Tuesday 26 July 2016

A Week in the Woods - Andrew Clements

A Week in the Woods
Andrew Clements

Atheneum Books for Young Readers
A Division of Simon and Schuster

ISBN 9780689858024
ASIN B000FC0WLA



This is the fifth book by Andrew Clements I have read in as many weeks. I must state that I am very thankful that I discovered Andrew's writings this year. These are wonderful books That I enjoy reading and now have started reading with my children. This was the first one without some illustrations, yet even with that what an incredible story. Clements has a way of taking the reader into another mind, to looking at motives, actions, self-examination, and though that towards growth. In this case that growth is both in a teacher and a student. Like a number of his other books I have read it is set in 5th grade. 

This is the story of both Mr. Maxwell the science teacher and Mark Chelmsley IV. Both of them make some mistakes, both of them come to realizations and both of them are changed. In this book Mark's parents have money a lot of money, and they have bought and renovated a new home. The plan is for him to finish out 5th grade at a local school in Whitson, New Hampshire, and then next year Runyon Academy. But Marc is not bothering to try and fit in, he is bored in his classes, and feels like he is just putting in time. Mr. Maxwell tries to being him out of his shell and the two end up just clashing. Things come to a head during the outdoor education week. And here is where they both make more mistakes, but also have a chance to make amends. 

This book was an excellent read. I could hardly put it down and cannot wait to read it with my children. The book helps the reader reason through some tough questions with both Mr. Maxwell and Marc. I could hardly out the book down and raced through it desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

Growing up with a dual form of dyslexia I did not read a lot of books when I was younger, or recall having many read to me. I honestly believe If I had read more books like this one and others by Clements, that lessons I only learned later in life and with a higher cost would have come easier, and likely earlier. Andrew Clements books teach lessons, and those lessons are just as applicable to adults as to children. There are not a lot of books I read with my three children that I think I get more out of at the time of reading then the kids, but this is one of those books. I have become a big fan of Clements works and will be reading more of them soon. I give this book my highest recommendation.

Books by Andrew Clements:
Bird Adalbert
Noah and the Ark and the Animals
Santa's Secret Helper
Temple Cat
Mother Earth's Counting Book
Billy and the Bad Teacher
Who Owns the Cow
Bright Christmas: An Angel Remembers
Frindle 
(Adapter)Philipp's Birthday Book
Riff's BeBop Book
Real Monsters Go for the Mold
Things That Go EEK on Halloween
Real Monsters Stage Fright
Music Time, Any Time
Double Trouble in Walla Walla
Workshop
Gromble's Haunted Halloween
Hey Dad, Could I Borrow Your Hammer
The Landry News
Look Who's in the Thanksgiving Play
The Mouse Family
The Janitor's Boy
Circus Family Dog
The Christmas Kitten
The School Story
Things Not Seen 
The Jacket 
A Week in the Woods
Slippers at Home
Naptime for Slippers
The Report Card
The Last Holiday Concert
Slippers at School
Slippers Loves to Run
A Million Is a Lot of Dots
Lunch Money
Things Hoped For
Room One: A Mystery or Two
No Talking
Things That Are
Lost and Found
Extra Credit
Troublemaker
About Average
The Map Trap
The Friendship War
The Losers Club
...

Pets to the Rescue Series
Ringo Saves the Day!
Brave Norman
Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends
Delores and the Big Fire

Jake Drake Series
Jake Drake Know-It-All
Jake Drake, Bully Buster
Jake Drake, Teacher's Pet
Jake Drake, Class Clown

Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School Series
We the Children
Fear Itself
The Whites of Their Eyes
In Harm's Way
We Hold These Truths

Reading program Books
Karen's Island
Three Wishes for Buster
Bill Picket: An American Original, Texas Style
Hurricane Andrew
Ham and Eggs for Jack
Life in the Desert
Desert Treasure
Inventors: Making Things Better, Steck-Vaughn
Milo's Great Invention


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