An INTRODUCTION TO THE TALENTS, TROUBLES, AND TRIUMPHS OF

TEACHERS GUIDE
Disney HYPERION BOOKS

Five Memorable Titles

Written by Sara Pennypacker and Illustrated by Marla Frazee

About the Guide

In this guide, you will find an array of ideas, activities, writing and drawing prompts, discussion points, connections, and suggested projects you can use to delve deeper into the characters, plot, and themes introduced in the Clementine books. While you cant and shouldnt use all of these ideas, pick and choose the ones that best speak to your students, whether youre using the book as a read-aloud or a book for Guided Reading, Literature Circles, or Book Club discussion groups.

Clementine
Third grader Clementine finds her fastidious friend Margaret crying in the bathroom and a big chunk of Margarets halfway-down-her-waist straight brown hair missing because she got glue in it while in the art room. Clementine offers to help Margaret even out the other side, but it is soon clear that the only thing to do is cut off all of it, which, as Clementine confides, is not exactly easy with those plastic art scissors, let me tell you. Of course Clementine gets the blame and is sent, as usual, to the principals office, even though she thinks Margaret, shorn, looks beautiful, like a dandelion. Spectacularful ideas are always sproinging up in Clementines brain. She wants to be an artist, is excellent at noticing things, is saving up to buy a gorilla, and, to make Margaret feel better, chops off all her own curly red hair. She calls her three-year-old brother by any number of vegetable names, like Cabbage, Broccoli, and Radish, and she is acutely aware that, in her family, she would not be considered the easy one. Clementines narrative is roll-on-the-floor hilarious, and Marla Frazees black ink drawings perfectly capture Clementines insouciant personality.

Worst Week
Clementine begins her personal narrative with, I have had not so good of a week. The rest of the book is certainly proof of that. Discussion Point R  etell/review the sequence of events that landed Clementine in the principals office once again. Whose fault is it that Margarets hair is gone? Writing Prompt W  hat was your worst week in recent memory? Do a Quick Write, describing one of the awful things that happened to you and how you dealt with it.

The Gifted Class

Clementine says, If they had a special class for gifted kids in art, I would definitely be in it. (page 10) She tells her mother, who is an artist, When I grow up, I might be an artist. (page 38) Discussion Point  f there could be a gifted class for one of your special talents or interests, what would it be? I

Clementine Versus Margaret

Discussion PointS E  ven in the first chapter, youll notice many differences between the personalities of fourth grader Margaret and third grader Clementine. Compare and contrast them. W  hich one is more like you and why? WRITING/DRAWING Prompt W  ith a partner, draw a portrait of each girl. Underneath each picture, write what you know about each one.

Being Afraid
When she was little, Clementine tells us, she used to be afraid of ceiling snakes just waiting to drip on you. Now she says shes only afraid of pointy things and boomerangs. (page 11) Writing PromptS W  hat weird things are you afraid of and why? H  ow have you dealt with, conquered, or overcome one of your former fears?

Clementines Names
Notice that Clementine calls her little brother by vegetable names, like Spinach. She says, Okay, fine, my brothers name is not really Spinach. But I got stuck with a name that is also a fruit, and its not fair that he didnt. The only thing worse than a fruit name is a vegetable name, so thats what I think he should have. (page 17) When Clementines cat, Polka Dottie, had kittens last year, she named them Mascara, Fluoride, and Laxative. She says, . . . I have discovered that the most exquisite words in the world are on labels you will find in a bathroom. (pages 1920) Discussion Points  hat are some of the vegetable names Clementine uses for her brother? W W  hat interesting names or nicknames have you given to family, friends, pets, or toys like stuffed animals? H  ow did you come up with these names? Drawing Prompt  raw a picture of the important people, pets, and things in your life, labeled with the D names you use for them.

Fruits and Vegetables

Bring in clementines so everyone can taste a section. Then play the fruit-and-vegetable game. Activity B  ring in an assortment of interesting fruits and vegetables of varying sizes and textures. Put each one in a bag. Without looking, students feel each one and try to identify it. Have them say, I think this is a _____ because _____. W  hen you are done, make vegetable soup and/or fruit salad.

Pay Attention
Clementines teachers chide her for not paying attention. Her dad says she is excellent at noticing interesting things. Clementine says, Last year a writer came to my school and said, Pay Attention! But she didnt mean to the teacher, she meant pay attention to whats going on around you, so you can write about it. Then she looked exactly at me and said to notice the good stuff and write it down so you dont forget it. (page 41)

Activity I  f youre going to be an artist or a writer, you need to pay attention to what you see. What interesting things have you noticed lately? Make an illustrated poster with a list.

Spectacularful Ideas
Clementine says, Thursday morning I woke up with a spectacularful idea. I am lucky that wayspectacularful ideas are always sproinging up in my brain. The secret thing I know about ideas is that once they sproing into your head you have to grab them fast, or else they get bored and bounce away. (page 65) Discussion Point W  hich of Clementines spectacularful ideas have been good ones and which have not worked out so well? Writing Prompt  hat spectacularful ideas have sproinged up in your brain lately? What did you do with W them and how did they work out?

Angry?
In one week, Clementine cuts off Margarets hair, colors it with red Magic Marker, and tries to glue her own cut-off hair onto Margarets head. Principal Rice asks her, Clementine, whats going on between you and Margaret? . . . Are you angry with her? (pages 6667)

Discussion Point W  hat do you think is going on between Clementine and Margaret? Consider both their points of view. Writing Prompt  hen you are angry, sometimes it helps to write down exactly how you are feeling. W Pretend you are Clementine or Margaret. Write a letter from one girl to the other, explaining and describing why you are mad.

When Im a Grown-up
Clementine says, Here is a secret good thing: Sometimes I like journal writing at school because I can remind myself of the things I might forget when Im a grown-up. Like that I plan to smoke cigars. And I do not plan to get married. . . . What if I forget those things? (page 93) Writing Prompt  ake a list of the things you dont want to forget when you are a grown-up. M

Apologies
Discussion PointS H  ow and why do Clementine and Margaret apologize to each other? W  hat kinds of apology have you offered to someone recently? Why did you need to apologize? How was your apology received?

Design a Hat
Clementine makes Margaret a special hat, decorated with all the things Margaret likes. Discussion Point W  hat would you put on a hat to give to Clementine? Describe each item you would put on it and why. Activity  sing found materials, design a hat for someone you know, decorated with all the things U that person likes. Draw up a list of the items you have included, with the reason you have added each thing, as Clementine does with Margarets hat. (page 114116)

Whats Under Clementines Bed?

Clementine cleans out everything from under her bed, which she calls The Black Hole. (pages 123) Activity W  hats under your bed? (Or in your closet or in your desk?) Clean it out and make a list of everything you find.

Margarets Side of the Story

Discussion Point W  e see this story of Clementines not so good of a week from her point of view. What about Margaret? How do you think she feels about everything that has happened with Clementine all week? Why does she allow Clementine to keep working on her hair? Writing Prompt  ut yourself in Margarets place and recount the events of the week from her point P of view.

My Darling Clementine
So that children can understand why grown-ups start humming whenever they see the Clementine books, teach them the famous folk song My Darling Clementine. Photocopy the words so everyone has a copy for a bit of Singers Theater, a wonderful way to promote fluency in reading. To hear the tune for this classic song, go to kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/clementine.htm

Clementine
1.  In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine, Dwelt a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine. Refrain (repeat after each numbered verse) Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine Thou are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry, Clementine. 2.  Light she was, and like a fairy, and her shoes were number nine, Herring boxes without topses, sandals were for Clementine.  alking lightly as a fairy, though her shoes were number nine, 3. W Sometimes tripping, lightly skipping, lovely girl, my Clementine. 4. D  rove she ducklings to the water, evry morning just at nine, Hit her foot against a splinter, fell into the foaming brine. Ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles soft and fine, 5.  But alas, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine. In a churchyard near the canyon, where the myrtle doth entwine, 6.  There grow rosies and some posies, fertilized by Clementine. Then the miner, forty-niner, soon began to fret and pine, 7.  Thought he oughter join his daughter, so hes now with Clementine. 8. I  m so lonely, lost without her, wish Id had a fishing line, Which I might have cast about her, might have saved my Clementine. In my dreams she still doth haunt me, robed in garments soaked with brine, 9.  Then she rises from the waters, and I kiss my Clementine. Listen fellers, heed the warning of this tragic tale of mine, 10.  Artificial respiration could have saved my Clementine. 11.  How I missed her, how I missed her, how I missed my Clementine, But I kissed her little sister, and forgot my Clementine.

Clementine
A NEW VERSION Using the same tune, Erica Patente, third grade teacher at Old York School in Branchburg, New Jersey, and her students wrote an all-new song about Clementines first book of adventures. Heres their version: 1.  In an apartment, in a city, Supervising all the time, Lived a pigeon pooper scooper And his daughter, Clementine. REFRAIN (repeat after each numbered verse) Pay attention, pay attention, pay attention, Clementine, You are silly and get in trouble, Thanks for helping, Clementine. 2.  Orange her hair was, like a pumpkin, And shiny like a dime, Kitten boxes, holes in topses, Moisturizer for Clementine. 3.  And you sit there, in the office, Cause you never listen well; Margaret glued it, then you ruined it. Whyd you do it, Clementine? 4. S  hes the hard one, even harder, Causing trouble all the time; But, alas, they didnt trade her, So they kept their Clementine. 5. H  ow we liked it! How we liked it! How we liked the book Clementine But we finished, our hopes diminished, Until the next book, Clementine! Children can write new verses to go with The Talented Clementine, Clementines Letter, and Clementine, Friend of the Week. Lucky for us all, readers can jump into the next Clementine book, The Talented Clementine.

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The Talented Clementine

Its so gratifying to see our new favorite third grader back in a sequel that is just as funny as her first fabulous book, Clementine. Poor kid. Unlike her fourth grade friend and neighbor, Margaret, who has a whole alphabet of talents to draw on for the upcoming school showTalent-Palooza, Night of the StarsClementine cant think of even one thing she could do onstage. Sure shes great at art and math, and her dad says she is the queen of noticing things and is very empathetic to boot. Her attempts at juggling and tap dancing dont quite pan out, and Dad wont let her bring her little brother for her Elvis and the Laughing Dog act. Dont worry about Clementine. Her own talents help her big-time on the night of the show when she assists her formidable but understanding principal, Mrs. Rice.

