive nature exposes the dark side to such contests: She figures out that short books (poetry, Junie B. Jones, etc.) will move her closer to her goal, even though they are not the books she usually reads. She assumes that Simon is cheating and sets off to prove it. She begins to dread family events since they take time away from reading for the contest. But Cody, a boy in her class, is not reading. Kelsey finally discovers what is really important when she helps him learn to read. Though Kelsey is borderline unlikable for most of the contest, Mills allows for redemption when Kelsey realizes that Simon is not cheating and that Cody has a lot to offer the class. Sprinkled with titles even new readers will likely recognize, this new series shows a lot of promise. Lesson learned: Read for fun, not for competition. (Fiction. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Kelsey, an avid reader, is the focus of this Franklin School Friends series opener. When her principal announces a contest that rewards the best-read class as well as the top reader in each classroom, she vows to win one of the honors. What makes her endearing is not only her drive but how it pushes her to reach out to one of her class's most indifferent readers. Even her rivalry with Simon, another bookworm, has a warm resolution when they bond over their admiration for The Secret Garden. Along the way, readers will meet a bevy of secondary characters they'll learn more about in future volumes, including math-whiz Annika and athletic Izzy. Their adventures are believable (they spy rather inexpertly on Simon and are caught by a neighbor), and they are presided over by relatable grown-ups, like Principal Boone, who promises to shave off his beloved beard if the school reaches its goal. Shepperson's thoughtful, well-drafted drawings help delineate each character through facial expressions and gestures while also building a recognizable school environment. Lovely.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist