Penny's Reviews and Chat

MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY

There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom

by Louis Sachar

There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, by Louis Sachar, was written before his widely acclaimed book, Holes. When you read Holes, either before or after seeing the movie, you completely understand why Disney had to snatch it right up and turn it into a movie. I could go on and on about Holes, and since I liked Holes, I hoped the author must have other good books. I found There’s a boy in the Girl’s Bathroom at the library and started reading.

 

I was immediately put off by the main character, Bradley Chalkers. He’s big, and clumsy, and very annoying. He’s the oldest kid in fifth grade since he failed fourth and is likely to fail fifth, too. You can see why he doesn’t have any friends. He bullies them, he taunts, he sneers. He won’t play with them or say anything nice to them. No one likes him and no one even wants to sit near him, so he sits alone at the back of the room. He doesn’t participate in school except to lie to the teacher, bully kids, and he won’t even do the minimum on his homework.

 

Then two things happened which changed everything. A new kid, Jeff Fishkin, joined Bradley’s class and sat by him. Then, a new counselor, Carla, joined the staff at school. Now Bradley has a chance at friendship, a chance to learn new behaviors, and learn to believe in himself.

I was really intrigued by this book. Since the main character, Bradley Chalkers, was so unappealing, I wondered how Mr. Sachar would pull off a good ending. I don’t want to give too much away, but between Jeff as his new friend, and Carla, his new counselor, “who believes in him,” Bradley really does grow and change. There are some misadventures along the way, misunderstandings, and 'tween hijinks, which make for a satisfying story and explains the title. Recommended for boy readers and girls who want some insight into why boys do what they do.

More information on Louis Sachar at http://www.louissachar.com/

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Louis Sachar, There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom, Bradley Chalkers, Jeff Fishkin, friends, school, fifth grade, boys, girls