I'd place "The Dunderheads" by Paul Fleischman squarely in the Realistic genre. It definitely seems to be a "What if" kind of book with lots of humor, adventure, and suspense. I'd read it to any school age kid - I certainly think they would get the most our of it, up to about 5th grade. "The Dunderheads" is about a group of kids who have a seriously mean teacher, Miss Breakbone. Miss Breakbone tells them, "Never, have I been asked to teach such a scraping-together of fiddling, twiddling, time-squandering, mind-wandering, doodling, dozing, don't-knowing dunderheads!" She does not see or appreciate her kids' true talents. After she confiscates a very special cat figurine from one of the kids they all band together, use their talents, to get it back...from inside her house!I found this book to be so entertaining and endearing. It had a very "Goonies" sort of feel to it. I really love the colors that were chosen, the font, and the very detailed illustrations. This book is sure to resonate with anyone who has encountered a large, mean, adult in their life. This book could be used as a launching point for a writing assignment in which the kids have to write their own adventure story. A light, rather fantastic read about a group of students who have been dubbed "The Dunderheads" by their horrible teacher, largely because she believes they are useless. This motley crew proves they are far from useless when they enact an incredible plot to retrieve one poor boy's confiscated cat figurine. This was a speedy read that reminded me of Roald Dahl with it's portrayal of evil adults and plucky children. I found I wanted there to be more to the story so I could learn more about the kids, but this was a nice introduction to the group.
What do You think about The Dunderheads (2009)?
Funny story that would be appropriate for reluctant readers.
—srishx
Engaging illustrations. Great characters. A fun read.
—skinnyjeans
Another Bluestem book the kids will like.
—Thundercat4897
