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Please Write in this Book
When a teacher leaves a blank book in the Writer’s Corner for her students to find, with the instructions “Please Write in this Book,” she hopes it will encourage her students to talk to one another in its pages. They do, and the result is an epic classroom battle.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2006
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394 people want to read
About the author
Mary Amato
31 books222 followersI write fiction for young adults and children and enjoy connecting with my readers. Adults (ages 18 and up) who are interested in writing, please check out my Meditative Art/Writing Workouts, a donation-based twice monthly online group.
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...
https://www.maryamato.com/meditative-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 6, 2020
The notes and pictures that 3rd graders add to a blank notebook that Ms. Wurtz leaves in her "Writing Corner" for them to find. As could be predicted, there are students who want there to be rules for the contributions. Others do not. A conflict arises and the teacher encourages the students to work it out by listening to each other. As one might predict there is a fondness for writing about gross things like puking and other bodily functions. The handwriting is easily distinguishable from one entry to the next. The artwork is adorable. There is much to be learned about elementary classroom dynamics from a perusal of this book.
November 2, 2010
"Hello boys and girls,
You have found this book! I hid it in the writer’s corner, hoping you would. During center time, you can choose to come to the writer’s corner and write in this journal. Write about anything you want. Leave it for other students to find and write in, too. I want you to “talk” to one another in these pages."
And that’s just what the students in this class do…..
Please write in this Book had me laughing out loud. These characters seemed so real, I almost imagined my own 3rd graders at the authors. Each entry, written in a different font for each student so the reader can easily identify who is writing, begins with the date and ends with the student’s name. What the students write next and what they consider to be controversial illustrations, and comments, had me anxious to read this book from cover to cover. They bicker, make fun of one other, question if they are using the book the way their teacher has indented, write narratives, and include things like “ Lizzy, I love your poem. And you picture. You are sooo talented….. P.S. I agree with you.” Classroom feuds are shared in an interesting format as their love for writing is captured, even if they don’t even know it. The students even included humorous pencil drawings, from doodles of hearts and smiley faces, to Tyrone with “mucus coming out of his honker.” The book ends with the class solving their problems and work together to write one big story. A final journal entry from the teacher lets them know how glad she was that they figured out how to work together, and since the book is out of pages she’ll have to get a new one!
I think this book would be great to start your very own hidden writing center book, although I might start our own class journal first, then, share this one so the kids don’t get any ideas… A perfect mentor text to show voice, this text could be used in a 2-5th grade classroom. This book is sure to be a hit with the girls AND the boys!!
You have found this book! I hid it in the writer’s corner, hoping you would. During center time, you can choose to come to the writer’s corner and write in this journal. Write about anything you want. Leave it for other students to find and write in, too. I want you to “talk” to one another in these pages."
And that’s just what the students in this class do…..
Please write in this Book had me laughing out loud. These characters seemed so real, I almost imagined my own 3rd graders at the authors. Each entry, written in a different font for each student so the reader can easily identify who is writing, begins with the date and ends with the student’s name. What the students write next and what they consider to be controversial illustrations, and comments, had me anxious to read this book from cover to cover. They bicker, make fun of one other, question if they are using the book the way their teacher has indented, write narratives, and include things like “ Lizzy, I love your poem. And you picture. You are sooo talented….. P.S. I agree with you.” Classroom feuds are shared in an interesting format as their love for writing is captured, even if they don’t even know it. The students even included humorous pencil drawings, from doodles of hearts and smiley faces, to Tyrone with “mucus coming out of his honker.” The book ends with the class solving their problems and work together to write one big story. A final journal entry from the teacher lets them know how glad she was that they figured out how to work together, and since the book is out of pages she’ll have to get a new one!
I think this book would be great to start your very own hidden writing center book, although I might start our own class journal first, then, share this one so the kids don’t get any ideas… A perfect mentor text to show voice, this text could be used in a 2-5th grade classroom. This book is sure to be a hit with the girls AND the boys!!
February 5, 2023
Great first chapter book to read with my advanced grade two readers.
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September 27, 2024That moment when you randomly unlock a core memory…I have no idea why we owned this book but I distinctly remember LOVING it as a kid and reading it over and over
June 16, 2016
This was the first selection in our summer family book club! A joy to read, cute, funny and sweet.
January 27, 2019
This is a very interesting book. I love how it is like how real children would write it. The reason I found this book is because my mother suggested it and I am glad she did. I think this a great book! A good three stars.Like I said I absolutely love how the author wrote it! I recommend this book to elementary school kids. It’s also really funny for comedy lovers. I hope you enjoy this book the way I did!
February 24, 2015
A teacher leaves a book with instructions for the students to write in it. A boy and girl have a disagreement and concerning what is appropriate and the results bring an ultimatum from the teacher or the book will be taken away.
March 29, 2008
It wants to be Diary of a Wimpy Kid--but never quite gets there.
March 14, 2016
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO funny! A favorite of mine with Fish in a Tree, Out of my Mind, a Mango Shaped Space, and Strawberry Hill.
May 11, 2024
Full disclosure, I expected this to be like Wreck This Journal. It's already filled up, though! (haha)
A cute story in the vein of Dear Mr. Henshaw, forming a narrative through each student's responses to each other. It focuses a LOT on smelly feet and the contents of others' noses, though, but that's par for the course for elementary-ish students (it doesn't specify, but their activities seem too unstructured for middle school, and they mention scaring kindergarteners).
Small "nitpicks":
- Luke's "handwriting" seems TOO nice. I get that it's shorthand for who's writing, but the most legible writer is a boy? Hard to believe, haha.
- Lizzy says New Rule, don't be mean... and proceeds to be mean. (At least they call her out on that!)
A fun read for young writers!
A cute story in the vein of Dear Mr. Henshaw, forming a narrative through each student's responses to each other. It focuses a LOT on smelly feet and the contents of others' noses, though, but that's par for the course for elementary-ish students (it doesn't specify, but their activities seem too unstructured for middle school, and they mention scaring kindergarteners).
Small "nitpicks":
- Luke's "handwriting" seems TOO nice. I get that it's shorthand for who's writing, but the most legible writer is a boy? Hard to believe, haha.
- Lizzy says New Rule, don't be mean... and proceeds to be mean. (At least they call her out on that!)
A fun read for young writers!
June 20, 2021
This is a quick early chapter book, in the same family tree as Wimpy Kid and iFunny. It tells the story of a handful of students in a classroom, who share a journal in the Writing Corner. There are 6-7 students, by my lazy count, who write or draw in the journal, although I assume the teacher's class is bigger, but they all have very easy-to-discern personality traits, which come across in their writing and drawings. There is also a straightforward story arc: the kids are excited, the boys and girls make fun of each other, and then they decide to work together. The kids share typical elementary humor, with lots of talk about snot and farts and smelly feet, but there is also solid elementary level writing, with none of that silly intentional misspelling that other kids book series employ. Altogether, I'm not the intended audience, but I recognize the value of such a book, especially if teacher ls want to recreate the idea of a whole-class journal in their classroom.
June 29, 2020
It feels like a different lifetime ago that I was a 2nd grade teacher. And in certain (good) ways this book brought me to that time that was one of the hardest times in my life. What I was hoping for in a teaching career versus the reality was something hard to deal with and then when my brother died during my 2 and a half year of teaching, it was all out the window. This book, set in an elementary school classroom, with a teacher who loves writing and has a communal class notebook sounds exactly like something I would've done in my classroom. And for that I enjoyed this book even though it was quite silly. It made me reflect on how far I've come since I was a teacher and am grateful I found the career for me now as a librarian.
January 17, 2019
A month in the life of students who are given a blank book to write in and we read as the feuds and then the reconciliations occur - some interesting observations on group culture are shown.
Addendum - read this one again - for differing reasons - it does hold up as per the previous comments, although some more exploration of the motives behind what the people did could have been helpful.
Addendum - read this one again - for differing reasons - it does hold up as per the previous comments, although some more exploration of the motives behind what the people did could have been helpful.
June 4, 2017
A teacher leaves a notebook in the Writer's Corner in her classroom and encourages anyone who finds it to write about whatever they want. The only problem is the entries start to get mean.
August 9, 2017
it was good, but finished it in less than one hour...
August 10, 2017
A reread from childhood. Very kiss-and-make-up ending.
March 15, 2021
Very cute and my 10 year old niece loved it. This author captures perfectly portrays kids in their natural element, even when they are being a bit mean.
March 14, 2012
Ms. Wurtz decides to encourage creative expression and dialouge between her second graders by leaving a blank notebook in her classroom's "Writer's Corner" so that students will. She does in hope that students "talk to each other." The only stipulations are to "have fun" and "sign your name," and she promises not to read it until the end of the month. The children waste no time to begin to fearless express themselves as only 8 year olds can. As the boys' bathroom humor escalates against the girls' pleas to write only "nice things," alliances and rivalries develop. Personalities are revealed: rule-maker Lizzy; her peacemaker sidekick, Yoshiko; class clown Luke; and organizer/self-proclaimed editor Milton contribute to the journal and illustrate their handwritten entries.
Although the children's adversarial issues and appropriately lame rhyming verse take up their focus at first, the classmates come together with their fictional rescue story in a well-meaning, satisfactory end to the story. Fans of Geronimo Stilton and Marissa Moss's "Amelia" notebooks
NOTES: Because the show shows the students conflicting with her other (particularly boys VS girls) I believe that this book would be most beneficial in reading aloud to a class and allowing the students to discuss the story. There is no doubt that boy's bathroom humor and method of joking can get on a girls nerves. Just as the girl’s tendency to make rules for the sake of order can rub the boys the wrong way as it throws off their groove.
Also try: Dork Diaries; Amelia, Geronimo Stilton, Baby Mouse, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Although the children's adversarial issues and appropriately lame rhyming verse take up their focus at first, the classmates come together with their fictional rescue story in a well-meaning, satisfactory end to the story. Fans of Geronimo Stilton and Marissa Moss's "Amelia" notebooks
NOTES: Because the show shows the students conflicting with her other (particularly boys VS girls) I believe that this book would be most beneficial in reading aloud to a class and allowing the students to discuss the story. There is no doubt that boy's bathroom humor and method of joking can get on a girls nerves. Just as the girl’s tendency to make rules for the sake of order can rub the boys the wrong way as it throws off their groove.
Also try: Dork Diaries; Amelia, Geronimo Stilton, Baby Mouse, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
May 5, 2015
LPLD 3rd grade book talk
At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Wurtz hides a blank notebook in the Writing Corner, with the following note in the front:
“Hello Boys and Girls,
You have found this book! I hid it in the Writer’s Corner, hoping you would. During center Time, you can choose to come to the Writer’s Corner and write in this journal. Write about anything you want. Leave it for other students to find and write in, too. I want you to “talk” to one another in these pages. I will read the book at the end of each month. But don’t worry – I won’t grade you on what you write. There are only two rules: 1. Have fun. 2. Sign your name, so everyone knows who you are. Your teacher, Ms. Wurtz. PS: Don’t tell anybody else about this book. It will be more fun if each student finds it on his or her own.”
Sounds pretty fun, right?
It is. Ms. Wurtz doesn’t mind if people write things in the book to try and gross each other out, or jokes to make people laugh. But when one joke goes too far, the journal takes on a completely different tone.
Find out how Ms. Wurtz’ class fixes their journal in Please Write in This Book.
At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Wurtz hides a blank notebook in the Writing Corner, with the following note in the front:
“Hello Boys and Girls,
You have found this book! I hid it in the Writer’s Corner, hoping you would. During center Time, you can choose to come to the Writer’s Corner and write in this journal. Write about anything you want. Leave it for other students to find and write in, too. I want you to “talk” to one another in these pages. I will read the book at the end of each month. But don’t worry – I won’t grade you on what you write. There are only two rules: 1. Have fun. 2. Sign your name, so everyone knows who you are. Your teacher, Ms. Wurtz. PS: Don’t tell anybody else about this book. It will be more fun if each student finds it on his or her own.”
Sounds pretty fun, right?
It is. Ms. Wurtz doesn’t mind if people write things in the book to try and gross each other out, or jokes to make people laugh. But when one joke goes too far, the journal takes on a completely different tone.
