Children - Fiction & Literature

Fourth Grade Rats

Name: Fourth Grade Rats
Author: Jerry Spinelli
ISBN: 9780545464789

by Jerry Spinelli

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Overview

Last year Suds was a Third Grade Angel, but now... it's time to be a Fourth Grade Rat!

Fourth graders are tough. They aren't afraid of spiders. They say no to their moms. They push first graders off the swings. And they never, ever cry.
Suds knows that now he's in fourth grade, he's supposed to be a rat. But whenever he tries to act like one, something goes wrong. Can Suds's friend Joey teach him to toughen up... or will Suds remain a fourth grade wimp?

Now with brand-new illustrations, this sequel to Jerry Spinelli's THIRD GRADE ANGELS is a classic story of fitting in (or not) and friendship.

Suds learns that his best friend is wrong. You don't have to be a tough guy, a "rat," to be a grown up fourth grader.

About the Author, Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli won the Newbery Medal in 1991 for Maniac Magee, one of his more than 25 acclaimed books for young readers. He now lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Eileen Spinelli, who is also an author of children's books.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The transition from third to fourth grade befuddles Suds Morton; according to PW, ``Rapid-fire dialogue and a hilarious string of episodes unfold a story with a valuable message about peer pressure and the importance of being oneself.'' Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-- The book's title comes from a playground rhyme, ``Third grade angels!/Fourth grade . . . RRRRRATS!'' Joey Peterson, the best friend of Suds (the story's narrator), takes the rhyme a bit too seriously and instructs Suds, Svengali-like, in the ways of rebellion and macho bravado. Complicating things is the long-standing crush Suds has on Judy, a girl more interested in seeing bugs crawl all over him than in having him open doors for her. The short-lived rebellion is finally squelched by Joey's mother, and Suds is relieved to return to his old habits. This is a fast-paced story about kids growing up too quickly. Some of the characters are exaggerated but believable, and the scenes in which Joey tries to toughen up Suds are especially funny. This should prove a popular addition to most collections. --Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Pub . Lib . , IL