Exciting and Boring

Clementine begins her narrative with, I have noticed the teachers get exciting confused with boring a lot. But when my teacher said, Class, we have an exciting project to talk about, I listened anyway. (page 1) Think about the projects youve done in school, the ones that were exciting, and others that were boring. Also think about projects youd like to do and those you hope never to have to do. Make a list in two columns: Exciting Projects, Boring Projects.

Talent-Palooza
To help raise money for the big spring trip, the third and fourth graders in Clementines school are putting on a talent show. Clementine claims not to have a talent. She cant even hop. Mitchell, Margarets older brother, says, Maybe you have a really great talent you just havent figured out yet. (page 11) Margaret has an entire alphabet of talents,

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and is trying to figure out how to do them all at once. Classmate Willy has only one talenthe can fit his entire lunch in his mouth at once. Her teacher says, Everyone has a talent, Clementine. . . Everyone has something theyre especially good at. (pages 1718) Discussion Points  hat kinds of talents does Clementine have? W W  hat talents do you have? If you were participating in Talent-Palooza, Night of the Stars, what would be your act? Activity  eachers can have their students compile an alphabetical list of all their talents, both T serious and silly. Hold an impromptu talent show to share them.

Having Empathy
Clementines dad tells her, Youre the most talented person I know! (page 36) Top on his list of attributes for Clementine is that she is very empathetic. Discussion PointS W  hat does it mean to be empathetic? H  ow is Clementine empathetic? What are some of the things shes done that show empathy? H  ow have you been empathetic?

Buying WOW Shoes

At the shoe store, Clementine tries on everything until she chooses the first shoes she saw a pair of lime green sneakers, size 3. Her mother buys herself a pair of not very sensible purple WOW shoes with tall skinny high heels and sparkly green dragonflies at the toes. Writing/Drawing Prompt W  hat kind of shoes would you pick out if you went to the shoe store today? Draw and describe a pair of WOW shoes you have or would like to have.

Benefits of Being a Grown-up

Clementines mom says buying the least sensible shoes in the store is one of the benefits of being a grown-up. (page 78)

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Discussion Points W  hat are some of the other benefits of being a grown-up? W  hat are the benefits of being a child? C  ompare and contrast: Which one is better and why?

The Old Standby

Clementine is talented at making her little brother laugh. Her best routine is her Elvis act, which her parents call The Old Standby. She pretends to play a guitar and sings, Hound Dog, and he falls over laughing, especially when she makes up a funny second line, like Yogurt in your shoes. She plans to put a leash on him and take him to the talent show for an act she calls Elvis and the Laughing Dog, but her parents nix the idea. Discussion Points/Writing PromptS W  hat funny things have you done that made your family or friends laugh? W  hat makes you laugh?

One of a Kind
After Clementine helps the Talent-Palooza go off without too many hitchesthanks to her attention to every detailher principal, Mrs. Rice, tells her, I have the answer for you

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now, Clementine. About why you cant have a substitute. Its because there is no substitute for you. You are one of a kind! (page 120) Clementine stops worrying. She says, Instead, I had the proud feeling: like the sun was rising inside my chest. (page 120) Discussion Points  hy does the audience applaud for Clementine, even though she wasnt in the show? W W  hy was her role important? H  ave you ever done something worthwhile and felt the proud feeling? What were the circumstances? Writing PromptS W  hat makes you one of a kind? Instead of writing about yourself, interview a partner and write a personal description about what makes him or her unique. A  fter the show, Clementines parents take her out to the Ritz, a fancy restaurant, for a celebration dinner. I think this is the luckiest day of my life, she says. (page 137) What was the luckiest day of your life?

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Clementines Letter
Clementine and her third grade teacher, Mr. DMatz, are really in sync these days, so when he is chosen as a finalist in this years Adventures for Teachers program, Clementine feels betrayed. If he is chosen, he will fly off to Egypt to an archaeological dig and will be gone for the rest of the school year. Maybe theres something Clementine can do to stop him.

Important Reminders
Clementine says, I like to write important reminders on my arm. That way, I dont lose themI always know where my arm is, which is not true about pieces of paper. Plus, they look like tattoos. On Sunday nights, my mother scrubs all the weeks notes off, and I start over. (pages 2829) Writing PromptS W  here do you keep your important reminders? M  ake a list of the notes you need to remember for the week.

Teacher Troubles
Clementine is not in sync with her substitute teacher, Mrs. Nagel. While other kids think Mrs. Nagel is nice, Clementine keeps butting heads with her and getting into trouble. Margaret says, It was probably your own fault, Clementine. . . You were probably doing weird things. Youre always doing weird things. (page 33) Apple Mac Pro Xeon/2.8GHz (4 Cores)What are some of the weird things Clementine has done? W  hat can she do to get back into Mrs. Nagels good graces? What do you think of Margarets advice to copy what Lily does so she wont get into trouble?  Writing Prompt W  rite Clementine a letter with your best advice of how to get along with a teacher, based on your own experiences and observations.