Find out how Ms. Wurtz’ class fixes their journal in Please Write in This Book.
July 1, 2011
Category: easy reader
Author: Mary Amato
Illustrator: Eric Brace
Title: Please Write in This Book
Publisher: 2006 by Holiday House
ISBN: 0823419320 (ISBN13: 9780823419326)
Genre: fiction
Reading level: grade 2/3 and up
On her first day of school, Lizzie discovers that Mrs. Wurtz has left a special notebook in the Writing Corner. A note on the first page explains that the purpose of the notebook is to become the class journal where students can write about anything they want to share with each other. As students discover the journal, each one adds their own ideas, illustrations and comments. They get to know each other but there are also some disputes and misunderstandings. At the end of the book the students decide to work together to write a story in the journal.
This is a short chapter book with comic style illustrations and a lot of humor in the text. It is an easy read and will appeal to reluctant readers.
Author: Mary Amato
Illustrator: Eric Brace
Title: Please Write in This Book
Publisher: 2006 by Holiday House
ISBN: 0823419320 (ISBN13: 9780823419326)
Genre: fiction
Reading level: grade 2/3 and up
On her first day of school, Lizzie discovers that Mrs. Wurtz has left a special notebook in the Writing Corner. A note on the first page explains that the purpose of the notebook is to become the class journal where students can write about anything they want to share with each other. As students discover the journal, each one adds their own ideas, illustrations and comments. They get to know each other but there are also some disputes and misunderstandings. At the end of the book the students decide to work together to write a story in the journal.
This is a short chapter book with comic style illustrations and a lot of humor in the text. It is an easy read and will appeal to reluctant readers.
August 11, 2016
I hoped this book was similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, and the like. As a librarian, reader's advisory is a large part of my job and I'm constantly looking for related titles.
I like that this book had different characters, and each character had a unique writing style (both in diction and handwriting), but on the whole, I found it to be a repetitive story. Ms. Wurtz leaves behind a blank journal for her class to use in their Writing Corner. One by one, students find the book and begin writing messages back and forth. Unfortunately, it becomes an easy place for students to also bully one another, or give them a hard time based on what they write.
I may recommend this to patrons desperate for "diary fiction," but I'd rather read the Amelia series by Marissa Moss, and I have heard Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis is funny. Personally, I'd rate this as a "meh."
I like that this book had different characters, and each character had a unique writing style (both in diction and handwriting), but on the whole, I found it to be a repetitive story. Ms. Wurtz leaves behind a blank journal for her class to use in their Writing Corner. One by one, students find the book and begin writing messages back and forth. Unfortunately, it becomes an easy place for students to also bully one another, or give them a hard time based on what they write.
I may recommend this to patrons desperate for "diary fiction," but I'd rather read the Amelia series by Marissa Moss, and I have heard Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis is funny. Personally, I'd rate this as a "meh."
July 19, 2011
Part of the 2011-2012 Maud Hart Lovelace reading list - If you liked Sloppy Copy Slip Up or The Adventures of Ron Faster at the Harvey N. Trouble School, this might be the book for you.
Could be a good book for young readers who like humorous stories or as a class read-aloud to promote creative writing.
Additional notes - I do have a few concerns about some of the things students wrote in the notebook. They could be construed as bullying. Even when the teacher had a fair idea about what was happening; no adults stepped in to intervene. The class was asked to solve the dilemma on their own or lose the notebook. I was disappointed that the taunts and snide remarks were not taken seriously.
Could be a good book for young readers who like humorous stories or as a class read-aloud to promote creative writing.
Additional notes - I do have a few concerns about some of the things students wrote in the notebook. They could be construed as bullying. Even when the teacher had a fair idea about what was happening; no adults stepped in to intervene. The class was asked to solve the dilemma on their own or lose the notebook. I was disappointed that the taunts and snide remarks were not taken seriously.
