What do you think?
Rate this book
That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me
"My name is Norman David Edwards, but everybody calls me Noodle. Sometimes I get into trouble because I don't follow the rules."
Noodle is having a rough couple of days. The rules keep getting in the way of his fun! Rules for this and rules for that . There are so many rules - too many rules! Rules stink ! Noodle has no use for obeying rules at home, or school.
He argues about the rules and doesn't think any of them actually apply to HIM ! Can't he just have a rule-free day? With help from mom, Noodle learns to visualize the consequences of no rules at all and begins to understand that rules help create a safe environment for everyone.
This is the third book in award-winning author Julia Cook's Responsible Me! series which strengthens character development and helps kids use better social skills at school and at home. The reader will be in stitches as Noodle describes the many types of rules he deals with daily, and how much better things would be if kids like him didn't have rules to follow.
Tips for parents and educators are included at the end of the storybook.
The series also
Noodle is having a rough couple of days. The rules keep getting in the way of his fun! Rules for this and rules for that . There are so many rules - too many rules! Rules stink ! Noodle has no use for obeying rules at home, or school.
He argues about the rules and doesn't think any of them actually apply to HIM ! Can't he just have a rule-free day? With help from mom, Noodle learns to visualize the consequences of no rules at all and begins to understand that rules help create a safe environment for everyone.
This is the third book in award-winning author Julia Cook's Responsible Me! series which strengthens character development and helps kids use better social skills at school and at home. The reader will be in stitches as Noodle describes the many types of rules he deals with daily, and how much better things would be if kids like him didn't have rules to follow.
Tips for parents and educators are included at the end of the storybook.
The series also
31 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2016
9 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Julia Cook
159 books195 followers"In order to teach children, you must enter their view of the world."
~ Julia Cook
JULIA COOK, M.S. is a national award winning children’s author, counselor and parenting expert. She has presented in thousands of schools across the country and abroad, regularly speaks at national education and counseling conferences, and has published children’s books on a wide range of character and social development topics. The goal behind Cook’s work is to actively involve young people in fun, memorable stories and teach them to become lifelong problem solvers. Inspiration for her books comes from working with children and carefully listening to counselors, parents, and teachers, in order to stay on top of needs in the classroom and at home. Cook has the innate ability to enter the worldview of a child through storybooks, giving children both the “what to say” and the “how to say it”.
~ Julia Cook
JULIA COOK, M.S. is a national award winning children’s author, counselor and parenting expert. She has presented in thousands of schools across the country and abroad, regularly speaks at national education and counseling conferences, and has published children’s books on a wide range of character and social development topics. The goal behind Cook’s work is to actively involve young people in fun, memorable stories and teach them to become lifelong problem solvers. Inspiration for her books comes from working with children and carefully listening to counselors, parents, and teachers, in order to stay on top of needs in the classroom and at home. Cook has the innate ability to enter the worldview of a child through storybooks, giving children both the “what to say” and the “how to say it”.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 26, 2018
I think I need to make some coworkers read this! 😂😂😂
June 9, 2017
How do we stay safe at school? What prevents us from getting hurt or in trouble? Rules! Ask students to share a rule that we have a school and why they think that rule was made. Share personal story of handling scissors safely: In 2nd grade a boy was talking and his hands were going all over the place while he talked. The problem was that he was holding a pair of scissors in his hand. As he talked and waved his hands, the scissors cut his neighbor’s nose and the neighbor had to get stitches. If the boy had been handling the scissors safely, his neighbor would not have gotten hurt. Rules are in place to help us stay safe and keep us from getting hurt. Today we’ll meet a boy named Noodle who thinks he doesn’t have to follow the rules. What do you think will happen?
• Provide background information
• Share a personal connection you have with the text
• Hypothesize based on the situation
This is the first book in my text set based on introducing social skills to new Kindergarteners or as a beginning-of-the-year refresher for 1st or 2nd graders. We discuss rules/expectations in the first week of school and practice, practice, practice. This text set is designed to introduce or remind students of common rules and expectations that they will be expected to follow. With each of these books I would open the book, discuss throughout and after, and model with examples and/or non-examples of appropriate behavior. We do a lot of processing with students about taking responsibility for their actions and being aware of how their actions impact others. I chose this book to be first in the set because knowing that all students will be expected to follow rules will help in later discussions of the other books.
Cook, Julia (2016) That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me. Boys Town, NE: Boys Town Press.
• Provide background information
• Share a personal connection you have with the text
• Hypothesize based on the situation
This is the first book in my text set based on introducing social skills to new Kindergarteners or as a beginning-of-the-year refresher for 1st or 2nd graders. We discuss rules/expectations in the first week of school and practice, practice, practice. This text set is designed to introduce or remind students of common rules and expectations that they will be expected to follow. With each of these books I would open the book, discuss throughout and after, and model with examples and/or non-examples of appropriate behavior. We do a lot of processing with students about taking responsibility for their actions and being aware of how their actions impact others. I chose this book to be first in the set because knowing that all students will be expected to follow rules will help in later discussions of the other books.
Cook, Julia (2016) That Rule Doesn't Apply to Me. Boys Town, NE: Boys Town Press.
January 16, 2019
The first four pages of the book show 'Noodle' aka Norman taking us through a few school and home rules he does not like. The next three pages show us Noodle breaking a rule, giving a reason as to why the rule does not apply to him and then showing us a teacher inflicted consequence (x 3).
Later that night Noodle needs to write a poem for his homework. He goes on to write 'Rules Stink' (= 3 page poem). When his mum checks over his homework she outlines the reasons for a few of the rules by listing the types of things that would happen at school, if school was a rule free zone (unsafe, unclean, bullies, cheats - 5 pages).
At school he reads his poem out loud (a repeat of the poem is included = 3 pages) with the word NOT written at the end as an edit. The teacher asks Noodle to explain the NOT part of the poem so Noodle goes on to state rules are there to help not hurt and without rules school would feel unsafe.
This book was well written to a point. I would have preferred a single page showing the second copy of the poem with a big NOT at the bottom so the illustrations could tell that part of the story without having to re-read the poem, especially as the poem has a tricky metre.
Later that night Noodle needs to write a poem for his homework. He goes on to write 'Rules Stink' (= 3 page poem). When his mum checks over his homework she outlines the reasons for a few of the rules by listing the types of things that would happen at school, if school was a rule free zone (unsafe, unclean, bullies, cheats - 5 pages).
At school he reads his poem out loud (a repeat of the poem is included = 3 pages) with the word NOT written at the end as an edit. The teacher asks Noodle to explain the NOT part of the poem so Noodle goes on to state rules are there to help not hurt and without rules school would feel unsafe.
This book was well written to a point. I would have preferred a single page showing the second copy of the poem with a big NOT at the bottom so the illustrations could tell that part of the story without having to re-read the poem, especially as the poem has a tricky metre.
April 29, 2022
Noodle thinks he’s the only child on the planet that has rules. We need rules. Without rules, things like the school day would be chaotic. My four-year-old thrives on rules. She learns quickly and makes rules for her creative games, time in her playroom, and more.
The content of this book is a little advance for her age but the message was well received. She's at the age of loving homework and teacher challenges! She says, “that's not hard for me.”
Retelling rules by Symphony:
Don’t pick your nose.
Don’t show people the food in your mouth when you’re eating!
Don’t lean back in your chair, because you will get hurt.
Don’t get out of your seat when your teacher is teaching you.
Don’t write on the walls!
In the end of this book, Noodle wrote a poem demonstrating his growth and understanding on the importance of rules.
The content of this book is a little advance for her age but the message was well received. She's at the age of loving homework and teacher challenges! She says, “that's not hard for me.”
Retelling rules by Symphony:
Don’t pick your nose.
Don’t show people the food in your mouth when you’re eating!
Don’t lean back in your chair, because you will get hurt.
Don’t get out of your seat when your teacher is teaching you.
Don’t write on the walls!
In the end of this book, Noodle wrote a poem demonstrating his growth and understanding on the importance of rules.
Read
March 26, 2024This book centers around Norman, and he has very little interest in following rules. He felt like rules hindered him from having fun, and he was completely against them. His mother helped him to learn that rules are for our safety (Cook, J. (2016). That rule doesn't apply to me. Boys Town Press).
In my classroom, I would utilize this book for kindergarten to fifth grade as prescribed by Amazon. It covers a very important concept, has interesting pictures, and is easy to read.
I would utilize this book in my library because it deals with a universal concept that is important to everyone. We all must follow rules for our safety. This applies to school, at home, on our jobs, and life in general. This concept should be taught at a very early age.
In my classroom, I would utilize this book for kindergarten to fifth grade as prescribed by Amazon. It covers a very important concept, has interesting pictures, and is easy to read.
I would utilize this book in my library because it deals with a universal concept that is important to everyone. We all must follow rules for our safety. This applies to school, at home, on our jobs, and life in general. This concept should be taught at a very early age.
August 8, 2023
Norman David Edwards, also known as "Noodle," is the family's resident anarchist.
Joke! He probably doesn't even know that word, anarchist, yet. Noodle simply has decided that "there are WAY TOO MANY RULES in our world, and some of them doen't even apply to me."
By the end, he learns something. Actually, close to the end of this story, we readers are treated to Noodle's "poem" about rules.
I'd call this book hard to read, sometimes actively unpleasant, but no doubt helpful to readers. Somebody with a better sense of humor than mine... might even find this picture book kind of hilarious.
FIVE STARS
Joke! He probably doesn't even know that word, anarchist, yet. Noodle simply has decided that "there are WAY TOO MANY RULES in our world, and some of them doen't even apply to me."
By the end, he learns something. Actually, close to the end of this story, we readers are treated to Noodle's "poem" about rules.
I'd call this book hard to read, sometimes actively unpleasant, but no doubt helpful to readers. Somebody with a better sense of humor than mine... might even find this picture book kind of hilarious.
FIVE STARS
September 15, 2022
The book is teaching young school aged kids why its important to follow rules given by teachers. I recommend this book because it has a good message and is easy for kids to understand. Rules are given to children for a reason and is there to keep everyone safe. Teachers dont make these rules to sound mean or annoyed. They do it so children can learn and understand that what they are doing might not be the best idea.
September 23, 2019
Noodle doesn't want to follow the rules. The story takes readers through his school day and his home time. He creates a poem sharing his feelings about rules and recommending a No Rules day. His mom and he talk about what that would really look like. He comes to realize that though he doesn't like them, rules are essential.
Informative text for adults at the end of the book.
Informative text for adults at the end of the book.
November 8, 2019
I think this would be a good book for a parent and child, but I was looking at it as an intro in to rules of the class for my winter session of story times with school age kids and it was way too long to work. I also think the way it's written would be very confusing for a new reader to follow.
Also the giant heads were weird for me, not an illustration choice I would have chosen.
Also the giant heads were weird for me, not an illustration choice I would have chosen.
January 20, 2020
This was a great book for understanding why rules are important. It was a little wordy - but would work with upper elementary or middle school students. There was also a helpful outline in the back for tips on developing rules for students. Could easily create a few lessons surrounding this book.
January 21, 2018
I'm hoping that this will get my kids thinking about why we have so many rules and how important it is to follow them.
March 3, 2020
This is a book that I will most definitely have in my classroom when I become an educator. I plan to teach 4th grade, and the lesson of this book would be a very beneficial read for them.
November 4, 2021
This is a lengthy book, i think it would be best for children of ages maybe 5 and up but it is a good book! it talks a lot about the rules of the classroom and gives examples of the DONTS
February 8, 2022
Noodle's poem helps him realize that having rules isn't all that bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2022
This was a great book to teach kids the importance of following the rules, but the reading level is lower than what I hope to teach
June 6, 2022
The poem is funny, not so keen on the illustrations.
January 23, 2023
It was a good book just a little too long for my students.
March 25, 2025
lengthy, for older elementary kids.
Want to read
October 1, 2025SM
November 13, 2016
Most kids hate rules! They put restrictions and guidelines on them that require obedience and self-control. Noodle shares their feelings and as usual he has oodles of attitude about following them. He resolves this issue by deciding most of them don’t apply to him! Noodle goes through a mental list of a few rules in his life and decides they all “STINK”!
At school when confronted for breaking a rule he explains why he is exempt from it. He is continually being called down his teacher which only annoys him more. One day his teacher gives an assignment to write a poem for homework. Noodle decides write one entitled “Rules Stink”. In rhyme (just as the teacher assigned) he proceeds to prove his point.
His Mom isn’t very impressed with his poetry. She talks to him about how rules are there to help him and without them life would really STINK. Finally understanding the importance of these guidelines, he rewrites his poem. It sounds the same but there is a surprise ending!
Following rules is a major part of life. Children need to learn this at a very young age because adulthood has even more rules to follow! This delightful fun book gets the point across in the special way only Ms. Cook can reach them.
At the end of the book the author shares 10 tips to teach children to follow rules. They are excellent!
At school when confronted for breaking a rule he explains why he is exempt from it. He is continually being called down his teacher which only annoys him more. One day his teacher gives an assignment to write a poem for homework. Noodle decides write one entitled “Rules Stink”. In rhyme (just as the teacher assigned) he proceeds to prove his point.
His Mom isn’t very impressed with his poetry. She talks to him about how rules are there to help him and without them life would really STINK. Finally understanding the importance of these guidelines, he rewrites his poem. It sounds the same but there is a surprise ending!
Following rules is a major part of life. Children need to learn this at a very young age because adulthood has even more rules to follow! This delightful fun book gets the point across in the special way only Ms. Cook can reach them.
At the end of the book the author shares 10 tips to teach children to follow rules. They are excellent!
February 9, 2017
Helps children learn that rules are in place to keep us safe and maintain order.
February 4, 2017
Not as perfect and scripted as some of the others, but definitely a great conversation piece/teaching piece!
September 17, 2022
This book is totally amazing! It creates a great discussion with students as well as fun to read.
Read this again to all of the grades, terrific lesson and good conversation starter!
Read this again to all of the grades, terrific lesson and good conversation starter!
March 30, 2017
Explains why we need rules and is another story featuring Noodle!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews