Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade

Overweight Elsie steals lunch money to buy candy when she is put on a diet. Kind-hearted Jenny befriends her (with a little trepidation, at first). Elsie suffers so many misfortunes that the book is unbelievable. Also, there is an episode of hitchhiking for these 5th graders. This book would not be

one of my first recommendations, but it's not horrid, either.

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LibraryThing member nzfj

Library Thing Part D Diversity-Obesity
DeClements, Barthe. Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade. New York, NY: Puffin, 2009. Print.

A fifth grade teacher strongly suggested that I include this title in my reviews for realistic fiction. She was correct, the book is poignantly sharp. It deals with

friendship and obesity. The main characters are Jenny and Elsie, however, the narrator is Jenny and the story is told from her perspective. She relates her feelings and observations when Elsie is transferred to her school and class. The drama a new student brings to a classroom is intermingled with Jenny’s drama at home with her parents and her pre-k brother Kenny. Elsie is obese and to make matters worse her mother and Mrs. Hansen, their teacher, make a firm statement that Elsie will only be able to eat her prepared lunch and nothing else. She has a special diet. The children’s comments directed to Elsie are cruel but very realistic. Elsie’s reactions to the comments are mature and reserved and heroic in a sense. She is a disgusting pitiful young lady who wrestles with her eating disorder, steals money to buy candy, and takes her punishment in a dignified manner. She can see over the other girls unkind comments and stays right there waiting for an opportunity to earn their friendship. Elsie conquers her compulsion to over eat and wins favor with the girls through her tutoring them math and giving them homemade gifts, and sharing her knowledge of popular music. I enjoyed the simple read, and the preteen dialogue was still realistic even though this title was written in 1981. I don’t think a present day teacher and principal would react to a parent’s demands concerning their obese child, the way it was presented in this title. But I do think the student’s behavior and the other girls’ mothers’ reactions to Elsie were very believable. This read is light-hearted but with an undertone of optimism in the face of friendships, family relationships and a grappling disability of obesity. I would include this read in a realistic fiction collection along with the author’s recent titles. Curriculum connection is language arts lower elementary.

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LibraryThing member jmorrison

Didn't like it that much. Good for its younger age group although.

LibraryThing member caitlinsnead

Elsie Edwards is the new girl in the fifth grade. But she is overweight and miserable. Her new classmates dislike her because they find her disgusting. And Elsie even steals their lunch money.

LibraryThing member honeyspur

This story of Elsie Edwards in grade school, dealing with her weight and the reactions to her from those in her life, even her own mother, are the experiences of so many children today everywhere. The articulation of this by the author, makes it an easy and fast read. Barthe's books were always

books I could not put down as a child. Much like the Beverly Cleary books.
A simple, but personal look into human thought and the struggles in relating to others. It shows just how well children can interpret life and other people's feelings.

The dialog is engaging and realistic. There is a sequel to this book about Elsie later on as a high school student. It follows the same poignancy, the same interest in what people are going through.

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LibraryThing member csoki637

I only ended up reading this in 10th grade, but it was better than I had assumed as a fifth grader staring at it on the paperback-rack.

LibraryThing member JenW1

A bit dated, but still a realistic portrayal of young girls dealing with body image and bullying.

LibraryThing member dire1234

i love the book!

LibraryThing member classyhomemaker

Wow, this book is really horrible! Waaaaaaay before the days of political correctness, Jenny and her friends flat out fat shame poor Elsie to the max. I'm not all that into accepting unhealthy weight gain as fine---I think we need to do what we can to live as healthily as possible---but this story

is downright heartbreaking; and the worst thing is that the author brings very little moral element out of the story. Elsie is treated horribly by kids and adults, alike; but the more weight she loses, the nicer she is treated. By the end of the story, Elsie can see her feet and all is well. I can't help but wonder how many cases of bullying and eating disorders this author was responsible for.

I remember when the phrase "politically incorrect" became popular. I was in ninth grade. I remember thinking it was stupid and anti-American to ever censor anyone's words, and I still believe that to an extent, but this book really is over the top.

On a positive note, when I read this in grade school, I would imagine all the scenes as if they took place at my own school. Reading back through this last night, I can still see it all in my mind! Those were some happy days.

And...Elsie's feet still look really sunburnt on this cover. I never understood that one.

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