Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
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Book Summary Information
Author: Judith ViorstBrand: INGRAM BOOK & DISTRIBUTOR
Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1987-07-15
ISBN: 0689711735
Number of pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Atheneum
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780689711732
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
- Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
- Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
Book Reviews of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Book Review: Maybe it's a kid thing
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading the synopsis of the story, I expected that Alexander was going to have some bad events in his day, but I expected something to counteract the horrible day.
I thought it was a downer book. I mean, poor Alexander had nothing that went right during his entire day. I was considering buying it for my nephew, but after reading it I thought, how depressing. I later saw my 9 y/o nephew and he saw the book and said he had already read it. I told him to tell me about it. He remembered the repeated phrase (the book title), he remembered the gum in the hair, getting his shirt wet and his foot getting smashed. I remembered the friend not wanting to be his best friend anymore, the cat not wanting to sleep with him and his slipping in the mud and being called a cry baby.
It would have been nice if there had been something other than a perfunctory acknowledgment of the terrible day. The only comment at the end is that "My Mom says some days are like that." I guess it's realistic, but putting a funny or positive spin on some of the events would have been great for showing how to deal with those terrible days. I mean this book is for kids...they'll get realism enough as they grow up.
I can honestly say, I've never had such a pileup of terrible things happen in just one day and if I did - as an adult, I know how to deal with it. Maybe, the book had such terrible things happen that if a child only had a few bad things, he could compare it to this book and say his day wasn't nearly as bad as Alexander's.
Summary of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair.
And it got worse...
His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!
This handsome new edition of Judith Viorst's classic picture book is sure to charm readers of all ages.
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."
So begin the trials and tribulations of the irascible Alexander, who has been earning the sympathy of readers since 1972. People of all ages have terrible, horrible days, and Alexander offers us the cranky commiseration we crave as well as a reminder that things may not be all that bad. As Alexander's day progresses, he faces a barrage of bummers worthy of a country- western song: getting smushed in the middle seat of the car, a dessertless lunch sack, a cavity at the dentist's office, stripeless sneakers, witnessing kissing on television, and being forced to sleep in railroad-train pajamas. He resolves several times to move to Australia.
Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny. Our hero's gum-styled hair and peevish countenance are artfully depicted by Ray Cruz's illustrations. An ALA Notable Book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces. (Ages 5 to 9)
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