What do You think about Gooney Bird Greene (2004)?
An eccentrically-dressed and apparently over-imaginative second grade girl, Gooney Bird, comes to a new school and entrances the other students (and teacher) with her surprising, “absolutely true” stories. With her deliberate, exact way of speaking and unusual phrasing, she describes her stories before telling them in ways that make it seem as though they’ll be tall tales – but there is always a humorous, prosaic explanation. For example, “I was in jail when this happened” actually refers to Gooney Bird playing Monopoly and having landed on that square on the board; and getting a reward from “the prince” at “the palace” turns out to mean something quite different, though similar-sounding. The same goes for “driving from China” and “arriving on a flying carpet.”It’s a humorous, very brief book that also serves as instruction to children on how to formulate interesting stories, as well as to encourage them to believe that everyone has a story to tell. I enjoyed the clever twists of language that revealed what Gooney Bird’s stories were really about, as well as the demonstration of how well “write what you know” can go when served by expressive language. I did not at all like Gooney Bird’s personality, which is smug and self-satisfied, her too-adult speech patterns, or how she is portrayed as more clever and authoritative than the teacher of the class. I think that’s a terrible example for kids who already often think they know more than they do.
—Ensiform
There’s never been anyone like Gooney Bird Greene at Watertower Elementary School. What other new kid comes to school wearing pajamas and cowboy boots one day and a polka-dot t-shirt and tutu on another? Gooney Bird has to sit right smack in the middle of the class because she likes to be in the middle of everything. She is the star of story time and keeps her teacher and classmates on the edge of their seats with her “absolutely true” stories. But what about her classmates? Do they have stories good enough to share?
—Christy
Gooney Bird Greene is a new student at Watertower Elementary, who comes to school wearing pajamas and cowboy boots, among many other interesting clothes the following days. From her first day of school, she always wants to be the center of attention; whether that is wearing unique clothes or sitting in the middle of the classroom. When her teacher allows students to tell a story, Gooney is able to keep the classroom on their seats with her "absolutely true" stories, even though they seem anything but true. Gooney is able to extend the facts with her wordplay which creates a very intriguing story time. Low and behold, the stories unfold when her audience finally grasps what she is talking about in her stories. I thought this book was very imaginative and fun to read. I would definitely read this to a variety of ages (first grade all the way to fourth graders). The children can relate to this book because it is set in an elementary school inside a second grade classroom. I also loved the illustrations because of the cartoon style that is drawn throughout the book. It helps give the story a humorous vibe which made me laugh and would definitely give younger students a chuckle.
—Barrett
