The Last Holiday Concert

I’ve enjoyed many of Andrew Clements’ works over the years, so when I saw this book while out thrift shopping, I knew I wanted to read it. I wasn’t surprised, once I started reading the book, to find myself sucked into the story—even though I’m well outside the intended audience age range for this book!

Clements does an excellent job of writing realistic, relatable characters. I loved both Hart Evans and Mr. Meinert in here, and loved that while Clements didn’t focus on describing them too much, things like a thorough description of a number 16 rubber band revealed what kind of a person Hart Evans was. It was also fun watching the teacher-student relationship in this story, especially as they were forced to work together in show more an unusual way due to different circumstances.

If you have children in the 8-12 year old age range who love clean, gripping fiction in realistic scenarios, I’d recommend you check out this book—and any other Andrew Clements titles you haven’t tried yet! This was a fun, fast-paced read, and I’m glad to have it on our shelf now, so I can share it with others. show less

For Hart Evans, being the most popular kid in sixth grade has its advantages. Kids look up to him, and all the teachers let him get away with anything -- all the teachers except the chorus director, Mr. Meinert. When Hart's errant rubber band hits Mr. Meinert on the neck during chorus practice, it's the last straw for the chorus director, who's just learned he's about to lose his job due to budget cuts. So he tells the class they can produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It's all up to them. And who gets elected to run the show? The popular Mr. Hart Evans.

Hart soon discovers there's a big difference between popularity and leadership, and to his surprise, discovers something else as well -- it's really important to him show more that this be the best holiday concert ever, and even more important, that it not be the last. show less

For Hart Evans, being the most popular kid in sixth grade has its advantages. Kids look up to him, and all the teachers let him get away with anything -- all the teachers except the chorus director, Mr. Meinert. When Hart's errant rubber band hits Mr. Meinert on the neck during chorus practice, it's the last straw for the chorus director, who's just learned he's about to lose his job due to budget cuts. So he tells the class they can produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It's all up to them. And who gets elected to run the show? The popular Mr. Hart Evans.
Hart soon discovers there's a big difference between popularity and leadership, and to his surprise, discovers something else as well -- it's really important to him show more that this be the best holiday concert ever, and even more important, that it not be the last. show less

I'm so very sad to hear of Andrew Clements passing. He is such a wonderful author. This one is delightful. As my friend Jim Perry says, "It made my face wet." A touching story with very real characters learning and growing. I love that the adults learn and grow as well as the children. A wonderful Christmas story that works any time of year. A quick read but one you will not want to put down.

Sixth grader Hart Evans is the most popular boy in his class. He’s confident, easy-going, and, according to some eleven-year-old girls in the story, pretty easy on the eyes. He loves everything about school and what it means for his reputation - everything except chorus. He thinks it’s boring and embarrassing and one day, as an indirect result from a prank he plays on the director, he finds himself in charge of the upcoming holiday concert. Will Hart be able to pull the rowdy chorus together in time? Will his popularity be compromised when he has to make unpopular choices for the concert? Author Andrew Clements explores themes of peace, cooperation, leadership and, of course, popularity in his early young adult book about middle show more school in “The Last Holiday Concert”. His language is easy-to-read and the book moves quickly, making it a good choice for readers newer to chapter books. The main character, Hart, is likeable and human and will appeal to reading boys – which is always a find in young adult fiction. The ending gets a little maudlin but as that reflects so much of what middle school represents for most children, it still rings true for its audience. Recommended for ages 9-11. show less

Goodness. ?�I do love Clements' school stories. ?áThe kids, and the adults, face relatively minor challenges, make some relatively minor mistakes/ bad choices, but the end is triumphant, though not implausibly HEA.

Lisa Morton's dad had decided not to spend twelve thousand dollars on wiring and harnesses so his little girl [6th grade] could fly like an angel, but he and Lisa had come up with something almost as dramatic. ?áAnd on that last Saturday afternoon they were both hard at work in the old gym.""

Booktalk: Hart Evans is one of the most popular kids in the sixth grade. All the guys want to be his friend, all the girls think he's cute, and even his teachers give him some slack if he turns his homework in late. Everybody likes Hart. He's not stuck up about it, he's just a genuinely cool guy to be around. But then his chorus teacher Mr. Meinert blows up at the sixth graders and tells them they can produce the holiday concert on their own, it's their problem now. Hart ends up being elected the chorus director for the concert and now he's in charge. Since Hart is so popular and well-liked you would think organizing the concert and telling people what to do would be easy. But Hart finds out it's not. Even the kids who liked him so much show more before are turning against him. The pressure is definitely on to successfully put on THE LAST HOLIDAY CONCERT. show less