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Duck for a Day
What would you do to take care of the class duck for a day?
Duck for a Day is a contemporary story set in a primary school class, where the teacher, Mrs Melvino, brings in a new class pet. A duck called Max. All of the students, including the main character, Abby, want to take Max home for the night, however they must abide by Max’s strict demands before Mrs Melvino allows it. Abby works hard to make her home appropriate but when Max finally comes home with Abby, he waddles away to the park. Abby has to rescue him from the pond but needs the help of her neighbour, the annoying Noah.
Duck for a Day is a contemporary story set in a primary school class, where the teacher, Mrs Melvino, brings in a new class pet. A duck called Max. All of the students, including the main character, Abby, want to take Max home for the night, however they must abide by Max’s strict demands before Mrs Melvino allows it. Abby works hard to make her home appropriate but when Max finally comes home with Abby, he waddles away to the park. Abby has to rescue him from the pond but needs the help of her neighbour, the annoying Noah.
96 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Meg McKinlay
25 books68 followersMeg McKinlay is a children's writer and poet living in Fremantle, Western Australia.
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 10, 2011
A terrific story for younger readers ready to move on to chapter books with a bit of character development. Abby comes from the sort of family where everything has to be clean and calm and quiet. She would love to have a pet but she's not allowed to.
Her teacher Mrs Melvino is a bit eccentric and arty, and the class pet she brings to school is a duck called Max. He won't go home with anyone until his long list of demands is met, and before long Abby is engaged in fierce rivalry with scruffy little Noah from next door, to see who gets Max as a houseguest for the night.
Themes to explore include friendship, courage, generosity and responsible pet ownership.
Shortlisted for the 2011 CBCA awards.
Her teacher Mrs Melvino is a bit eccentric and arty, and the class pet she brings to school is a duck called Max. He won't go home with anyone until his long list of demands is met, and before long Abby is engaged in fierce rivalry with scruffy little Noah from next door, to see who gets Max as a houseguest for the night.
Themes to explore include friendship, courage, generosity and responsible pet ownership.
Shortlisted for the 2011 CBCA awards.
June 13, 2011
I just loved Duck for a Day. It beautifully captures the way longings and victories, which can seem small and fleeting, can be of the greatest importance in a child's life. As as adult reader, it brought back lots of my own memories of these sorts of experiences too. It deals kindly with adult finickiness and folly, and sensitively with children's friendships and desires. Leila Rudge's illustrations are also funny and beautiful, with textures and details that you need to go through a few times to appreciate fully. I'd recommend Duck for a Day to anyone!
February 1, 2012
Cute story about the ominous duty of looking after the class pet for the night. I found it a little bland.
November 23, 2020
This realistic fiction book talks about how difficult it can be to take care of a pet. This book could be used to teach 2nd graders about the many things that certain animals need in order to survive, and be taken care of. My second graders and I could read this book as a group and then I would ask my students if they have any pets of their own, and if not, why? I would then talk to them to think about their favorite animal and how they would take care of it if they had it as a pet. Then, my students would do a writing activity where they would draw their pet and then write a story about how they would take care of their pet. This could introduce my students into talking about responsibility as a unit. This book does not incorporate issues of diversity or equity.
February 28, 2019
This was a great little story and would make a perfect read aloud class novel.
December 20, 2020
Cute read for beginner novel readers. Sweet and innocent.
February 1, 2021
A fun little read--see http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2021... for details!
August 14, 2022
Double thumbs up!!! 👍
February 21, 2023
Very sweet chapter book with wonderful character development. Originally 4 star but I wanted to bump up the avg. One or two star reviews are not fair at all for such a clever story.
February 24, 2012
Abby is desperate for a pet. Her parents insist on living in a tiny and calm house. Most pets are definitely not tidy-dogs chew to many things, cats claw too many things. Even goldfish are turned down because of how they stare when they swim (or so Abby's mother says). The only way Abby ever gets a pet is when it's temporary like last year when the class rabbit spent the night. The rabbit didn't like Abby's trampoline at all, but it was still better than no pet at all.
Mrs. Melvino, Abby's new teacher, has a class pet too. It's one Abby would love to take home. Max looks like a lot more fun than something that needs things to be nice and quiet. He roams around during class, sometimes tugging on a shoelace or sitting on the kids' feet. He looks like the perfect temporary pet even if he doesn't come when he is called. Max isn't a hamster, a rabbit or a guinea pig. He's not a dog or a cat either. Max is a duck.
When Abby's classmate asks if students can take Max home, Mrs. Melvino explains there won't be a class rotation. For Max to go home with a student that student has to meet the duck's demands. He can't go anywhere cats live or where there are ferrets. The yard must be secure and there has to be an aquatic environment for Max.
Abby and her classmates start planning. They offer plan after to plan to their teacher only to have them turned down. Swimming pools are definitely out. A bathtub won't work for overnight. Abby changes her plan again and again, trying to earn a chance to take Max home while her neighbor Noah is also fighting to get Max to his home.
This is a funny early chapter book with great comic relief provided by Max, the duck with the brown speckled feathers and smooth orange beak. Abby and Noah's antagonism as they compete to earn Max feels very real and I liked how they had to come to work together in this book. The sketches throughout the book are lighthearted. Duck for a Day would be an entertaining addition to any children's collection.
This book was originally published in Australia and will be released in the U.S. on Febraury 28, 2012. I read a copy of this book through NetGalley.
Mrs. Melvino, Abby's new teacher, has a class pet too. It's one Abby would love to take home. Max looks like a lot more fun than something that needs things to be nice and quiet. He roams around during class, sometimes tugging on a shoelace or sitting on the kids' feet. He looks like the perfect temporary pet even if he doesn't come when he is called. Max isn't a hamster, a rabbit or a guinea pig. He's not a dog or a cat either. Max is a duck.
When Abby's classmate asks if students can take Max home, Mrs. Melvino explains there won't be a class rotation. For Max to go home with a student that student has to meet the duck's demands. He can't go anywhere cats live or where there are ferrets. The yard must be secure and there has to be an aquatic environment for Max.
Abby and her classmates start planning. They offer plan after to plan to their teacher only to have them turned down. Swimming pools are definitely out. A bathtub won't work for overnight. Abby changes her plan again and again, trying to earn a chance to take Max home while her neighbor Noah is also fighting to get Max to his home.
This is a funny early chapter book with great comic relief provided by Max, the duck with the brown speckled feathers and smooth orange beak. Abby and Noah's antagonism as they compete to earn Max feels very real and I liked how they had to come to work together in this book. The sketches throughout the book are lighthearted. Duck for a Day would be an entertaining addition to any children's collection.
This book was originally published in Australia and will be released in the U.S. on Febraury 28, 2012. I read a copy of this book through NetGalley.
December 19, 2016
Abby's teacher, Mrs. Melvino, has a class duck named Max, and Abby wants nothing more than to take him home for a weekend. Unfortunately, Max has a lot of very specific needs, and Mrs. Melvino has to see that all of them can be met before she will allow any student to take him home. Specifically, Max needs an "aquatic" environment without dogs, cats, or clawed animals, with a "calm, secure yard" and "duck food." Abby gets to work at once, but no matter what preparations she makes, it seems that her next door neighbor, Noah, is one step ahead of her. On top of that, Mrs. Melvino keeps making the requirements more and more strict, until it seems like Abby will never have her chance to babysit Max!
Class pets are a popular topic in books for beginning readers. The Willimena Rules!, Robin Hill School, Horrible Harry, Ready Freddy, and Katie Kazoo Switcheroo series all have titles involving class pets, as do stand-alone books like The Best Seat in Second Grade, 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos. Duck for a Day, originally published in Australia in 2010, shares some common characteristics with these other books, but ultimately takes the class pet concept in a new direction.
Though I wondered at times whether Mrs. Melvino's strict rules about caring for Max were too harsh, I thought she was a colorful and interesting character. I also enjoyed the way Abby and Noah's rivalry slowly evolves into friendship, caused by their mutual interest in the duck. Max's duck behavior also adds a lot of charm and humor to this sweet school story.
Class pets are a popular topic in books for beginning readers. The Willimena Rules!, Robin Hill School, Horrible Harry, Ready Freddy, and Katie Kazoo Switcheroo series all have titles involving class pets, as do stand-alone books like The Best Seat in Second Grade, 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel / 1 Dog = Chaos. Duck for a Day, originally published in Australia in 2010, shares some common characteristics with these other books, but ultimately takes the class pet concept in a new direction.
Though I wondered at times whether Mrs. Melvino's strict rules about caring for Max were too harsh, I thought she was a colorful and interesting character. I also enjoyed the way Abby and Noah's rivalry slowly evolves into friendship, caused by their mutual interest in the duck. Max's duck behavior also adds a lot of charm and humor to this sweet school story.
July 26, 2012
This early chapter book begins when Mrs. Melvino reveals the class pet--a duck named Max--to her class. Abby, the narrator, is most curious. She's not allowed to have a pet of her own--not even a fish--but her parents have said yes to bringing home the class pet now and then. But Mrs. Melvino is not going to let Max go home with just any student, to any home. No, this duck needs a certain environment to be comfortable. And Abby is determined to do anything and everything to make sure that she gets to take Max home. She's not the only one. Readers also get glimpses of Abby's neighbor, Noah, whose home environment leaves something to be desired--at least according to Abby. Noah has been trying to be her friend since he moved in next door, but, Abby, well she has higher standards. Both kids work very, very hard to make their homes and yards inviting to a duck...
I liked this one. It didn't wow me, but it was a pleasant enough read. Abby and Noah learn a little bit about one another and about responsibility and diligence too.
I liked this one. It didn't wow me, but it was a pleasant enough read. Abby and Noah learn a little bit about one another and about responsibility and diligence too.
July 17, 2012
Read my full review at The Cath in the Hat.
