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About Average
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.
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.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2012
59 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Clements
191 books2,194 followersI was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1949 and lived in Oaklyn and Cherry Hill until the middle of sixth grade. Then we moved to Springfield, Illinois. My parents were avid readers and they gave that love of books and reading to me and to all my brothers and sisters. I didn’t think about being a writer at all back then, but I did love to read. I'm certain there's a link between reading good books and becoming a writer. I don't know a single writer who wasn’t a reader first.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
December 29, 2017
Usually, I am very engaged with Andrew's books. I'm captivated. My mind wandered a bit with this one. I did enjoy that Jordan was in the band. She feels very average but she is good in a crisis. The biggest scene in the book felt rushed at the end.
I feel like this could have used more development or something. The book is about average.
I feel like this could have used more development or something. The book is about average.
December 13, 2012
Andrew Clements delivers a pitch-perfect novel for elementary-aged readers here. It works on so many levels - it addresses trendy issues like the unrealistic focus on fame in youth culture and bullying, but it also speaks to kids who just aren't too comfortable in their own skins, and who are trying to discover who they are and who they want to be. Clements does all this with a masterful hand that is never too heavy or preachy, but always simply and in a relatable way. But wait, there's more! All of these amazing features are wrapped up in a compelling, character-driven story that made me GASP LOUDLY at the climax and had me blinking away tears as I listened to it on the way home. This is my favorite Clements novel to date, and I'm REALLY hoping it makes one of the state award lists soon.
October 1, 2014
I am usually a fan of Andrew Clements' work. I enjoyed Frindle and The Landry News as well as others. But this book really didn't work. The premise, of having an average female protagonist, is good. But the execution doesn't work. The antagonist is a girl who is bullying the main character. It is very typical Female Relational Aggression, which is a cutting and damaging. The heroine muses to herself that the physical bullying she was aware of was brought to the school authorities and then halted, but this bullying that was happening to her, she was sure it was all up to her to deal with it because if she asked for help, it would only make it worse. (There are an increasing number of programs and so forth designed to address FMA. I hope her school gets on board soon. Hypothetically speaking.)
So, what does she decide to do? Well, be really, really nice to the girl bullying her. Does this stop the bullying? No. The bullying continues.
The climax of the book is a freak weather incident that puts the children of the school's band in danger. Our heroine thinks quickly and gets everyone safe until the danger is past and help arrives. At the end, she is applauded by everyone. Including the bully.
So, the entire tension of the story is totally eclipsed by the dramatic ending. This sends a terrible message, in my opinion. It says, "If you're being bullied in this way, be really nice. And then someday maybe you'll have a chance to prove how great you really are. And then your bully will cheer for you." Nope. Nope, nope, nope. The bully would still continue the bullying. Maybe even amp it up out of jealousy (with the way the character is portrayed, I could see this happening).
Also, the pacing of the book is drawn out and slow. Almost dithering. I think it needed more events spread over a greater amount of time. More dialogue, more ... something. Because too much of it was internal, and the bulk of the story took place in one day.
Lastly, I don't feel like the protagonist ever really came to peace with who she was. She wanted the praise and recognition from everyone, and she got it. But will she ever get it again? Likely not. Will she then feel unfulfilled the rest of her life? I wish this story had been properly developed.
So, what does she decide to do? Well, be really, really nice to the girl bullying her. Does this stop the bullying? No. The bullying continues.
The climax of the book is a freak weather incident that puts the children of the school's band in danger. Our heroine thinks quickly and gets everyone safe until the danger is past and help arrives. At the end, she is applauded by everyone. Including the bully.
So, the entire tension of the story is totally eclipsed by the dramatic ending. This sends a terrible message, in my opinion. It says, "If you're being bullied in this way, be really nice. And then someday maybe you'll have a chance to prove how great you really are. And then your bully will cheer for you." Nope. Nope, nope, nope. The bully would still continue the bullying. Maybe even amp it up out of jealousy (with the way the character is portrayed, I could see this happening).
Also, the pacing of the book is drawn out and slow. Almost dithering. I think it needed more events spread over a greater amount of time. More dialogue, more ... something. Because too much of it was internal, and the bulk of the story took place in one day.