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Building Stories
On a sketch pad, Clementine writes the first sentence of a new story she calls The Building Manager By Dad. Her first sentence is Once there was a building manager. (page 40) Her dad writes underneath, He was extremely handsome and he had the strength of TEN OXEN. (page 48) Over the course of the book, she and her dad alternately write new sentences of the story. Interactive Writing Activity  ith your group, think up a simple first sentence of your own. For an interactive writing W activity, have the children contribute sentences one at a time, while you write them down on chart paper. Or have your students work in pairs to write the rest of the story, alternating sentences. Or have them bring home their story starters and write a story with a parent, grandparent, or older sibling.

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Colors
Sent to the art supply store to buy a tube of permanent rose paint for her mother, Clementine starts to feel a little woozy from looking at all the beautiful colors and their beautiful names, like burnt sienna, manganese violet, and viridian green. Art Prompt  What other beautiful colors are in your paint or crayon boxes? Are the ones with the most beautiful names the most beautiful colors as well? Pick your favorite names and draw a picture with them to see which are the best colors. If youre using watercolors, mix some colors together and make up new names for them. Link  o to www.crayola.com/colorcensus/americas_favorites/ to see what Americas top G fifty colors are. Number one is blue, which has sixteen shades you can click on to find out the colors personality traits, cultural meanings, fun facts, history, and a reproducible page to color.

Seman Drawkcab
In Lees Chinese Market, Clementine sees eels in a tank and realizes that Lee is eel spelled backward. Her name spelled backward is Enitnemelc. (page 72) Activity  Write your first and last name backward and pronounce them out loud.

Color Wheel
Clementine rearranges her mothers tubes of paint in color wheel order, into a big rainbow circle. To see and manipulate the colors in a color wheel, go to www.ficml.org/jemimap/style/color/wheel.html. Sort large boxes of crayons into their primary and secondary colors. Use this mnemonic device: ROY G. BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

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Trouble with Mrs. Nagel

The substitute teacher, Mrs. Nagel, and Clementine are still not getting along. Missing her teacher and the way he understood her, Clementine thinks Mrs. Nagel must have hypnotized everyone else into liking her. Her mother gives her some wise advice: Sometimes you have to figure out the problem before you can figure out the solution. (page 85) Discussion PointS W  hy do you think Mrs. Nagel doesnt understand Clementine? What might she do to make things better? T  hink of a tricky personal problem you have solved lately. Describe the way you solved your problem.  hat other good advice have you received that you use in your life? W Activity  ake a class poster of Wise Advice. M

Being Lucky
Margarets parents are divorced, and when she finds out her father wont be coming to visit her this month, it makes her cry. She thinks Clementine is lucky without even knowing it because she gets to see her father every day. Clementine thinks Margaret is lucky because when her father visits, its for a whole week and he doesnt go to work all week and he stays in a hotel so its like a vacation for her. They decide theyre both lucky, but in different ways. Writing Prompt W  rite a description of how you are lucky in your life.

Mrs. Nagels Rules

Clementine is having trouble with her substitute teacher, Mrs. Nagel, with her constant refrains of Clementine, pay attention. She tells her principal, I cant guess Mrs. Nagels rules. She has different ones from my teacher and she doesnt tell them until its too late and Im already in trouble. (page 108) Mrs. Rice thinks maybe Clementine should have a talk with Mrs. Nagel to explain how her class does things. DRAMA Prompt H  ow can Clementine and Mrs. Nagel resolve their differences? Do some role-playing.

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With children working in pairs, have one play Clementine and the other Mrs. Nagel. Have them stay in character, with Clementine telling Mrs. Nagel her concerns and Mrs. Nagel responding to them. As the facilitator, tell pairs they are not to get in a fight, but to see if theres any way they can work out their problems. You may want them to switch roles midway so they can empathize with both characters. Afterward, come back together and talk about each pairs reactions. (When you get to chapter 11, youll see how Clementine and Mrs. Nagel work out their problems with each other.) Writing Prompt  What are the rules of your classroom? Collaborate to make a list of the stated and unstated rules.

Mummification
Clementine describes to her class in vivid detail the process of mummification in ancient Egypt. For children to whom this is new information, showcase some books about mummies so they can find out more.

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Clementine gives her mother the Deluxe Supplies Organizer art box that she bought for her, noting, And all the time she was making her Wow! I must be dreaming! face, which was so pretty Im going to make a drawing of it some day. (page 124) And then the family, along with Margaret and Mitchell, spend an idyllic evening on the roof of their building, eating pizza, watching the sunset, and talking together. Drawing Prompt  raw a scene of your family and a memorable time you spent together, showing them at D their best, the way youd like to remember them always.

Laser Eyes
Clementine uses her extremely effective high-power stingray eyes to persuade Mitchell and Margaret to lend her money so she can buy her mother a Deluxe Supplies Organizer art box. She uses her amazing corner-eyes (page 68) to spot eels swimming in a tank in Mr. Lees grocery store, and icicle eyes when Margaret calls her weird. And when her teacher, Mr. DMatz, wants her to come up and read her awful letter aloud at the Statehouse, in front of everyone, she uses arrow-eyes on him, but he looks back at her with his best tricklaser eyes. Laser eyes are the most powerful eyes of all, Clementine declares. (page 141) Activity  hat are all these special eye tricks she uses? W C  ome up with a description of when one might use each type of eyes. Pair off and demonstrate what they might look like to your partner.

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Clementine, Friend of the Week

Clementine was so excitedshe was picked to be Friend of the Week by her teacher! She gets to tell her autobiography to the class, be line leader, collect the milk money, and feed the fish. Best of all, on Friday she will get a special Friend of the Week booklet, where each of the kids in her class will write what they think of her. But when Clementines beloved kitten, Moisturizer, disappears from the apartment and no one can find him, Clementine finds that its turning into the most miserable week ever.

Best at This, Blue Ribbon for That

Clementine is excited to tell Margaret about being Friend of the Week. Margaret is unimpressed, saying, We did that when I was in third grade. When Clementine comes up to Margarets apartment to see her booklet from last year, she sees a whole bookcase filled with awards and trophies. Clementine says, So I clasped my hands and we stood there having a moment of silence, staring at all the proof of how great Margaret was at everything. There sure was a lot of it. Three whole shelves of Best at This and Blue Ribbon for That lined up all neat and tight like groceries in the supermarket. (page 4) DISCUSSION POINTS Most people, including Clementine, never win trophies for what they do best, which in her  case includes drawing and math. How does Clementine feel about Margarets trophies? What if you could get a prize for the things you do best? What are your own special talents?  ACTIVITY S  tudents can design and make their own blue medals and awards plaques, making them freehand or on the computer. As an interesting art project, they could even construct handcrafted trophies. Each prize should be labeled with their names and the reason for the prize. (Encourage your kids to think of small but significant achievements, such as Tallest Snowman or Best Ear Wiggler.)

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MoronVillainPest Abbreviations and Acronyms

Margarets older brother, Mitchell, has six baseball trophies, each labeled M.V.P. Margaret tells Clementine the letters stand for MoronVillainPest. (page 6) As Clementine finds out later, thats not true. Do you know what the letters really stand for? An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase that makes it faster and easier to say or write (such as U.S.A. for the United States of America or MVP for Most Valuable Player). An acronym, a type of abbreviation, is a made-up word, usually written in capital letters, that is created by using the initial letter of a group of words (such as AWOL, for Absent WithOut Leave). DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE LETTERS STAND FOR? DIRECTIONS: Fill in each abbreviation or acronym below with its full phrase. PB&J = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TV = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ PTA = _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ NFL = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ESP = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ IQ = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TTYL = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ROTFL = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MPH = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ NASA = _  _______ ___________ ___ _____ ______________ _ _ _ _-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SCUBA =  _________ POTUS = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MAKE UP YOUR OWN ACRONYM: Write the acronym and the words it stands for below. Try it out on others to see if they can figure out what it means. ____________________=_____________________________________________

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DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE LETTERS STAND FOR? ANSWER KEY PB&J = Peanut butter and jelly TV = Television PTA = Parent-Teacher Association NFL = National Football League ESP = Extrasensory perception IQ = Intelligence Quotient TTYL = Talk to You Later ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing MPH = Miles per Hour NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration SCUBA = Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus POTUS = President of the United States

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Fiend of the Week

Margaret is furious with Mitchell for covering the R in her Friend of the Week booklet so it now reads Fiend of the Week. But when Clementine takes the booklet without Margaret seeing and peels off the tape, Margaret turns her fury on her friend. Who said you could read that?! she shrieks. (page 15) Then she yells, NOBODYS GOING TO WRITE ANYTHING GREAT IN YOUR BOOKLET NO MATTER HOW MANY PRESENTS YOU GIVE THEM AND YOURE NOT EVEN MY FRIEND AND I ONLY PLAY WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN MY BUILDING AND NOW YOU HAVE TO GO HOME! (page 17) DISCUSSION POINTS  hy is Margaret so upset when Clementine touches her booklet of compliments? W W  hy does Margaret blow up at Clementine and tell her shes not her friend? W  hat does Clementine do in response? H  ave you ever had a fight with a good friend? What happened? How did you feel and what did you do? H  ow did you make up or apologize or become friends again?

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Writing Your Autobiography

Part of being Friend of the Week is telling the class your life story. When Clementine is summoned to the front of the class on Tuesday to do just that, she begins, I was born, and then has a hard time thinking of more substantive information. Teacher Mr. DMatz says, Im sure youve done lots of interesting things since youve been born. What do you think a biographer would say in a book about you? (page 42) ACTIVITY Have students make a time line of life events they would include in their autobiographies. Then have them flesh out their lists, adding details about their families, friends, and important life events, writing it as a narrative. Have them include photographs of themselves in the finished autobiographies.

One Interesting Fact

Next, Mr. DMatz has the class become reporters. Each person is to find out one interesting fact about Clementine. During recess, the kids ask her questions like, If you were an animal, what would you be? and What is your favorite color? (Clementines answers: a gorilla and all of them.) (page 44) ACTIVITIES B  rainstorm a list of ten interesting questions that could be asked in such an interview. Each question should reveal something about the person being interviewed. Write them down on a large chart. H  ave students pair off and interview each other orally or in writing, using the list of ten questions. If the interview is an oral one, the interviewers can take notes or simply listen carefully and attempt to remember the answers. They can then present their findings to the rest of the group, saying, for example, This is David. He was born in Chicago, has three older sisters, loves to play soccer, and hates lima beans. . . . David will then introduce his partner in the same way. I  n a slightly different approach, take the ten questions the children suggested, type them up as a worksheet, with a heading like WHO AM I?, and run off a copy for each student. Without putting their names on the paper, children can record their answers to each question. Collect their papers and redistribute them randomly. Each person can read aloud the answers for one of the pages while the rest of the class listens carefully for

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details and tries to deduce the writers identity. You could have children draw selfportraits and make a bulletin board of the portraits and the WHO AM I? papers, labeled GET TO KNOW OUR CLASS.

Whats So Funny?
About Clementines idea for a professional development day for students (pages 7475), Mrs. Rice thinks the school board would say, . . . you students already have professional development days . . . Theyre called Saturday and Sunday. Then Mrs. Rice swiveled her chair away from me and clutched the top of her head, with her shoulders shaking. I knew she was secretly laughing, so I said I was all done visiting her, and I left. One thing they do not teach in principal school: what is funny and what is not. (page 76) DISCUSSION POINTS W  hy does Mrs. Rice think this is funny? H  ow does Clementine feel about her principal laughing like that? W  hen and why do grown-ups laugh at kids? W  hen and why do kids laugh at grown-ups? ACTIVITY What is the difference between what grown-ups and what kids think is funny? Make a chart:

WHAT GROWN-UPS THINK IS FUNNY 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5

WHAT KIDS THINK IS FUNNY

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Portmanteaus
Clementine makes up such colorful and fun words, such as spectacularful (pages 52 and 85). This word, spectacularful, is what we call a portmanteau (first coined by Lewis Carroll in his classic nonsense poem Jabberwocky, in his 1872 book Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There). In a portmanteau (pronounced port-man-toe), two or more words and their meanings are joined together to make a new word. Spectacularful combines spectacular and wonderful. Clementine also coins the word astoundishing on page 154. Ask your listeners what two words make up that one (astounding and astonishing). ACTIVITY Each student can make up his or her own portmanteau, write a definition of it, and compose an interesting sentence using it. Each can then write his or her word on a chart, and then read the sentence aloud to the rest of the group. Looking at the word and listening to the sentence for content clues, listeners will need to figure out what two words were joined together and what the new word means. Example NEW WORD: SNOUGH or SNOUGHING. SENTENCE: When I had a bad cold, I couldnt stop snoughing. DEFINITION: A sneeze and a cough, done at the same time.

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Create Your Own Portmanteau

Clementine uses many colorful and fun words, including spectacularful. This word is what we call a portmanteau, a combination of two or more words joined together, in this case spectacular and wonderful. Make up your own portmanteau, merging two words _________________ + _________________ = ___________________________ My new word is: _____________________________________. Write a definition of your new word: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

Now write an interesting sentence using your new word so people can figure out what it means. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

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Friend of the Week Booklets

Heres how Friend of the Week works in Clementines classroom: Every Monday, our teacher pulls a name out of a Kleenex box. That person, who is me this week, gets to be the leader of everything and tell about themselves. And everybody else has to say why its so great to have that person around. The best part is that on Friday, they write it all down in a booklet for me to bring home. (page 25) CULMINATING ACTIVITY S  tart your own Friend of the Week program, based on Mr. DMatzs plan. Or do it in one fell swoop. Make a booklet for each child, and have students write a comment in each one, based on the personality and actions of each different child.

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Clementine and the Family Meeting

Clementines having a nervous breakdown. The FAMILY MEETING! sign is up in her house, and she just knows shes in trouble for something. Has she been too mean to her little brother? Too sloppy? Eating too much junk food? Try as she might to find out whats on the agenda, her parents wont reveal anything before the meeting. As far as Clementine is concerned, the agenda should be something like: Were getting a gorilla. But no, its something entirely different. Were talking about a new baby, says her father. A brother or sister for you two. What do you think about that?NO THANKS!is what Clementine thinks.After all, four is the perfect number for a family. There are four sides to a table, not five. Will Clementine learn to make room for one more?

Lets Talk About It

Discussion Points B  efore the family meeting, Clementine is worried that shes done something wrong. Why do you think she feels this way? Have you ever felt like that?  Margaret has started to wear makeup, and wants Clementine to wear it too. Clementine says, Even though Margaret isnt going anywhere, whenever she talks about makeup, I feel like Im back at the airport again and shes getting on a plane for a long trip to somewhere without me. What do you think Clementine means? Have you ever felt this way? W  aylon thinks he has super powers, but Clementine is pretty sure he doesnt. She doesnt want to hurt his feelings so she says, But Superman never used his for a science project. None of the superheroes Ive ever heard of did. They all saved their powers for fighting evil. Thats what I think you should do. Do you think Clementine did the right thing? How would you handle that situation? C  lementine is named after a fruit, and she always calls her brother vegetable names. Margaret suggests the new baby be named after a soup or dessert. What do you think the baby should be called?

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A Long, Juicy Story

WRITING Prompt Gram keeps starting to tell Clementine a story about her father, his brother, and a garden hose (page 43 and page 116), but Clementines father wont ever let her finish telling it. What do you think happened? Write your own version of the story.

Sound Smart!
WRITING Prompt When she sees the Family Meeting! sign, Clementine says, Whats on the agenda? Agenda is Latin for list of stuff to talk about, so when you say it, youre saving your mouth a lot of work. Plus, you sound smart (page 16). As a class, make a list of some other words that save your mouth a lot of work. Look them up in the dictionary and see where they come from.

Whats on the Agenda?

Discussion Points C  lementine tries to guess what the family meeting will be about. Some of her ideas include: Help out more cheerfully. Dont be messy with your winter clothes. Be more patient with your brother. I  f your family was having a meeting, what do you think would be on the agenda? I  f your class was having a meeting, what might be on that agenda?

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OTHER ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS TO USE WITH ALL FIVE CLEMENTINE BOOKS

Clementines Voice
Okay, fine, as Clementine would say. You cant find a more apt example of why Voice is such an important trait in 6-Trait writing than Clementines narration. She is the newest soul sister to characters like Beverly Clearys Ramona and Barbara Parkss Junie B. Jones, with whom students can compare and contrast personalities. Discussion PointS W  hat is special and unique about Clementines observations and point of view? What makes her different from other characters you have met in books? W  hat other book characters might Clementine invite to her house for a birthday party?  ho would be her best friend or worst enemy? W H  ow are you like Clementine? Would she be your friend? Why or why not?

Asking Questions
Clementine asks questions:  Which are smarter? Chimpanzees or orangutans? (The Talented Clementine, page 5)  What is the difference between smashed and crashed ? (The Talented Clementine, page 5)  If a teacher can have a substitute teacher, how come a kid cant have a substitute kid? (The Talented Clementine, page 84) Discussion Point  Make a list of questions about subjects that interest you. How might you find the answers?

Clementines Memorable Lines

Clementine notices everything. Look for some of her unforgettable quotes and write them down. Heres an example: But this year I am in the gifted class for math. And here is the bad surpriseso far, no gifts. (Clementine, page 10)

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Nicknames and Real Names

Note that after five books we still dont know Clementines little brothers real name. What do you think it is? What do you know about him?

Clementines Drawings
Clementine says, When I draw things, everyone knows what they are. Even grown-ups. (The Talented Clementine, page 22) Look through the Clementine books and examine her own drawings. What kinds of things does she draw? (See her picture of Margaret with her hair chopped off, looking beautiful, like a dandelion, on page 10 of Clementine, for one.) Discussion Point W  hat kinds of things do you like to draw? Activity H  and out small pocket mirrors to your students and have then make self-portraits, as Clementine does of her mad face (Clementine, page 94), or pair them up and have them draw each others portraits.

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1  How did you come to write Clementine?  Clementine is a phoenix . . . . She arose from the ashes of another character. I had been writing about, a boy, Stuart, who worried about everything when he shouldnt have. The series ended and I needed a new character, so just as a starting point I wondered about the opposite: a girl who worried about nothing . . . when she should have. Right away, I knew Id like this girl. . . . No, right away I loved her.

2  Readers feel they know Clementine. Her voice is so well defined, and her observations and questions so fresh and beguiling. How did you develop her character?  I looked to my own two children to form Clementine. My first child, my daughter, seemed to fit naturally into schoolas if schools had been invented for herand so she was very confident. My son . . . not so much. He is an artist, a dreamer, and had some trouble paying attention. When I combined the two of them . . . there Clementine was. Of course shes part me, too. But when Im writing her, she seems like a real person, someone completely herself. . . . I know it sounds weird, but when Im writing her I almost feel shes right there in the room, talking to me. 3  Youve said you based Clementine on your two children. What do they think of the books and the character?  My kids keep reminding me I dont really write these books, I just remember things. But theyre very proud. Last Mothers day I got flowers from all three of my kids . . . . They now consider Clementine their sister. Im very grateful to them for helping me with this character, and one of the things I love best about writing the Clementine books is that I can include my favorite things that they did or said. . . . Its a way of telling them how wonderful I found them. 4  Is Margaret based on anyone you know? How about Clementines forbidding-looking but understanding principal, Mrs. Rice?  Mostly Margaret is a foil for Clementine. Shes the opposite in many ways, which works to point up Clementines characterits the same as if you were drawing someone and you wanted to show how tall the person was; youd draw someone really short beside

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Jerry Bauer

An Interview with Sara Pennypacker

him. Having someone be an opposite also produces tension (opposite comes from the same root as oppose), and in books, we like lots of tension to keep things interesting.  Mrs. Rice is a rock . . . shes dependable, she cant be shaken. Clementine tends to be a little unstable, to shake things up and to spin around, so she needs this. And Mrs. Rice listens, without trying to solve Clementines problems . . . . She is my gift to Clementine. 5  The Clementine books have been acclaimed by reviewers, both grown-ups and kids. Has this changed your life in any way?  Yes, it has. Absolutely. I deeply love kids like Clementine, kids who may have some trouble paying attention (or who pay attention to different things), and I am so happy and grateful to be able to speak for them. Im so happy to be part of the larger conversation about how to value kids like this. But the best thing, I suppose, is that because the books have been successful, I get to be a writer without spending time working at other things. I love writing so much that this is a tremendous gift. Not many people get to do what they love most as a job, and Im grateful for that. 6  Each book contains so many little revelations for readers and so many funny one-liners from Clementine. Do you keep a notebook of ideas, dialogue, and situations? How do you work as a writer?  I dont keep a notebook; I just try to remember things. But thats a good ideaI think Ill start. Mostly I work by getting into characterIm always walking around pretending to be someone else, seeing how the world looks and wondering how life would be if I were this other person. Then I come home and write it down. I write a lot, by the waynearly every day. 7  Do you have any advice for children as readers and/or writers?  My best advice: just write a lot and read a lot . . . . I dont know any writer who doesnt read a lot. And never mind what anybody else says! Writing is one business where you have to be able to listen to yourself and believe in yourself . . . . It takes courage, but you need to do that. Good luck! Go to www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6430169.html for an interview with author Sara Pennypacker (The Fruits of Her Labor: Author Sara Pennypacker Channels Third Grade in The Talented Clementine) by Rick Margolis in the April 2007 issue of School Library Journal.

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An Interview with Marla Frazee

1  How did you come up with your depiction of Clementine, her friends and family, and especially her school principal? Are they based on people you know?  The first sketches I did of Clementine are very detailed and descriptive. I kept erasing and simplifyingthe eraser is a very useful drawing tool. Principal Rice, though, just appeared in the first sketch looking exactly as she does now. I have no idea where she came from. Okay, I do . . . shes actually based on my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Mandel, who was a formidable woman. 2  Did you use a child as a model for Clementine? She has such personality. Children feel like they know her when they study each picture. As an artist, what drew you to this book?  I did base Clementine on an eight-year-old friend of mine named Kate. Clementine doesnt look that much like Kate, but they have similar personalities. I spent a morning with Kate and checked out her closet, her bookshelves, her clutter. I took pictures of her room and some of her favorite outfits, including her worn-out high-top Converse sneakers.  Kate drew the illustrations that Clementine is supposed to have drawn in the first book. She came over to my house, and I gave her a big pad of drawing paper, a bunch of pencils, an eraser (of course), and a bowl of M&Ms. And she drew those awesome drawings in one afternoon. M&Ms are also a useful drawing tool.  When I first read the manuscript, I was captivated by Clementines personality. She is funny, real, honest, and good-hearted. She misbehaves, but with such good intentions. I felt as if I knew her. I also knew that she was skinny, had slouchy socks, messy hair, and could run really fast, even though Sara Pennypacker didnt write about those specific things.

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3  Your Clementine illustrations are reminiscent of the Louis Darling pictures in Beverly Clearys Beezus and Henry and Ramona books. Is there any connection?  Oh, yeah! I adore those Louis Darling illustrations. He was brilliant. I looked carefully at his work before I started illustrating the Clementine books. I wanted the design as well as the illustrations of the Clementine books to harken back to that era. The text and display type, the margins, and the generous white space around each illustration were all done with a nod to that time in publishing. How do you decide which scenes you are going to illustrate in the Clementine books? 4  First, I read it and take it in. Then I read it again and take notes to myself and jot down the moments that I think should be illustrated. After that I start making decisions about how the illustrations should be sized. I try to extend the emotional moments in the textto show how characters are feeling, even though it may not be stated in the words. The Clementine covers are done in orange and white. Is there a reason for this? 5   Well, yeah. Because a clementine, the citrus fruit that Clementine is named after, is orange! Aw, you knew that! Do you collaborate with the author, Sara Pennypacker, while 6  working on your illustrations?  Not really. Saras writing is so vivid that there arent many uncertainties or questions. A few surprises have popped up, though. I didnt realize until I read the second book that Clementine lives in Boston and that Margarets bedspread has a poodle pattern on it. I went back into some of the illustrations in the first book and adjusted a few of those details. Pen and ink is a very unforgiving medium. If I make a mistake, I have to get a new piece of paper and start all over again. And I do that a lot. A big stack of extra paper is the most useful drawing tool of all.

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Books in the Clementine Series

Clementine
Hardcover 978-0-7868-3882-0 Paperback 978-0-7868-3883-7

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The Talented Clementine

Hardcover 978-0-7868-3870-7 Paperback 978-0-7868-3871-4

Clementines Letter
Hardcover 978-0-7868-3884-4 Paperback 978-0-7868-3885-1

Clementine, Friend of the Week

Hardcover 978-1-4231-1355-3 Paperback 978-1-4231-1560-1

Clementine and the Family Meeting Hardcover 978-1-4231-2356-9

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Guides for Clementine, The Talented Clementine, Clementines Letter and Clementine, Friend of the Week were written by Judy Freeman (www.JudyReadsBooks.com), a well-known consultant, writer, speaker and a visiting lecturer at the School of Information, and Library Science at Pratt Institute in New York City. Judys book, Once Upon a Time: Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and Readers Theater with Children in Grades PreK-6 (Libraries Unlimited, 2007), won the 2009 Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award. Her mega-books, Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3 (2006) and its popular companions Books Kids Will Sit Still For: The Complete Read-Aloud Guide (1990), and More Books Kids Will Sit Still For (1995), are indispensable resources for literature-based classrooms and libraries. Judys yearly edition of The Winners! Handbook (Libraries Unlimited), reviewing her top 100 childrens books of the past year, is published each spring. Youll find hundreds of Judys childrens book reviews and related content on the award-winning Web site for parents, teachers, and librarians: www.ReadKiddoRead.com.

Disney Hyperion Books

114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 www.disneyhyperionbooks.com

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