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Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters, by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Matthew Cordell, 2010, New York, NY: Square Fish. 272 pages. ISBN: 978-0312563578.
Series: Justin Case Series
Age/Interest Level: 7-9 years
Lexile Level: 790L
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: School is starting and everything feels off to Justin. Told through journal entries, Justin describes the trials and tribulations of a nervous third grader.
Plot Summary: Everything is going wrong for Justin Case. He’s just entering the third grade, where he didn’t get the teacher he wanted and none of his friends are in his class. Part of him wished he could be like his sister, Elizabeth, who is starting kindergarten. She doesn’t seem one bit nervous. Then again, Justin worries about everything, and he journals about it, too. From losing his favorite stuffed animal (which he can’t really talk about because he’s a little too old for stuffed animals) to a new dog to the frenzy of gym class and more. One thing is for sure: Third grade is going to be a long year.
Critical Evaluation: Justin Case is a highly sensitive character, which is not expressed nearly enough in literature at this level. He worries about everything. However, through the course of journaling, the reader finds him developing thoughts that things might not be so bad after all. This is a great exploration of the fact that many people do not automatically have confidence, and many times it can be a learned trait. Even for kids not struggling with those topics, this work provides insight into everyday nervousness and that, eventually, it does work out. This is great to showcase both coping with worrying as well as empathy for those that might express more trepidation.
Why Included: Justin Case is a highly unique character dealing with traditional third grade problems, sometimes to the extreme. The work is highlighted by fantastic illustrations which seem to almost be done by the hand of a nervous third grader, with small, precise pencil lines. Justin also lives in a household which celebrates both Christmas and Hanukah, which is an event not detailed in many works.
Series: Justin Case Series
Age/Interest Level: 7-9 years
Lexile Level: 790L
Awards: N/A
Reader Annotation: School is starting and everything feels off to Justin. Told through journal entries, Justin describes the trials and tribulations of a nervous third grader.
Plot Summary: Everything is going wrong for Justin Case. He’s just entering the third grade, where he didn’t get the teacher he wanted and none of his friends are in his class. Part of him wished he could be like his sister, Elizabeth, who is starting kindergarten. She doesn’t seem one bit nervous. Then again, Justin worries about everything, and he journals about it, too. From losing his favorite stuffed animal (which he can’t really talk about because he’s a little too old for stuffed animals) to a new dog to the frenzy of gym class and more. One thing is for sure: Third grade is going to be a long year.
Critical Evaluation: Justin Case is a highly sensitive character, which is not expressed nearly enough in literature at this level. He worries about everything. However, through the course of journaling, the reader finds him developing thoughts that things might not be so bad after all. This is a great exploration of the fact that many people do not automatically have confidence, and many times it can be a learned trait. Even for kids not struggling with those topics, this work provides insight into everyday nervousness and that, eventually, it does work out. This is great to showcase both coping with worrying as well as empathy for those that might express more trepidation.
Why Included: Justin Case is a highly unique character dealing with traditional third grade problems, sometimes to the extreme. The work is highlighted by fantastic illustrations which seem to almost be done by the hand of a nervous third grader, with small, precise pencil lines. Justin also lives in a household which celebrates both Christmas and Hanukah, which is an event not detailed in many works.