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Summary
Summary
It's report card day in Isabel's classroom, and at first Isabel is sure that her report card is going to be "excellent," but then she has doubts. Nancy Poydar helps to calm the nerves of students fearing the worst about their own report cards in this humorous and reassuring picture book.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Isabel Bloom is ferociously eager for her parents to receive only the best possible news about her school performance. As her teacher explains the common report-card words ("excellent," satisfactory," "needs improvement," etc.), Isabel pictures her parents jumping for joy. But her overconfidence turns to dismay as she imagines what her teacher might say, and by the time the sealed evaluations are ready to be sent home, the frightened child makes a drastic and desperate decision. Poydar weaves an entertaining, suspenseful, and ultimately affecting tale. Her illustrations are straightforward and colorful, and are particularly successful in communicating children's emotions. The story underscores the tensions inherent in the evaluation system. Adults may want to think carefully about their own feelings regarding report cards before sharing this tale. It might, on the other hand, be an excellent discussion-starter. Isabel is a character who's easy to relate to and root for.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Isabel's class is about to get report cards, and Isabel is so excited that she gets distracted. She whispers instead of listening, forgets to put her name on her paper and then gets caught trying to fix her mistake. At the end of the day, report cards are handed out, but Isabel is no longer happy about it. She's sure that her report card will say that she needs improvement, so she tucks it behind her seat in the bus. She tells her parents she's lost it, and they write her a note, which she tucks behind the same seat the next day. By the time Isabel realizes the error of her ways, the report card and note are gone, and she is called to the principal's office. The principal gives her the card back, and once Isabel sees it, she's overjoyed. She's happy to show her parents that she's received "good" for everything except imagination--for that she's "excellent." Gouache-and-pencil illustrations accompany Isabel's story and perfectly reflect her worry and excitement. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The day after teacher Mrs. Bean explains "report card words" to her class, Isabel goes into a tizzy worrying about the bad news her report card might contain. That afternoon she stuffs the unexamined report card behind her seat on the school bus, and the next morning she "loses" a note from her parents wondering about the card in the same fashion. When she finally reads0 her report card, she discovers that her fears were unfounded. Isabel makes a likable character, and her concerns will strike a chord with the many children who face report card days with anxiety. The only ones disappointed, perhaps, given the book's title, will be children whose report cards really do0 deliver bad news. Expressive and sometimes humorous gouache-and-pencil illustrations give this brightly colored picture book a cheerful look. Another entertaining school story from the author-illustrator of such picture books as Last Day, Hooray!0 (2003) and Rhyme Time Valentine0 (2002). --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2006 Booklist