Gooney Bird Greene

Have you ever met that uber-confident child?  The one who knows who she is and is not afraid to be herself?  Gooney Bird Greene is such a child.  Her presence lights up the classroom.  Everyone looks forward to seeing her and hearing her stories.

The kind of confidence Gooney Bird exhibits is endearing in a second-grader, but would be irritating in an 11th-grader.  I’m glad author Lois Lowry made Gooney Bird a second-grader.  As such, she’s a delight.

And while she insists on having everyone’s attention, she also shows remarkable maturity in giving up the spotlight when she’s told all her stories, and helping her classmates discover their own stories to tell.

So, Gooney Bird Greene is a wonderfully funny book to read – with hints of Amelia-Bedelia-like mistakes in understanding the meanings of words, demonstrations & slight explanations of what makes a good story, ” ‘I’ve explained before,’ she said, ‘about the world suddenly.  It makes things exciting.’ “, and Fancy-Nancy-esque dressing by Gooney Bird.

Highly recommended for ages 4 (as a read-aloud) to 10.