Clementine

Written by Sara Pennypacker

Narrated by Jessica Almasy

A New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the 2007 Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor • A 2006 School Library Journal Best Book of Year • A 2006 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

 

This delightful New York Times bestselling chapter book series, from the award-winning author of Pax, is a modern classic that has been keeping readers engaged and laughing as they follow the hijinks of Clementine, a clever and quirky third grader who’s the most spectacular friend around. Perfect for fans of Amelia Bedelia and Ivy + Bean!

 

Clementine is NOT having a good week.

 

On Monday she’s sent to the principal’s office for cutting off Margaret’s hair. On Tuesday, Margaret’s mother is mad at her. On Wednesday, she’s sent to the principal, again. On Thursday, Margaret stops speaking to her. Then Friday starts with yucky eggs and only gets worse. And by Saturday, even her mother is mad at her.

 

Okay, fine. Clementine is having a DISASTROUS week. But maybe she can find a way to make it better.

 

*"A delightful addition to any beginning chapter-book collection."—School Library Journal, starred review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781449802462

Sara Pennypacker

Sara Pennypacker is the author of the New York Times bestselling Pax and Pax, Journey Home; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels Summer of the Gypsy Moths and Here in the Real World. She divides her time between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Florida. You can visit her online at sarapennypacker.com.

Reviews for Clementine

[imperfectcj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this aloud to my kids. It was a quick read (three nights total). We enjoyed Clementine's antics and the plays on words and youthful misunderstandings. I loved her solution the pigeon problem, even though I find it unlikely that her father wouldn't have picked up on the problem to begin with. My children loved the vegetable names she gave her brother. The ending was perhaps a little too happy for me, but my kids liked it. I prefer the more nuanced endings of Beverly Cleary's books. They prepare children better for the mixed blessings of real life.

[Chickering Odato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was just so so so so so so great!

[tripleblessings_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A humourous series of stories about a girl in grade three, with a similar style to the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, and old-fashioned ink drawings by Marla Frazee. Entertaining and likeable, recommended for kids in grades 2 to 4.

[estherfilbrun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn’t expect to fall in love with this series like I did! When Mom initially recommended the story to me, I listened to it, but while I enjoyed it, I didn’t get too much out of it. Later, however, I listened to it again with the rest of the family—and that’s when I realized the brilliance of the story! This is a series that is best enjoyed with others, in my opinion (although, in saying that, I believe the 7-10 year old age range would love reading this book to themselves).

Clementine is such a unique character. I love the way she looks at the world, and how she loves her family and friends—and how much she’ll do to try to help them, even when the “help” isn’t always done the right way! She reminds me a bit of Pippi Longstocking and Anne of Green Gables, not completely irresponsible, but sometimes finding herself ending up with unintended consequences.

A fun, short story, this is a series I’d love to add to our shelves one day, and I’m sure it will be a treasured family story long into the future!

[adaq-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Recommended for kids or for read-aloud with their parents. Very funny book about the trials and travails of third-grader Clementine and her maybe-best friend Margaret and their hair and the pigeons on their building. Similar vein as Ivy and Bean.

[cubsfan3410 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh my darling Clementine!!!! This was SUCH a GREAT juvenile book. I laughed so hard a few times I almost wet my pants.
I can't wait to read the rest of these books!!!!!

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very cute chapter book - kind of like a more modern Ramona.

[ishanella · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clementine is a young, spunky girl who is always in trouble even when she isn’t trying. As the story opens, Clementine finds herself in the principle’s office because she cut off her best-friend, Margaret’s, hair. She didn’t do this because she was being bad, she did it because she was trying to help Margaret, but no one else sees it her way!

Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine is a wonderfully funny and entertaining tale about third-grader Clementine, who sees the world a little differently than others might expect. As Sara showed us the inner workings of Clementine’s thought-process, I couldn’t help but laugh at the crazy situations in which she found herself.

This story is lightly illustrated and easy for young readers to read out loud or to themselves. Clementine, while sounding intelligent, speaks like a young child and young children will be able to relate to the things she’s feeling and the situations she finds herself in. Clementine is also kind and caring, which makes her a good role-model for children, especially those with younger siblings. I think parents will find that Clementine is a good choice of their young readers.

[laviniarossetti · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was quite a short one, and very easy to read, for I only picked it up in the library for five minutes and was finished in fifteen! I think Sara Pennypacker is hilarious and very good at getting the characters interested, even if it is just a quick-read. It is mainly about Clementine and her sort-of-friend-sort-of-enemy Margaret, who could be unreasonable at times. She was also very clean and spotless, and quite sloppy and spoilt at her work. When, of course, she got the slightest bit of glue in her hair, she tripped to the bathroom to try and get it out with scissors. Unfortunately for her, she accidentally cut off the whole left-hand side fringe of it. Clementine followed her in, worried, after a short while.
But the prig nine-year-old girl did not know anything at all spreading things out evenly. She sniffed out to Clementine, “Chop off the other right-hand side of the fringe. I’m sure it’ll look nicer than it all by alone.” So the loyal little girl did, but was not very talented at chopping other people’s hair off, and it was in spikes. Soon she was told to chop off the whole lot, and she did; and then, whence she was home, she felt sorry for Margaret, and cut off her own. Silly, most utterly silly Clementine!
Her father owned the flat apartments. Margaret lived in one of the flats, too. The key to getting people to live in your block is to make it look pretty. Unfortunately, there were a bunch of evil pigeons making a great mess from their behind on the steps, and the carved lion head, and the posh marble pillars outside. But Clementine was very clever. What do you think she would do next? What would her instincts tell her? Join her on her adventures to find out the answers.

[gmorgan14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Genre: Early Chapter Book, Realistic Fiction
Media: Pastels and Pencil
Use: This would be a great book to start taking a student from reading early chapter books with unconnected chapters to early chapter books and beyond with connected chapters.
Critique: Super cute early chapter book. I like that it is a female character but a lot of the things she does is around things boys would typically get in trouble for so it seems relatable to all students. It definitely has a good story about how to deal with weeks that just feel out of control.

[lquilter_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Recommended for kids or for read-aloud with their parents. Very funny book about the trials and travails of third-grader Clementine and her maybe-best friend Margaret and their hair and the pigeons on their building. Similar vein as Ivy and Bean.

[kornelas1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This chapter book bursts with personality and the quirky adventures of a young girl, Clementine, who is struggling, like every other child, to make sense of the world and do the right thing. In class, she pays too much attention to all the things that others overlook, like a lady in the park eating lentils with a toothbrush; however, despite this, she is always being told to ‘Pay attention!’ and gets sent to the Principal’s office almost every day as a result. It is this type of loveable misbehavior that endears Clementine to readers and makes her so personable. The simplistic sentence structure is fitting for early readers switching to chapter books, and the tendency for these to resemble trains of thought keeps them from being boringly simple at the same time. Throughout there are black-and-white illustrations that bring up memories of the simplistic joys of childhood, such as cartwheels and small telling evidences of innocent misadventures. Recommended for purchase. Ages 7 and up.

[tierneyc-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clementine. By Sara Pennypacker. With pictures by Marla Frazee. Hyperion Books for Children. 2006. 136 pages. $14.99 hbk. 0786838825. Grades 2-5.

Clementine is having a tough week: the haircut she gives her friend Margaret is not well-received, she has managed to land herself in the principal’s office twice, and to top it all off, it sounds like her parents are thinking of getting rid of her… But her amusing predicaments and misunderstandings are all punctuated by Clementine’s well-intentioned earnestness (ushering the work into a long and proud tradition of girls who always seem to be getting into scrapes despite their best efforts). Clementine is an immensely likable protagonist, full of youthful curiosity and an authentically child-like perspective. Little vignettes of her week nonetheless offer a clear story arc, making the work an excellent transitional chapter books for young readers. Frazee’s highly emotive black and white line drawings, interspersed throughout the work, help visualize the text and enhance the story (there is much giggling to be had at the drawings of Clementine and Margaret’s DIY haircuts!). Pennypacker creates an endearing, insular world: each character is delicately humanized through Clementine’s point of view by her deft writing. More than suitable for individual reading, Clementine would also make a delightful read-aloud to an older elementary crowd, as its humor will be heightened by the shared experience.

[krmajor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

8-year-old Clementine just wishes everyone would understand that she’s just trying to help. When she helps cut off her friend Margaret’s hair, it’s only because Margaret cut it first, and she’s trying to help. Likewise, when Clementine draws hair on Margaret with her mother’s markers, she’s still just trying to help. Plus, everyone keeps telling her to pay attention, and Clementine is clearly paying attention to the fact the lunch lady is kissing the janitor in her car, but it seems as though no one else is paying attention.

Readers will be easily delighted by the mischievous adventures of Clementine. Despite her antics, however, Clementine clearly is not a troublemaker for the sake of being a troublemaker; for instance, in order to make up for her transgressions against Margaret, she crafts Margaret a hat with all of her favorite things glued onto it. Her insistence on calling her little brother a vegetable name (she’s named after a fruit after all), and naming her cat Polka Dottie’s kittens after things she finds in the bathroom (Margaret’s cat, who’s Polka Dottie’s kitten, is named Mascara) are all charming little details that make Clementine downright endearing. The black and white drawings that are interspersed throughout the book showcase Clementine’s zany expressions, and also allow for readers to not be so intimidated by the book’s size. Clementine is a spirited girl, but she’s also charming, and readers will find themselves wishing they had a friend like Clementine. Highly recommended. Grades 1-4.

[kottenbrookk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This character-driven transitional novel uses a clever narrative and expressive illustrations to tell the story of Clementine, a rambunctious young girl who is having a terrible week. Throughout the story, Clementine struggles to maintain her friendship with Margaret, a friend who lives in the apartment building owned by Clementine’s father, while also maintaining her own identity. Clementine becomes convinced that her bad behavior has driven her parents to get rid of her, but is reminded of how much her family and friends appreciate her in the end. Though the plot feels chaotic at times, containing several sub-plots such as the father’s war against pigeons and Clementine’s grief over the loss of her cat, themes of friendship, self-confidence, and creativity are woven throughout. Each character has a well-developed personality, and the reader is sure to find them comfortingly familiar. The thoughtful portrayal of Clementine’s supportive parents encourages trust in adults, and young girls, especially, will see themselves or someone they know in Clementine and Margaret. The story’s gentle approbation of Clementine’s bad behavior reinforces good behavior in a constructive way, while Clementine’s ability to solve problems on her own encourages creativity. The dialogue, including Clementine’s narration, is fresh and entertaining. Simple line drawings scattered throughout illustrate the story, but do not advance the plot. The large, wide-spaced print is organized in short paragraphs and chapters. Clementine’s engaging plot and well-rounded characters make it a story that will appeal to young readers and their parents. Recommended. Grades 3-6.

[alovett-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clementine’s week keeps getting worse. No one seems to understand that Clementine is the only trying to help when she cuts off her friend Margaret’s hair and draws it back on with a permanent marker, or when she lays on the floor in the principal’s office to help look for ceiling snakes, or when she cuts off her own hair so Margaret does not have to be the only one with no hair. Clementine tries (and fails) to be on her best behavior so her parents will not get rid of her, but in the end she realizes that even though she will never be “the easy one,” no one would ever want to change her. Clementine’s distinctive voice and exuberant personality are the driving force of this quirky tale. Full of the irrepressible energy and curiosity of girlhood, Frazee’s ink drawings bring Clementine’s humorous antics to life, if readers can manage to tear themselves away from the story to look at them. Adults will love this story and its spunky heroine as much as their children. Highly recommended. Ages 7-10.

[barbarapatt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clementine is a quirky, delightful, little girl who sees life just a little differently than most. While she is admonished to "Pay attention", she insists that is exactly what she is doing while most people miss what is going on. The book explores her relationship with her friend, Margaret, her principal at school, neighbors and her family, including her little brother, the "easy" child. Clementine sees the obvious that most others miss because they are too busy being predictable.

I found this book to be fun to read, but I kept wondering if this was written for children or the way an adult viewed a child who was a little different. Having recently read about how some books are written for the adults who buy them more than they are for the child reader might have colored my opinion.

I liked the way Clementine and her father tried to come up with a solution to the pigeon problem at their apartment. It might be fun to brainstorm with class for ideas to solve the messy problem.

[dms02 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable read for kids and parent alike. Clever writing style that makes questions that then get answered - good for read aloud listening. Clementine was a highly likable and seemingly true to life character. My daughter begged for more chapters each time we read it.

