The Blue Ribbon Day

by Katie Couric

Everybody’s a star, a brilliant creation.
The trouble is finding the right constellation!

Ellie McSnelly and Carrie O’Toole, the winning pair of friends from The Brand New Kid, are back in a new adventure. Ellie and Carrie decide to try out for the school team in their favorite sport, soccer. But when only one of the girls is selected, the inseparable pair faces a challenge(what do you say when your best friend is terribly disappointed?

But while some disappointments can’t be avoided, Carrie learns (with some help from her mother and her old friend Lazlo) that while she may not be good at everything, she has undiscovered talents waiting to bloom, if she has the courage to try something new.

For every reader who has ever set his or her heart on joining a sports team, getting a part in the school play, or winning a class election, and been let down, Katie Couric’s reassuring and inspiring story gives a charming lesson in confidence.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, School, Friendship, Sports, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2004

About the author

Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is notable as an American journalist who became well-known as co-host of NBC's Today. In 2006, she made a highly publicized move from NBC to CBS, and on September 5, 2006 she became the first solo female anchor of the weekday evening news on one of the three traditional U.S. broadcast networks. She currently serves as the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, having replaced Bob Schieffer on September 5, 2006. Schieffer served as the interim anchor following the departure of long time anchor and managing editor Dan Rather on March 9, 2005.

Reviews

[Dominique St-pierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could definitely be used to send a message that some times you'll feel disappointment when things don't go as you'd expected. While it was great that Carrie got to celebrate her accomplishments, I sort of felt that it overshadowed Ellie's accomplishment of making it onto the soccer team. I don't know...I'm still on the fence about this book.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this children’s book is how to bravely face failure and use it as a learning experience and as a way to move on to other things that may be more suited to your physical and mental skills. Ellie McSnelly and Carrie O’Toole are friends at Brookhaven School. They get very excited when they see a sign announcing tryouts for soccer.
When the workout is in progress, Ellie demonstrates significant skills at the game while Carrie has trouble making contact with the ball. When the roster is announced, Ellie has made the team while Carrie has not. After shedding tears of disappointment, Carrie decides to enter the school science fair. Her project is the use of sugar solution to make blue rock candy, and her project does so well that she wins a blue ribbon. Demonstrating to the reader that there are many types of skills, what a person needs to do is discover which ones they have and learn how to leverage them to success.
The text is written in four-line segments, where lines 1 and 2 and then 3 and 4 rhyme. All rhymes are simple and can be understood by the student in the middle of elementary school. The illustrations are colorful and depict a lot of action with intense facial expressions.
This is a good book for children, the theme is about life and how the manner in which we face and respond to disappointment determines whether we will be successful or not. I strongly recommend it for all children.

[Meredith Nichols]

I enjoyed this book and think my future students could really learn a lot from this book. It teaches students that they are not going to be good at everything and that okay but it is important to at least try it first to make sure. There are always more things you can explore and be good at.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great message. We have all felt disappointed but we must keep trying to find what we are good at and not waste our time wishing we were good at what someone else is good at.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has a good message about dealing with disappointment and perseverance to keep trying. The illustrations were very child-like, fun and colorful. Teaches rhyme, idioms, perseverance.

[SM R]

This rhyming book is very cute and teaches the important lesson that every person has their own special talents.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I found this book to be slightly annoying. First, the author's note to the reader at the beginning put me off; the vocabulary Couric decided to use in this note was not at all appropriate for the intended audience of the book. I didn't care for the story, either. The plot was ok, but something about the rhyme structure bothered me. I don't know if it was overly sing-songy, or if the rhymes felt forced, but something was just off to me. I also felt like the moral of the story was overly obvious. Between the note at the beginning and the lines in the story, the author really hits readers over the head with her point. Kids can pick up on subtlety and will be able to understand the point of a story without it being this didactic.

[Megan Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie McSnelly and Carrie O'Toole are two best friends who decide to tryout for their school's soccer team. They are both very excited and hope to make it on the team. The day of tryouts arrives, Ellie is REALLY good, and Carrie tries her hardest. A list of call-backs is posted in the school, and Carrie isn't on the list, but Ellie was. Carrie is very upset, but happy for Ellie. The next day, Carrie wanted to start anew, so she and her lab partner, Dazlo, decided to work on an experiment for the upcoming Science Fair. Carrie and Dazlo created crystals in different colors and sizes, and their experiment was put into the Science Fair. Carrie and Dazlo won a blue ribbon for their experiment, and the next day, Carrie got to cheer Ellie on at her soccer game.
I really liked this book! The story is sweet and relatable to a lot of people who haven't gotten something that they wanted and were upset about it. It is a good story about having faith in finding something that you are really good at! I really liked the quote in the book that said, "Everybody's a star, a brilliant creation, the trouble is finding the right constellation!"
I could use this book in a classroom to encourage children to find something that they are really good at and enjoy doing. It is a good book to teach children about not always having to do what everyone else is doing, because being yourself and doing what you love is what is important!

[Hannah Heverling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I appreciated this read partially because I played soccer growing up as well and I remember the anxiety from try out day and the way it caused tension among my friends and I. However, I believe the book also conveyed a strong and useful message. It teaches young readers that everyone can find their strength, and it may be different than your friends' but everyone will find their calling eventually.

[Dave Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feel good story after dealing with difficult rejection only to find success elsewhere. The story has a nice flow to it as well as rythmn and rhyme. I would suggest this book for kids who have or at least thought about trying out for anything they have had a passion to do. A good lesson in overcoming obstacles.

[Jennie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a parent, it is hard for me to watch my children struggle with anything, but I know that I have to let them fail sometimes no matter how hard it is (for both of us). This book is great for teaching us all that though we may be disappointed at what we view as failures, we learn that it is those things that allow us the opportunities to find what we are good at!

[Mathew Horvatich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the rhyming in this story and how it carried out from start to finish. I thought it was incredible how the author was able to rhyme and create a valuable message to the readers. The illustrations were okay I thought the body structure of the characters was awkward and unrealistic on certain pages.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done book that teaches the intended message nicely. The story has decent rhythms and rhyme, and the pictures are good. I like that the main character not only discovers how to deal with disappointment, but also how to succeed in a different area AND how to cheer for her friend.

[Alesha Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches a great lesson to children about what they ahould do when competition becomes difficult. They learn will learn a way to overcome obstacles. This books teaches a lesson and can be a great book to read to a child who may be having the same problem as Carrie.

[Johana Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a good book to teach children perseverance. If you don't subside there is always new to try. Keep trying until you find what you are good at. Also it talks about children can be friends and continue been friend even if they are not in the same teams.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all have different talents.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Carrie is disappointed not to make the school soccer team, she turns her attention to creating a science fair project.

[Dana Pressnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't always be a winner at everything

[Kayla Whitlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rhyme and rhythm. If you fail. you'll succeed else where.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lesson: Everyone has different gifts and abilities.

[D Nine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the rhyming and theme!

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14594322