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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780689851865
ISBN number: 0689851863
Label: Aladdin
Manufacturer: Aladdin
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: August 01, 2002
Publishing house: Aladdin
Age index: Ages 9-12
Sale Popularity Level: 66041
Studio: Aladdin
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Natalie's best friend, Zoe, is sure that the novel Natalie's written is good enough to be published. But how can a twelve-year-old girl publish a book? Natalie's mother is an editor for a big children's publisher, but Natalie doesn't want to ask for any favors.
Then Zoe has a brilliant idea: Natalie can submit her manuscript under a pen name, with Zoe acting as her literary agent. But it's not easy for two sixth graders to put themselves over as grown-ups, even with some help from a couple of real grown-ups who are supportive but skeptical. The subsequent best-selling school story may be in their hands -- but can Natalie and Zoe pull off their masquerade?
Amazon.com:
Don't mess with Zee Zee Reisman from the Sherry Clutch Literary Agency. Especially when she's promoting the hot new novelist Cassandra Day. New York's publishing scene is familiar with tough players like Zee Zee, and impressed by the book she's pushing... but stunned when they find out Zee Zee and Cassandra are both 12-year-old girls. Zee Zee is really Zoe, fiercely loyal and self-assured best friend to Natalie Nelson, a.k.a. Cassandra Day. When Natalie writes a story, a really good story, Zoe is determined to let the whole world know. Using her formidable wits and all the resources available to a well-to-do New York City girl, Zoe, along with their timid English teacher, Ms. Clayton, proceeds to chip away at the challenge. The catch? The editor Natalie wants happens to be her own mother, an editor at Shipley Junior Books. But Natalie wants her authorship to remain a secret to her mom so that she'll get a fair shake. What ensues is a masterfully elaborate plot to get the manuscript in the right hands--and away from the arrogant, unfriendly editor in chief.
A highly original plot with plenty of intriguing side stories makes this a thoroughly satisfying read, especially for future novelists, agents, and editors. The publishing world is explored in just enough detail to gently banish romantic notions, but not to quell enthusiasm. The subplot around Natalie's father, who died four years earlier, is an almost silent but strong undercurrent to the story. This graceful and enjoyable novel from Andrew Clements (the bestselling author of The Janitor's Boy, Frindle, and The Landry News) is illustrated with rather gloomy, yet strangely funny black-and-white drawings from Brian Selznick, the illustrator of Clements' Frindle and The Landry News. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
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Rated by buyers 
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I can't believe I haven't read Andrew Clements before, but I'm really glad I discovered him now. He's fast becoming one of my favorite middle-grade writers.
Normally I'm drawn to YA and middle-grade fantasy, SF, and mysteries, and those remain my favorites. But lately my ten year old's reading for school has necessitated stepping outside my favorite genre haunts and picking up books on other people's reading lists. I've read and reviewed Clements's THE JANITOR'S BOY, and really enjoyed it. So picking up THE SCHOOL STORY was actually a no-brainer at that part.
I knew from my previous experience with Clements that he could hold his own emotionally in a story. I knew I'd like the characters and that they would have problems I could relate to.
What I didn't expect was the education about the world of writing and publishing that is so much a part of this wonderful story. I know kids are interested in just about everything these days, but I didn't know they would have been curious at all as to how a book gets bought, published, and advertised.
Clements does all these things in an interesting manner. Not only that, but he makes those facets of publishing a big part of the novel. Each one of those steps of getting a book to a publisher, into the hands of the right editor, and into reader awareness becomes a stumbling block for our three intrepid heroines.
Natalie Nelson is the writer. Her dad tragically died and she was really close to him. She wrote her book, called The Cheater partially in his memory, because she didn't want to forget about him. And because she knows her mom, Hannah, is struggling with everything as well. She pours out her heart onto the pages and wins the support and enthusiastic belief from Zoe Reisman. Natalie wants her mom, an editor at a book publisher, to publish her book, but doesn't want any special favors. So she invents a pseudonym to write under.
Zoe is the go-getter of the group. Her dad's a lawyer and has always told her she could do anything. So she sets out to see if that's true. She reinvents herself as an agent (after finding out what agents do), gives herself a pseudonym as well, declaring herself to be Zee Zee Reisman, of the Sherry Clutch Literary Agency (an agency she also invents and rents an office for), and goes to work making everything happen for Natalie.
Along the way, the girls become convinced they need to have an adult help them. They choose their young English teacher, Ms. Clayton, who is new to teaching and still unsure of exactly where her responsibilities lie in her chosen profession. One of Clements's greatest skills as a middle-grade reader is his ability to write from the adult perspective in a way that doesn't bore the younger readers or talk down to them.
The readers are elevated to the same level as the adult characters, and the adult problems are stripped of age, sex, and other modifiers that prohibit understanding by younger and less experienced readers. Ultimately in Clements's view of the adult world, problems still confront characters who can affect them, but the question remains, should they? I agree with this philosophy, and it's something that kids understand in a heartbeat.
This is a great book about friendship between kids and between kids and adults. Everything fits together nicely in the end, which makes it more fictional than the real world, but the book delivered exactly what it set out to do.
At the end of reading it together, my son said that he believes the book should be turned into a movie because he could see everything happening. I tend to agree. But don't wait for the movie. Read this splendid book while you're waiting.
Rated by buyers -
A really wonderful, uplifting and inspiring story about a young author, the best friend who believed in her when she didn't believe in herself, and the teacher who helped make their dream a reality. This book made me want to laugh, cry, and go hug my best friend. :-) A GREAT read for kids and adults alike.
Rated by buyers 
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This book has a negative tone throughout toward teachers, principles, parents, and superiors. After reading it, it is obvious to me that there is an adgenda within the book to try to get kids to think about lying in a more ambiguous way. Dipping their toes in the pool of moral relativism. For this reason, as a responsible parent I was not happy that my son was assigned this book to read at school. Just one more reason we will probably end up giving up on public schools :(
Rated by buyers 
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The book
Will Natalie's book get published? Only time will tell.
The School Story is about a girl named Natalie who want's to get her book published with the help of her friend Zoe and her teacher Ms. Clayton They help her publish her book.
My favorite chapter of the book is when Ms. Clayton buys a rental office. She is going to use the office for Zoe. This is my favorite chapter because it is one of the longest chapters. I enjoy these because I learn a lot about the characters and the author uses a lot of detail.
I think that the author's purpose is to teach kids to never give up and keep on trying because Natalie never gave up and kept on trying.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes to write because it's about a good book.
Rated by buyers -
Andrew Clements has written another fantastic novel. It's about 12-year-old Natalie who wants to be a PUBLISHED writer. She's very close if you count in the fact that her mother works as an editor for a children's publisher. Yet, Natalie doesn't want to tell her mom about her project, not just yet.
There are several story lines that run through this novel. Clements makes it easy to follow each one and ties them all together at the end. If you are a writer, this is a great book that shows in very simple terms the process that many manuscripts may take. I found myself thinking about Natalie long after I'd read the last page.
Another great gift idea for middle grade students who have the desire to write and be published!
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