The school story

Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 4-7. Twelve-year-old Natalie, a gifted writer, knows better than most how difficult it is for new authors to be published; her mother is a children's book editor. So she's unprepared when her best friend, Zoe, reads a few chapters of Natalie's new book and is determined to get it published. Clements' story of how two 12-year-olds sell a book is amazingly believable, and his characters are as real as the reader's best friends. Children will connect with thoughtful, talented Natalie as she comes to terms with her father's death through her story, and with brash, loyal Zoe, who gets things done. They'll be drawn quickly into the story's action as the girls plan, connive, write and rewrite, and ultimately celebrate the book's publication. Brian Selznick's occasional illustrations add zest. Be prepared for kids lining up to read this one. --Chris Sherman

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In a starred review, PW called this book about a 12-year-old aspiring author a "standout. Indeed a `school story,' this is at heart a tale about the love between a father and a daughter." Ages 8-12. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-When sixth-grader Natalie Nelson learns that school stories are always in demand at the publishing company where her mother is an editor, she instantly thinks, "Hey, who knows more about school than someone who's right there, five days a week, nine months a year?" Natalie, already an aspiring writer, is inspired to write a novel with this setting. She has no further plans until her best friend reads it. Zoe, a go-getter who never takes no for an answer, loves the book and schemes to get it published. The rapidly escalating plan involves pseudonyms for both of them, Zoe acting as Natalie's agent, corralling an English teacher to help, and a publication party with media present before the author's identity is revealed. The girls are believable characters, completely different, yet better friends because of it. Selznick's black-and-white illustrations add humorous details. A comic novel that's a sure winner.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

(Intermediate) Like the author's popular Frindle (rev. 11/96), here's a story about a young hero who takes on the adult world and triumphs. Frindle's Nick invented a word; School Story's Natalie writes a whole book and gets it published under the eye of her unsuspecting mother, children's book editor Hannah Nelson, who only knows that she has an exciting manuscript from an unknown author. Natalie's story, ""The Cheater,"" is just what the publisher ordered+a school story. Hannah's explanation of the genre fits Clements's book as well: ""a short novel about kids and stuff that happens mostly at school."" After reading Natalie's novel-in-progress, best friend Zoe is full of plans and chutzpah to get Natalie published. The more cautious Natalie insists they recruit their sixth-grade English teacher Ms. Clayton to advise, and thus is born the ""publishing club"" and two useful pseudonyms: Cassandra Day (Natalie) and Zee Zee Reisman (Zoe, reborn as Natalie's literary agent). Clements's storytelling is as good as Natalie's as he confidently charts the motives and actions of the two girls, their teacher, and Natalie's mom to make the scheme seem entirely plausible and its deviousness almost wholesome. Fun of a slightly more wicked kind can be found in the portrayal of Hannah Nelson's boss, the aptly named Letha: ""Letha was never a picnic to work for, but when she was like this, things got broken, things like vases and computers+and careers."" Family read-aloud and publishing comedy are two genres you don't often see brought together, but that's exactly what Clements has done here. Occasional pencil illustrations by Brian Selznick are warm and, where warranted, witty. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A world-class charmer, Clements (The Janitor’s Boy, 2000, etc.) woos aspiring young authors—as well as grown up publishers, editors, agents, parents, teachers, and even reviewers—with this tongue-in-cheek tale of a 12-year-old novelist’s triumphant debut. Sparked by a chance comment of her mother’s, a harried assistant editor for a (surely fictional) children’s imprint, Natalie draws on deep reserves of feeling and writing talent to create a moving story about a troubled schoolgirl and her father. First, it moves her pushy friend Zoe, who decides that it has to be published; then it moves a timorous, second-year English teacher into helping Zoe set up a virtual literary agency; then, submitted pseudonymously, it moves Natalie’s unsuspecting mother into peddling it to her waspish editor-in-chief. Depicting the world of children’s publishing as a delicious mix of idealism and office politics, Clements squires the manuscript past slush pile and contract, the editing process, and initial buzz (“The Cheater grabs hold of your heart and never lets go,” gushes Kirkus). Finally, in a tearful, joyous scene—carefully staged by Zoe, who turns out to be perfect agent material: cunning, loyal, devious, manipulative, utterly shameless—at the publication party, Natalie’s identity is revealed as news cameras roll. Selznick’s gnomic, realistic portraits at once reflect the tale’s droll undertone and deftly capture each character’s distinct personality. Terrific for flourishing school writing projects, this is practical as well as poignant. Indeed, it “grabs hold of yourheart and never lets go.” (Fiction. 10-12)

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Chapter 1: Fan Number One Natalie couldn't take it. She peeked in the doorway of the school library, then turned, took six steps down the hall, turned, paced back, and stopped to look in at Zoe again. The suspense was torture. Zoe was still reading. The first two chapters only added up to twelve pages. Natalie leaned against the door frame and chewed on her thumbnail. She thought, What's taking her so long? Zoe could see Natalie out of the corner of her eye. She could feel all that nervous energy nudging at her, but Zoe wasn't about to be rushed. She always read slowly, and she liked it that way, especially when it was a good story. And this one was good. The Cheater by Natalie Nelson page 12 I catch up with Sean between Eighty-second and Eighty-first Streets. His legs are longer than mine, so I'm panting. I grab his arm and he stops in front of a bodega. He says, "Why are you following me?" "I've got to talk to you." "Yeah, well, too bad. You had your chance to talk during the Penalty Board hearing. And you didn't." "But if I told the truth, then the whole school would know I cheated. I'd get expelled." He just looks at me. "But you really did cheat, right?...And I really didn't steal that answer key, right?...And you know I didn't steal it because you did, right?" I nod yes to all the questions. Sean is almost shouting now, his eyes wild. "So first you steal, then you cheat, and now you've lied. And me? You've left me to take the punishment." The shopkeeper is worried. He moves from the counter to the doorway of the bodega, looking at us. Sean ignores him and gets right into my face, screaming. "Well, guess what, Angela. We're not friends now -- and I don't know if we ever were!" He storms away, hands jammed in his pockets, shoulders hunched, stabbing the sidewalk with every step. Me, I cry. Zoe let page twelve slip onto the table and then stared at it, deep in thought. "So, what do you think?" Natalie was right behind her, and Zoe jumped six inches. "Jeez, Natalie! Scare me to death! And you ruined a nice moment too." "But what do you think? Is it any good?" Zoe nodded. "I think it's very good." "Really?" Natalie pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning forward. "I mean, you're not just saying that because we're best friends?" Zoe shook her head. "No, I mean it. It's good. Like I can't wait to read the whole thing. Can you bring the rest tomorrow?" Natalie smiled and reached into her backpack. She pulled out a blue folder with a rubber band around it. "Here. I've still got to write about five more chapters. I just needed to know if the beginning was any good, but you can read what I've got done if you want." Zoe took the folder carefully and said, "This is great. But you are going to finish it, right? Do you know the whole story already -- like all the way to the end?" Natalie said, "Not all the way to the end...but almost. I know how the end feels, but not exactly what happens -- at least, not yet." Natalie's book had begun by accident on the bus with her mom late one afternoon back in September. Sixth grade was already three weeks old, and both she and her mom had settled into the routine of commuting together. It was a Friday afternoon, and they were going home on the 5:55 coach, thundering through the Lincoln Tunnel from New York City to Hoboken, New Jersey. Her mom looked exhausted. Natalie studied the face tilted toward her on the headrest. It was a pretty face -- Prettier than mine, she thought. But there were little lines at the corners of her mother's eyes and mouth. Care lines, worry lines. Natalie said, "Hard day, Mom?" Eyes still closed, her mom smiled and nodded. "The editorial department met all day with the marketing department -- all day." Natalie asked, "How come?" When her dad died, Natalie had decided she needed to talk to her mom more. Sometimes she pretended to be interested in her mom's work at the publishing company even when she wasn't. Like now. Her mom said, "Well, the marketing people keep track of what kinds of books kids and parents and teachers are buying. Then they tell us, and we're supposed to make more books like the ones they think people will buy." Natalie said, "Makes sense. So, what kinds of books do they want you to make?" Hannah Nelson lifted her head off the seat back and turned toward Natalie. "Here's the summary of a six-hour meeting. Ready?" Natalie nodded. Her mom used a deep voice that sounded bossy. "People, we need to publish more adventure books, more series books, and more school stories." In her regular voice she said, "That was it. A six-hour meeting for something that could have gone into a one-page memo -- or a three-line E-mail." Then Natalie asked, "What's a school story?" "A school story is just what it sounds like -- it's a short novel about kids and stuff that happens mostly at school." Natalie thought for a second and then said, "You mean like Dear Mr. Henshaw?" And her mom said, "Exactly." Then Natalie said to herself, Hey, who knows more about school than someone who's right there, five days a week, nine months a year? I bet I could write a school story. And that was all it took. Natalie Nelson the novelist was born. Or almost born. Her career as an author didn't officially spring to life until about four months later -- on that afternoon in the school library after Zoe read the first two chapters. Because it's the same for every new author, for every new book. Somebody has to be the first to read it. Somebody has to be the first to say she likes it. Somebody has to be that first fan. And of course, that was Zoe. Text copyright © 2001 by Andrew Clements Excerpted from The School Story by Andrew Clements All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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