Trouble With Teachers

Summary:

The Sisters are at it again, this time escorting a visiting author around the school. They have a lot of responsibility to make sure the school has a “good image,” but they keep running into trouble ... trouble with a capital T as in trouble with the teacher. Between fights and kissing in the hall, it’s hard to find a “safe” avenue to escort the honored guest. Inspiration wins in the end.

Reader Enjoyment Factors:

This is a book that addresses a common theme for adolescents and reflects their outlook, which sometimes can lead to less than the best decision-making under the guise of “doing what’s right.” It also highlights one of the best parts of education, having real “live” people come in and share their craft.

Content Awareness Factors:

The book doesn’t paint the “sisters” in a particularly responsible light, but rather shows them being less than responsible with their duties as “tour guides.” It also shows adults “letting them off the hook” which I’m not sure I agree with. This is definitely a girl book, and that could be a pro or con.

Little Kid Reaction

The “Brit” slang that appears occasionally in this text was hard for my reader to “get” sometimes. She did, as a reluctant reader, like the fact that the book was a quick read (only 36 pages and most of those have an illustration in addition to the text).

Parent Reaction

I have trouble following the dialogue in this series at times; it seems to jerk along, sometimes too quick, sometimes too slow. It does address a common theme most kids experience in school: trouble with teachers.

Type of Book:
This is a chapter book series for reluctant readers (reading at ages 7-8).

Educational Themes:

If you have an author visiting your school, you may want to read this ahead of time, especially if you have student ambassadors escorting your guest around. The theme could also be used as a writing prompt if your students have never had an author come to their school.

Reading Level:
0.0

Recommended Age To Read By Yourself:
9 to 12

Recommended Age To Read Together:
7 and Up

Age of child:
Read by a 10-year-old girl.

Purchase Recommendation:
I wouldn’t borrow or buy this book. Under the pretext of being a simpler read, I found the text a bit too skeletal. Maybe kids who struggle with reading might think differently since it is formatted with less text on the page and somewhat controlled vocab

Title	Trouble with Teachers
About	Siti's Sisters series
Author	Helen Orme
Publisher	Ransom Publishing © 2007
Illustrators	Cathy Brett, Anna Torborg
ISBN	9781841675992
Material	Hard Cover
Cost	$7.95
Genres	Friendship