First sentence: n/a

Premise/plot: Clarice Bean HATES school and hates her teacher. (It seems mutual. The teacher is depicted as unprofessionally mean. Of course, that could be Clarice Bean's perspective.) In this series book, Clarice Bean has to team up with a classmate (or two) and do a project (oral report? class presentation?) on a book. They have to choose a book that they've learned something from. The teacher is angry (angry enough to send to the principal) that Clarice wants to choose a fiction book and a mystery at that. Clarice LOVES the Ruby Redfort mystery series. (As do a few of her friends). But can these students find a way to prove that they've "learned something" from a mystery novel?

My thoughts: My library doesn't have many in this series. And they do not have the first book. This bothers me starting books in the middle of a series. I felt Clarice Bean was stream of consciousness of an ADHD kid. The way the story unfolds is just a bit all over the place. I think one thing that made this one a little odd--and I don't know if it's just this one book in the series or the whole series--is that the NOVEL Clarice is reading--the mystery novel starring Ruby Redfort--gets almost as many pages as the actual Clarice Bean novel. I would describe the book as a little jumpy/jittery. I didn't dislike it, but I almost don't know what to do with it. I feel like to make sense of it I would almost need to read the other books to see a fuller picture of Clarice Bean's world.

I do wish I'd written down the first sentence. I'm so used to books having previews available that I hardly write down sentences. ( )

This book might not be for me but it was one of the cutest things I have ever had.You won't believe me if I said that I bought this book when I was 12. ( )

This story was precious. Clarice Bean is finds it hard to pay attention in class, but she has to so to receives a good grade on her project. Clarice is paired up with the "naughty boy" in class and tries to figure out, by thinking like her favorite detective Ruby Redfort, what to do so that she is not labeled as a "naughty" student.

This is a great book for children from second grade on up to fifth, as the reading advances just a little. This book still contains illustrations, which help to emphasize Lauren Child's writing. This story relates to children at this age level because they are often very creative. ( )

"Its not easy to concentrate at school when mysterious things are happening all around you. Clarice Bean is beginning to feel just like a hero of her favorite books- schoolgirl detective Ruby Redfort.

Can Clarice Bean pay attention long enough to ace her book project about Ruby and win the class prize? Find out int he utterly hilarious and suspenseful diary of Clarice Bean!" ( )

An inquisitive girl who notices a lot of changes in the people around and she must find out why. This book gives students the opportunity to be more observant and inquisitive. ( )