The Landry News ANNOTATION
A fifth-grader starts a newspaper with an editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with disciplinary action as a result.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Another terrific school story by the inventor of Frindle (rev. 11/96) continues to explore teaching methods and ways of learning as it weaves a tale that could happen in any school. Fifth-grader Cara Landry has not had a smooth school experience since her parents divorced, and now she has the worst teacher in school. (Mr. Larson hands out worksheets each morning and then sits back to read the paper.) Cara is a contained, bright, creative loner whose goal is to be a journalist. When she publishes her own newspaper, The Landry News, and editorializes on the absence of teaching in her classroom, her days of anonymity are over. Cara and Mr. Larson both evolve during the course of the next several weeks: Cara into a popular editor, Mr. Larson into the kind of caring, motivating teacher he used to be. Clements writes with a light touch that allows the text to flow effortlessly for the reader, yet lays out thought-provoking issues such as intellectual freedom that are likely to engender further exploration. Censorship rears its ugly head in the clash between Principal Barnes and unorthodox teacher Mr. Larson. Although this book is for a younger audience, it contains echoes of Paulsen's The Boy Who Owned the School and Avi's Nothing but the Truth. Both would-be Mr. Larsons and budding Cara Landrys will find their pictures in these pages.
SYNOPSIS
Fifth-grader Cara Landry is an aspiring journalist who has created her own newspaper, The Landry News. In her first edition, she writes a harsh editorial that accuses Mr. Larson, her burned-out language arts teacher, of not doing his job. However, her criticism has positive results: It inspires Mr. Larson to become a real teacher again -- one who encourages his class to turn The Landry News into a classroom newspaper. But when the school principal uses something that's been printed in the paper to try to get Mr. Larson fired, the whole town gets involved, and Cara and her classmates learn about the First Amendment -- and the importance of tempering truth with mercy.
Reading level: Ages 8-12
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Gr 4-6-A fifth grader's scathing editorial criticizing her burned-out teacher spurs him to take his duties seriously. A terrific read about free speech, the power of the pen, and the need to temper truth with mercy. (July) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Cara Landry, entering as a new fifth-grade student in Mr. Larson's class, is quiet and unassuming. Barely noticed by classmates or her teacher, she publishes her first edition of the Landry News creating a transformation of teacher, students, and even herself. Her editorial states simply, "There is a teacher in the classroom, but he does not teach." Emerging from years of disillusionment, he begins to teach again. Journalism with all its ramifications and responsibilities are his tools. All the fifth-graders decide to help Cara publish the Landry News regularly as their class project. This gives the principal just the right tool to rid himself of Mr. Larson something he has waited for patiently. What begins as a small school conflict grows into a First Amendment Rights issue that solidifies friendships for, and love of Mr. Larson. As in Frindle (S&S, 1996), author Andrew Clements (S&S, 1999) uses an everyday classroom setting to illuminate words and their importance. Using clear and simple sentence structure, hard issues such as divorce, loyalty, and responsibility are presented with sensitivity and a lot of humor. Listeners will appreciate Cara's visit to the principal's office and her gauge, the "mad-o-meter," to assess the situation. Academic issues summarized such as newspaper analysis, the Constitution, and the First Amendment are introduced and briefly summarized. Actor Andrew McCarthy uses inflection and tone with subtle voice changes to make the fifth grade girls and boys and the stodgy principal vital and believable characters. This is an enjoyable story that also provides a great deal of information on some important and current issues.-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
AudioFile
Mr. Larson is a burned-out veteran teacher who gives his class a learning atmosphere but does no teaching. Cara Landry's "editorial" about this precipitates a chain of events that ends up in a town debate with national news coverage. Andrew McCarthy sets the mood, starting slow and easy, and quickening his pace as the action builds, adding to the emotion of the story as he sets up each confrontation between the relaxed Mr. Larson and his traditional principal. McCarthy develops individual voices for each of the characters, and creates a realistic picture of a fifth-grade class and a teacher called up short. As Cara and Mr. Larson grow through the story, we are left with the question—what is a good teacher? Listening and discussing this in the classroom, or in the family, could provide some interesting answers. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
Karen Carden - The Christian Science Monitor
...[J]ust the book for refreshing summer fun....[T]his story is about...good writing, good truth-telling, and good motives....The book just might introduce young readers to their local [news]papers.
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