Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami
James, Rhondell, Sharice, and Marcel live varied lives in the same inner-city neighborhood, attending the same school. What begins as a frantic bid by their math teacher, Mr. Collins, to reach above the odds in a dispirited teaching environment, soon turns into a moving novel about building community. The story is revealed through multi-voiced first person narratives, somewhat reminiscent of Paul Fleischman's Seedfolks. At first it appears that Mr. Collins has cracked under the pressure in math class. But soon it is clear that he is putting forward something between challenge and dream in attempting to launch a tetrahedron project in an after-school club. Building the world's biggest Sierpinski tetrahedron, beating the record of a California school, attempting to make it into the Guinness Book of Records—all these goals seem impossible. Still, little by little, as the ownership of the club shifts from teacher to students, the fellowship it engenders begins to make an impact on their lives. Pearsall draws us into the challenges and longings of those lives. Of the adult characters, Marcel's father Willy Q, and Rhondell's Aunt Asia, are particularly memorable. Javaka Steptoe's black-and-white line drawings, tetrahedron details, and barbecue recipes, all add texture and context. An afterword offers information on tetrahedrons and on the true 2002 Cleveland middle school tetrahedron project that inspired this book.
All of the Above
by Shelley Pearsall, Javaka Steptoe (Illustrator)Based on a true story, All of the Above is the delightful and suspenseful story of four inner city students and their quest to build the world's largest tetrahedron. Weaving together the different personal stories of the kids, their teacher, and the community that surrounds them, award-winning author Shelley Pearsall has written a vividly engaging story about the
Editorial Reviews
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Exhausted by his efforts to teach math to apathetic middle schoolers, Mr. Collins proposes that his class attempt to build the world's largest tetrahedron structure. The resulting endeavor, described in alternating chapters by Mr. Collins and four of the students, builds more than geometry as readers come to see them as individuals and as a developing unit. They include artistic tough guy James Harris III, who insists that the individual tetrahedrons color coordinate; Marcel the Magnificent, who works vigorously at his father's barbecue grill; veteran foster child Sharice; and quietly ambitious Rhondell. Marcel's dad's recipes are sprinkled throughout. This novel is based on the true story of a Cleveland middle school tetrahedron built in 2002. Pearsall has a knack for creating strong narratives and characters that eschew predictability. While this solid, multivoiced offering is a hopeful one, the action is realistically gritty and true to its inner-city setting. The book may take a little hand-selling, but, like E. L. Konigsburg's The View from Saturday (S & S, 1996), it is a feel-good read.-Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Cynical inner-city seventh graders are challenged by an odd idea from a math teacher. Frustrated that his students do not seem the least bit interested in learning, Mr. Collins proposes a contest to build the world's largest tetrahedron. Several students show up for the first meeting, a few because they want to do something new. One picks math club over failing the class and another does not have anywhere else to go. Armed with reams of paper and glue sticks, the students begin building the huge structure piece by piece. However, the rainbow hued composition is not the only thing they are gluing together. As the weeks pass, they realize that they are forming something much more than a claim to a world record. They are building their lives. Recipes for barbeque sauce, cake and cornbread separate chapters, told in several alternating voices. Smart and fast-paced, this story inspires as well as entertains. (Fiction. 8-12)
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9780316115261
- Publisher:
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date:
- 01/01/2008
- Edition description:
- Reprint
- Pages:
- 256
- Sales rank:
- 105,031
- Product dimensions:
- 5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.75(d)
- Age Range:
- 8 - 12 Years
Meet the Author
A former teacher and museum historian, Shelley Pearsall is now a full-time writer. Her first novel, Trouble Don't Last, won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. She lives in Akron, Ohio.
Customer Reviews
Average Review:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
All of the Above
3.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
22 reviews.
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All of the Above is a realistic fiction novel written by Shelley Pearsall. The novel is a very good and gives you examples that you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. The novel is set in modern day Cleveland, Ohio at the end of Washington Boulevard. A team of students want to break a world record of who can build the largest tetrahedron in the state, but they have only a few weeks to do it and only four kids helping them.
Trying to build a tetrahedron is hard so the team of students try to get more students to join. When that didn't work, they started making snacks for kids to come and eat, but they have to work on the project. After that doesn't work, the math teacher tells the students whoever helps can get extra credit on math. The author wrote the novel from the first person point of view and wrote how the kids would write as if she was a student her self. Also every chapter in the novel was from every characters different perspective of the situation. This novel would be good for children ages 10-15 only because it is based on normal kids their age trying to do something to make history. Therefore it could be inspiring to them.
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I had to read this book for school. I dont get it. I dont like it. Its nlt the best.
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I would like to read it but i have no money
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I had to read this for school and i loved it sooooooo much i am glad this was the book i had to read i didnt want it to end:)
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Really good book. I had to read this over the summer for school and I am happy I had to. Quick read also
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This book is pretty well wrritten. Its not the best ive read but its cool!
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It was really good. It would be a great book for 6th grade classes. It was a quick read and exsiding!!! :)
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I had to read this for school but I felt like I would choose to read it after school or outside of school. Now whenever I read a book in school I always say, "it is good but not as good as All Of The Above!"
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I dont have the digital(or whatever they call it) copy but I do have the actual book, and it is GREAT
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I have to read this and i hate math...... would i like this?
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great book eead ot in fifth grade i staartesd to cry because it represents alot of things
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