The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates

I can still remember how it felt. I was held back in the 6th grade (unlike Joshua, in my case it was my own fault), and though Joshua didn't realize it, he was actually very fortunate to have been held back earlier rather than later.Susan Shreve must have been held back herself as a child, or had at least one of her own children held back, or dealt with many students who have been held back. She writes the story in such a way as to meet the reader right where they are. She seems to identify with someone who has had to repeat (or is in the process of repeating) a grade for whatever reason.Although it is a very short story (initially written for my generation -- see the "Pac-Man" refernces), it still brings home some very important messages for young kids struggling in school, whether it be academically or socially. Also, in the tradition of Katherine Paterson's "Bridge To Terebithia" and Louis Sachar's "There's a Boy In the Girl's Bathroom", this story also does a wonderful job of offering us the character of a teacher who is able to reach the student on a deep and meaningful level...the kind of teacher we never forget about no matter how old we get.

This is a perfect book for second or third graders who are becoming independent readers, and offers the spice of encouragement to the reluctant ones.Joshua T. Bates ought to have been going into fourth grade in the fall. But he had flunked third grade the year before. He couldn't read well enough, and his math skills left something to be desired. Having to enter a third grade class with kids a year younger was a humiliation for Joshua. Everyone at Mirch Elementary knew it and would not let him forget. Worse than that--if such a thing were possible--was the pasting he took on the schoolyard from the school bullies. Neither Tommy Wilhelm nor Billy Nickel would let Joshua play team sports with the fourth graders.Joshua of course pulled his studies together and showed up both bullies in a rather surprising set of circumstances. How he did it is what keeps children turning these pages.I read this story aloud to one of our children, in her reluctant reader stage. By the end, she was anxious to read alone. She raced through the next two books in the trilogy herself. Our son plowed through all three books, also in second grade, without a hitch. Go for it. Alyssa A. Lappen

I think The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates was really humorous. Joshua was having a really great summer until his mom told him he had to repeat third grade.Then he finds out that his third grade teacher is Mrs.Goodwin. Joshua is such a worrier because he worries about his report card but that's not all - Tommy Wilhelm, the the class room bully, gets to go into fourth grade and Joshua is so mad that he says that he is going to East Africa.Read to find what happens to Joshua.

I would highly recommend this book for any age. It begins with Joshua having the bestsummer. Then his mother told him that he had to repeat the 3rd grade. Joshua was very embarrassed, mad, and said he was moving to East Africa. He called his teacher atank. Then Joshua gets teased about repeating 3rd grade. Mrs. goodwind helps Joshuaget better grades. Joshua took a test to see if he could be promoted to 4th grade. Read the book to find out if Joshua passed.

Joshua T. Bates has a rather nasty surprise at the beginning of our tale. It's a few days before school when his mother drops the news on him: he has failed 3rd grade and will repeat. Joshua at first doesn't believe her, and then decides that at his first opportunity he's moving to South Africa. ESPECIALLY after his sister, who has had no trouble through school, ribs him about it.What could be worse than spending a year behind all your friends?? What's worse than being three times as mature-heck, 10 times as mature-as all the incoming third grade students?? What could be worse than reading the same ol' stories over and over and over again, all year long?? Well, I suppose terminal cancer would be much worse, but when you're in 3rd grade, being retained is a fate worse than death. Meanwhile, Joshua's fate has just been sealed.What will strike readers about "The Flunking..." is how realistic it is. Joshua is embarrassed, ashamed, feels like a true flunky and seriously contemplates moving to S. Africa, if only he could get a ride there. He goes from trying to make the best of the situation to feeling so down and depressed he can hardly stand it. In other words, his character is HUMAN, and the author freely lets him run the gamut of human emotions... Especially third grade male emotions, which are usually quite complicated.He eventually learns to work hard, and through the kindness of his teacher (who he first thought of as a human military tank) he begins to learn about himself. His teacher, also, is going through some very tough times, and she shares a bit of her personal life with Joshua. This not only makes HER character that much more human, but also connects with Joshua and teaches him the valuable lesson that at some point in their life, EVERYONE has to deal with a situation that makes them want to crawl into a hole and die. Most of us DON'T die, of course (though we may crawl into holes of one sort or another), and most of us go on through the experience and come out the other side being better, wiser people."The Flunking..." may not be for everyone-beginning or reluctant readers may not enjoy the book as much because most of the action taking place is verbal or emotional; no bombs explode, no spaceships blast off to outer space, the universe isn't threatened and then saved. However, most of us won't experience exploding bombs or spaceship rides, but we WILL experience setbacks and disappointments in our lives. For this reason, and to explore the genre of "character development", "The Flunking..." is an excellent choice. Highly recommended.