August 31, 2016
This was a funny and sweet story about a group of students who work out some of their differences by writing in a class journal. I loved the characters: Lizzy the bossy poet, Luke the class clown, Milton the nerdy peace-maker and especially Keesha who loves horses. As a teacher that gets to see kids interacting on a regular basis, I loved this book. The sense of humor, the petty fights, the wonderful imagination of upper elementary kids is all there in spades. I think kids will love this book and see themselves in it. I think fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid-style books, or multiple narrator books like Because of Mr. Terrupt and The Strange Case of Origami Yoda will also like it. I would especially recommend it to kids with lower reading levels.
July 6, 2017
Ms. Wurtz leaves a secret notebook in the writing center for students to find and write in. There are only two rules: 1 - have fun, 2 - sign your name, so everyone knows who you are. So begins the "conversation" between a class of writers. Lizzy, a bit on the bossy side; Luke, the fiction writer with a bit of a mean streak (or is he being friendly?); Yoshi, who just wants people to be nice to each other; Milton, who only wants to see facts written; Carmen, who worries constantly about what the teacher will think; and others add to the conversation. But problems arise and the book reflects hurt feelings and other problems. Ms Wurtz challenges the students to work it out or she'll have to remove the notebook.
A quick read that students should have fun with.
A quick read that students should have fun with.
March 2, 2016
I hoped this book was similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, and the like. As a librarian, reader's advisory is a large part of my job; I'm always looked for read-alikes.
I like that the book had different characters, and each of them had a unique writing style, both in diction and handwriting. On the whole, I found it to be repetitive. Ms. Wurtz leaves behind a blank journal for her class to use in their Writing Corner. One by one, students find the book and begin writing messages back and forth. Unfortunately, it becomes and easy place for students to bully one another based on the content of the notebook.
I may recommend this to patrons desperate for diary fiction, but I'd rather read Amelia by Marissa Moss. Personally, this was "meh" for me.
I like that the book had different characters, and each of them had a unique writing style, both in diction and handwriting. On the whole, I found it to be repetitive. Ms. Wurtz leaves behind a blank journal for her class to use in their Writing Corner. One by one, students find the book and begin writing messages back and forth. Unfortunately, it becomes and easy place for students to bully one another based on the content of the notebook.
I may recommend this to patrons desperate for diary fiction, but I'd rather read Amelia by Marissa Moss. Personally, this was "meh" for me.
September 14, 2012
The premise is that a teacher places a blank book in the writing center and everyone secretly (in class) is supposed to add to it, back and forth, throughout the month. I thought it was going to be such fun to see what the kids wrote. Then the teacher said she would read at the end of the month. It is straight 3rd grade stuff, but jokes about worms and stuff up the nose and falling on one's buttocks (ha ha) get stale over and over. I skimmed because there is also name-calling and making fun, which I suppose is construed as funny, but I didn't think so. The teacher, although she had hints, stayed away until the end. I am disappointed.
January 29, 2024
A teacher leaves a journal in the Writer's Corner of her classroom. The book comes with a few simple rules- write in the book, have fun, and sign your name. What begins as an attempt to get the students writing turns into a classroom battle. Students compete for time with the book. The book fills with short stories, poems, and illustrations. Not all of it is nice. Some students use the book to poke fun at others. The boys try to shock the girls with their "potty" mouths. Then, someone kidnaps it, and one student's suggestion turns a hurtful experience into an activity in unity.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
January 6, 2012
This book is about a teacher who hides a blank book in the class writing center for the students to write in. She says that she will check the book once a month and they can write what they want. The kids in this book are pretty mean to each other. It's great that they learn to work together in the end, but I just didn't like it. I felt that the teacher should have been reading the notebook all along, not waiting a whole month. I also didn't feel that it seemed like the teacher was taking the bullying issues seriously.
December 22, 2013
RL 480. A teacher leaves a blank book in her classroom's writing corner for her students to play with. There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about the notebook (let them discover it) and to sign your name to your writing.
What follows is a flurry of stories, poems and pictures as the students try to figure out their teacher's intentions. A good book for children that enjoy diaries and the Amelia's Notebook series by Moss. Light read for grades 2-3.
What follows is a flurry of stories, poems and pictures as the students try to figure out their teacher's intentions. A good book for children that enjoy diaries and the Amelia's Notebook series by Moss. Light read for grades 2-3.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews