Gooney Bird Greene, the super hero from Mrs. Pidgeon’s class, returns to save the day.
Cajoling her way to successes, always telling the truth and inspiring everyone with her indefatigable creativity, this precocious second grade student continues to entertain and amaze this reader.
Lois Lowry’s first Gooney Bird Greene book (2002) won me over. Never have I known a second (third, fourth, fifth or sixth) grade student with this much self-esteem. Gooney Bird continues in Gooney Bird and the Room Mother (2005) with a new assembly of amazing skills. I emphatically recommend that you read this only after reading her earlier book.
Previously, in the first book, Gooney Bird instructed the class on developing characters and creating captivating stories. She colorfully led with her own examples. Although we are three years later, we’re only three weeks later in the classroom. It is now early November and we find her teacher, Mrs. Pidgeon, frustrated. No Room Mother, the principal is pressuring her to locate one, none of the parents have time (why even one parent has brand new triplets), the Thanksgiving pageant is approaching, and lessons remain to be taught.
We also find Gooney Bird still wanting to be smack in the middle of everything. That is her style.
It’s Gooney Bird to the rescue. This seemingly normal child, who comes to school dressed in some new, rather creative, unique outfits, possesses super powers. (She must!) She has a well-developed vocabulary—she also carried an adult dictionary to school on her first day in this new class. (She was new to the school in October, having just moved there from China—that’s another story found in the first book.) She teaches lessons about using a dictionary and developing vocabulary, leaving her teacher looking flabbergasted. She tells stories that “suddenly” and magically keep all of the student’s attention.
Except for when she does a little “authorial intrusion” and those are her words.
”Gooney Bird stopped and looked around. Malcolm had started rolling his paper again, and Felicia Ann, seated on the floor had put her head down on her knees. Chelsea yawned.
”Sorry,” Gooney Bird said. “That is why authors should not intrude. It’s boring. Back to the dialogue.”
Gooney Bird explains about dialogue, she scolds the students when they interrupt, ”You are interrupting the story! Dialogue is supposed to flow along smoothly!” She actually has the audacity to glare at them with her teacher look each time they interrupt (you know how distractible they are at that age).
Our young hero manages to locate a full set of dictionaries for each student (22 donated), she teaches them how to use rather large words (indefatigable, cajole, fiasco, authentic, interpreter, underestimate), and she continues to tell elaborate stories. She also locates the Room Mother. She makes it look so easy.
The Thanksgiving pageant is just around the corner and Mrs. Pidgeon’s class has fallen behind schedule. They still need to design and paint a mural, learn some songs, make costumes and assign 22 students to the roles of eleven pilgrims and eleven Native Americans. One of the students will be Squanto and guess who wants to be Squanto? Squanto is in the middle of everything.
Everyone wants to be Squanto, but there is a catch. This role will be a reward to the student who locates a Room Mother. It should come as no surprise who locates the Room Mother although this mother will not serve if her name is exposed to anyone. She wants to remain “Incognito” (back to the dictionaries go each of the students).
Several mysteries occur simultaneously. Who is the Room Mother, when will they meet her, and how did Gooney Bird persuade her to serve, what are the names of the triplets? The students want a story about how she located a Room Mother hoping they can trip her and learn the identity.
Once again, we see development of character, establishment of suspense, the power of the word “Suddenly,” but we are also seeing story telling techniques such as advancing the story and colorful vocabulary. What a fascinating (somewhat unrealistic) second grader!
Do we find out the names of Malcom’s newly born triplets? Do we meet any of the other parents? Do we meet the Room Mother? Is the pageant successful or a fiasco?
About Gooney Bird and the Room Mother
Gooney Bird Greene, in my class, I don’t know if that would be a blessing or a nightmare. Confidence pours out of her every action, she manages the class, her teacher, finds time to teach, tell stories, and still finds time to locate free dictionaries and save the day by locating a Room Mother. Sounds like a super hero to me.
I continue to doubt that any second grader will compare to this charming young lady. The scope of her vocabulary amazes me almost as much as her ability to manage a classroom.
About the Book
A colleague shared this book and the previous book, knowing how much I enjoy story telling. I powered through both in a very short period of time, finding myself laughing and groaning. What a great character! Like Gooney Bird Greene, this is a 76-page chapter book, designed to be read to most first and some second grade students. It reads fast, it’s funny and engaging. The antics are hilarious. She has more absolutely true stories to tell. She drops tips for ambitious young storytellers (both in telling the tale and dressing for the tale). This is pure fun with its tongue-in-cheek approach. Can you really imagine these students gaining ownership of their new vocabulary (if you use it three times you own it)?
Middy Thomas illustrated Gooney Bird creating a unique (I’d say incredibly unique but would get chastised for that construction) child. Simple illustrations of our young hero in her various costumes appear through the chapters and contribute to the illusion of an eccentric individual.
By the end of this book the mysteries disappear and the solutions might surprise even the most dedicated sleuth.
My Recommendations
Again, Lois Lowry creates a perfectly delightful, entertaining, and incredible character in Gooney Bird Greene. Let the book entertain young readers, but use it also to develop or strengthen language skills. Give older students a reason to read it and they will also find it hilarious. Her tongue-in-cheek and verbal slight of hand encourages readers to re-read some of the passages as they are not always what they at first seem to be. I guarantee it will send them running for their own dictionaries.
Recommended:
