Customer Reviews

There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

5 star:		(136)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am seventeen years old, and I've read "There's a Boy..." at least once a year since I discovered it in 3rd grade. I would like to warn that the given "age range" for reading this book is completely misleading -- no child under nine would appreciate it, and adults can enjoy it as much as children. Louis Sachar is simply the best author of children's fiction today. "There's a Boy" is an effective tool to make kids think twice before teasing classmates. Children who lack self-confidence or have trouble in school will relate to Bradley Chalkers. And everyone can enjoy Sachar's story-telling magic. I treasure my copy of this book, and when my younger brother reached 3rd grade, we read it together. He loved the novel as much as I did, and both of us were sobbing at the end. I know he has learned as much from the story as I have over the years. Do yourself or your child a favor and read this book!

There's a Boy in the Girl's bathroom, by Louis Sachar is a very comical book. It is a funny way of telling the story of a boy and how he overcomes his problems with friends and school. Ten-year old Bradley Chalkers is one tough bully. He doesn't do his homework, he scribbles in school, and he doesn't have any friends; at least for a while. One day a new boy , Jeff Fishkin, comes to school. Jeff is an exception to Bradley's other classmates, who hate Bradley. Jeff actually wants to be friends with Bradley! Bradley doesn't know what to think. Bradley's teacher, concered about the scribbled on school work, starts sending him to the new school counselor, in hope of helping him pay attention. Bradley thinks the counselor, Carla Davis, is weird. She agrees to whatever he says, wears funny sweaters, and asks him to call her by her first name! Slowly Carla helps Bradley gain self confidence. This book will make you appreciate your friends more! This book taught me that difficult times can be rewarding, if you try your best at them.

After reading Holes, recommened by children in my class, I managed to get hold of a copy of "There's a boy in the girl's bathroom" and enjoyed it so much, thought I'd read it to my class. They couldn't wait until the end of the day, to hear more of Bradley Chalkers and his exploits. This book works on many levels, and the children really did empathise with Bradley. It gave us excellent opportunities to discuss issues of bullying, tolerance and acceptance of others. I won't give away the end, but it had some of my class in tears. A truely wonderful story that we can all learn from.

I bought this book to teach my Y4/5 children as it is recommended on the Renewed Framwork as an exemplified unit. The story itself is concerned with Bradley Chalker, a boy who is universally disliked in school because he's a bully. He sits alone at the back of the class - last seat, last row. He begins to see a new counselor called Carla Davis and they begin to strike up a close friendship. Bradley wishes to change people's perception of him and begin to try hard and succeed in school instead of always getting an 'F' in his tests.

My children are absolutely loving the story as we're about half-way through, it's such a universal thread that all can refer back to as it deals with childhood and life in school. I can't recommend it highly enough.

i am a 17 yr old male, i read this book while camping with my parents and i thought it was fantastic, seeing brad change throughout the book is fantastic and his reltionship with his teacher begins to grow and grow. After i read the book i gave it to me sister to read who is 15 and she loved it as well. this would be great for children of all ages to read. it not a large book i manged to read it in a day, but a younger child could read it within a week. i first got introduced into this author when i was reading holes about 5 years ago. he is a brilliant author and have just bought his next book.

Our English teacher has been reading us this book for the past month and I am totally inspired by it. Louis Sachar is an exellent writer and I adore his books. I must say that this is probobly the best book I have ever read!! I recommend it for ages of 8-12. I am trying to convince my parents to buy it for me for Christmas. I hope you have found my rewiew helpful and if you buy the book (which I'm most certain you will) I hope you enjoy it.

I am a fourth grade teacher and for the past ten years I have used this book as the first book that I read to my students. It hooks them immediately and they can't wait to hear more about Bradley, Carla, Jeff, Colleen, and Lori Loudmouth. The first time, I worried that they would make fun of the fact that Bradley talks to his little "animal friends." But no one ever has. They come to love Bradley and really want things to work out for him. We use Bradley Chalkers as an example throughout the schoolyear as a way some people are labelled monsters by others and treated as such. I have taught many Bradleys over the years and I really feel that this book helps show how to find the good deep inside them.

We really liked this book because it's about someone that has serious behaviour problems called Bradley. He is intelligent but doesn't show it. At the beginning of the book he is lonely, unpopular, infamous, a liar, naughty and annoying. He dreams of having gold stars. Carla is his counselor. She is very nice with Bradley. She is patient, kind, lovely, understanding and friendly, disorganised and unconventional. The book shows how a bad boy can become nice and friendly by just talking about his problems.

Our favourite parts are the moment where he tells us about when he was Three and he was invited to a birthday party and he sat on the cake! And when Carla had an appointment with the parents and they end up talking about if a child bit the teacher's bum!

Alexi, Phillip and Marion
OurSchool, Versailles, France, 6th Grade

Three Stars only from other class members:

This book wasn't the best book we ever read, but on the other hand, it was a little bit funny and emotional. Bradley's feelings change too much in the book, consequently we are a bit lost in the story. Furthermore, it wasn't adventurous - we prefer adventure books.

Our favourite parts of the book were when they talk about Zen monks and when the girls tease Bradley because he wrote "love" in Colleen's birthday card.

The book is very realistic and we prefer more action and imagination.

My nine year old daughter has just finished reading this in class, and she pestered me so hard to read it I gave in. I am very glad I did. I enjoyed Holes by Louis Sachar, but I think this is a much, much better book. It tells the story of Bradley Chalkers, the misfit of his class, always rude, always destructive, always antagonistic, he has no friends. It tells of his journey to some kind of peace with himself through his relationship with the new school counsellor, Carla. It is not sappy. It is not sentimental. It is complex and dark and troubling in places, and yes it has a message of hope, but it is not an easy read emotionally, and Bradley is hard to like. I loved this book, and I particularly liked the fact that it also put the spot light on Bradley's peers in class and the fact that despite seeming 'normal' they have their own problems too.

This book is a funny book for the whole family, the beginning is really funny and made me giggle. Then the rest of the book is hilarious, except at the end when it is sad, but not too sad.

The main characters include Bradley who is bad and horrid, but becomes nice. Jeff is cool and awesome and very nice. Colleen and her friends don't like Bradley. Carla is Bradley's friend and Mrs Ebbel is his school teacher. The setting for the book is in the USA and some words are American. Jeff is from Washington DC, the capital city.

My favourite part is when Jeff walks into the girls' bathroom - it made our whole class laugh their socks off! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes comedy because it is such an amazing and funny book. Ha ha ha!

Benjamin Green 5W
Hilldene Primary School