Product Description

Phillip Done fixes staplers that won't staple, zippers that won't zip, and pokes pins in the caps of glue bottles that will not pour. He has sung "Happy Birthday" 657 times.

A witness to the joys of discovery, Done inspires readers with the everyday adventures and milestones of his 32 third graders in this irresistible collection of bite-sized essays. From the nervous first day of school to the hectic Halloween parade to the disastrous spring musical, Done connects what happens in his classroom to the universal truths that touch us all. He reminds us of the delight of learning something for the first time and of the value of making a difference.

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny is for anyone who has ever taught children -- or been to third grade. It is a testament to the kids who uplift us -- and the teachers we will never forget. With just the right mix of humor and wisdom, Done reveals the enduring promise of elementary school as a powerful antidote to the cynicism of our times.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72320 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743272391
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Phillip Done reminds us of the excitement and joy of learning." -- Hal Urban, author of Life's Greatest Lessons and Positive Words, Powerful Results

Review
"Phillip Done reminds us of the excitement and joy of learning."-- Hal Urban, author of Life's Greatest Lessons and Positive Words, Powerful Results

"Phillip Done is the voice of the veteran teacher who knows who he is working for; his love for children shines on every page."-- Esme Raji Codell, author of Educating Esme and How to Get Your Child to Love Reading

"Every so often, a book surfaces that has such unabashed charm you want to praise it from the rooftops. 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny is such a book. Simply put, it is an unexpected pleasure and richly deserves an A+." -- Tucson Citizen

"...funny and thoughtful" -- San Jose Mercury News

"Teacher's school tales are hilarious, poignant...Done is on his way to becoming to teachers what Erma Bombeck was to mothers - someone who can turn the mundane into hilarity." -- The Gazette, Colorado Springs

"He so simply captured the thoughtfulness and creativity of teaching" -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Phil Done's experiences as a third-grade teacher qualify him a humorist, essayist and will-you-be-my-new-best-friend? kinda guy...you're in for a treat."-- The Dallas Morning News

"Mr. Done is charming and funny...(He) brings back many memories that most of us have long forgotten." -- The Washington Times

"...touching and hilarious."-- Sunday World-Herald (Omaha)

"Delightful...a good book for anyone who ever went to third grade."-- Lincoln Journal Star

About the Author
Phillip Done won the Schwab Foundation Distinguished Teacher Award. Nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award, he has taught elementary school for twenty years. He lives in Mountain View, California.

Customer Reviews

This book is magic!
With great wit and heart, Phillip Done shares an insider's view of life in an elementary school classroom. "32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny" give an honest and hilarious account of what really happens at school. This book is magic! I could not put it down. It made me laugh out loud, it made me cry and it made me think. Mr. Done's opening chapter, "I Am a Teacher" is destined to become a classic and may soon find itself on a Hallmark mug that he does not yet have. This book is a celebration of what's right in American schools. I have told everyone I know about this wonderful book. I have already bought several copies to give to my children's teachers in the Fall and have even sent one to my own third grader teacher, whose lessons have been an influence on my life for more than thirty years.

A Must Read
This is a must read book. I laughed and laughed and couldn't put it down. I found myself shaking my head YES! YES! and relating to the things written. I matters not what grade you teach this is worth the time to sit down and read.

Well-crafted book on 32+ levels!!
Done has done good. Oops, I mean done well.

What a terrific read!! I know so many people in education who speak poignantly of the obstacles they must hurdle to teach childen, and this book will be a comfort and inspiration to each one. This is no puff piece, but great and accessible writing about essential issues or early childhood education and the policy supporting it (or not...) Done covers everything from inadequate classroom supplies (that a teacher must cover out-of-pocket), discovering and tactfully handling parent illiteracy, the problems of labeling and separating "gifted" children from those ridiculously-labelled as "non-gifted," and finally...explaining why the class girl bunny produced all those wittle wabbits after it spent the weekend with a 3rd-grader whose pet was a boy bunny. But while absorbing all this , the reader never realizes that s/he's devouring anything more than pure enjoyment, as Done makes sure it's all executed with objectivity and almost a hint self-deprecation that makes him and his students such characters of empathy.

I am a childless classical musician, not even an educator. Yet I can see that those who only KNOW anyone with an elementary-school-age child will love this book. Done is a teacher, a man , and a grownup sometimes frustrated with the resources of an underfunded school district (even in relatively-"monied" Silicon Valley.) But most of all, I finished this book with the indelible impression of Done as a human being who cares deeply about the future of children and education. Buy it, read it, then give it to your friends, whether parents or not.