The Sixth Grade Nickname Game [Library Binding]

 

 

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*** SPOILERS ALERT!!! ***

I'm not sure if reading The 6th Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman was a plan or not. I bought the book for my nephew for Christmas and while looking at both it and my current read, Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, I figured I might as well read the former because it looked more interesting than the latter (OK ' it's not that I'm bored with Dragonfly in Amber, but it's just so long and not as good as Outlander was ' I'm still hoping to finish it by the end of the month!). I was also curious to see what the books my nephew reads are like. He's 9 years old and I debated getting him Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. After some recommendations from his mom, I thought I'd get him some other ones for now.

The 6th Grade Nickname Game is not what I was expecting. It had a good, albeit simple, plot with interesting characters and scenarios. And ' it was funny! I must have laughed out loud half a dozen times! Jeff and Wiley are the main characters of the book. They pride themselves on coming up with nicknames for anyone ' including parents and teachers. Charles is an eavesdropper, so they nickname him Snoopy. Their new teacher Mr. Hughes is a 280-pound football coach (turned English teacher), so they nickname him Mr. Huge.

The book is fast paced ' Charles (alias Snoopy) wants to prove that you can give anyone a nickname (even if it doesn't suit them) and it'll stick, so Jeff and Wiley nickname the most un-cool, un-popular, most reclusive guy in the school, Mike Smith, the Iceman. If the nickname sticks, Snoopy wants a NEW nickname because he's offended to have his current one.

One day a new student is introduced to the class, Cassandra. She has flaming red, curly hair and Jeff and Wiley are perplexed about what to nickname her ' Carrot Top for her red hair? Bird Brain because all she wants to do is see the Blue-Crested Warbler Sparrow. But their confusion over the nickname is not just because they don't know her too well ' as it turns out they both want her to ask them to the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance!

Who knew there was romance in the books my nephew reads?

Meanwhile, the nicknames for the 2 sixth grade classes are The Bright Lights (because that class does amazing on exams) and The Dim Bulbs (because they always do poorly on exams). Mr. Huge teaches The Dim Bulbs and when it is overheard (by who else? Snoopy, of course!) that he may be fired because the class is actually turning out to be Dim Bulbs, the class works together to read as much as they can to prepare for the State Reading Assessment. Mr. Huge doesn't know what's going on but goes with the flow.

Throughout the book, Mr. Huge (i.e. Mr. Hughes) is absolutely hilarious. He's a giant who cheers on his class like he's coaching a football team. For a simple reading assignment he sweats bullets, jumps around the classroom, ultimately dislodging some of the plaster on the classroom ceiling beneath his room, killing the class fish. Showing too much stamina for his class, he ultimately quits coaching the football team because he's so quiet and has no energy around them. So when it is heard that he may be fired from the school as well, the class will do anything to keep him!

By this point, the nickname of Iceman has caught on, making Mike Smith a popular kid in the school. Jeff and Wiley don't know what's going on!

Meanwhile, Jeff and Wiley have become so competitive with one another over getting Cassandra to notice them. They work on her with class projects, help her family fix up their new home, and end up saving a Blue-Crested Warbler Sparrow who lands on Wiley's sister's boyfriend's car with a broken wing. As they're rushing the now-healthy warbler sparrow to Cassandra's house at the end of the book (well, Jeff wanted to show her first, but then Wiley beat him to it, so they were BOTH running to her house at the end) they are smacked in the face with the news that Cassandra actually wants to go to the dance with the Iceman (at this point, the bird flies up and lands on Mike's arm, giving Cassandra a sign).

As a reader, you had to know this would happen. In a book MADE for 6th grade readers, they don't want to show the friends splitting up over a girl. And rightly so because friendship should come first, right?

In the end, Mr. Huge is signed on full time at the school, Charles decides to keep his nickname (because if he wasn't Snoopy, how would they have found out that Mr. Huge may have been fired?), and everyone ends up happy. They even end up giving Cassandra a nickname ' Carrot Top ' which she happily accepts.

This may have been written for kids, but I found it a quick, interesting read. If you're looking for a pick-me-up book to read on a lazy day, this is one for you. Korman makes the book intriguing for all ages.

The book begins when room 6B gets a new substitute teacher. His name was Mr. Hughes. He acted like a football coach, which he was. Wiley and Jeff A.K.A "The Nicknamers", nicknamed him Mr. Huge. One day a new girl came to their classroom. Her name was Cassandra. They tried to think of a nickname for her, but they couldn't. They made a bet with another guy (Snoopy) to see if all their nicknames could stick. One day Snoopy heard that Mr. Hughes would get fired if they didn't pass the assessment test. So they had a meeting and decided to read and try to do well on the Assessment test. Once they got to know Cassandra, they started to like her. They began to fight over her. They wanted her to take one of them to the Sadie Hawkins Dance. If you want to know who she takes to the dance, who wins the bet with Snoopy, and if Mr. Hughes gets fired, then read this book !!!!!!!

This book is about two best friends called Jeff and Wiley that love to give nicknames to practically everyone they know. But one day a new girl in school arrives, called Cassandra. The boys want to give her a nickname but they don't know what to call her. Soon they start to like her and they want her to invite them to a dance. Jeff and Wiley, who never fought together, started to fight over her. If you want to know who Cassandra asks to the dance, what her nickname will be, and how Jeff and Wiley will solve their problem, then read this book!!!!

I think it was very surprising to find out who Cassandra invites to the dance!!! I tell you, it will be hard to guess!!

I think that this book was very interesting. Yes, it was funny, but not as funny as Gordon Korman's other books, like the Bruno and Boots books(those were really good).Actually, it was not as funny as I thought it would be. Anyways, I gave it four stars because the description was really good. The characters even

seemed like real kids their age. I recommend this book to everyone because it is appropriate for all ages.

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5.0 out of 5 stars You should read this BOOK!!
Wiley and Jeff made nicknames for everyone and their subsitute, Mr. Hughes, which is now their teacher. Charles Rossini, Snoopy, wnted another nickname so they had a bet. Read more

Published on Dec 14 2000

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