99 pages 3 hours read

Andrew Clements

The School Story

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2001

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Introduction

The School Story

  • Genre: Fiction; middle grade realistic
  • Originally Published: 2001
  • Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 760L; grades 4-6
  • Structure/Length: 20 chapters; approx. 224 pages; approx. 3 hours, 17 minutes on audio
  • Protagonist and Central Conflict: Twelve-year-old Natalie Nelson and fellow sixth grader and best friend Zoe attempt to finagle a book deal for Natalie’s novel from Natalie’s mother, an editor at a publishing house, without revealing their true identities.
  • Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of parent

Andrew Clements, Author

  • Bio: Born in 1949; raised in Camden New Jersey and Springfield Illinois; vacationed in rural Maine where the lack of distraction allowed time to read; became an English teacher after graduating from Northwestern University; became interested in book publishing as a sales manager and editorial director; author of picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade novels; including educational titles and curricular materials, has authored over 80 books
  • Other Works: Frindle (1998); The Report Card (2006); No Talking (2009)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

  • The Power of Positive Thinking and Perseverance
  • Honesty vs Deceit
  • The Effects of Loss

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

  • Gain an understanding of the nuances attached to honesty and deceit by forming their own interpretations of the way The School Story engages with these concepts.
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