My Weird School Daze #4: Coach Hyatt Is a Riot!

My Weird School Daze #4

by Dan Gutman, Dan Gutman

With more than 30 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading! In this fourth book in the My Weird School Daze series, the Pee Wee Football season is here! But A.J.'s new coach is crazy. She wants the boys to do push-ups in the mud. She wants them to pick up a car. She even wants to put girls on the team! You'll never believe in a million hundred years what happens in the big game. Perfect for reluctant readers and word lovers alike, Dan Gutman’s hugely popular My Weird School chapter book series has something for everyone. Don’t miss the hilarious adventures of A.J. and the gang!

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Sports, Faith, Football, Juvenile

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

The author of over 80 books in a little over a decade of writing, Dan Gutman has written on topics from computers to baseball. Beginning his freelance career as a nonfiction author dealing mostly with sports for adults and young readers, Gutman has concentrated on juvenile fiction since 1995. His most popular titles include the time-travel sports book Honus and Me and its sequels, and a clutch of baseball books, including The Green Monster from Left Field. From hopeful and very youthful presidential candidates to stunt men, nothing is off limits in Gutman's fertile imagination. As he noted on his author Web site, since writing his first novel, They Came from Centerfield, in 1994, he has been hooked on fiction. "It was fun to write, kids loved it, and I discovered how incredibly rewarding it is to take a blank page and turn it into a WORLD."

Gutman was born in New York City in 1955, but moved to Newark, New Jersey the following year and spent his youth there.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading books from Dan Gutman's "My Weird Schol" series aloud to my youngest and to the classes who come visit the library because, secretly, I love doing the different voices of the characters and "performing" for the kids. My absolute favorite part of being a school librarian.

This book had me, my volunteer, my roughest and toughest 5th graders, and even the 5th grade teacher laughing out loud as AJ and his friends learn to play Pee Wee football and learn the value of teamwork. AJ and his friends are hesitant of their new coach, at first, because their new coach turns out to be a lady! As always, AJ gives his opinion about cheerleaders, end zone dances, team work, and coaches in this comical book.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the My Weird School Daze series by Dan Gutman and Jim Paillot.

They are very funny, quick reads and although they are told from a boy's perspective, I think they would appeal equally to boys and girls. This is a fun tale about football. A.J. and friends get a new coach for their football team and have a remarkable first game.

The book references other books (and teachers) in the series, such as Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet!. We've read many of these books completely out of order, but it doesn't seem to matter.

The dialogue is fresh and the story is easy to read aloud and I'm sure it will continue to appeal to beginning readers.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read most of Gutman's first series, My Weird School (21 books). In this next series, My Weird School Daze, A.J. and the gang are in third grade but not much has really changed. A.J. still claims to hate school, Michael and Ryan are still his best friends, and Andrea is still annoying. Kids will love that much of the familiar silliness from the first series remains. Coach Hyatt turns out to be a lady (gasp) with a son on the team named Wyatt who picks his nose. She is a tough coach and many of her speeches and drills don't really make sense. I loved it when she told them that they were about to learn the most important part of football and she taught them the end zone dance. It was hilarious.

If you are a kid ages 7-10, then you will probably enjoy this book with its odd footnotes, word play, nose-picking, and "butts". But after a couple dozen books, I am ready to move past the formula fiction and the repetition. Nevertheless, I will keep this series in mind for any student who needs to be matched with a book that will make him/her laugh and is short enough to not overwhelm the reader by a big time commitment.

[Kate Schwarz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give it a two, my son Ben would give it a five, so...I'll make it a three. I'm a fan of Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventure Series books--they are fantastic, well written and well researched. This "Weird School Series" is...a bit different. There's potty humor galore: for example, the main character in this book likes football because he can knock people on their butts and there's a kid who won't stop picking his nose, but it does prove helpful in the final game when he puts his boogers on the opposing team and scores the winning touchdown. Not my favorite.

But it had my six year old son chuckling out loud, and I had to admit that some of it was funny, albeit crude. I have another son in addition to Ben, so this sort of talk doesn't shock me, though I do try and keep it to a minimum when we have guests. :)

Anyway, that's the downside. The upside: the story is told by a boy and it's about football, but Coach Hyatt is a girl and another girl, this time a peer, is needed to get the team out of their rut and help them win. That "girls can do it too" message is a good thing for sure. Just the way he gets there...is not my favorite.

Though this book might not win any literary awards, the series has my two oldest kids cracking up and keeps them reading--sometimes on their own, something together, and now sometimes with me. So there's some good in there for sure.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A.J. and his buddies are now in third grade, which is a miracle considering how much A.J. hates school. A.J. does LOVE Pee Wee Football though, and football season is in full swing. Of course, the new coach turns out to be a girl...a woman...with a nose-picking son named Wyatt. Wyatt Hyatt? He doesn't have a chance. Neither does A.J.'s team. The Moose (why not Meese?) are bound to lose, unless Coach Hyatt's strange coaching tricks and a secret weapon not even A.J. knows about come through! My daughter loved that this book had asterisks (*) drawing attention to wacky footnotes. She made sure to look for them throughout the story.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Gutman understands young reader’s humor and has created a fantastic book formula to draw in even the most reluctant of readers. The My Weird School series is perfect for students to practice their reading skills with its repetitive yet hysterical narrative and story lines. But don’t mention that part to your kiddos, they might run away in fear they could learn something. A must have collection for any grade school library or classroom!

[Ripken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a new football coach that is a woman who is coaching a team called the Moose.

This book was pretty funny. I loved how coach Hyatt usually says after a question that she asks the team "make a cabin with my bare hands." I also love how A.J has the idea to dump the Gatorade on their coach after winning the game against the Sharks. My last favorite thing about this book is how they call their mascot Roofus the Dufus.

This is a pretty good football book for kids.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Coach Hyatt is a Riot because in the book, Coach Hyatt keeps on saying that when she was young she built a log cabin with her bare hands. I laugh when I read that. And also my favorite part also is when Arlo (A.J.) thinks that Andrea and her girly friends do lame cheers. My favorite cheer is this one: Jump in the air! Fall in the dirt! Just make sure no one gets hurt! Go........ Moose!

[Cecelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite cheer that the cheerleaders did was "Winning! Losing! It Depends! Why can't we just all be friends? Go....Moose!".

Andrea was a cheerleader but then she had to be part of the football team. It was Sharks 77, Moose 0. But when Andrea got on the team she made them all catch up. First it was 77 - 14, and then it was 77 - 51, and then it was 77 - 78 and the Moose won.

[Pamela McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title promises, this book has lots of great guy humour, with a kid that can't keep his finger out of his nose, a coach that's a bonkers, and a quarterback who dances circles around the other team. Fun.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's football season at "My Weird School", and AJ has a crazy coach! This book is really hilarious and made me and my mom laugh! One of my favorite part was when Andrea steps up for the team and helps them win the game!

[Sofia]

Very entertaining for me. I look forward to the rest of Dan Gutman's 'My Weird School Books'

[Abel]

I think that weird series are the best books i have ever read.coach hyatt is a riot is my favorite book.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was funny and very weird. How could a football team lift up a car?

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

[Scion Sanjin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.J. is in big trouble!!! In pee wee football he has a new coach. And the coach wasn't a he at all.
Coach Hyatt is a Lady!!!!! Coach Hyatt wants them to pick up her car, do push-ups in mud and wants girls on the team. She is sure a riot. And you'll never believe what happens next.






Coach Hyatt Is a Riot!
Dan Gutman

[Lais Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Lais and L.’s Book Club #4

This one is tied with the previous one as my favorite so far because the football team gets a female coach and at first the boys hate it. Then a girl who plays better than all the boys together join the team and save them from losing a game and the boys hate it even more. And I absolutely love the gender discussion we can go from there.

This whole plot from the perspective of an elementary kid who hates school (except from P.E. and recess).

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's Pee Wee Football season, and A.J.'s new coach is crazy. She wants the boys to do push-ups in the mud. She wants them to pick up a car. And worst of all, she wants to put girls on the team! You'll never believe in a million hundred years what happens in the big game.."--Page 4 de la couverture.

[Ada P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.J is so excited for football! That is, at least until he realizes his coach is crazy! She wants them to pick up her car, she's mean, and she wants girls on the team! But, can the girls save the team?

I particularly liked the cheerleaders' cheers, they were very funny.
I did not dislike any part of this book especially, and I would recommend it to kids aged six through nine.

[Becky Larrabee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Grade: 1-2
I have always loved this book. It has a lot of funny jokes and characters that I know students will love. I also like how the story has a great theme of never giving up. The book can be relatable and unrealistic at the same time. It was a great read.

[Jacob Huebner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is mainly for young children I would say but it was pretty funny. I think that the auth did a so so job of writing this book because it didn’t really have much of a wow factor. All in all the book was O.K.

[Marya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice! Gutman manages to drag in all the cliches about crazy Little-League-style coaches and either rationalize them (with completely off the wall logic), or upend them completely. And yet, he sticks close to his own formulae (which makes it easier for younger fans to follow along). Well done!

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

AJ is back and now he is having issues with Coach Hyatt. She made the kids lift her car to teach them teamwork!

My 4th grade students loved the book and AJ's adventures with his classmates, especially Andrea, and coach Hyatt!

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think girls would enjoy this one more than boys, even though it is about football. I liked it all right, but didn't think it was as funny as others I have read by this author in the "My Weird School" series. (Karen's review)

[Becky Larrabee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Grade: 1-2
I have always loved this book. It has a lot of funny jokes and characters that I like students would love. I also like how relatable and inrealistic the book can be at the same time. It was a great read.

[Gula 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one cracked the boy up- the cheers, the sharks, the UFM.

[Jaden John · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was Funny!

[Sparrow12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ENJOYED IT IMMENSELY.
Luckily I found another one by the same author.

[Kt Roth]

3.0 chapter book challenge