Waddle as fast as you can to your library or bookstore and pick up a copy of Duck for a Day, an engaging early chapter book. McKinlay, an Australian writer, covers well-trod ground--a girl wants to bring home the class pet--but she does so with great finesse and with a delightful twist--the class pet is a duck. The book is expertly plotted and the characters well-drawn and endearing. When obstacles are put in her path, Abby, the protagonist, doesn't whinge or whine, she sets out to overcome them. Leila Rudge's cartoonish illustrations enhance the text and add many comic touches. A delightful book!
Waddle as fast as you can to your library or bookstore and pick up a copy of Duck for a Day, an engaging early chapter book. McKinlay, an Australian writer, covers well-trod ground--a girl wants to bring home the class pet--but she does so with great finesse and with a delightful twist--the class pet is a duck. The book is expertly plotted and the characters well-drawn and endearing. When obstacles are put in her path, Abby, the protagonist, doesn't whinge or whine, she sets out to overcome them. Leila Rudge's cartoonish illustrations enhance the text and add many comic touches. A delightful book!
December 4, 2012
This is such a cute story. My GF got this for me ages ago and bad GF that I am, have only gotten round to reading it now.
It's a shame I did put it off for so long. It is a lovely story about ducks... but it is also a story about acceptance. Just because they think Noah is weird (although I thought that Noah was more normal than Abby, if I'm being honest) they leave him out. I thought it was really rude how they looked down on Noah and his family just cause they have a messy yard and are a bit untidy.
Sorry, rambled a bit there... As I was saying, cute duck, good story (and it won't hurt you if you happen to be weird).
It's a shame I did put it off for so long. It is a lovely story about ducks... but it is also a story about acceptance. Just because they think Noah is weird (although I thought that Noah was more normal than Abby, if I'm being honest) they leave him out. I thought it was really rude how they looked down on Noah and his family just cause they have a messy yard and are a bit untidy.
Sorry, rambled a bit there... As I was saying, cute duck, good story (and it won't hurt you if you happen to be weird).
June 6, 2015
I chose to read this book because I love ducks and I saw the cover "duck for a day" and I thought, "I want to read this book" and I am a quick reader and get into books really easily, so I finished this in about 10-20 minutes (also because it is short). It is about a girl who gets a new teacher and she brings in a class pet (a duck) and the girl (abby) tries really hard to bring the duck home, and she does, but the teacher was really fussy about what she THINKS the duck likes, but the duck doesn't really care. So she gets to take the duck home and the duck goes missing (he went to the park) and she gets really wet trying to get the duck out of the park pond.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2013
This book is fun from beginning to end. It is 90 pages with 15 short chapters - though they aren't listed as chapters. The new teacher has a class duck and the duck has demands. Abby's parents have all sorts of reasons not to have pets but Abby is determined to have Duck for a day. Weird Noah who lives next door wants duck also. Who can meet the demands and what will happen between Abby and Noah?
I support Independent books stores use this link to find one near you or to order this book - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
I support Independent books stores use this link to find one near you or to order this book - http://www.indiebound.org/book/978076...
May 23, 2012
Abby's parents have never let her have a pet, which makes her even more determined to keep Max, her classroom's pet duck, for the night. Despite an increasing list of needs (calm secure yard, aquatic environment, strawberries) Abby is certain she can create the perfect duck home, hopefully before her annoying neighbor Noah. This is a charming, quirky easy reader with humorous black and white line illustrations and a nice (but not heavy-handed!) moral about cooperation.
October 7, 2012
Mrs. Melvino has an interesting class pet, a duck named Max. The students all want to take care of him, but they must prove their home is the perfect spot for him to come overnight. Abby and her neighbor, Noah, both work hard to show that their houses are perfect for Max. But when Abby finally gets Max for the night, things go terribly wrong.
July 13, 2012
Super cute book; A's first chapter book, this took us about a week. Just the right amount of pictures and an engaging story kept my almost 5 year old's interest and he remembered a lot about the story.
June 10, 2013
This early chapter book offers a more complex relationship and conflict that is typical within a basically simple story. The characters are well developed and appealing, and the story builds to a suspenseful and satisfying conclusion.
February 6, 2012
adorable
February 24, 2012
adorable
March 15, 2012
Abby goes to great, entertaining lengths to have the opportunity to care for the class duck at home.
May 7, 2012
*Review to come*
Short & Sweet: Very cute book. Loved the theme of not judging a person by what you see on the outside.
Short & Sweet: Very cute book. Loved the theme of not judging a person by what you see on the outside.
November 6, 2012
A lot to love in a small package.
July 10, 2012
Beginning chapter book, about the needs of the class pet, and Abby's dream to take it home for a night. P.K.
Read
July 13, 2012This book is a great selection for the post-emergent reader. The story hooked me from the beginning with it's quirky characters, offbeat class pet and genuine descriptions.
January 18, 2013
Fun story with a teacher I wish I had as a kid. And a duck! Who knew a class duck could be so appealing. Loved it.
October 20, 2014
Cute story for kids transitioning into chapter books. A duck would be an excellent class pet.
April 1, 2013
This is a fun and funny little easy chapter book that kids who pick it up and read it will really enjoy! The quirky teacher and the duck add to the zaniness of the book and make for a cute story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews