The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School

If you like comical books then the Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of School By Ken Derby is just for you. Tony is always getting in trouble at the Riverview Elementary school in Kansas. Mo and Anna are his best friends that try to control Tony .Tony is doing stupid tricks to try to get on the David Letterman show. After they do the stupid tricks they wonder if they ever would be on the show. Will he get his dream to meet his idol? Will he ever be a TV star? Could he even survive in New York? We recommend this book for all the people in the world because it is a very funny book. We give this book four stars because the action slowed down in the middle, but the rest of the book was great!

I'm a 4th grade teacher and read this book to my students. We absolutely loved it. I'm trying to find another one like it, with excitement and amusement on every page but have yet to find one. I used this book to get the students excited about reading and it worked. Students who didn't like reading before are now enjoying reading.

If you like adventure and excitement then the Top Ten Ways to Ruin The First Day of School by Ken Derby is right for you! This book is about Tony, Mo, and Anna. Tony does a lot of bad things and puts it on a list. Then he sends them to The Late Show because he wants to be on it. They go to New York with Mr. Gore, to be on The Late Show. Do they get on TV or not? Read this book and find out. We recommend this book to you because it was funny, exciting, and makes you want to keep on reading. We give this book 4 stars!!!! Kasey, Mariah, and Hailey

Being a Letterman fan AND a 5th grade teacher, I had high hopes for this book, and it didn't let me down. The Top 10 lists are very clever and funny, appealing to both the true Letterman fan, as well as to kids reading the tale of Tony Baloney and his lifelong dream to make an appearance on The Late Show. From a teacher's point of view, a Tony Baloney-type kid seems to be in my class each and every year. He's the kind of student who is bright, witty, and at the same time, a barrel of frustration. Tony's the kid who drives teachers mad day in and day out, yet as a classroom teacher, your class would lack the life and spunk without him. Tony Baloney's quest for his "Holy Grail" takes him and a couple of his daring friends on a cross country journey from Kansas City to NYC. Along the way they endure, yet relish in, Tony's love of life and take the reader on a trip through the eyes and actions of a 21st century kid. This book is a must read for anyone who is chasing a dream and for teachers looking for a book to remind them of why we teach. For it's witnessing the dreams and actions of children like Tony come to fruition that make being a teacher so rewarding!

I read this book to my fourth grade class and they hung on every word - never once had to ask for quiet. They were completely absorbed and asked each day to hear the next chapter. The characters are the same kids everyone knows (or knew) in school growing up and are hilarious. The top ten lists had me and my class in stiches. When kids plead with me to give an assignment on writing their own top ten lists, then you know the book struck the right chord. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in enhancing children's interest in literature or for any adult that even remotely knows of David Letterman. It is a winner and I hope Mr. Derby has more to come. We're waiting for the next!