Gooney the Fabulous
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Second-grader Gooney Bird Green returns in this story with a moral. After Miss Pidgeon reads her class an Aesop's fable, the kids write their own stories with a message. As in previous books, Gooney takes the lead, as much of a junior teacher as she is kid. The recitation of five or six original fables becomes a bit boring, but Lowry nicely individualizes her characters and gets readers interested in their problems. It will take good primary-grade readers to tackle this; it may work best as a read-aloud. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2007 Booklist

As if hearing PW's plea, made with the first book, Gooney Bird Greene ("Youngsters will likely hope that Gooney Bird has enough tales stored in her fertile imagination to fill another volume"), the star marches forth for a third volume, Gooney the Fabulous by Lois Lowry, illus. by Middy Thomas. Everyone in her class seems excited by Gooney's idea to act out Aesop's fables--that is, everyone but Nicholas. But Gooney has a plan to get him on board. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 1-3-Gooney Bird Greene returns for a third installment. Here, her second-grade class is learning about fables. In typical Gooney fashion, the precocious child takes over her classroom by suggesting that everyone write a new fable. Mrs. Pidgeon encourages her enthusiasm by letting her direct the project, and each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a student's work, including one fable about a T. rex done as a rap, concluding with, "Big mean nuthin' if you don't do school!" Given the age of these children, they are amazingly adept at writing, reading, and giving presentations, and they run into only minor glitches with their fables. While it is refreshing to hear from the other members of the class so clearly dominated by Gooney Bird, their creations lack the zest that hers usually have. Fortunately, her eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables, this slightly didactic first chapter book is a must for Gooney Bird fans.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Outspoken and quirky Gooney Bird Greene is lucky to have an adaptable and good-humored teacher who's open to Gooney's suggestion for a class project: writing and presenting fables. As the class--a collection of types (shy, squeamish, antsy)--learns about fables, so, too, do readers. Each chapter includes one black-and-white drawing. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

If Aesop met Gooney Bird Greene, what would result? Fabulous fables, of course. In her third appearance, Gooney Bird instigates a fun class project when her second-grade teacher reads them Aesop's fables. Each student chooses an animal whose name begins with the first letter of his or her first name and then writes a fable about it. Personalities are revealed in each report along with home experiences and insecurities: Malcolm has baby triplets at home and repeats everything three times; Tyrone raps; Felicia Ann lisps. A black-and-white drawing in each of the 13 chapters offers bits of visual interest. Gooney's outlandish outfits, take-charge (even bossy) attitude and boisterous spirit continue to be humorously likable--and fabulous. No doubt there'll be a fourth; meanwhile, this one offers a clever writing exercise for a class. (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Second-grader Gooney Bird Green returns in this story with a moral. After Miss Pidgeon reads her class an Aesop's fable, the kids write their own stories with a message. As in previous books, Gooney takes the lead, as much of a junior teacher as she is kid. The recitation of five or six original fables becomes a bit boring, but Lowry nicely individualizes her characters and gets readers interested in their problems. It will take good primary-grade readers to tackle this; it may work best as a read-aloud. ((Reviewed January 1 & 15, 2007)) Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

As if hearing PW's plea, made with the first book, Gooney Bird Greene ("Youngsters will likely hope that Gooney Bird has enough tales stored in her fertile imagination to fill another volume"), the star marches forth for a third volume, Gooney the Fabulous by Lois Lowry, illus. by Middy Thomas. Everyone in her class seems excited by Gooney's idea to act out Aesop's fables--that is, everyone but Nicholas. But Gooney has a plan to get him on board. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Gr 1–3— Gooney Bird Greene returns for a third installment. Here, her second-grade class is learning about fables. In typical Gooney fashion, the precocious child takes over her classroom by suggesting that everyone write a new fable. Mrs. Pidgeon encourages her enthusiasm by letting her direct the project, and each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a student's work, including one fable about a T. rex done as a rap, concluding with, "Big mean nuthin' if you don't do school!" Given the age of these children, they are amazingly adept at writing, reading, and giving presentations, and they run into only minor glitches with their fables. While it is refreshing to hear from the other members of the class so clearly dominated by Gooney Bird, their creations lack the zest that hers usually have. Fortunately, her eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables, this slightly didactic first chapter book is a must for Gooney Bird fans.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA