Gooney Bird on the Map

By Lois Lowry and Middy Thomas

A girl leads her classmates on a geographic adventure in this “witty and perceptive” novel by the New York Times-bestselling author of The Willoughbys.
 
Gooney Bird Greene returns for more adventures in this chapter-book series from Newbery Medal winner Lois Lowry, with Middy Thomas’s black-and-white illustrations bringing the classroom to life throughout.
 
Mrs. Pidgeon’s second grade class has a lot to celebrate in February: presidents’ birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and school vacation. Of course, the students are talking about their awesome vacation plans every chance they get. It can be hard to focus on subtraction problems when you’re heading to Hawaii or Florida in seventeen minus seven days! But most of the class (twelve minus three of them, in fact) will be staying home during vacation. Can Gooney Bird Greene keep spirits up while everyone is feeling down? Gooney Bird has a great idea that sends her and her classmates on a snowy spin through U.S. history and geography…
 
“Gooney Bird doesn’t need much help putting herself on the map. She’ll be famous for years to come.”—Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9780547677521

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

Book preview

Author

To Hannah, Rorry, and Jax

Text copyright © 2011 by Lois Lowry

Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Middy Thomas

All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [e-mail] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children is an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

hmhbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Control Number 2011012160

ISBN 978-0-547-55622-2

eISBN 978-0-547-67752-1

v3.0620

1.

February vacation soon, students! Just ten more days! Mr. Leroy, the school principal, pointed out, after he had made his usual announcements on the intercom. I hope all of you have wonderful plans!

The second-graders wiggled in their seats and began to murmur. Vacation, vacation, vacation. Even though they loved school, vacations were always exciting. I’m going to— Ben began.

My family’s— Barry Tuckerman whispered loudly.

But Mrs. Pidgeon put her finger to her mouth and reminded them that the announcements weren’t finished. Shhh, she said.

And we mustn’t forget, Mr. Leroy continued, that this month we are celebrating the birthdays of two of our most important presidents. Let’s finish up this morning’s announcements by singing to them, shall we?

Mr. Leroy started off. Happy birthday to youuuuu, he sang. In every classroom in the Watertower Elementary School, the students joined in. Some of them sang, Dear Abe, some sang, Dear George, and some tried to fit in Dear Abraham-and-George.

Gooney Bird Greene, at her desk in Mrs. Pidgeon’s classroom, sang loudly, Dear George-Abraham-William-Henry-and-Ronald. She was still singing the list of names after the others had finished the last Happy birthday to you. So she sang her own final line all by herself. The other children all stared at her.

But Gooney Bird didn’t mind. I am never ever embarrassed, she had once said. And that seemed to be true. Now, after she concluded, Happy birthday to you, she folded her hands on her desk, looked up toward the front of the room, and cheerfully waited for the school day to begin.

Goodness, Mrs. Pidgeon said. Who were all of those people, Gooney Bird?

Presidents with February birthdays, Gooney Bird explained. I don’t think it’s fair that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln get all the attention.

But they were important guys! Barry Tuckerman pointed out.

All presidents are important, Gooney Bird said.

I don’t even know who those other ones are, Chelsea said.

Well, let’s find out, Mrs. Pidgeon said. She began writing on the board. George. Abraham. And who were the others, Gooney Bird?

William-Henry-Ronald.

Mrs. Pidgeon wrote those names on the board. All right, class. Who was George?

Washington! the children called, and Mrs. Pidgeon wrote Washington on the board after George.

Abraham? she asked, and the children all said, Lincoln! So she wrote that.

William? she asked, but the room was silent. Well, it could be Bill Clinton, I suppose, she said. "But President Taft was also named William, and—oh, dear. There might be lots of Williams..."

At her desk, Gooney Bird sighed loudly.

Henry? Anyone know Henry? Mrs. Pidgeon left William blank and held her chalk beside Henry’s name. Gooney Bird sighed again.

She left Henry blank. Ronald? Mrs. Pidgeon said. Oh, I know that one, for sure! She wrote Reagan after Ronald. I remember when he was president. It wasn’t that long ago. But William and Henry? Help me out here, Gooney Bird.

Actually, Gooney Bird explained, "it wasn’t William, comma, Henry, comma, Ronald. It was William Henry, comma, and Ronald. Ronald Reagan, just like you said. And William Henry Harrison.

I kind of like when people have two first names, don’t you? asked Gooney Bird. It makes them somewhat special, don’t you think?

Felicia Ann, at her desk, nodded her head. The other children frowned a bit.

William Henry Harrison was born in February, Gooney Bird went on. He was president of the United States, but only for one month.

How come? Everybody gets to be president for four years! We learned that! Malcolm was partway out of his desk. Four years! Right, Mrs. Pidgeon? Didn’t we learn that? Four years?

The teacher gently placed her calm-down hand on Malcolm’s shoulder. Gooney Bird? she said. Want to explain?

He died. Moment of silence, please.

Moment of silence? Mrs. Pidgeon repeated with a questioning look.

When you hear something sad and serious, Gooney Bird explained, you should always have a moment of silence. You don’t have to close your eyes or anything.

Well, I like the idea of an occasional moment of silence, Mrs. Pidgeon said. Let’s do it. A moment of silence for William Henry Harrison, class, because he died after being president for only one month.

Bummer! said Tyrone. He began one of his raps. "First he be elected, then he be rejected..."

Moment of silence, Tyrone, Gooney Bird reminded him. Anyway, he wasn’t rejected, she pointed out. He got sick and died.

The class was all silent for a few seconds.

And nobody remembers him, Keiko added, sadly.

Except Gooney Bird Greene, Nicholas pointed out.

"I remember everything," Gooney Bird said.

Well, Mrs. Pidgeon said, after the moment of silence had ended and she had looked around the room with a sigh, "another day in the second grade. I wish we had cleaned this mess up better

Reviews for Gooney Bird on the Map

[booklady123 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book from the Amazon Vine ProgramGooney Bird on the Map by Lois LowryFrom the back of the book: Mrs. Pidgeon's second grade class has a lot to celebrate in February: presidents' birthdays, Valentine's Day, and school vacation. Of course, some students are talking about their awesome vacation plans every chance they get. It can be hard to focus on subtraction problems when you're heading to Hawaii or Florida in seventeen minus seven days!But most of the class (twelve minus three of them, in fact) will be staying home during vacation. Can Gooney Bird Greene keep spirits up while just about everyone is feeling down? Gooney Bird has a great idea that sends her classmates and her on a snowy spin through the United States history and geography!What I liked about the book: I love Gooney! If you like Ramona, Judy Moody, and Clementine you can't help but like Gooney. She is what my Granny would call a "character." How can a second grader have so much wisdom? Gooney's school is a small school - only one class per grade level. There are only 15 students in Gooney's class - an educator's dream in these days of crowded classrooms. I really like how Lowry manages to create learning opportunities (math, geography, history and character education) while entertaining young readers with an engaging story. Students will enjoy Gooney's outrageous style and "out of the box" thinking.What I didn't like about the book: I love Gooney, BUT - as an educator I have a real problem with the relationship between Mrs. Pidgeon and her class. Sometimes Mrs. Pidgeon acts more like a student. Frequently it appears as though Gooney is the teacher. Gooney is never disrespectful - that's not her style, but there are times, when she does seem rather condescending to the adults around her. Even so, I can't seem to stop myself from running out and grabbing each new book in this series. Gooney makes me smile. I wish I had her confidence.Recommended for 2nd Grade and Up.AR Level - not yet ratedRelease date: November 15, 2011