The Report Card

Starred review from March 8, 2004
With subtlety and authority, Clements (A Week in the Woods
) explores the plight of extraordinarily intelligent Nora, who, determined to avoid being singled out, has from an early age strategically hidden her genius from her parents, peers and teachers. But this young narrator attracts ample attention when she purposefully earns D's on her fifth-grade report card, the inaugural step in her plan to protest the school's focus on grades and testing. The catalyst for Nora's scheme is the dramatic change she observes in her best friend, Stephen, whose self-confidence plummets and anxiety soars after he scores poorly on his first standardized state test. After that test, Nora observes, "All the kids started keeping track of test scores and homework grades. School was suddenly all about the competition, and grades were how you could tell the winners from the losers." Appreciating the ramifications of test results on teachers, administrators, a school's reputation and even a town's real estate values, Nora perceptively remarks, "A bad grade for a kid is a bad grade for everybody." After strutting her intellectual stuff and wowing her teachers, the girl goes on to botch three consecutive tests and, with Stephen, convinces most of their classmates to likewise land intentional zeroes. Realistically, the two pals do not effect a revamping of the curriculum, but make their voices heard clearly. Solid characters, convincing dialogue and a topic certain to spark dialogue earn Clements high marks. Ages 8-12.

June 1, 2005
Gr 3-7 -Fifth grader Nora Rowley narrates this tale by Andrew Clements (S & S, 2004) about a child who attempts to prove to adults that some accepted standards should be questioned. Since she was an infant, Nora has known that she is a genius. When she realized the attention this would garner, she decided at a very early age to hide this fact from her family. She managed to get through kindergarten by imitating other children and mirroring their progress in things she had long ago mastered, such as writing and reading. By fifth grade, Nora has firmly established herself in everyone's mind as a thoroughly average student. Her best friend, Stephen, has difficulty taking tests and with pressure to do well. However, this year, Nora has a plan. She hopes to prove that grades and standardized testing are not true reflections of a person's intelligence or abilities. This recording brings all the humor and thought-provoking aspects of the novel to life. Dina Sherman narrates beautifully, easily taking on the role of a fifth grade girl who is extremely bright yet is fooling everyone into believing otherwise. She also capably voices the adults in the story, especially the sympathetic librarian and the school psychologist who doesn't appreciate having been made a fool of by a 10 year old. Upper elementary and middle school students will relate to the pressures these fifth graders face over testing and grades." -B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor, NY"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 16, 2006
"With subtlety and authority, Clements explores the plight of an extraordinarily intelligent girl, who from an early age, has strategically hidden her genius from her parents, peers and teachers," PW
wrote in a starred review. Ages 8-12.