Lastly, I don't feel like the protagonist ever really came to peace with who she was. She wanted the praise and recognition from everyone, and she got it. But will she ever get it again? Likely not. Will she then feel unfulfilled the rest of her life? I wish this story had been properly developed.
September 26, 2012
Jordan Johnston feels that all her sixth-grade schoolmates are talented or pretty or somehow above average, while she is just...average. Throughout the story other characters point out to her what she's really good at, but she either doesn't believe them or doesn't understand what they're hinting at. I guess it's human nature to compare ourselves with others, but I learned a long time ago that, if you do that, you'll never come out on top. It's much better to look at what you are good at and can do well, at your positive qualities, as Jordan does when she makes her list of things she's good at. And sometimes we're stronger or braver or better at something than we think we are, or have hidden strengths or skills that only reveal themselves in time of crisis, as happened to Jordan at the end of the book.
What I liked best about the book was Jordan's determination to be genuinely nice to Marlea, the bully. It wasn't easy, but her efforts paid off. The story stands as a great way to show kids a different approach to dealing with bullies.
I just wish the story had been longer! Recommended.
What I liked best about the book was Jordan's determination to be genuinely nice to Marlea, the bully. It wasn't easy, but her efforts paid off. The story stands as a great way to show kids a different approach to dealing with bullies.
I just wish the story had been longer! Recommended.
December 16, 2012
No superstar in 6th grader Jordan. No super-duper grades. No super-duper looks. No super-duper athleticism. Just your super average run-of-the-mill kid. When you read as many fantasy books as I do it is refreshing to get a normal protagonist once in a while which is what I liked best about this book. While Clements descriptions bring alive the story and characters, the forced plot kept it from standing out in a crowd.
Jordan is finishing up the school year and is in the orchestra, but struggles at being a good instrument player. She bemoans the fact that she is average at so many things and dreams of being a superstar. What she doesn't realize is that she is good at organizing and one of her responsibilities is to set up and take down the music stands and chairs before and after orchestra practice. She's trying to deal with a bully in school and she just isn't sure what to do. When she decides to try and be nice to the bully, it seems to help her attitude and surprise the bully. When a disaster strikes the school, it is Jordan's superior planning skills that come to the rescue.
Clements mentions the build up of heat throughout the novel, that reflects the changing weather conditions and mirrors Jordan's boiling anger toward the girl who is bullying her and the impending disaster. I like his word choices when he writes, but it confused me in the chapter titled, "Furious," because Jordan's emotions were so extreme. The previous chapters paint this picture of a sweet girl and then "Bam!" this chapter starts out "Jordan Johnston was radiating massive waves of negative energy, a huge force field of harsh, burning rage." She is such a mess of anger to the teacher and others, that I thought it was a different character. I think Clements was having too much fun creating beautiful sentences and didn't realize the character was... well, out-of-character. I reread the previous chapter to see if I'd missed something about Jordan having a personality disorder. I hadn't. The next chapter explains her over-the-top anger. If the chapters had been switched and if Jordan had tried to hide her anger I would have been able to buy her extreme behavior. I see that Clements was trying to put suspense into the chapter and wanted the reader to wonder why Jordan is angry but it came off more confusing than suspenseful.
It is obvious, Clements knows his craft as pieces of the plot are pulled together such as Jordan at the start on the stage pretending to be in front of an audience imagining them clapping, to her actually being in front of a clapping audience at the end. But in other parts the story didn't flow smoothly and it felt forced such Jordan being on a winning soccer team but not getting a trophy. Instead she gets a whistle. That wouldn't happen. I've been coaching soccer for 20 years and I played as a kid and every participant whether they are a manager or player gets a trophy or ribbon. The whistle is critical to the disaster, but the author should have had it given to Jordan in addition to the trophy. Perhaps Clements wanted the unappreciative coach to look like a bully; but it was too unbelievable for me. Jordan being a type of assistant coach in soccer organizing the whole team practices was unbelievable as well. First, she's not going to know drills as a sixth grader that she can teach others. I see that Clements is showing her to be exceptionally strong in organizational skills, but it doesn't reflect the age. I could maybe buy a high-schooler doing that who had been mentored by a parent in youth coaching, but not an 11-year-old. I also was wondering Jordan's long (slightly boring) interior monologue regarding babysitting. Clements is showing that she is responsible and a planner and it ties in with the tornado but it seemed forced.
Good discussions can happen around the theme of bullying and if someone is suffering from it and this story has a good message on how to handle a person who is verbally abusive. Jordan decides that saying nice things to this girl bully in her class is the way she is going to react to her ugly comments. But the strength of the message is that by being nice, Jordan's attitude changes and allows her to not take the nasty girl's comments seriously or lose her temper. When a bully can't get a reaction, then he or she usually finds a new victim. While the plot has flaws, this story will entertain most and at 120 pages it is a good addition to an elementary library.
Reading Level 6.5
Jordan is finishing up the school year and is in the orchestra, but struggles at being a good instrument player. She bemoans the fact that she is average at so many things and dreams of being a superstar. What she doesn't realize is that she is good at organizing and one of her responsibilities is to set up and take down the music stands and chairs before and after orchestra practice. She's trying to deal with a bully in school and she just isn't sure what to do. When she decides to try and be nice to the bully, it seems to help her attitude and surprise the bully. When a disaster strikes the school, it is Jordan's superior planning skills that come to the rescue.
Clements mentions the build up of heat throughout the novel, that reflects the changing weather conditions and mirrors Jordan's boiling anger toward the girl who is bullying her and the impending disaster. I like his word choices when he writes, but it confused me in the chapter titled, "Furious," because Jordan's emotions were so extreme. The previous chapters paint this picture of a sweet girl and then "Bam!" this chapter starts out "Jordan Johnston was radiating massive waves of negative energy, a huge force field of harsh, burning rage." She is such a mess of anger to the teacher and others, that I thought it was a different character. I think Clements was having too much fun creating beautiful sentences and didn't realize the character was... well, out-of-character. I reread the previous chapter to see if I'd missed something about Jordan having a personality disorder. I hadn't. The next chapter explains her over-the-top anger. If the chapters had been switched and if Jordan had tried to hide her anger I would have been able to buy her extreme behavior. I see that Clements was trying to put suspense into the chapter and wanted the reader to wonder why Jordan is angry but it came off more confusing than suspenseful.
It is obvious, Clements knows his craft as pieces of the plot are pulled together such as Jordan at the start on the stage pretending to be in front of an audience imagining them clapping, to her actually being in front of a clapping audience at the end. But in other parts the story didn't flow smoothly and it felt forced such Jordan being on a winning soccer team but not getting a trophy. Instead she gets a whistle. That wouldn't happen. I've been coaching soccer for 20 years and I played as a kid and every participant whether they are a manager or player gets a trophy or ribbon. The whistle is critical to the disaster, but the author should have had it given to Jordan in addition to the trophy. Perhaps Clements wanted the unappreciative coach to look like a bully; but it was too unbelievable for me. Jordan being a type of assistant coach in soccer organizing the whole team practices was unbelievable as well. First, she's not going to know drills as a sixth grader that she can teach others. I see that Clements is showing her to be exceptionally strong in organizational skills, but it doesn't reflect the age. I could maybe buy a high-schooler doing that who had been mentored by a parent in youth coaching, but not an 11-year-old. I also was wondering Jordan's long (slightly boring) interior monologue regarding babysitting. Clements is showing that she is responsible and a planner and it ties in with the tornado but it seemed forced.
Good discussions can happen around the theme of bullying and if someone is suffering from it and this story has a good message on how to handle a person who is verbally abusive. Jordan decides that saying nice things to this girl bully in her class is the way she is going to react to her ugly comments. But the strength of the message is that by being nice, Jordan's attitude changes and allows her to not take the nasty girl's comments seriously or lose her temper. When a bully can't get a reaction, then he or she usually finds a new victim. While the plot has flaws, this story will entertain most and at 120 pages it is a good addition to an elementary library.
Reading Level 6.5
November 21, 2016
I have read 14 books by Andrew Clements in the last 8 months. With each book I have a greater appreciation for him as an author, and for his understanding of children and their development. Most of his books are wonderful realistic reads, and this book lives up to all my expectations. Andrew Clements is one of my all-time favorite authors for children's books or middle grade reads. And this book will speak to everyone who thinks they are not the star, the athlete, in the in group. But it deals with both a girl's self-image and how she decides to handle being bullied.
Jordan Johnson has a very realistic outlook on life. She has come to the conclusion that she is average. She sees herself as middle of the road in all things. Not overweight and not underweight, neither tall nor short, and not blond nor brunette. She does not excel at school, but she is also not towards the bottom of the class. She sees herself as ordinary, and she compares herself with others, other people at school, images from magazines and television. Other people are remarkable, incredible, beautiful, talented, and some even gifted. But she worked hard, maybe harder than most and that discipline could possible take her further than natural gifting. But she has also been bullied for a number of years and she has decided to conquer the bulling with kindness. But making that decision and sticking with it are two very different things.
But sometimes in a moment a person's life can change. And that is exactly what happens to Jordan. For as the Tornado warning sirens are blaring Jordan see's the big picture and steps up to take charge. So everyone will know that she is special and why.
Andrew Clements does an amazing job of capturing the experience of children; their emotions, their experiences, their hopes and their fears. In this book he captures the internal dialogue, dreams, hopes and aspirations that can cross children's minds. And maybe even adults who read the books also.
This is another excellent read by Andrew Clements and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Andrew Clements.
Jordan Johnson has a very realistic outlook on life. She has come to the conclusion that she is average. She sees herself as middle of the road in all things. Not overweight and not underweight, neither tall nor short, and not blond nor brunette. She does not excel at school, but she is also not towards the bottom of the class. She sees herself as ordinary, and she compares herself with others, other people at school, images from magazines and television. Other people are remarkable, incredible, beautiful, talented, and some even gifted. But she worked hard, maybe harder than most and that discipline could possible take her further than natural gifting. But she has also been bullied for a number of years and she has decided to conquer the bulling with kindness. But making that decision and sticking with it are two very different things.
But sometimes in a moment a person's life can change. And that is exactly what happens to Jordan. For as the Tornado warning sirens are blaring Jordan see's the big picture and steps up to take charge. So everyone will know that she is special and why.
Andrew Clements does an amazing job of capturing the experience of children; their emotions, their experiences, their hopes and their fears. In this book he captures the internal dialogue, dreams, hopes and aspirations that can cross children's minds. And maybe even adults who read the books also.
This is another excellent read by Andrew Clements and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Andrew Clements.
April 6, 2013
I absolutely loved the first half of the book. With a daughter that is at an age where you worry how they are fitting in and a society that is so focused on bullying I thought this would be the perfect book. It goes a long way in showing that everyone can find things that they are good at. I am also very fond of Jordan's plan to counter Marlea's bullying with niceness. I just wish that the book had ended with Jordan finding her own place without the help of a natural disaster. Some way that other kids could possibly find their own ways. Overall I love Andrew Clements books; I think he does a fabulous job writing in a way that kids can relate to his books and characters.
October 14, 2016
Part of our new Interactive Read Aloud program. Good story with a good message. All I have time for is new school books...
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February 7, 2023I really enjoyed this sweet story. A worthwhile story for any kid who feels "less than" when it seems like all the other kids have found their thing (or things) they're good at. Loved hearing the main character Jordan figure her way through her new, radical plan to be nice to the girl who's nothing but mean to her.
May 4, 2020
Bu kitaba büyük bir ilgiyle başladım. Gerçekten yüksek beklentilerim vardı bu kitaptan. Yazar bu kitapta beni çok şaşırttı. Olaylar sürekli tekrarlanıyormuş gibi geldi. Sadece çok nadiren farklı olaylar yaşanıyordu o kadar.
April 6, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and honestly wish it was around when I was younger. The book is about a girl named Jordan who is seemingly average at everything, and how she gets bullied by a more popular girl named Marlea. Jordan makes a list of things she is good at, including gardening and babysitting, and her list is found by Marlea and gets her teased by many kids. To sum it up, Jordan eventually realized her talents and starts to find her identity and own talents, and realizes she is better than average.This book is great for students in 3rd grade to probably 6th grade, and can teach children a lot in my opinion.
The language used in this book is very good, and helps make the reader feel like they are standing and actually listening to conversations happening, or are watching what is happening. This book is very relatable to kids too, because everyone has dealt with finding their own 'thing', or what they are good at, along with their own identity. This is also relatable because of how often kids are bullied and too scared to say anything or don't want to fight back. About Average seems like it is about a girl that could very easily be in your classroom, and is easy to relate to on any level and I would definitely teach it.
I would use this book to teach about moral lessons, such as being kind, or things having to do wit personal struggles, like finding yourself, or finding out the things you like and are good at. Many young kids have moments of not feeling good enough at something, or not fitting in, and teaching them that those feelings are normal and okay to have will benefit them in the long run, and make them more confident, or at ease with themselves. I would have students read this in groups, and maybe journal as if they were Jordan, and then talk about it with group members. I think this would be beneficial for students because they are journaling about situations and feelings they have probably experienced themselves, but it makes it easier to talk about because it isn't actually their own journal, but it is "Jordan's". It would help students talk about their feelings or hard experiences, such as being bullied or not feeling confident or good at anything they do, without them realizing they are doing so.
The language used in this book is very good, and helps make the reader feel like they are standing and actually listening to conversations happening, or are watching what is happening. This book is very relatable to kids too, because everyone has dealt with finding their own 'thing', or what they are good at, along with their own identity. This is also relatable because of how often kids are bullied and too scared to say anything or don't want to fight back. About Average seems like it is about a girl that could very easily be in your classroom, and is easy to relate to on any level and I would definitely teach it.
I would use this book to teach about moral lessons, such as being kind, or things having to do wit personal struggles, like finding yourself, or finding out the things you like and are good at. Many young kids have moments of not feeling good enough at something, or not fitting in, and teaching them that those feelings are normal and okay to have will benefit them in the long run, and make them more confident, or at ease with themselves. I would have students read this in groups, and maybe journal as if they were Jordan, and then talk about it with group members. I think this would be beneficial for students because they are journaling about situations and feelings they have probably experienced themselves, but it makes it easier to talk about because it isn't actually their own journal, but it is "Jordan's". It would help students talk about their feelings or hard experiences, such as being bullied or not feeling confident or good at anything they do, without them realizing they are doing so.
June 12, 2016
Sweet. A bit implausible, but that's ok. The thing is, not everyone is a Stargirl, a bookworm, or a misfit... some kids are just nice average kids. And at some point they'll find their niche, or prove their worth, or discover their special talent. And they deserve stories w/ characters they can empathize with.
This is a much easier and shorter book than I expected, given that the characters are finishing their 6th-grade year. And sometimes they act and even think like third-graders. But given that Jordan is a babysitter, she has to be older than 8. And if 8 yo's can learn from Jordan how to react to mean girls, before 6th grade, that's a good thing.
Clements is def. a go-to author for a modern school story.
I just wish I could figure out what motivates mean girls. Who are they? How are they spawned?
This is a much easier and shorter book than I expected, given that the characters are finishing their 6th-grade year. And sometimes they act and even think like third-graders. But given that Jordan is a babysitter, she has to be older than 8. And if 8 yo's can learn from Jordan how to react to mean girls, before 6th grade, that's a good thing.
Clements is def. a go-to author for a modern school story.
I just wish I could figure out what motivates mean girls. Who are they? How are they spawned?
August 2, 2012
This is a warm tale about Jordan, a girl who feels she is just average (or below average) in almost everything she does. She even makes a list of her above, about, and below average things she can do. A mean girl, Marlea, finds the list in the trash and begins to bully Jordan. While this could have been a story about bullying and dealing with being bullied, Clements chooses to have Jordan rethink her own thoughts to deal with the bully. She focuses on positive thinking and tries niceness with Marlea. Then an unexpected twister hits the school and Jordan finds out what she is really good at. A good story for girls, I doubt most boys would gravitate to this one, but full of heart and knowing yourself.
November 25, 2012
I would "drop" this. Books dealing with bullies are everywhere these days, and I was looking forward to one by one the best contemporary children's authors. Unfortunately, this is probably Clement's most lackluster book. It is anticlimactic and unremarkable. Jordan depicts a very common situation among elementary school students. She has no talents to speak of, and is completely average in every way. She does not magically discover a talent; which is one aspect of the book that I did appreciate. Most of us are in fact average and it is important for kids to realize that they can lead meaningful lives even if they do not have an extraordinary talent.
September 5, 2015
Maybe that is more like 2 1/2 stars. I really enjoy reading Andrew Clements with my son, but this book was somewhat of a disappointment. The idea of a girl who seemed just average was appealing to me who had similar feelings in school. She has a idea about some of the things she is good at (very few), but someone's strong points aren't always obvious. Eventually she is able to make a real contribution. Meanwhile she has trouble with girl "bullying," something not everyone recognizes but is all too real to many of us. Maybe the way the story was developed was not as good to me as Clements' other books including "School Story" which also had a female protagonist.
September 17, 2012
What a great story about courage and quick thinking. This book will be a great companion novel to our weather unit. If tornadoes scare you, this book might scare you, but the ending is just right! I would like to read this book again just to examine the main character's personality traits and to figure out what motivates her to act on the way that she does. I think you will like this new novel from Andrew Clements.
July 25, 2012
For such a short book, the repeated jumping back and forth in time was distracting. And the most exciting part of the whole story took place over just seven pages. The whole thing just felt like it was missing something.
April 1, 2016
I listened to this one on cd in the car with my little girls, and it was good. Not my favorite, but it has a good message about bullying and embracing who you are. Finding the good in everyone, and bring kind.
November 28, 2020
Jacob and Ellie are listening to the audio. They are totally going through an Andrew Clements phase, checking out all the audios from the library this summer..krb 7/3/17
Ellie listened to this audio again..krb 11/27/20
Ellie listened to this audio again..krb 11/27/20
July 23, 2015
Surprising ending although characters are not very well developed.
August 3, 2015
Love Andrew Clements. Love this story of a girl who never stands out in anything, but is an absolutely outstanding girl.
April 28, 2024
A young girl is trying to find out what makes her special.
March 14, 2020
About Average, is the title of the book that i’ve finished. The author of this book is Andrew Clements. First of all, about average is a book that shows how kids struggle to find their identities in school. Jordan Johnson is the main character. Some more characters: Allie, Tim, Teachers, Joe, Carl, Marlea, Nikki, Kylie, Lindley, Kathryn, Ellie, Jonathan, are the main characters. Now, for the settings there are many. One setting was their school (classrooms). Also, there is when Jordan babysits and she’s in a house babysitting. And when Jordan does her sixth-grade graduation in the auditorium. Those are the settings. When it came to finding this book, Ms. De Mercurio I'm pretty sure helped me find it. When I checked it out and began reading it, you can just relate to it.
As i’ve said, it’s a book where kids are trying to find their identities. Jordan Johnson is a sixth-grader and feels so average. In this book Jordan related to the book SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL because in a nutshell, it describes her. In the book Jordan claims that she isn’t the best at singing, playing the violin and more. The book is about Jordan’s life and how it’s doing. The book is just so great to me. Some conflicts that happen are with Jordan and Marlea. There are a lot of conflicts against Jordan and Marlea because Marlea is “Miss Perfect” and she also bullies Jordan. There is also conflict with them because Jordan likes Jonathan. Overall the book is a book that I would recommend because it addresses issues of being bullied.
I think that at the end of the book About Average, the ending was good. It ended with a good ending. I wouldn’t change the ending because Jordan is very happy. My favorite part was when the principal said “In addition to your certificate of completion, the school board wants to present you with a special commendation, and shall now read it.” That was my favorite part because it made Jordan feel good and everyone noticed how she is and how everyone was just so happy for her. Everyone came to see her and it was a special moment for her.
In my personal opinion, some similar books would be SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL because she related to it and I would probably think that the book was similar in a way. I think that middle schoolers would like this book. I would recommend middle schoolers to read this book because I am one and I related to it and I think that they would too.
As i’ve said, it’s a book where kids are trying to find their identities. Jordan Johnson is a sixth-grader and feels so average. In this book Jordan related to the book SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL because in a nutshell, it describes her. In the book Jordan claims that she isn’t the best at singing, playing the violin and more. The book is about Jordan’s life and how it’s doing. The book is just so great to me. Some conflicts that happen are with Jordan and Marlea. There are a lot of conflicts against Jordan and Marlea because Marlea is “Miss Perfect” and she also bullies Jordan. There is also conflict with them because Jordan likes Jonathan. Overall the book is a book that I would recommend because it addresses issues of being bullied.
I think that at the end of the book About Average, the ending was good. It ended with a good ending. I wouldn’t change the ending because Jordan is very happy. My favorite part was when the principal said “In addition to your certificate of completion, the school board wants to present you with a special commendation, and shall now read it.” That was my favorite part because it made Jordan feel good and everyone noticed how she is and how everyone was just so happy for her. Everyone came to see her and it was a special moment for her.
In my personal opinion, some similar books would be SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL because she related to it and I would probably think that the book was similar in a way. I think that middle schoolers would like this book. I would recommend middle schoolers to read this book because I am one and I related to it and I think that they would too.
February 11, 2022
Delightful story, with a chuckle here and there, about the mind of a 6th grader and her struggles and victories. By the way, there's nothing wrong with being average, but, then again, I think there is no such thing.
January 3, 2019
I'm going to summarize how I felt about the book:
The blurb is the equivalent to a clickbait title on a youtube video.
That's all I'm going to say.
The blurb is the equivalent to a clickbait title on a youtube video.
That's all I'm going to say.
June 3, 2019
Fast read. I’ve enjoyed his other books more.
July 22, 2019
Simple chapter book for 4th or 5th grade.
August 26, 2019
Loved it.
March 6, 2013
"Jordan's memory was a powerful force. A moment from the past would sneak up and kidnap her and then force her to think about it until she discovered something she didn't know she knew."
―About Average, P. 9
Andrew Clements has put together a pretty good book here. Sturdy characters, a sincere sense of humor and an unexpected twist or two are all important to the story, and the references sprinkled in to pop culture are refreshing and not as prone to dating the book as in some novels. I especially like the low-key tribute to Patricia MacLachlan's classic Newbery Medal winner of 1986, Sarah, Plain and Tall, with the occasional juxtaposition of other assorted adjectives to replace those in that famous title as a way for Jordan to describe her friend, Kylie. What better way to attract the attention of the Newbery Committee than to seed a few references to one of its most famous honorees in one's own book? Even if it didn't work that way for About Average when it came to the 2013 Newbery awards (which I'm sure wasn't really his goal, anyway), it was still a fun nod to classic literature.
Many people who could be counted average have little aversion to the concept. Often, this indifference to standing out from the crowd is the reason one is average. If only a select few can rise to the top as exceptional, then it stands to reason the ones most likely to do so are those possessed of a burning desire to succeed, a need to be extraordinary that propels them above most of their peers until their goals have been reached. Sixth grader Jordan Johnston, however, breaks this mold. Though she is only average in most of what she does (babysitting being one notable exception), Jordan isn't comfortable remaining an average person in perpetuity. She wants to be great, to establish herself as more than just a middle-of-the-road kind of girl. She isn't sure how to go about such a transformation, though. How is she to parlay an aptitude for babysitting and an agreeable personal disposition fawned over by all the grownups in her life into something truly special? It doesn't make Jordan any happier with the status quo when a scornful girl from her class, a girl just as good-looking and popular as Jordan's friend Kylie but without her winning personality, finds the list Jordan made of her own levels of accomplishment in a variety of specific skills, dividing them into groups of things she's great at, thinks she's okay at and those things she doesn't do well at all. Now it's all babysitting jokes and the like for Jordan to endure, and she's becoming angry about it. Why should the fact that she's average make her a target for mean-spirited teasing by unsympathetic girls?
