Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements June 6, 2009
Posted by jcarlson in : Realistic Fiction, School Fiction , 7comments
A good example of a book to recommend to your friends is Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade. This is a story about a few girls named Jenny, Diane, and Sharon trying to survive the “unfair” fifth grade. While these girls are struggling to do so, an unfamiliar disruption comes. This disruption is a fat new girl named Elsie Edwards. When Elsie first came to the new school, she did many bad things like getting into big trouble by taking other people’s unhealthy foods while being on a strict diet, stealing the class’s lunch and book club money to buy candy, and more. But soon Jenny (the main character) finds out about Elsie’s troubles outside of school like having a mom that hates you just because you’re fat and maybe having to go to boarding school. Jenny also notices that Elsie is actually nice and starts becoming her friend. When the two girls are friends, Jenny starts to get some of her friends to be Elsie’s friend, and soon Elsie is not hated anymore (but some of the boys still don’t like her)! Soon many people start to help Elsie behave and get slimmer so her mom would’t have to send her to boarding school. At the end, Elsie doesn’t have to go to boarding school and everyone is happy (especially Jenny and Elsie)!
~Victor, fifth grader~
Jenny and her friends are trying to survive 5th grade when a big disruption comes! The new fat, blonde, smart girl comes to Mrs. Hanson’s class just when things are getting better. No one wants the new girl Elsie in the class because she’s such an embarrassment to everyone in the class. Ever since Elsie came to their class everyone has been making fun of her and weird things have been going on. Jenny and her friends were also one of those people who made fun of Elsie, but when Jenny isn’t doing so great in school she asks Elsie to help when Jenny realizes Elsie is a really good person. Elsie’s mother starts to hate her because Elsie is so fat, but Elsie’s mother spoils her other younger daughter Robyn. Jenny helps Elsie go on a diet and do better in behavior so she won’t have to go to boarding school. Jenny and Elsie become good friends and Elsie can stay with her new best friend. 
~Jackie, Fifth Grader~
I think this was a good book, and I would recommend it to a friend. It is a story about a new girl who comes to school and is overweight and is made fun of. The main character (Jenny) is not good at math and needs help with it. In the book, Elsie the new kid is asking people for their desserts and the teachers catch her, and she starts stealing lunch money. Jenny hates her and calls her a thief until she finds out about her life and her mom and that she’s going to go to boarding school. They both agree that NOTHING’S FAIR IN FIFTH GRADE!
~Brian, Fifth Grader~