Rules for School: A Sixth-Grader's Advice on Navigating the Bus, Halls, and Teacher for Kids

by Alec Greven, Kei Acedera (Illustrator)

Scared of school? Don't worry. You can be cool and rule! School is hard! There's a lot to know, like where to sit on the bus, how to find your way around the halls, and what to do to make sure you stay on your teacher's good side. Lucky for you Alec Greven has just turned eleven, and he's seen it all. Alec passes down his sixth-grade wisdom and gives advice that will help every student who's starting out or just started out on the wrong foot. Want to rule the school? Alec tells you how!

Genres: Picture Books, School

48 pages, Hardcover

First published June 8, 2010

About the author

Alec Greven, 9, is a fourth grader from Castle Rock, Colorado. Alec Greven wrote a book called,”How To Talk To Girls.” Alec Greven impressed Ellen DeGeneres so much that she invited him to be on her show. Then, DeGeneres took Alec Greven to New York to meet HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins loved Greven’s book on “How To talk To Girls.” HarperCollins decided to publish Alec Greven’s book.

Alec Greven said he wrote his book based on observation of the interactions of girls and boys at the playground. Alec Greven does not have a girlfriend yet.

Alec - who just finished a children's book on the Watergate scandal - said he wants to be a full-time writer when he grows up, with a weekend job in archaeology or paleontology.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so, so, so hope that Alec is still the one really writing these and it's not all a big hoax. I want to believe. 8]

First of all ... he is just SPOT ON with things that kids worry about or have trouble with.

Who wouldn't love this quote?

"My favorite time is Library because books are awesome. Tip: If you don't like a book, don't worry. There is a book for everyone. Ask the librarian to help you."


Of course, there are the lovely pen and ink drawings. I love the drawings in his books. He doesn't do those, someone else does. But they have this retro vibe ... just like some old books of my mom's I used to look at.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weeding my J300s section. This not only passed the test, but has me wanting to take home to read to our kids. My stepdaughter begins Kindergarten in a few weeks. This might be fun to review with her. There are a couple of rules that I think are not quite right. But overall it is a fun, less preachy way to help kids be ready and excited for school in any year.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too wordy and black and white illustrations made this a one star book for me. Might be helpful for the super anxious or an older audience.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Always practical and completely honest in his advice for other kids, Alec Greven seems to divide the wisdom he has to offer in Rules for School into two general areas: encouragement to be proactive in preparing for reentry into school after the long summer layoff, and encouragement to be practical in accepting the realities of school, both the pleasant and the not-so-pleasant.

Readers who are new to the writing of Alec Greven might be surprised to find out how down-to-earth he is with the suggestions that he makes. His advice isn't necessarily designed to make adults happy, by outlining a standard of unrealistic perfection; he genuinely seems to want to help kids by giving information that they will really be willing to apply, in a form that will work for many even if the specific methods won't always completely be approved by grownups.

School is, at best, a mixed bag for most people, but Alec tries to show readers that a good attitude toward one's studies and a willingness to cooperate with teachers and their sets of rules will be an arrangement that should benefit everyone. If we're willing to accept the daily "grind" of school as a necessary establishment and look for the good in it even if we're bored by or disgruntled with the system, then it can be a positive experience anyway. And that will help us prepare for our futures, however they may look.

Alec Greven's writing style is a lot of fun, and I never tire of listening to his unique brand of opinion on every subject, from how to talk to girls, to how to talk to dads, to help for school. I hope that he will continue to write and publish new material in the near future.

[Rebecca Ashley Teague · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 year old Alex Greven wrote this book to give advice to students in Elementary school who are worried about starting back to school or going for the first time. Greven does a wonderful job of laying out rules and advice in a fun way that make it enjoyable for the reader. I feel like students would be able to easily relate and connect with this story because it is written by a young child not much older than they are. I would use this book during the first couple of weeks of school to help reinforce rules and procedures in my classroom. For example, Greven gives advice on how to walk down the hallway.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Rules for School" is a cute book containing a fellow students Top 15 Rules to do well in school.

This book was alright. I can't say that it is one In would absolutely chose to read to a class of students. But it had a lot of really good tips and had cute, relatable language.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite good. Great concept, and the fact that it was written by a child was certainly pretty cool. Not too happy with some of the messages inside, but overall was a nice, approachable "rule" book for kids starting school.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

before I read this book, Todd and Parker read it together. They were laughing up a storm.
I enjoyed it, too. But, I enjoyed listening to them more.