[lmeza-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply loved it, I will look for the rest in the collection! :)

[stephxsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yayyyy Clementine! I've wanted to read this book ever since it came out. The fun and "orangey-ness" of the cover totally appealed to me, and I heard lots of praise for this chapter books featuring an irreverent little girl. Except I had to deal with that thing called college and that thing called keeping up a YA book blog.... Anyway, the point being, I finally got to read this with an ELL310 class. It maybe wasn't quite as delightful as I had wanted it to be--some of the scrapes that Clementine gets herself into had me slapping my jaded adult forehead in dismay at her lack of forethought--but I think it's still safe to say that CLEMENTINE could be the female answer to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, a juvenile fiction favorite of mine. Definitely recommended to all elementary school-aged girls!

[emmyson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just finished reading this aloud to my third graders...they LOVED it! It's perfect for the classroom, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

[pussreboots · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker, Clementine, her brother and parents live in apartment building where her father is the apartment manager. Clementine likes to ride the service elevator when she needs to think but in this horrible week, she won't get much of a chance because she's constantly in trouble with someone or another.

The book covers one hectic week in Clementine's life. On Monday Clementine gets in trouble for helping Margaret cut her hair. The problems spiral out of control to the point that Margaret's mother is also mad at her. No matter what she does, Clementine just seems to make things worse even though her heart's in the right place.

Thematically, Clementine is like the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. In terms of vocabulary it's closer to the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park.

That said, Clementine is a delightful book full of believable but memorable characters. For example, Clementine never calls her brother by his given name, instead opting to call him by some sort of vegetable. Her logic is: she's named for a fruit, so he should have been named for a vegetable to make things even. I wonder if the author knows what is real name is?

[kristysp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh! How I loved Clementine. So hilarious and sweet. Can't wait to recommend this to more of my young patrons and to introduce it to my own kids.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent - if I was teaching younger grades I would have this as another gem in the read aloud diamond collection. The illustrations take it to the next level from great book to enduring classic.

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Pay attention!" Clementine is always hearing those two words, but what no one seems to understand is that she is paying attention - just not necessarily to what they want her to pay attention to. Clementine covers just one short week in the lives of Clementine and her family, but a lot happens in that week: two haircuts, two hair colorings, three visits to the principal's office, and one war against pigeons. Pennypacker has created a great character with a voice decidedly her own and does a good job of following the thought patterns of a hyperactive third grader. Clementine's parents are models of understanding and almost perfect parenting, but Clementine's best-friend Margaret, despite seeming perfect, is clearly just as prone to mischief as Clementine. Clementine will be great fun for fans of Judy Moody or Gooney Bird Greene and would also work well as a read aloud. The first page is ready made for a booktalk, too.

Cover to Cover Selection June 2011

Previously read June 11, 2008.

[bridgetrwilson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a delightful book. Lots of humor. Clementine reminds me of Beverly Cleary's Ramona.

[trillium242 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book reads like Junie B. Jones. Clementine is very funny and witty. She always seems to be getting into some sort of trouble. This is a very heart warming book. It is based around a very nuclear family so may need to be sensitive of students that may not have this type of family. Otherwise I think it is good humor for all.

Good for reading groups or literature circles.

[mkcampbell11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My third graders love this book. Clementine is a colorful and interesting character.

[sguzick_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One day in school, 8-year-old Clementine discovers her best friend and neighbor, Margaret, crying in the bathroom because she accidentally cut off a chunk of her hair. After cutting more of Margaret’s hair to even it out, Margaret ends up hairless so Clementine cuts hers off as well and uses a permanent marker to draw ringlets on both of them. The trouble only escalates when their parents see the girls and Clementine feels that most of the blame falls on her. How will Clementine make things right? This transitional chapter book, narrated by the feisty and naughty Clementine, is the first in a series about the title character. The book is written in a manner befitting its title character as it flows like the fast moving thoughts of a young child. Clementine and Margaret learn lessons about friendship, the importance of paying attention to adults and each other, problem solving, and how good it feels to help others. Many, but not all, pages contain black and white images that look like they were rendered in ink. This book is recommended for young children who are moving from picture books to chapter books and who can identify with either the mischievous Clementine, the perfect Margaret, or maybe a little bit of both.

[m_behr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to "Clementine" as an audio book and found it quite enjoyable. Clementine is a third grader and her best friend is Margaret, who is in fourth grade. I think Pennypacker has struck an incredible balance between writing a story that kids will easily adore, and parents will thoroughly enjoy as well. I'm assuming reading the book itself is just as fun - but I loved being swept away into Clementine's crazy world.