Module 7 - There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

Citation: Sachar, L. (1987). There's a boy in the girls bathroom. New York, NY: Knopf.

Book Summary: Bradley Chalkers is a loner who is misunderstood by his classmates.  He is not a good student and constantly gets in trouble.  His actions seem to be a cry for attention.  He remains alone until Jeff Fishkin enrolls at the school and begins to sit next to him in class.  Bradley is surprised when Jeff actually befriends him.  Bradley learns to deal with his problems when the new counselor, Carla Davis, also takes an interest in him and allows him to discuss his problems with her.  Through both of these new relationships, Bradley learns to deal with his problems more appropriately and begins to become a better student, even doing his homework every now and then!

My Impressions: Bradley represents the kid in every school who is alone and isolated from his classmates.  This book helps kids understand these kids better and understand that deep down, they want to be liked, too.  This book is good for kids who feel alone like Bradley, too.  It teaches important life lessons for kids.

Professional Review: Fifth grader Bradley Chalkers is bright, imaginative, antisocial and friendless. Unlike the kids at school, who hate him, Bradley's collection of chipped and broken little pottery animals allows him to be brave, smart and vulnerable; he uses them to resolve the rejection of peers and adults. Jeff, a new boy at school, offers friendship but then withdraws his offer, because Bradley is hard to like. Enter Carla Davis, new school counselor, who is caring and funny, and who gradually helps restore Bradley's self-confidence. Feelings and emotions are strongly evoked in this touching and serious story of a disturbed child that is infused with humor and insight. 
-Publisher's Weekly 1987
(Retrieved February 29, 2012, from http://www.amazon.com)


Library Uses:  This would be a good book to read with an all boys reading club.  Guys could discuss some of the problems they face in their own lives and learn how to handle them appropriately through reading about Bradley's experiences.