Timothy Goes to School

Written by Rosemary Wells

Narrated by Dan Diggles

Timothy learns about "fitting in" and making friends during the first week of his first year of school.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Weston Woods
• Release date: Jan 1, 1994
• ISBN: 9780545836470

Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than thirty years and 120 books, including Hand in Hand and Kit and Kaboodle. She has won numerous awards and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Reviews for Timothy Goes to School

[kfisher524 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a boy named Timothy. In the beginning, timothy is so excited for his first day of school. When he gets to school, he is faced with a boy named Claude. No matter how hard Timothy tries, Claude is always rude and making fun of Timothy's clothes. Then, One day he meets a girl named Violet. She had been treated the same way. Once they became friends Claude didn't matter to them any more.

[rjones34 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Summary: "Timothy Goes to School" is about how Timothy's first couple of days at school are ruined by a boy named Claude. Claude is good at everything and he teases Timothy about the clothes he wear. Timothy tries to changes his clothes based what Claude had said but it never works and Claude continues to taunt Timothy. However, one day Timothy meets Violet who is dealing with the same thing and they become good friends. Timothy no longer worries about Claude. Review: In my opinion, this book does not give the best example when dealing with mean people. Also, I believe story shows that it is okay for people to be jealous and wish bad on others. For example, the story tells how everyday Timothy wishes Claude will mess up or fall because Claude talked about Timothy's clothes. Instead of teaching readers to ignore mean comments, it just promotes how to let another person ruin your day. The central message of this story was to find a person you connect with and stop worrying about others. In the end of the story, Timothy became friends with Violet and stopped letting Claude ruin his day.

[emilyann93 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading this book because it is talking about Timothy's first day of school. He is so excited to start school. His mother makes him a brand new sunsuit to wear on the first day of class. In this book, Timothy tires to become friends with "perfect" Claude, but Claude isn't friendly at all. Claude always tell Timothy he isn't wearing the right clothes and doesn't have that many of friends. Towards the end of the book, Timothy meets a girl named violet. Violet feels the same way as Timothy does towards a girl named Grace. These two become the best of friends and talk about how much they really don't like Claude and Grace. I feel like this can happen in a real life situation because every kid is not going to get along with everyone.

[ekrzys1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The book was from 1981, so the pictures were not as inviting. I did like the lesson of the story, which was making new friends at school. I think it would be a great book to use in a preschool or kindergarten classroom, since many students are nervous about the first day of school and making new friends.SUMMARY: Timothy meets Claude at school on his first day and Claude makes fun of what he is wearing. Timothy got upset and so his mother gave him another outfit the next day. This went on for a few days. Timothy felt bad about himself, especially because Claude was good at everything he did. Then, he met Violet, who was in a similar situation with her friend, Grace. Timothy and Violet become friends through their common situation.

[jgiann2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, this is a great book to use for independent or group reading in the classroom. The use of dialogue makes it easy for children to take turns reading with a partner. I like this book for several reasons. First, the language was very clear and easy to understand. I believe this is because the great use of dialogue. I find that dialogue makes stories easy to follow, engaging, and relatable. The reader becomes more involved in the story and feels as if they are there with the characters. Second, the writing was very organized and paced well. Text is always located under the illustrations in this story and there are two to three lines per page. Third, the characters and their situations are believable, and the main character, Timothy, is well developed. Timothy is experiencing his first week of school and the anxieties that come with it. This is very relatable to young children in kindergarten or first grade who are arriving at a brand new school for the first time. Students who moved to a new school can also relate to Timothy and the problems he faces with making new friends and adjusting to a new environment. Fourth, although the illustrations are simple and not flamboyant, the pictures still fit the written text. On the page that states, “Timothy did not feel better in his new football shirt,” the illustration shows Timothy looking sadly down on his jersey, exemplifying his unhappiness towards not fitting in. Fifth, the plot involves a great conflict, in which Timothy tries to find the perfect outfit to wear in attempts to impress the popular student and become friends with him. However, this student continuously rejects him each day, which greatly upsets Timothy. I enjoy this conflict because many students can relate to rejection, feeling left out, and peer pressure in school. The solution to this conflict is that Timothy finds a friend struggling with this same problem, and they eventually become best friends and no longer find the need to fit in with others. This is evident on the last page, which states, “On the way home Timothy and Violet laughed so much about Claude and Grace that they both got the hiccups.” I really like this ending because it pushes readers to understand that popularity is not everything. You should never try to change yourself for others who do not respect you. The big idea of the story is true friends will accept you for who you are and not how you look. I believe this is a great message to teach children, especially in today’s society where peer pressure takes control of several students of all ages.

[johnsonm4 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I chose this book because the illustrations grabbed my attention because they were detailed and vivid drawings. This book uses repetition to show Timothy's daily experiences at school. Each day, a classmate named Claud would point out a flaw in his clothing. Therefore, every day he wished the worst for Claud. In the end, he became friends with a girl named Violet because they both had a common interest--they were both jealous of a classmate. I did not like the moral of the story.

[malindahodgson-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like this book. It is about a raccoon, Timothy, who goes to school on the first day and gets made fun. By the end of the story Timothy finds a friend who is very similar to him. This is a nice book for students to read who are having difficulty making friends.

[kellylpickett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Timothy is a young raccoon who is on his way to his first day of school. WHen his gets there his teacher introduces him to Clause who she assures will be his best friend. Claude ends up being the kid in class who seems to do everything perfectly and has all the friends when Timothy does not. Everyday he hopes that things will be different and that Claude will do something wrong, but it never happens. During a recital program where Claude is plying the saxophone, Timothy sits next to Violet who feels the same way about Grace that Timothy feels about Claude. They quickly become fast friends.This is a great book to use with students on their very first day of school. It addresses many of the fears that young children have about meeting friends and feeling included. It reassures them that everyone fits in somewhere and there will always be someone that you have something in common with.

[kidlit9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Timothy learns about being accepted and making friends during the first week of his first year at school.

[racheich · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about Timothy who gets made fun of by Claude at school. Somehow Timothy never wears the "right" thing to school which Claude always points out. Claude was also really talented and smart and it made Timothy feel unaccepted. Eventually, Timothy realizes that there is another person in the class that is in the same situation as him. Violet had a friend at school who was also very talented and seem smarter then her. Timothy and Violet became good friends after they found out what they had in common.

[mcgoldsmith · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a little racoon named Timothy who goes to school everyday and is made fun of my a classmate about what he is wearing. Everyday, Timothy goes home and asks his mom if he can wear something different. One day, Timothy overhears someone say that she too, is fed up with a someone who bullies her. From that day on they become the best of friends and realize that there will always be bullies, but there will also be someone who understands being bullied.

[alprince_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a book about Timothy who is starting school. He is all excited about going to school on the first day. When he gets there the teacher introduces him to Claude. Claude was not nice to Timothy and so Timothy began to feel discourage. When Timothy went home that day and his mom asked how school was Timothy told her that no wears a sun suit on the first day. His mom made him new clothes and after a while he met Violet. They both played together and became good friends. This is a good first day read-aloud for children in kindergarten.

[jlowens4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would read the book, "Timothy Goes To School" to kindergarten or first graders. The book begins with a little boy Timothy going to school and he was so excited because his mom had made him a new outfit. When Timothy got to school another little boy told him you do not wear that to school on the first day. So Timothy went home crying to his mommy that no one at school like his new outfit. This went on for the first three days of school. On that Friday Timothy met a new friend who loved what he wore so they became best friends. I think that this book teaches students a very important lesson. First we should not judge others on what they look like or wear. Next when someone is making fun of you for what you are wearing just move on and find another friend. I really enjoyed reading this book and think it would be a great book for a teacher's library.