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Read Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon (2006)

Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon (2006)

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Genre
Series
Rating
4.19 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0142406198 (ISBN13: 9780142406199)
Language
English
Publisher
puffin books

Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon (2006) - Plot & Excerpts

Amber Brown, Justin's best friend since preschool. Now in third grade, everything is going to change. It is not uncommon in Mr. Cohen's class to go on a "trip" to a faraway place. They have make-believe passports, chairs lined up as the airplane, a pilot and co-pilot, and of course peanuts. After their flight they go back to the classroom to do a scrap book about their trip to China, and make up post cards to send from China. They send a postcard to Justin's dad who is living in Alabama right now with his new job. Justin's family will be moving to Alabama once their house is sold here in New Jersey. This book describes the events that can happen to two best friends when changes are coming. Moving is something that they are both very disturbed about but are not communicating very well with each other. The author makes both characters easy to relate to and understand their hesitations. He talks about the "waiting period" and when that is finally over what to do now?!! The author, Danziger, also talks about divorce and the complications a child can face in those circumstances. With most households being either one parent or step parents, it helps children relate to the characters more. The resolution to the problem the children face, not living next to one another anymore and in different states, they come to a very plausible resolution, that most children can associate with. This book would be a great read for young adults. It is not a long book, it does have pictures, it is relative to real life and can bring great discussion in a peer group. As a teacher I would have the children write a review on the book and then explain a situation where they had to come up with a proper resolution and how they handled the outcome. Also, exploring the idea of going on a "trip" in the classroom would be a very creative way to allow students to travel around the world and write about it!

This book is the story of Amber Brown. She is a third grader who is dealing with the issue of her best friend Justin Daniels moving away. Amber is a messy, awkward girl who is dealing with many things as a third grader. She gets picked on because of her brown hair and everyone teasing her by saying "Amber Brown is a crayon." This book is a cute story of friendship. This story is a realistic fiction and falls under the humorous and relationship subtypes of the genre. There is a clear setting and plot as well as theme that are presented throughout the story. The characters resemble real people in our world. I used to be very similar to Amber Brown because I was an awkward messy child. The friendship between her and Justin resembles that of a real life childhood friendship. The events in the story are very plausible and could very likely happen in real life. Children reading this book could very easily believe that an arguement could occur between best friends. The plot resolution that occurs is very believable. There was no certain way in which the plot was twisted to convince the readers that something different was going to happen in the story. I really liked this story as it hit home for me. I was that awkward kid who went through the friendship loss when a friend moved away. Overall, this is a great story that can be used to teach several lessons in the classroom.

What do You think about Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon (2006)?

I think this is a great book how two friends stayed together through good and bad times while they were growing up. Amber Brown and Justin Daniels have been best friends since preschool. They always sit next to each other in school and helped each other with homework. They were so close that they even know what each other were thinking and they always stuck up for each other. Justin is moving and it was hard on Amber. Her parents got a divorce which was hard for her, but Justin was there to help, but now since he is moving she doesn't know what to do. During this time Amber tried to talk to Justin about the move, but he didn't want anything to do with her. They whined up fighting and stop speaking to each other. Amber's mom helped her understand that people go through difficult situations in different ways like pretending that it isn't happening. Amber comes to an understanding that her friendship is strong with Justin and just because he is acting that way doesn't mean that they are not friends still. Just is really sad over the situation, but that is how is handling it. Since Amber acknowledges the situation they make up and enjoy the last few days together.
—Dollytomp

Danziger, P. (1994). Amber Brown is Not a Crayon. New York: Puffin Books.0142406198Third grader, Amber Brown has fun in class on a pretend trip to China with her best friend, Justin. But as Justin and his family prepare to move to another state, Amber begins to worry. Making matters worse, Justin refuses to talk about his approaching departure. She, Amber Brown is also dealing with the underlying tension of her parents’ recent divorce.Amber’s voice feels authentic. Although her character is in the third grade in this book, the story could be shared with a younger reader who is slowly transitioning to longer chapter novels.And if a student loves it, there's a whole series they can enjoy.Activities to do with the book:This is a good series to help transition young readers to chapter books. If a student liked Junie B. Jones (reviewed previously here), this would be a good follow up for slightly older readers since this series has fewer pictures and Amber is a little older. Although, this book would be great for first and second graders. From there, a student could graduate to Ramona Quimby and on.A teacher could base lessons off of the way Amber’s teacher conducts his lessons. A teacher could have pretend trips to other countries to introduce lessons.Favorite Quotes:“In just ten minutes, our entire class is getting on a plane for our flight to China.I, Amber Brown, am one very excited third grader” (p. 5).“When my parents got a divorce, my dad moved far away, to another country, so I never get to see him and he hardly ever calls” (p. 17).“Fractions are not my favorite thing.In fact, they are one of my least favorite things. The only things I hate more are 1) Brussels sprouts, 2) watching kids pick their noses and eat the snot and 3) having people I love leave” (p. 47).For more of my reviews, visit sjkessel.blogspot.com.
—Shel

Realistic FictionThis book is an excellent choice for upper elementary school students because it is written from the perspective of Amber Brown, a third grader who speaks her mind. Students will be able to relate to her experiences and feelings and make connections to their own lives. In this book, Amber's best friend Justin has to move away because of his dad's job. She and Justin are both heartbroken and don't want to leave each other, but neither of them will admit it. Throughout the book, Amber shares her feelings of sadness and fear, mixed in with her quirky sense of humor. The setting of the book is Amber's third grade classroom and her and Justin's homes.I would use this book in my classroom as an independent reading choice. It is appropriate for both girls and boys, and the reading level is appropriate for most 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. This book could go along with a class discussion on big changes in life, such as moving away or making new friends. Students could write about a change they've experienced in their lives and how they handled it.I think that kids would love Amber's witty personality and unique outlook on situations. She has a hilarious sense of humor that made me laugh out loud. This book is heartwarming and relatable, and has something to offer a wide variety of readers.
—Eliza Thomas

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