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Summary
Summary
Can average be amazing? A girl challenges herself to become extraordinary in the latest from bestselling author Andrew Clements.
Jordan Johnston is average. Not short, not tall. Not plump, not slim. Not blond, not brunette. Not gifted, not flunking out. Even her shoe size is average. She's ordinary for her school, for her town, for even the whole wide world, it seems.
But everyone else? They're remarkable. She sees evidence everywhere--on TV, in magazines, and even in her classroom. Tremendously talented. Stunningly beautiful. Wildly gifted. And some of them are practically her age!
Jordan feels doomed to a life of wallowing in the vast, soggy middle. So she makes a goal: By the end of the year, she will discover her great talent. By the end of the year, she will no longer be average. She will find a way to become extraordinary, and everyone will know about it!
Well known for his expert ability to relate to kids in a school setting, bestselling author Andrew Clements presents a compelling story of the greatest achievement possible--personal acceptance.
Author Notes
Andrew Clements was born in Camden, New Jersey on May 7, 1949. He received a bachelor's degree in literature from Northwestern University and master's degree in teaching from National Louis University. Before becoming a full-time author, he taught in the public schools north of Chicago for seven years, was a singer-songwriter, and worked in publishing.
He is well known for his picture book texts, but it was his middle school novel, Frindle, that was a breakthrough for his writing career. Frindle won numerous awards including the Georgia Children's Book Award, the Sasquatch Children's Book Award, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, the Rhode Island Children's Book Award, and the Year 2000 Young Hoosier Book Award. His other works include The Landry News, The Janitor's Boy, No Talking, Things Not Seen, Things Hoped For, and Things That Are.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Clements adds to his canon of school stories with this thoughtful novel about an earnest and introspective girl who longs to wrap up her sixth-grade year "in a blaze of glory, a flash of triumph, a burst of superstardom." That's not likely, given that, although Jordan is a hard worker, she's a C student and, according to a list she draws up, the number of things she "stinks" or is "okay" at (violin, chess, a lineup of sports) far outstrips what she considers herself "great at" (only babysitting and gardening). Her self-esteem is further eroded by mean girl Marlea, who gets hold of Jordan's list and uses it to humiliate her. The narration largely consists of Jordan's internal monologue, as she obsesses over her insecurities and her annoyance with Marlea. Clements (Troublemaker) works in some constructive observations about counteracting bullying (Jordan combats Marlea's nastiness with "industrial-strength niceness"). There's no neat reconciliation (a natural disaster takes precedence and gives Jordan a chance to shine); rather, Jordan learns not to let herself be bothered by Marlea, robbing the bully of her power. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
At the beginning of sixth grade, Jordan Johnston makes a plan that would send her off to junior high school in a blaze of glory, a flash of triumph, a burst of superstardom. Unfortunately, for plain and average Jordan, the year is a total disappointment. Sure, she's sweet and studies hard, but she's a C student. Jordan compiles a list of things she's okay at and stinks at, and these categories far outweigh the good items, which only include babysitting and gardening. Bully Marlea finds the list and uses it to her advantage, but Jordan decides to kill her with kindness, responding to Marlea's meanness with industrial-strength niceness. This book, illustrated with full-page drawings, is set over the course of a single hot, humid day, and when the weather heads into dangerous territory, Jordan uses her skills to excel and enjoys 15 minutes of fame. For all those middle-graders who enjoy school stories with believable characters without goblins, vampires, and witches, thank you very much.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Sixth-grader Jordan is determined to discover one unique talent-something that can overcome her feelings of being a no-more-than-average kid. As Jordan learns to deal with a mean-spirited classmate, listeners are drawn into her awareness of others' perceptions of her, and slowly but surely her confidence grows. When a tornado approaches the town, Jordan's courage proves she's a lot more than average, and her family, classmates, and community come together, demonstrating human connections at their best. Keenan-Bolger's narration is quickly paced and delivered in a suitable childlike tone. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
How can a plain girl with few talents possibly achieve the triumphal moment of a sixth-grader's dreams? Organized, orderly and all-around average, Jordan Johnston has a more pressing problem than fame in her last few weeks at Baird Elementary School. Classmate Marlea Harkins' bullying seems as unwarranted as it is emotionally painful. Jordan's solution is surprising: She fights back with niceness; at least it distracts. The tension rises as the warm, late-spring weather becomes more threatening and the heat frays tempers. The tornado that finally comes offers relief as well as an occasion for Jordan to demonstrate her strengths. As he has done so often before, Clements (Troublemaker, 2011, etc.) offers a comfortable third-person narrative, a convincing school story full of familiar sights and sounds, as well as a believable cast of characters. Unusually, Clements also models grown-ups with fulfilling, if ordinary lives--a radio-station meteorologist who weekends with the National Guard, an English teacher who provides books from his childhood collection for his students. Even the setting in central Illinois seems ordinary. What is extraordinary is how Clements can continue to produce realistic examples of kid power year after year. More than a feel-good story with a message, this is another good read. (Fiction. 9-12) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