Perhaps Jordan has underestimated her skills, though, despite her frankness in categorizing them on the list. Even being a standout in something as ostensibly mundane as babysitting can have its rewards, and Jordan and the rest of the student body will learn this in convincing fashion one day when the unexpecteds of a crazy outside world intrude on the typical school day and force the quickest thinkers in the room to take immediate and decisive action. The superintendent may be right in what he says about the graduation of Jordan's sixth-grade class: "After all, this certainly isn't an ending. It is more like a great beginning." If what Jordan will be moving on to truly is a new beginning, the onset of middle school when she moves up to seventh grade next fall, then she has shown herself to be as well prepared for it as any other student in her class, even if she continues to be average in most aspects of her life.
What I like best about the Andrew Clements books I've read is the warm welcome they are to the reader, opening the front door wide and inviting us in to be part of the school world of the main characters. Not many authors provide that welcome as consistently or completely as Andrew Clements, and it makes for a really nice reading experience from start to finish. About Average isn't likely to blow anyone's mind, but it's a good, solid story with a central character who is easy to relate to, and I recommend it for anyone who has previously liked the author's material. I'm confident this book will draw its share of enthusiastic fans.
―About Average, P. 9
Andrew Clements has put together a pretty good book here. Sturdy characters, a sincere sense of humor and an unexpected twist or two are all important to the story, and the references sprinkled in to pop culture are refreshing and not as prone to dating the book as in some novels. I especially like the low-key tribute to Patricia MacLachlan's classic Newbery Medal winner of 1986, Sarah, Plain and Tall, with the occasional juxtaposition of other assorted adjectives to replace those in that famous title as a way for Jordan to describe her friend, Kylie. What better way to attract the attention of the Newbery Committee than to seed a few references to one of its most famous honorees in one's own book? Even if it didn't work that way for About Average when it came to the 2013 Newbery awards (which I'm sure wasn't really his goal, anyway), it was still a fun nod to classic literature.
Many people who could be counted average have little aversion to the concept. Often, this indifference to standing out from the crowd is the reason one is average. If only a select few can rise to the top as exceptional, then it stands to reason the ones most likely to do so are those possessed of a burning desire to succeed, a need to be extraordinary that propels them above most of their peers until their goals have been reached. Sixth grader Jordan Johnston, however, breaks this mold. Though she is only average in most of what she does (babysitting being one notable exception), Jordan isn't comfortable remaining an average person in perpetuity. She wants to be great, to establish herself as more than just a middle-of-the-road kind of girl. She isn't sure how to go about such a transformation, though. How is she to parlay an aptitude for babysitting and an agreeable personal disposition fawned over by all the grownups in her life into something truly special? It doesn't make Jordan any happier with the status quo when a scornful girl from her class, a girl just as good-looking and popular as Jordan's friend Kylie but without her winning personality, finds the list Jordan made of her own levels of accomplishment in a variety of specific skills, dividing them into groups of things she's great at, thinks she's okay at and those things she doesn't do well at all. Now it's all babysitting jokes and the like for Jordan to endure, and she's becoming angry about it. Why should the fact that she's average make her a target for mean-spirited teasing by unsympathetic girls?
Perhaps Jordan has underestimated her skills, though, despite her frankness in categorizing them on the list. Even being a standout in something as ostensibly mundane as babysitting can have its rewards, and Jordan and the rest of the student body will learn this in convincing fashion one day when the unexpecteds of a crazy outside world intrude on the typical school day and force the quickest thinkers in the room to take immediate and decisive action. The superintendent may be right in what he says about the graduation of Jordan's sixth-grade class: "After all, this certainly isn't an ending. It is more like a great beginning." If what Jordan will be moving on to truly is a new beginning, the onset of middle school when she moves up to seventh grade next fall, then she has shown herself to be as well prepared for it as any other student in her class, even if she continues to be average in most aspects of her life.
What I like best about the Andrew Clements books I've read is the warm welcome they are to the reader, opening the front door wide and inviting us in to be part of the school world of the main characters. Not many authors provide that welcome as consistently or completely as Andrew Clements, and it makes for a really nice reading experience from start to finish. About Average isn't likely to blow anyone's mind, but it's a good, solid story with a central character who is easy to relate to, and I recommend it for anyone who has previously liked the author's material. I'm confident this book will draw its share of enthusiastic fans.
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