The School Story

Twelve-year-old Natalie Nelson has written a powerful school story. It's a short novel called The Cheater, and her best friend Zoe is certain it should be published. All Natalie has to do is give the manuscript to her mom, an editor at a big publishing house. However Natalie doesn't want any favors from her mom. Still, Zoe won't drop the idea.
Spurred into action, Natalie invents a pen name for herself and Zoe becomes a self-styled literary agent. But if the girls are to succeed, they'll need support from their wary English teacher, legal advice from Zoe's tough-talking father, and some clever maneuvering to outwit the overbearing editor in chief of Shipley Junior Books.
Andrew Clements, the best-selling author of Frindle, The Landry News, and The Janitor's Boy, delights his audience with this story of two irrepressible girls who use their talent, ingenuity, and a little cunning to try to make a young writer's dream come tru

Author: Andrew Clements
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 06/01/2001
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 8.55h x 5.83w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9780689825941
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.2
Point Value: 5
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 50395 / School Story


Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Maine Student Book Award - Second Place
Award: Sunshine State Young Reader's Award - Nominee
Award: Nevada Young Readers' Award - Nominee
Award: Bookseller's Choice - Winner
Award: Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Iowa Children's Choice (ICCA) Award - Nominee
Award: Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee
Award: California Young Reader Medal - Winner
Award: Bluebonnet Awards - Nominee
Award: Parents Choice Award (Fall) (1998-2007) - Winner
Award: Nutmeg Book Award - Nominee
Award: Golden Sower Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Review - Children 04/15/2001 pg. 582
Publishers Weekly 05/28/2001 pg. 88
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2001 pg. 448
Ingram Children's Advance 05/01/2001 pg. 72
Booklist 06/01/2001 pg. 1879
School Library Journal 06/01/2001 pg. 144
BookPage 08/01/2001 pg. 28
Booklist 11/01/2001 pg. 478
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2001 pg. 301 - Superior,Well Above Average
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2001 pg. 301 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Andrew Clements (1949-2019) was the author of the enormously popular Frindle. More than 10 million copies of his books have been sold, and he was nominated for a multitude of state awards, including a Christopher Award and an Edgar Award. His popular works include About Average, Troublemaker, Extra Credit, Lost and Found, No Talking, Room One, Lunch Money, and more. He was also the author of the Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School series. Find out more at AndrewClements.com.

Brian Selznick is the author and illustrator of the bestselling The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal and was a National Book Award finalist. He is also the illustrator of many books for children, including Frindle and Lunch Money by Andrew Clements, as well as the Doll People trilogy by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley, which was a Caldecott Honor Book. Mr. Selznick divides his time between Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.