Justine Mckeen vs. the Queen of Mean

by Sigmund Brouwer, Dave Whamond (Illustrator)

Overview

Justine McKeen is back, and she’s on a deadline. With only days left before Earth Day, Justine enlists the help of her classmates to count flower buds, frogs, spiders and ants in their natural habitat as part of an environmental science project. But there’s a species right in her own classroom that she’ll have to tackle first—a class bully. Savannah Blue, aka the Queen of Mean, criticizes Justine’s secondhand clothes and calls being green a waste of time. Their teacher, Mrs. Howie, gives the girls a new assignment for Earth Day—they must present together to the class on why it’s important to care for the environment. In the sixth book in this bestselling series, Justine is up against her biggest challenge yet—can she convince the Queen of Mean to go green?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459803978
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	11/01/2014
Series:	Orca Echoes Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.62(h) x 0.18(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, with close to 4 million books in print. He has won the Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, as well as being nominated for two TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and the Red Maple Award. For years, Sigmund has captivated students with his Rock & Roll Literacy Show and Story Ninja program during his school visits, reaching up to 80,000 students per year. His many books in the Orca Sports and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.

Dave Whamond is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist of over 30 books. He won the Blue Spruce award for both My Think-a-ma-jink and Oddrey as well as the Silver Birch award for Secret Agent Y.O.U. His work has appeared in publications such as Wall Street Journal, OWL, MacLeans, Reader’s Digest and National Geographic. Dave lives in Calgary.

Editorial Reviews

"For her latest project, activist Justine tries to organize a student-run species count. But first she must
convince new student and bully Savannah that caring for the environment matters. The plot provides a
framework for explaining species interconnectivity, and the back matter includes links to apps and
websites for science observers...The abundant humor keeps the tale quick and readable. Short chapters, plentiful black-and-white illustrations, and Justine’s indeterminate age make the book suitable for older, struggling readers."

Booklist

"In his series of Justine McKeen books, Sigmund Brouwer introduces readers to the likeable, determined character of Justine who is passionate about taking care of her environment...Illustrations by Dave Whamond every three to four pages help to confirm understanding for young readers. At the end of the book, author Brouwer suggests apps and websites for observing wildlife in its natural environment."

CM Magazine

"The story carries through conflict, misunderstandings, humorous moments, and some soul searching to a happy conclusion. Along the way, interesting nature tidbits are deftly inserted in the story...The illustrations by Dave Whamond are cartoonish and light-hearted and accent the humorous aspects of the story. This book is highly recommended for both school and public libraries. Although it is sixth in a series it can be read as a stand-alone story. However once readers are introduced to Justine
and her friends, they will want to read the other five books."

Resource Links

"For her latest project, activist Justine tries to organize a student-run species count. But first she must

convince new student and bully Savannah that caring for the environment matters. The plot provides a

framework for explaining species interconnectivity, and the back matter includes links to apps and

websites for science observers...The abundant humor keeps the tale quick and readable. Short chapters, plentiful black-and-white illustrations, and Justine’s indeterminate age make the book suitable for older, struggling readers."

Booklist