I, quickly, read Fake
Mustache or, How Jodie O’Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved
the U.S. Presidential Election From a Mad Criminal Mastermind by Tom Angleberger. The title gives you a hint on how funny the
book is going to be. I laughed out loud
the entire time I spent reading the book.
It ended up being the last read aloud of the year. More on that later on.
The story is about a 7th grader named Lenny
Junior, his best friend Casper Bengue, and Jody O’Rodeo, a television star from a canceled show. (Very Hannah Montana!) Lenny’s friend buys a fake moustache, and
sets out to take over the world. Casper
buys the moustache at Sven’s Fair Price Store, which sales many items from the
Heidelberg Novelty Company. (The company
plays a big part of the story.)
From the beginning Casper sets up Lenny as the bad guy. With a friend like that who needs
enemies? The mustache has the ability
to brain wash people. That is everyone
except Lenny, Jodie, and Sven. The
antics to save the day are what make this book SO very funny.
As I said earlier I read this as my last read aloud of the
year. It’s funny we spend all summer
trying to figure out the best first book, but because the end of the year is so
frantic the last book is often an after thought. To be honest I hadn’t given it much thought
either. After I finished Fake Mustache…
at home I knew I had found the perfect book to end a VERY HARD YEAR.
Often when Read Aloud time is over kids beg for more. Sometimes it is because they are enjoying the
book, sometimes because it is a cliff hanger and they want to know what comes
next, and sometimes because they know that we love to read and they don’t want
to have to work. You know what I mean! What makes this a great read aloud is, of
course it is hilarious, but it also gives us the upper hand during read
aloud. “Mr. Kimmal read more!” “OK, one more chapter.” It took them awhile to figure out that some
chapters were less then on paragraph.
I loved Origami Yoda, but didn’t feel it was appropriate for
third graders. I still don’t think they
get the true meaning of the story. Even
though there is crushing in this book it is done in such a slapstick sort of
way that kids just groan, laugh and go on.
Personal Note
I have not blogged in a long time. I finished my 15-year of teaching and it was
one of the worst. (My first year was
teaching 7th and 8th grade Spanish at an urban school in
Boston, and this was worst!) I had a
really tough class, a new principal, an administration that was challenging,
and the topper, a team that was backstabbing and deceitful. Our team spent five hour-long sessions with a
mediator. Many things suffered because of
this. I spent all my energy being
positive in the classroom and at home. I’m not sure what next year will bring. I
have a new team, two first year teachers; and I know what to expect from
administration.
I spent the first two weeks of the summer in France. We took our moms to Paris and Bordeaux. I ate well, drank well, and enjoyed being
with people I love. I am now ready to
get back into the swing of things.
