Clarice Bean Tuesday is just like any other girl in elementary school. She’s filled with silly ideas, she’s trying to figure out all the hard stuff in life (like when telling the absolute truth isn’t such a great idea, especially if it involves correcting a teacher’s spelling mistake), she has trouble getting along with her teacher, and she’s desperately trying to improve her spelling for the school spelling bee. What’s more, Clarice Bean is almost always getting in trouble, even when she is being good.
According to Clarice Bean, spelling is the source of all her trouble, at least in this latest book Clarice Bean Spells Trouble (Candlewick Press, ISBN 0763629030). You see, if words were spelled exactly how they sounded, life would be simpler. If “sea” was spelled “c” and “you” was spelled “u,” then Clarice wouldn’t have to worry about the spelling bee and the possibility of making a fool of herself in front of the whole school.
Aside from the turmoil of trying to memorize the dictionary, there is also the school play, The Sound of Music. Clarice loves to act and wants to be like her favorite television hero, Ruby Redfort. However, Clarice Bean is not her teacher’s favorite student (not even the second or third favorite student), and Clarice winds up playing one of the nuns . . . the nun who has no lines. Instead of being completely bummed out, Clarice takes what she learns from her drama class and humorously tries to develop her mute character.
In Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, author Lauren Child does an excellent job creating the voice of an elementary girl. As a parent, I was moved to remember all the embarrassing moments, the goofy thoughts, trying to fit in, and the awkwardness of growing up during my elementary school years. I wasn’t the perfect student, loved by teachers, and neither is Clarice Bean. I also had a childhood television hero, just like Clarice Bean, and I tried to be like this character whenever I could.
Written for grades 3-5, Clarice Bean Spells Trouble is an excellent chapter book for girls who have also enjoyed the Junie B. Jones books.
