Review of I'm Going to be Famous by Tom Birdseye
Fun Chapter Book Delights Fans of The Guinness Book of World Records
Fifth grader Arlo Moore is going to be famous. How? By devouring seventeen bananas in less than two minutes and becoming the new world record holder for banana eating.
Easy record to beat? Nope! Fun to read about? Yes!
Getting into the Guinness Book of World Records
When banana lover Arlo Moore decides to earn a spot in his favorite book of all time, The Guinness Book of World Records, everyone thinks he’s crazy. Still, Arlo’s so convinced he can break the banana eating record that he starts taking bets from his sister Kerry and his brother John.
With the help of his best friend Ben, Arlo trains – devouring bananas every day in front of kids in the lunchroom, behind books in his classes, and even in the stall of the boys room. Soon he gets some company from Ben (who trains to eat three lemons in 15.2 seconds), Kerry (who tries to spit a melon seed 65 feet and four inches), and Kerry’s friend Mike (who wants to eat over three pounds of ice cream in 50.04 seconds).
As the kids train obsessively, parents worry about their health, bullies sabotage their training sessions, and the entire school bets on their success – or failure. Will the kids succeed and become world record holders?
Great for Fans of World Record and Ripley's Believe It or Not Books
The funny first novel of award-winning children’s author Tom Birdseye, I’m Going to be Famous combines two great loves of children – weird world records and challenging competitions – to create a comedy that has been entertaining readers since 1986.
Arlo’s rambling first person narration is particularly fun to read as he reveals himself to be a highly competitive boy (possibly suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder) with a hilarious runaway imagination. Readers will be alternately grossed out and inspired by his training as he grows from banana cramming novice into someone who could possibly earn a place among world record holders.
Tom Birdseye
According to The Official Website of Tom Birdseye, the idea for I’m Going to be Famous came to him in 1982 while he was teaching fifth grade in Lincoln City, Oregon. After seeing a student look through The Guinness Book of World Records, Birdseye wondered what records he might have tried to break in fifth grade. Upon learning about the banana eating record, Birdseye tried to see if he could eat a banana in seven seconds and wound up giving himself indigestion.
The experience jumpstarted Birdseye’s imagination, however, and he began writing I’m Going to be Famous, using his students as models for the characters. Four years later, his efforts were rewarded when I’m Going to be Famous was published and received children's' choice award nominations in Tennessee, Florida, and Indiana.
Educational Games Introduce Children to Reference Books
Teachers and storytellers can use this story as a springboard to introduce kids to reference resources such as The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not books, and various almanacs.
After reading about the record-breaking adventures of Arlo and his friends, teachers can ask students to guess certain statistics in the reference books (i.e. “How long are the world’s longest fingernails?” “How fast is the world’s fastest snail?”) and award prizes to students with the closest guesses.
This educational activity can also lead into a math lesson on measurements. For instance, after learning the world’s tallest man was 2.72 meters tall, children might be more curious to learn how that measurement is converted into yards, feet, inches, or centimeters.
Note: For best results, teachers should invest in a hardcover edition of The Guinness Book of World Records or one of the oversized Ripley's Believe It or Not books with full-color photographs. Seeing the photos along with the amazing records will encourage students to read the book, along with other nonfiction reference books, on their own.
Birdseye, Tom. I'm Going to be Famous. NY: A Yearling Book, 1986. ISBN: 0-440-402123
Read more about Tom Birdseye at Storyteller Shares Thoughts on Children's Books and Talking with Children's Writer Tom Birdseye.
And find more fun educational games you can play with kids at How to Put on a Children's Book Auction.
I'm Going to be Famous
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