Santa Claus Doesn't Mop Floors

The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids #3

by Marcia Thornton Jones, Marcia T. Jones

A classic Bailey School Kids adventure is back with a new cover art just in time for the holidays! The fresh look of this long-time favorite makes it the perfect gift this season.

There have always been some pretty weird grown ups in Bailey City, but the new custodian at the Bailey School is one of a kind. When he appears out of nowhere just before Christmas to help out at the school, Mr. Jolly's white hair and beard and longing for cold temperatures bring the fabled St. Nick to everyone's mind. Could this man really be Santa Claus? The Bailey School Kids are going to find out!

Genres: Childrens, Christmas, Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Chapter Books

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Marcia Thornton Jones has published 131 books for children with sales totaling more than 43 million copies world-wide. Her works include CHAMP (mid-grade novel), RATFINK (mid-grade novel), GODZILLA ATE MY HOMEWORK (chapter book), THE TALE OF JACK FROST (picture book) and LEPRECHAUN ON THE LOOSE (picture book). She is the co-author of seven popular series including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, Keyholders, Ghostville Elementary, The Bailey School Kids Jr. Chapter Books, Triplet Trouble, Bailey City Monsters, and The Barkley School for Dogs.

Marcia has been listed as a top 100 author by the Educational Paperback Association and selected for the Children’s Top 100 Books list by the National Education Association, International Reading Associations Children’s Choice Award. Marcia's books have received many honors and have appeared on on the Publisher's Weekly Bestsellers lists,

Marcia, a full time writer living in Lexington, Kentucky enjoys presenting at schools and conferences. As a veteran teacher with more than 20 years of experience, she easily relates the importance of writing to students of all ages.

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been forever sense I've read a bailey school kids book. I admit I'm way above the target audience age ,but nostalgia always wins . I've read a few as a kid but I cannot tell you anything about them. Santa doesn't mop floors starts with a janitor being mad because some kids pulled a prank by placing peanut butter down handrails.The janitor quits and they have to find a new employee. Here we meet Mr.Jolly, a chubby guy with a beard, that loves the cold and has a little small friend named Eli ,who is assumed to be an elf .Mr Jolly also has a little red book that he writes things in Everytime a kid misbehaves and drives a sports car with a Santa phrase on the lisense plate. That's really all I can give away as this book is only 70 pages long .I will say I did enjoy this tho it was very christmasy, plenty of snow and talks about Christmas .It even almost felt like a Hallmark movie at some points . The only negative I have is it just ends I kinda wanted a little more. I give Santa Doesn't Mop Floors a solid 3 out of 5 stars .

[Nella ☾ of Bookland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Eddie is a scary kid, someone send him to the school counselor pls

[BookeryBliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection of "The adventures of the Bailey School Kids" stories are among my all-time favorite children's books. Witty, mischievous and fun, these short and silly books continue to bring giggles to the young and old. Just as I have enjoyed them as a kid, my own children also love them today. I even catch myself re-reading them (alone) from time to time. What can I say? I guess I'll always be a BSK kid at heart.

[Kyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these books as a kid & still think they're some of the best beginner chapter books. It was fun to revisit this story.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the Bailey School Kids as a kid. Just read this one and thought it was cute and funny, but I could have lived without the fat phobia and body shaming…

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series by Debbie Dadey, Marcia Thornton Jones and John Steven Gurney.

This story centers on a new school janitor who looks a lot like Santa Claus. It also discusses the topic of believing and not believing in Santa and Christmas, so I would warn parents that if they don't want to bring up the fact that many schoolchildren at this age doubt the existence of Santa, this book may not be for you. Our girls have been questioning the jolly old elf's existence, at least between the two of them. This book doesn't really answer any questions definitively, but it celebrates the magic of the season and it also validates their ponderings.

We've read several books in this series and our girls like them. We are skipping around the series, but it doesn't seem to matter much. We will certainly read more as we come across them, although I prefer our girls to read them independently. They are quick, entertaining reads and aren't scary.

[paige turner ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed books with Christmas cheer, miracles, and all that stuff. I mean, it was pretty sad to learn that Eddie's mother passed away and his dad didn't want to celebrate Christmas anymore. That could be why he's being such a rotten kid.

But to take on Santa Clause, that kids got some nerve.

But Again, Eddie goes on with his usual, "I'm gonna prove to you monsters don't exist" or "I'm gonna prove to you this person isn't that type of thing" again, and again he fails.

But still, I wish Santa had stuck around to hear Eddie say thank you.

I wish that we were able to witness the dad saying he was going to stay at home for Christmas, and that they needed Christmas joy.

That's the only thing that was missing.

[Ashley French · Rating 1 out of 5]

I remember loving the Bailey School Kids books as a child. I’ve been working my way through the series with my niece and nephew. They are loving the books, but this one gave me qualms. I realize that these books were written in a different day and age, but through the first several books “fat” has been used as an insult multiple times. In this book alone it was used in a negative connotation as an insult many times. My niece and nephew are enjoying the books, but as a plus size girl I’ve been cringing. Can the author really not come up with a better insult than fat? Anyway, if you don’t mind your kids being taught that fat people are less than and worthy of being mocked, then this is the book for you. 🙄

[Jerome Otte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun addition to the series. Mr. Jolly is the new janitor, and his Santa-esque appearance, fondness of cold weather, and seemingly magical ability to clean up Eddie’s over-the-top messes raise suspicions about him being Santa Claus. He also seems to be making notes about the kids’ behavior.

Fun, interesting, not scary at all.

[Micaela Semien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading this during the Christmas season, thesd series were so good! I could not put this book down.

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new janitor couldn't really be Santa Claus just because he keeps it so cold in the school and seems to know who is naughty and who is nice, could he?

[Sarah Liesemer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Home reading book. Did not like it. Kind of boring. It wasn't actually about Santa mopping floors.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy shit. I’m not done reading yet, but there’s too much gold not to start now.

The kids bully the original janitor out of school. A new dude shows up in shorts and a t-shirt to take over.

He watches the kids during recess.

Takes notes.

If he ain’t Santa, he’s going to be on To Catch a Predator before Christmas. I’d put money on it. So he better fucking be Santa. There’s no room for a bait and switch here, dudes. If there is, it’s going to require some major finesse to rationalize this behavior.

He has a little man who follows him around and begs him to come home.

The new janitor don’t give a fuck, and why would he? He can smoke his pipe in the elementary school lunch room (there is a nice drawing of this in the book). I had to check the date to see when this book came out.

This book was published in 1991. Santa is smoking in the lunch room in 1991.

Anyway, this dude isn’t going anywhere. The wages are alright. It probably is even refreshing to get out of the house 🤷🏻‍♀️

So it gets more interesting, of course . . .

Alright. New development. This janitor sweats all the time and wants the building cold. Maybe he’s acclimated to the north pole. Maybe he’s a fucking drug addict though. Maybe he’s sweating out last night’s coke binge 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hard to say.

In the next development, the kids do what kids do best: act like assholes. They cover a room in toilet paper and make a mess.

Five minutes later it is completely clean.

Magic?

Or is this new janitor part of the mafia cleanup crew and he just took this job to embezzle funds?

Melody finally admits this shit is creepy, and I am relieved at least someone notices how odd all this shit is other than me.

Then they make another mess and do whip its in the hallway like me and my friend Tom used to do in the dairy aisle in Jersey City.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter if this dude is Santa, a drug addict, a pedophile, or part of a mob cleanup crew. Eddie oversteps again and again, and Mr. Jolly is infinitely kind (or drug-addled).

Mr. Jolly tells Eddie to calm the fuck down, and the next day Eddie shows up to school feeling better. For the first time in history it worked! Someone told someone else to calm right the fuck down, and they listened! I think I’ll try this technique again with my wife tomorrow 😌

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never read the Bailey School Kids books until now and went into this with nothing but preconceptions. The writing style is easy-breezy and the font is large, so you can get through the book in half an hour or so. I was surprised that S.C., aka Mr. Jolly, was a very cold (so to speak) and distant figure the entire time and didn't really seem all that invested in spreading Christmas cheer. I also hate the "children run amok!" trope that a lot of kids' books indulge in; seeing children flagrantly break the rules in the name of anarchistic "fun" wasn't at all appealing to me as a kid and I don't like it any more now that I'm older. Sorta seems like one of those things adults THINK kids will like and kids just kinda accept it in storytelling because they haven't yet developed the capacity for critical thought. But fortunately that nonsense only occupies the first few pages as perpetual brat Eddie (but it's okay that he's naughty because HIS MOM IS DEAD) ropes the normally sensible Howie into spreading peanut butter all over the school staircase railing for no purpose other than to make the janitor's life miserable. Ho ho ho.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie keeps making messes and causing trouble in school. When he finally goes too far, his actions result in the janitor quitting and because it's so close to Christmas, it's going to be hard to fill the position. The principal knows that the damages were caused by someone in Eddie's class so he punishes them by taking away their recess to make them clean instead. As if by a miracle though, the school does get a new janitor named Mr. Jolly. He came dressed in bright clothing, had a long white beard and was round in the middle, he sort of resembled Santa Claus. Well, Eddie was determined to make Mr. Jolly quit too so he made even bigger messes that should take hours to clean but were somehow, cleaned in minutes. When the students noticed that Mr. Jolly's friend looked like an elf, called him by the name of "S.C." and saw him writing in a notebook all of the time, they started to wonder if he was the real. You never do know where you'll find him, but do be aware that he always sees you.

This series is perfect for Elementary students and the illustrations are great.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new school janitor is very mysterious. His name is Mr. Jolly. He has a white beard and roly-poly stomach. Mr. Jolly is always taking notes about the children's behavior. He also likes to keep the school freezing cold. Even then he dresses in shorts. Added to these strange characteristics, Mr. Jolly's friend dresses in green and calls him S. C. instead of Mr. Jolly. Howie and Melody are convinced that he is Santa. Their friend Eddie isn't so sure. He does all he can to mess up the school. Every mess he makes is cleaned up before anyone else sees it. Finally he issues the ultimate challenge. If Mr. Jolly can make Eddie's father believe in Christmas then Eddie will believe that Mr. Jolly is Santa Claus. Eddie becomes a believer when his father comes home that very night to stay for Christmas.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Growing up, I loved the Bailey School Kids series. It was a fun way to mix mystical elements into reality. In this one, the school gets a new janitor who may or not be Santa Claus.

Fun story with interesting events. I'll admit the kids are kind of jerks in this one (playing tricks on the janitor, making fun of fat and short people), but overall it is entertaining. There are definitely some cringe-y moments, but to be fair this was published in 1991, before the mainstream fat acceptance movement. There are definitely some flaws, but overall it is still a fun book.

A nice book that isn't too Christmas-y.

[Derek L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute little story. I never read this one when I was a kid, but the charm is definitely in this story. It does fall short somewhat, as wtf is a grown ass adult man doing smoking a pipe in an elementary school and acting like a perv by stalking little kids? I mean, I get that the kids believe he's Santa Claus (as if S. C. wasn't a dead giveaway), but it comes off as problematic now.

Also, I hate to bring this up, but there's a slight fatphobic remark in the book that didn't really sit well with me. Sorry but even if you were a 90s kid, you knew better.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. It was nice to see Eddie having a bit of a change of heart. (I haven't read the first book to my 3rd grader because he's very impressionable and tends toward getting in trouble and I think the focus on Eddie trying to bully teachers to quit is asking for trouble. Luckily Eddie mellowed his troublemaking a lot in the following books.)

Kiddo enjoyed the is-he-isn't-he question of whether Mr. Jolly is really Santa Claus. We didn't discuss it as much afterwards but he still enjoyed it.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been rereading this series because I loved it as a kid and I’ve been surprised that I was so into it. But I listened to ep. 79 of the SSR Podcast and they said the series was written by two teachers. One of the goals of the books was to get kids to look at the clues and decide for themselves based on the clues if the character was actually a mythological being. Maybe that’s what I loved about these books so much—not the characters or the setting (which is mostly lackluster), but the hunt for clues, the debates and the ambiguity.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those quick, easy-to-read novels—perfect for early readers and short enough to finish in about half an hour. The story follows the kids from Bailey School, who drive their janitor to quit with their constant mischief. His replacement looks suspiciously like Santa Claus, though Eddie, ever the skeptic, is determined to prove otherwise with a series of tricks. While the premise has a certain charm, the book ultimately felt too simplistic to be truly enjoyable.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't bad. It took a while for them to start figuring out if he was Santa or not. Which was disappointing because the point of the series is them trying to see if these people are these legends or not.

Still a nice Christmasy read.

I recommend reading Mrs. Claus Doesn't Climb Telephone Poles after this one. It kind of builds on the story more.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like Christmas. I did not like this book because I don't really like Bailey School Kids books. I did not like this book because I did not like the part when there was a box overflowing with whipped cream.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Bailey Elementary gets a new custodian for the holidays, the third graders believe that this jolly soul with the thick white beard may in fact be Santa Claus! Dadey brings holiday cheer with this fun and funny entry to the beloved series!

[Sheena]

My daughter Easton and I are currently working our way through the Adventures of the Bailey School Kids books. This is the best way to get her to want to read and its almost a game to find all the books.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Jolly may or may not be Santa, but there's certainly something magical about him! For me, this was one of the more convincing "this adult is a monster/special creature" arguments in the series. A good book and a very quick read, as always.

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely audio story

Third grade students of Bailey elementary school do not have a janitor and it is their own fault. Mr Jolly comes to work in the place but everything about him is different.

Sweet lovely Christmas tale for children.

I heard the audio story and it was excellently performed.

[Amanda Rayne Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children and I had fun reading this book. They even taunts the characters with their "oh no" and "ooh" as Eddie gets into trouble or thinks naughty. I'm sure that my husband will get the kick of ice cold building though, and he does clean fast. Does that make him Santa?

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from the Bailey school kids

[Laura Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series. I'm ready for more. This is helping me get my reading in since im not feeling well.