Joshua T. Bates Takes Charge

Joshua T. Bates

by Susan Richards Shreve

Tommy Wilhelm and his gang of bullies have never let fifth-grader Joshua forget that he was held back in the third grade. Now Tommy has started picking on a dorky new kid and Joshua must choose between sticking up for the nerd and saving his own neck.

Genres: Childrens

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Also know as Susan Shreve. Received the following awards: Jenny Moore Award, George Washington University, 1978; Notable Book citation, American Library Association (ALA), 1979, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Best Book for Young Adults citation, ALA, 1980, for The Masquerade; Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for Social Studies and the Children's Book Council joint committee, 1980, for Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories; Guggenheim award in fiction, 1980; National Endowment for the Arts fiction award, 1982; Edgar Allan Poe Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1988, for Lucy Forever and Miss Rosetree, Shrinks; Woodrow Wilson fellowships, West Virginia Wesleyan, 1994, and Bates College, 1997; Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation grant.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Will Joshua T. Bates do the right thing?

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua survived the humiliation of flunking third grade and was able to pass with his class into fifth grade. Unfortunately his problems have not stopped. He is failing math. Tommy Wilhelm is still his worst enemy. Then, Sean O'Malley moves into the area. Red-headed and small for his age, Sean carries a Mickey Mouse lunch box to school. Tommy and his gang of bullies say he's a nerd. Joshua is assigned to help Sean assimilate into the school's routine. All Joshua wants to do is get as far away for Sean O'Malley as he can. Sean's lunch box is stolen and put up on the statue atop the school. A tray of food is dumped on him at lunch. Chairs are pushed out from underneath him, and he is tripped several times. Joshua doesn't do anything to defend Sean for fear of incurring Tommy's wrath. Then Sean falls off the school's roof while trying to retrieve his lunch box, and a note to the principal says that Joshua Bates is the one persecuting Sean. Joshua knows that Tommy wrote it. He also knows that he needs to make a very difficult decision. Does he continue to ignore the abuse or does he speaks out and expose Tommy and his gang. When Sean turns up missing, Joshua knows who's to blame and where Sean is. The principal calls an assembly of all the fifth graders. Joshua stands up and says that he knows what's going on and asks permission to go get Sean. Joshua rescues Sean from the school's storage shed. Together they go back into the assembly where Joshua exposes Tommy as the main culprit. As Joshua and Sean leave the auditorium the other students clap. After school, Joshua finds a note on his front porch. It's from Sean and asks him is they can be friends.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Kathy P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book to encourage kids to do the right thing and to stand up for he underdog. I read all 3 Joshua T. Bates books to my third grade classes each year because they are completely entertaining, and they provide kids with the tools and even the words to use in the situations they fear. Tools for handling teasing, bullying, feeling left out...these books are fun and funny instruction manuals disguised as realistic fiction. Bravo, Susan Shreve!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Joshua T. Bates is known as the kid that no one really cares for. I like how in this book he takes charge and becomes friends with someone who is being bullied. He stands up for what he believes in!

[Mas5thgrade2011]

I liked it
-redisawesome