This book takes the reader into the mind of Cody Lee Carson as he enters the 5th grade in a new school. At he old school, Cody was notorious for being a screw up and he sees this as his opportunity for a new beginning. The format of this book was like no book I've ever read-it was written as a series of journal entries. I enjoyed reading the book, and experiencing the 5th grade experience all over again through Cody. At the culmination of the book, Cody becomes a hero regardless of his attire and is held in high esteem by his classmates. Cody learns a valuable lesson - to be himself and he will be accepted.
This would be a great book to read in a class where journaling is important. Journaling will be a part of my classroom in all of my subjects. Having students use metacognition and record their thoughts helps them organize their ideas and further their understandings. This book gives students general knowledge of the journaling process-it is written in the student's words, time and date at the top, and involves feelings, ideas, concerns, or whatever else the students wants to write about. ( )