There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar

 Summer Reading Challenge Review: There's a Boy in the Girls Bathroom

Book Talk Blurb:

Bradley Chalkers is the school trouble maker he never does his work and is mean to all the other students and no one likes him. But when the school hires a new counselor she sees a part of Bradley that no one else sees, a sweet, likable boy who just needs to be given a chance. Will Carla help Bradley become a better student and a better person or will the unhappy parents drive her out of school before she is given the chance?

Book Review:

I'm going to be honest I did not like this book. As an educator it was really triggering for me. I have difficulty believing that so many grownups would give up on a kid so early in his life. I would never treat a student the way Mrs. Ebbel treated Bradley. I would have tried to connect with him to help him myself. Instead she just washed her hands of the whole thing and left him to his own devices. 

I know the book was published in the 1980s so the premise is a little out dated and I'm sure at the time it made more sense, but for me it doesn't. There are some elements that might resonate with kids, I'm sure there are a lot of kids who feel out of touch with school and their peers who need some help from a trusting adult. The problem for me is that in my school there is a plethora of adults wanting to help the students with their school work and managing their emotions, so this book is a little foreign to me. I suppose that makes my students very lucky but because of that luck I'm not sure this book will be as big a hit in my school as some other books I've read.

Tags:

School

Family

Friendship

Bullying

Social Emotional Learning

Counseling

Rating: