Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully

Freckleface Strawberry #2

by Julianne Moore, Julianne Moore

Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully

Freckleface Strawberry loves the Early Bird program at school because it means extra time on the playground“except when it rains. Rain means indoor playtime...and facing the school bully Windy Pants Patrick in a bruising game of dodgeball. Ignoring him seems the safest thing, but what's our freckled heroine to do when she's forced to confront the bully alone? Beat him at his own game, of course. A funny, inspiring story about an all-too-common problem that kids, parents, and teachers will easily relate to.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction, Storytime, School, Realistic Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 2009

About the author

Julianne Moore is an American actress.

In October 2007, Moore made her literary debut with the publication of Freckleface Strawberry, a children's book based on her experiences as a child. In April 2009, Moore followed up with a second children's book titled Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freckle face Strawberry is a cute little red-headed girl (are there other kinds?) who enjoys her family, but also is keen to attend the school's Early Bird program before classes. There, Freckleface Strawberry can play with other children and get herself ready for class. However, when it rains, there is not rushing around in the field, but a requirement that everyone congregate in the gymnasium to play... dodgeball. No one enjoys dodgeball, especially when Windy Pants Patrick is around. He tosses the ball too hard and hurts kids with his laser tosses. Freckleface Strawberry has an idea to keep from being a target and hopes Windy Pants Patrick does not bother her. Neo liked to see gingers getting some decent coverage in books and enjoyed the original Freckleface Strawberry book, finding this one just as exciting.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it had LeUyen Pham's name on it, not because it had celebrity Julianne Moore's name on it. In fact, the latter almost made me put it back down. Turns out, I am a fan of Freckleface Strawberry. (However, in the interest of full disclosure, I most likely would not be quite the fan if Pham had not been the illustrator.)

Freckleface Strawberry loves going to Early Bird at school, because Early Bird means extra playtime--except when it's raining. When it's raining during Early Bird, that means dodgeball. "Scary dodgeball. Hairy dodgeball. Very, VERY DODGEBALL." Freckleface is not a fan of dodgeball, because it's too fast and too hard, but mostly because of Windy Pants Patrick, who terrifies her. So, what will happen when she faces Windy Pants Patrick one-on-one?

Freckleface Strawberry is Everyman, at the mercy of the Dodgeball Bully we all remember from elementary school. She's spunky, she's adorable, she's stronger than she thinks. Pham's pen-and-ink illustrations brilliantly capture the emotions of the characters on every spread (even those of the "imaginary monster ruling the solar system"). Anyone who has ever stood against the wall fearing the painful THWOCK! of a dodgeball against his or her quivering flesh will identify completely with Freckleface. P.E. teachers may want to share this story with classes before the initial dodgeball game of the school year.

(Plus, it turns out, kids think this book is funny, too.)

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those rare bully stories these days where the bully isn’t actually a bully. Much of the mistaken identity is attributed to the power of the imagination—perceiving the big strong kid as a bully and the dodgeball as something that is out to seriously harm you. –but isn’t it though? We had mornings where Natalya felt the same kind of dread, hoping against all odds they would not be playing dodgeball. The book does not downplay the existence of bullies or monsters or even fear, and it doesn’t downplay the role of the imagination on a person’s life.

Freckleface Strawberry’s thought the ball would hurt, and had avoided play with Windy Pants Patrick. She also thought she could become a monster, practicing her role at the back while the game was being played. She imagined herself to be strong and fierce and agile. The power of the imagination can work for and against you.

The story has some lovely rhythmic moments. The sentences are as declarative as the expressions on Freckleface Strawberry’s face—no, her whole body. LeUyen Pham fluidly sketches a distinct personality into the character. There is this beautiful moment where Freckleface Strawberry is curled into herself a bit in dread, and in some memory of a wince—already anticipating the sting of the ball. She hadn’t left the house yet. I don’t know if the Monster is in previous books, but I adore its appearance here. Her imagination is projected into a looming shadow of a Monster behind her, echoing her movements—until at last it goes to tip-toe away, anxious, too, about Windy Pants Patrick and the dodgeball. With Moore’s dramatic tension and Pham’s ability to create dimension we arrive at the moment of truth with the same sentiment to which Freckleface Strawberry comes—“Oh!” I love learning the lessons alongside the character, and Moore plays off common misperceptions and worry well to deliver a nice turn. Pham artfully brings the inner workings to the page. It is a lovely partnership.

L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freckleface Strawberry is an adorable little redheaded girl who bravely tackles serious elementary school kid-issues like having to play dodgeball and dealing with bullies.

Apparently this is a series of children's books written by Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore and illustrated by Leuyen Pham. I'm sure it's purely coincidental that Moore is an adorable redhead herself.

In "Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully", Freckleface must confront her fears of dodgeball head-on when rain forces the kids to go inside the gym. Inside the gym, the only game apparently worth playing is dodgeball. Freckleface hates dodgeball: "Scary dodgeball. Hairy dodgeball. Very, VERY dodgeball."

She is also afraid of Windy Pants Patrick, a boy who looks like he should be in sixth grade but isn't. He's a master dodgeball player who loves to inflict pain on others by whipping the ball hard at little kids, making them cry or bleed.

Windy Pants Patrick is an asshole.

Freckleface manages to stay off to the sides throughout most of the game, only to find that she is the second to last kid standing. And Windy Pants Patrick has the ball.

This is a cute story about confronting fears and realizing that the thing you're afraid of isn't that scary after all.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this simple and sweet story, Freckleface Strawberry finds out that dodgeball is not as scary as she thinks. Windy Pants Patrick (who wears shorts!) is big, fast, and throws the ball fast. Freckleface decides to fake being part of the dodgeball game and ends up being the last player standing. Afraid of the ball, she cowers in the middle. When Patrick hits her with ball, she realizes that it doesn't hurt that much after all. She conquers her fear of both dodgeball and the dodgeball bully. Happily ever after!

This is one of those stories that kind of misses the mark between the kids who need this story and the kids who listen to this story. This would be a great read aloud for kids in grades 3 - 5 but really, the writing is just too young to appeal to those listeners.

I love LeUyen Pham illustrations and look forward to exploring her other works. She also does the pictures for the Alvin Ho books.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I now know that Freckleface Strawberry is a recurring character. I picked this book up because of the "bully" theme. I have a collection in my library that I call the Peace Collection. These books provide stories and teaching lessons to promote Peace in the world, as well as practical tips on dealing with bullies. This book does not provide a practical tip. It was disappointing to read that Freckleface's plan was to imagine her way out of the dodgeball terror but simply end up as the tiny knot of the last body on the floor. She is surprised when the ball doesn't actually hurt... but really when a mean bully like Patrick plays the ball does hurt. That is the point of the story and Freckleface doesn't provide an effective means of dealing with her bully. We don't simply have a little chat and suddenly start playing with the bully later that afternoon. I'm not a fan of this Julianna Moore series of books.

[Cassandra Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a really cute book and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved how the main character was described as the kid who normally would get made fun of in other books and yet she wasn't. Her character was so cute. I think that this book would be a good book to read to a child who was having trouble getting along with someone else or is scared of another kid in the class. At the end of the story to two main characters become friends and that is main goal that we as teachers want to achieve in our classrooms. So, I think that this would be a really good book to read to the class. The pictures were nice and big and I really liked the overall design.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never really took on the issue of dealing with a bully. The kid just turns out to be not-so-bad in the end, which isn't always the case in real life. Cute story and pictures, though.

[Danielle Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Students loved it! Perfect for discussing characters and making connections.

[Carissa Burks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully up at the half off sale day at Goodwill. (You don't have time to read books at a store, especially on that day.) I thought the drawings were cute and that it would go well with a bullying unit or if the subject should arise in my future classroom. Today I sat down and read the books. The drawings continued to be cute and the writing wasn't terrible. I liked that the book made going to school and going to before school programs sound like fun and not like something a child should dread. Freckleface Strawberry has a few problems that kids can identify with. Some kids are scared and hate dodgeball, something I believe they shouldn't be forced into playing. She also is afraid of a kid because the kid is a "bully" and throws too hard. (I'm not entirely sure if that qualifies him as a bully or an over zealous boy. We all know those boys who throw too hard and they don't do it to be mean.)

However, Freckleface is forced to confront her fears, and by confront I mean cower on the ground. She finds out that it doesn't hurt that much, which is slightly contradictory to the fact that the kids who do play are scared of him when they get out and this is repeated every day they play. From that we'd take it that he always throws hard, unless he took pity on poor Freckleface Strawberry.

Overall, the drawings are cute and it might be a book children enjoy. While I say let kids enjoy it, I also say that it doesn't really have a teachable plot or lesson hidden within. It's slightly disappointing that she didn't have a real chance to address the bully and to stand up for herself.

[Kari Martycz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julianne Moore's written expression has not only explained how students deal may deal with a bad situation, and see it in a more positive way. Strawberry does not enjoy dodgeball for the morning activity when it is raining. One boy /, Windy Pants Patrick, is very good at dodgeball, and it sounds like it hurts when the ball hits someone. But Freckleface Strawberry knows that she needs to become brave and tough to win the dodgeball game, so she acts like a big, mean monster, and does not even notice the ball hitting her. It doesn't hurt either! While Strawberry was acting like a monster, it actually scared the Patrick. Him and Freckleface become friends and play on the monkey bars when they can play outside before school.

The illustrations by LeUyen Pham add great details to the story, you can gather more information and see what the characters are feeling.

This would be great for young readers (PK-2) but also for older readers (4-7) to explain that even though you might think something is hard, scary, or mean, if you believe in yourself you can go anything.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve already read Freckleface Stawberry 1 and 3. This second book I actually like the least of the three books. I thought I’d love it because I had a horror of dodgeball when I was a kid. I hated it. The thrown ball did usually hurt. It’s a game that sadists can glory in. I thought that this book would mirror my experience and have some sort of (appealing) message, but I ended up being disappointed. For me only 2 ½ stars, but I’m upping it to 3 stars because I do really like this series. I gave the other 2 books 4 stars each, and I do hope there will be more Freckleface Strawberry books. It did have some of the charm the other two books have, and a rather nice message too, and something to say about our expectations, but I’d have appreciated those things more had the book been about something other than dodgeball specifically.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freckleface Strawberry sometimes has to go to school really early because her parents have to go to work early. She usually likes early school except when it's raining. Then everyone plays dodgeball. And dodgeball doesn't look very fun because of Windy Pants Patrick. He throws the ball really hard and it looks like it really hurts. One day, Frecleface Strawberry decides to play her monster game in the back so she looks like she's playing dodgeball, but really she's trying to stay out of the way. All of a sudden, she notices that she's the only one left. Everyone else has been thrown out. She crouches down and waits for the THWACK! to come. But it doesn't. Instead she is gently boinked on the head with the ball. Sometimes our perceptions are very different from reality.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was touch and go in this one. Sometimes it flowed well and other times it did not. Sometimes it seemed wrong for the age group (which I would place around age 4-9)--usually too young. Her dodgeball fears were/are similar to mine. Some people DO throw hard. And it DOES hurt. But somehow in elementary school, I got over that and had a blast playing. (Even won a game on a certain special day in 6th grade...) As an adult? Nah. The fears have returned. I suppose I could be like Freckleface Strawberry pretend I was a scary monster in the back and everyone would think I was playing...or just crazy. Wait, wait. I already am. Problem solved.

And, um, what's with Patrick's name?

[Jessica Breighner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freckleface Strawberry loves the Early Bird program at school because it means extra time on the playground–except when it rains. Rain means indoor playtime...and facing the school bully Windy Pants Patrick in a bruising game of dodgeball. Ignoring him seems the safest thing, but what's our freckled heroine to do when she's forced to confront the bully alone? Beat him at his own game, of course. A funny, inspiring story about an all-too-common problem that kids, parents, and teachers will easily relate to.

[Dawn Sahakian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for both content and illustration. The story gives a good lesson and is a perfect fit for my anti-bullying text set. It shows that bullies can be just as sensitive and scared as those they are bullying against. The use of different size fonts really helps to emphasize various points as do the "action" words, and the illustrations are simple but effective. I really think this book is appealing to young readers - as well as effective. It would be useful in a classroom to generate discussions on bullying and how children would react in various situations.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story and illustrations. Freckleface Strawberry is the universal heroine - imaginative, energetic, and completely terrified of dodgeball. Like so many kids, her fears grow monstrous until she uses her imagination and energy to exorcise the dodgeball demon. The demon is vanquished a bit too easily, but overall it works well in the picture book format and the heart of the message will appeal to kids of any race, nationality, or creed.

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because it had some great reviews. I wanted to read it out loud to a group of girls at the bookstore I work at. The story was very disjointed and unbelievable. The grammer was not even the way a five year old talks, it was more preschool age. I decided not to waste everyones time by reading this book and I found a different book to read out loud. Julianne better stick to acting.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story about facing your fears and bullies, too. It also shows that just because someone is bigger and more aggressive than other children, he still might be a nice person and could become a good friend. We enjoyed reading this story and we are looking forward to reading the next story in the Freckleface Strawberry series.

[Shakila Lightfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, Freckleface Strawberry finds out that dodgeball is not as scary as she thinks. Windy Pants Patrick is much bigger and faster than FreckleFace Strawberry. He even throws the ball way too fast. Freckleface wasn't technically ready to play dodgeball. Afraid of the ball, she cowers in the middle. When Patrick hits her with ball, she realizes that it doesn't hurt like she thought. In the end she makes a friend with the bully and was able to play dodgeball.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book, with its unexpected gift of encouraging kids to use their imagination to create what they want. It was such a perfect read for my kindergarten starting daughter, who is finding so many things at school strange and some just not to her liking. This book helped us start a conversation about how you can do the things at school that you need to do while still having fun in your own head. LOVE

[Rana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little book where Frecleface Strawberry spends a good portion of the beginning of the story worrying about rainy days and dodgeball and thinking how much the ball will hurt when the big bully-like Windy Pants Patrick throws the ball. But in the end she finds out that not only does the ball not hurt when it's thrown, but Windy Pants Patrick isn't trying to be a bully at all!

[Carla Raymer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a girl who doesn't like the game dodgeball because of a boy who plays too hard. But what she didn't realize was that he wasn't actually as scary as she thought he was. After all this time of being scared of him, she finally realized that she wasn't scared anymore and became good friends. This would be a great one to talk about bullies or being scared.

[Michele Knott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think many adults will read this and nod their heads. The memories of dodgeball, or some form of it, still a vibrant memory, and the kid who was dodgeball master, of gym class.
I liked the turning of the bully to show we can all have fears.
Loved LeUyen Pham's illustrations. Beautiful, as always!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was highly suprised how much I loved this story by a famous person. Julianne Moore has created a realistic cute character who is not all that sure of playing dodgeball(who is) I like the little girl and keep cheering on her Monster Game. Ages 5+

[nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story itself is about a 3. It's just not very rhythmic. But I love love love LeYeun Pham's illustration. Her expressions are perfect and adorable. I particularly love the images of Freckleface and the monster. Always nice to see little girls playing with purple monsters.

[Edward Creter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought an Academy-Award nominee had a better imagination than, say, William Shatner? These books have a soft spot and I believe children of men (LOL) will be very happy. Just don't tell them this is the same actress who got shmoozy with Amanda Seyfried in one movie!

[Liz B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullying is a major issue in schools and this is a fun book to bring the discussion to the classroom. This needs to be discussed from a young age so kids understand what is bullying and how the can cope and stop bullying.

[Sandra Vicars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freckleface Strawberry loves to go to school early except when it rains. When it rains they play dodgeball in doors and the bully, Windy Pants Patrick always wins! That is until Freckleface Strawberry practices being a monster.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

wonderful illustrations. simple words. in the end the bully and Freckleface become friends, which is a great outcome, but doesn't necessarily happen in real life. I will read the other books with this main character.