Class Dismissed

by Allan Woodrow

Overview

Allan Woodrow is back with another pitch-perfect middle-grade novel full of hilarious antics, epic arguments, and a class that just doesn't get along.

Class 507 is the worst class Ms. Bryce has ever taught. And she would know — she's been teaching forever. They are so terrible that when a science experiment goes disastrously wrong (again), Ms. Bryce has had it and quits in the middle of the lesson. But through a mix-up, the school office never finds out. Which means ... Class 507 is teacher-free! The class figures if they don't tell anyone, it'll be one big holiday. Kyle and his friends can play games all day. Samantha decides she'll read magazines and give everyone (much needed) fashion advice. Adam can doodle everywhere without getting in trouble. Eric will be able to write stories with no one bothering him. And Maggie ... well, as the smartest kid in the class she has an ambitious plan for this epic opportunity. But can Class 507 keep the principal, the rest of the students, and their parents from finding out ... or will the greatest school year ever turn into the worst disaster in school history?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545800723
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/27/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	74,287
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Allan Woodrow is the author of Unschooled, Class Dismissed, and The Pet War, as well as other books for young readers, written under secret names. His writing also appears in the Scholastic anthology Lucky Dog: Twelve Tales of Rescued Dogs. Allan currently lives near Chicago with his family. For more about Allan and his books, visit him online at www.allanwoodrow.com.

Read an Excerpt

Ms. Bryce is so busy watching Adam march out of the room and toward the principal's office that she doesn't notice what has happened. She steps backward, into the red fake-volcano muck. She notices it now. She looks down. Her shoes are half buried in red glop. Ms. Bryce opens her mouth and a scream like a siren screeches out, so loud and shrill that I think it might shatter the windows. I have to cover my ears. I wouldn't be surprised if people could hear her from across the school. I wouldn't be surprised if people could hear her from across the state. "What did you do?" she cries. She raises her eyebrows and the deep wrinkles in her forehead crease even deeper. "I just poured in the vinegar," replies Giovanna in an almost-whisper. Ms. Bryce jabs her finger at the empty jar. "I said to put in a quarter of a cup!" I'm about to point out that no, she didn't say that. She didn't say anything about vinegar measurement. But I keep quiet because I don't want to get in any more trouble than I might be getting into already. Ms. Bryce's face is tomato red, or rather, fake-lava red. If this were a cartoon, she'd have little clouds of smoke puffing from her ears. "That's it!" our teacher yells. She marches to the front of the class, red glop dripping from her sensible but fashion-poor footwear. She picks up the phone. For a moment, I worry that she's calling the police to arrest us for ruining her shoes, and I wonder how I can explain to my parents that I need them to bail me out of prison. But she presses the button for the school office instead, which makes no sense. After a few seconds of waiting, she hollers, "This is Ms. Bryce. Tell Principal Klein that I am resigning. Effective immediately!" She hangs up. Then, she grabs her coat from behind her chair, marches across the room, and leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Allan WoodrowClass Dismissed"Aimed equally at boys and girls, this engaging comedy offers some life lessons with a giggle." –Kirkus Reviews"A fine addition to the middle grade school story genre. Readers won't regret picking up this title."–School Library ConnectionThe Pet War"This fast-paced and funny novel presents a protagonist in the tradition of Tom Sawyer, a smug but winning preteen boy generally beloved by his peers though regarded with suspicion and perhaps a hint of distaste by adults." –Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Otto is a humorous protagonist whose narrative will keep readers amused. Pet lovers will enjoy this entertaining story." –School Library Journal"Many readers will identify with Otto's yearning for a pet and his frustrations with his all-too-perfect sister." –Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
Gr 3–5—The fifth graders in Class 507 can be challenging, frustrating, and disruptive. After months of eraser fights and daily visits to the principal's office, an over-exploding science project eventually tips the scales. Their teacher, Ms. Bryce, immediately resigns, but her declaration never actually reaches the principal. It doesn't take the students long to determine that their class is "teacherless" and no one knows! Instantly, the fifth graders begin dreaming of daylong recess, no rules, and no homework. After further thought, the students begin to worry about a scheduled field trip, student duties, and their upcoming class play. Ultimately, they realize they must band together to keep their cover. Just how long can they keep their secret? Woodrow provides readers with multiple perspectives on the humorous and engaging scenario. The narration of events alternates among five exceedingly different student perspectives. For example, Maggie, the studious Harvard hopeful, is determined to take the teacher's role, overseeing all classroom needs. The quiet loner, Eric, must take risks by letting his voice be heard to protect the class secret. While having differing viewpoints is valuable to the plot, individual character voices are weak; tone, word choice, and sentence structure all remain similar despite the changing viewpoints. Additionally, the central plot loses steam with the multiple perspectives, as side plots are initiated and third tier characters are introduced. VERDICT Woodrow's realistic novel is light, with a handful of coming-of-age lessons, yet it fails to quench the thirst of the original premise, a teacher-free fifth-grade classroom.—Mary-Brook J. Townsend, Episcopal Collegiate School Library, Little Rock, AK

School Library Journal

2015-07-15
When a fed-up teacher unexpectedly resigns, her unruly fifth-grade class decides not to tell anyone. Woodrow's agile classroom comedy has much in common with the kind of sports story during which the bumbling players come together to win the big game. Similarly, this novel is about a group of disparate children who learn how to cooperate as a team, making friends and honing their talents to achieve victory. The story is narrated in alternating first-person voices by five classmates: Kyle, the bully; Samantha, the critical rich-girl fashionista; Eric, the so-quiet-he's-practically-invisible writer/wallflower; Maggie, the bossy brain; and Adam, the well-meaning kid who is always in trouble. The children think their teacher's absence will be a blast, but there are many problems to solve, the most challenging being the creation, rehearsal, and performance of an original play about the American Revolution for after-school activity night. The play, a comic set piece that neatly caps the action, is this book's big game, and besides being funny and delightful, it showcases the group's new grasp of teamwork and also demonstrates how each child has grown individually. The story is a little slow to get going, and inexperienced readers may find it difficult to distinguish among the narrative voices, but the premise can't miss.Aimed equally at boys and girls, this engaging comedy offers some life lessons with a giggle. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews