Product Description

Nora Rose Rowley is a genius, but don't tell anyone. She's managed to make it to the fifth grade without anyone figuring out that she's not just an ordinary kid, and she wants to keep it that way.

But then Nora gets fed up with the importance everyone attaches to test scores and grades, and she purposely brings home a terrible report card just to prove a point. Suddenly the attention she's successfully avoided all her life is focused on her, and her secret is out. And that's when things start to get really complicated....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24634 in Books
• Published on: 2005-12-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689845246
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-7–Fifth grader Nora Rowley narrates this tale by Andrew Clements (S & S, 2004) about a child who attempts to prove to adults that some accepted standards should be questioned. Since she was an infant, Nora has known that she is a genius. When she realized the attention this would garner, she decided at a very early age to hide this fact from her family. She managed to get through kindergarten by imitating other children and mirroring their progress in things she had long ago mastered, such as writing and reading. By fifth grade, Nora has firmly established herself in everyone's mind as a thoroughly average student. Her best friend, Stephen, has difficulty taking tests and with pressure to do well. However, this year, Nora has a plan. She hopes to prove that grades and standardized testing are not true reflections of a person's intelligence or abilities. This recording brings all the humor and thought-provoking aspects of the novel to life. Dina Sherman narrates beautifully, easily taking on the role of a fifth grade girl who is extremely bright yet is fooling everyone into believing otherwise. She also capably voices the adults in the story, especially the sympathetic librarian and the school psychologist who doesn't appreciate having been made a fool of by a 10 year old. Upper elementary and middle school students will relate to the pressures these fifth graders face over testing and grades.–B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. With the federal law placing increased importance on test scores, this timely novel gives both kids and adults plenty to think and talk about. Fifth-grader Nora Rowley is a genius masquerading as an average student to avoid the pressures that come with her gift. When her best friend, Stephen, a nice, hard-working child who really is average, scores low on the state mastery tests and starts to think of himself as "dumb," Nora decides it's time to do something. Feeling she has nothing to lose, she brings home a terrible report card, setting off a whole chain of events that affect not only Stephen but also her family, her other classmates, her teachers, and herself. Veteran author Clements has once again built a solid story around a controversial issue for which there is no easy answer, and to his credit, he never tries to offer one. There are no good guys or bad guys in the mix; everyone simply manages with the hand he or she is dealt. A novel sure to generate strong feelings and discussion. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Kirkus Review

Grabs hold of your heart and never lets go

Customer Reviews

Mixed Feelings
I am a teacher who adores Andrew Clements' books. I use them for class reading and for literature circles. Clements never talks down to kids-- he writes both kids and adults as people rather than caricatures or puppets to advance a plot-- and his stories are engaging and interesting.

I enjoyed reading The Report Card, although it was a bit preachier than his other books, and some characters, especially Nora's parents, are not as well developed or realistic as I expect from Andrew Clements. The debate about standardized tests is highlighted, and as a teacher it was nice to see it pointed out to kids that most teachers are not test fans either. The fact that standardized test numbers can't really tell you much about a child seems to be Clements' main point, and it's one I agree with.

My main concern about The Report Card is the mixed message it sends about being smart, especially being a smart girl. Nora, the highly gifted heroine, has been hiding her intelligence for years, in large part so she won't make her best friend, a boy, feel bad. I had expected Nora to come to a realization that her intelligence was a gift to be celebrated and shared. However, the resolution leaves Nora content to be "normal," which by Nora's definition means not to pursue any opportunities available to learn about and expand her gifts, and essentially to continue masking her intelligence so that other people won't be made to feel bad.

My worry is that girls in the target age group will read The Report Card and conclude that "normalcy" does not include intelligence. While I don't believe that this was Clements' intention, the message is there. Girls have hidden or downplayed their academic abilities far too long-- we should be teaching them to embrace their talents.