About Average CHAPTER ONE CERTAINTY It was a sunny spring morning, but there was murder in the air. Jordan Johnston was killing Pomp and Circumstance. Actually, the whole elementary school orchestra was involved. It was a musical massacre. But Jordan's violin was especially deadly. It screeched like a frightened owl. Mr. Graisha glared at her, snapping his baton up and down, side to side, fighting to keep all twenty-three students playing in unison. It was a losing battle. He glanced up at the clock and then waved both arms as if he needed to stop a freight train. "All right, all right, stop playing--everyone, stop. Stop!" He mopped his forehead with a handkerchief and smiled as best he could. "I think that's enough for this morning. Don't forget that this is Thursday, and we have a special rehearsal right here after school--don't be late. And if you have any free time at all during the day, please practice. We are not going to play well together if you can't play well by yourself, right? Practice!" Jordan put away her violin carefully. She loved the instrument, and she was very good at putting it away. She was also good at polishing the rich brown wood and keeping the strings in tune, and keeping the bow in tip-top condition. It was playing the thing that gave her trouble. But she was not going to give up on it. She had given up on so many things during the past eight months. The violin was her last stand, her line in the sand. She was bound and determined to become a gifted violinist--instead of a scary one. She was still a member of the sixth-grade chorus, but she didn't feel that was much of an accomplishment. Every other sixth grader was in it too. Jordan wasn't shy about singing. She sang right out. She sang so loudly that Mr. Graisha had taken her aside one day. He was in charge of all things musical at Baird Elementary School--band, orchestra, chorus, everything. "Jordan, you have great . . . enthusiasm. But it would be good if you didn't sing louder than all the other kids around you. The audience needs to hear them too, don't you think?" Jordan got the message: Your voice isn't so good. She almost always sang the correct notes, she was sure of that. She wasn't a terrible singer--just not good enough to be the loudest one. Her voice was about average. Her friend Kylie had a gorgeous voice, high and sweet and clear--but she was so timid. Kylie barely made a squeak during chorus practice, and she hardly whispered at concerts. It drove Jordan crazy. She wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her and shout, "Kylie, if I had a voice like yours, I would already live in Hollywood--no kidding, I would be a star by now! What is wrong with you?" Jordan was a careful observer of all the talented kids at her school--the ones who got the trophies and awards, the ones who were written up in the local newspaper, the ones who were obviously going to go on and do amazing and wonderful things all the rest of their lives. They were the gifted ones, the talented ones, the special ones. And she was not one of them. After her violin was tucked safely into its bulletproof case, Jordan began putting away the music stands. She carried them one by one and stacked them over in the dark corner of the stage next to the heavy folds of the red velvet curtain. When all twenty-three stands were arranged neatly, she folded the metal chairs and then stacked each one onto a rolling cart. She also tipped Mr. Graisha's heavy podium up onto its rollers and wheeled it over to its place next to the grand piano. It was already warm in the auditorium, and she leaned against the piano a moment. Moving that wooden podium always made her feel like a weight lifter, and she didn't want to start sweating so early in the day. It had been hotter than normal all week long. Jordan had volunteered at the start of the school year to be the orchestra stage manager. She arrived early for each rehearsal and set up the chairs and the music stands. Then, after rehearsal, she stayed to put them all away again. She didn't do this to get on Mr. Graisha's good side--the only sure way to do that was to be a super-talented musician. She just liked helping out. She also liked the stage to be orderly. She knew how to arrange the chairs and music stands correctly, and she understood how to put everything away again, just right. Her best friend, Nikki Scanlon, had wanted to be the co-manager, but Jordan enjoyed doing the work herself. Also, by the time she finished putting things away three mornings a week, Jordan was sometimes by herself, alone on the big stage. She enjoyed that, too. And today, like the other times she'd been alone in there, she went to the center of the stage and looked out over all the empty seats. Baird Elementary School had once been the town's high school, and the auditorium was in a separate building off to one side. It was a large room. Row after row of theater seats sloped up to the back wall. Jordan smiled modestly and walked to the front edge of the stage. Looking out over the crowd, she lowered her eyes then took a long, graceful bow. The people were standing up now, whistling and hooting and clapping like crazy. She smiled and bowed again, then gave a special nod to her mom and dad, there in the front row. She even smiled sweetly at her big sister, Allie, and her little brother, Tim. Of course, Tim didn't notice. He was only four, and he was staring at the blue-and-red stage lights with one finger stuck in his nose. A young girl in a blue dress ran down the center aisle from the back of the hall, stretched up on tiptoes, and handed Jordan two dozen yellow roses--her favorite flower. With the bouquet cradled in one arm, Jordan took a final bow and backed away. The red velvet curtain parted for just a moment, and she slipped backstage. There were people asking for autographs, plus some journalists with their cameras flashing, and a crush of happy friends, eager to congratulate her and wish her well. It was wonderful, and Jordan savored each second, as she had so many times before. Brrnnnnnng! The first bell--six seconds of harsh, brain-rattling noise. It echoed in the empty auditorium. Outside behind the main building, kids whooped and yelled as they ran from the playground and lined up at the doors. The intruding sounds did not touch Jordan's joy and certainty. She felt absolutely sure that one day her moment of triumph would be real, a part of her life. But why would all those people be applauding her? She had no idea. Excerpted from About Average by Andrew Clements All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.