The Girl With 500 Middle Names

Janie is a new girl at school. She comes from a family with very little money into a school of kids with big houses and fancy clothes. Her mother knits sweaters and puts customers' names on them. This helps bring in some income, but then the store owner gives them all back. Janie eventually starts wearing them all to school. She tells people that the names on the sweaters are her middle names. Janie's bravery starts a new trend and does good things for her family and helps her to make a new friend,

Good book for having discussions about new kids at school...what they go through. Also could start conversations about those who have more or less than others.

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, because his uncle drunkard who became his care taker but died suddenly and now here his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. He repaired everything and anything that is mechanical like his father. He changes life of the booth as his past was put in front of show more him and he started his second innings. show less

A story about a young girl that has been attending Clyde Elementary which is an urban school. Finally being fed up with the poor environment and resources available at this school, Janie's mother and father decide to make a change to help their daughter succeed. They move to the suburbs and place her in a school that is much better off. Janie sees how she is different from the other children at the new school but when fitting in becomes impossible to do she resorts to using what she does have. By being who she is, she discovers she does belong. A absolute lovely story that addresses the issues of urban/suburban school differences and the cost it places on children as well as on the stereotypes that are placed on them. This book show more addresses the topic simply and in a way for children to understand. show less

Janie's parents move so she can go to a better school, but she feels out of place because all of the students have more money than she does. It could be used in the classroom by having real discussions about what the important things in life are, and you could have students make real-world connections.

This book tells the story of Janie and her journey from a very poor school to a ritzy school. Janie's family is poor, but her mother works hard to make enough money so their family can move. But when Janie's mother's venture in making sweaters turns poorly, Janie decides to market the sweaters herself by wearing one each day. Together, Janie and her parents make ends meet and Janie begins to fit in at her new school.
Genre: realistic fiction
Critique: This book is a good example of realistic fiction because it tells a realistic story of a girl who switches schools and is dealing with the effects of poverty. The story shows how she grows through her experience of changing schools and learning how to be comfortable in her own skin.
Media: pencil

This is a cute story about a girl whose parents decide to move her from Clyde Elementary to the subarbs, so that she may be in a better environment and have a better chance at succeeding. Once she sees all of the big houses and stylish clothes that the kids wear at her new school, she realizes that her family does not have as much money as many of the other kids at her new school. However, she soon finds out that there are plenty of other things that are more important in life and surprises everyone in the mean time. A strength of this book is that it teaches a good moral to the story. The message is about acceptance, the importance of confidence, and to stand up for yourself. This could be a good book to read in the classroom with a show more new child in class. show less

Janie moves to a new school only to find she still doesn't fit in. When her mother's job suddenly goes sour, it is Janie who helps the family recover their losses by risking other childrens scorn. Her ploy of wearing shirts with her supposed 500 middle names ends up helping the family and giving her new respect for those less fortunate.