Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: The Boy Who Failed Show & Tell by Jordan Sonnenblick

Image: Scholastic Inc. 

The Boy Who Failed Show & Tell by Jordan Sonnenblick. 224 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., February 2, 2021. 9781338647235. (Review of e-arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday wishes a happy book birthday tomorrow to Jordan Sonnenblick and his newest book, The Boy Who Failed Show & Tell. Poor fourth grade Jordan. He's an earnest, anxious, asthmatic kid who is worried about fourth grade. His tendency towards hyperactivity is exacerbated by his asthma medication. 

His teacher is Mrs. Fisher, who sets standards impossibly high standards. Not only does she think fourth graders should sit still and be mature at all times, she also thinks comic books are not real books and forbids Jordan to read them. On top of that, Brit Stone, the resident mean girl is bullying him and perfect William Feranik is always showing Jordan up. 

Jordan is convinced Mrs. Fisher hates him. Now, over the years I have heard many a student lament, "Mr. or Mrs. So and So hates me!" and I can be reasonably certain that Mr. or Mrs. So and So does not. Mrs. Fisher, however, is a different story. Her actions sure are appalling! She really made me cringe!

Fans of the author's work (Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie and After Ever After, among others) know that he leavens saddness with humor. Man, did he have it rough in fourth grade! What a nightmare! Did his sense of humor help him endure the awful teacher or did this awful teacher help to hone his sense of humor? I certainly think this experience informed his teaching, and quite possibly, his writing. I loved this. It's totally relatable and appealing. Put this on your lists and shelves.