Children’s
Book Review
Mascot helps Sunny adjust to a new school in Spinelli’s ‘Report to the Principal’s Office’

By Katelyn Hull

Special to THE DAILY

Editor’s note: This book review was written by a fifth-grade magnet program student at Leon Sheffield Elementary School.

Jerry Spinelli became my favorite author after I read his book “Stargirl.” I wanted to read another book written by the Newberry Award-winning author, so I chose “Report to the Principal’s Office.”

It’s the first day of school at Plumstead Middle School and already there’s trouble. The town’s one middle school was split into two different schools. The zoning line runs right between where Sunny and her best friend, Hillary, live.

Sunny tries to act disrespectful and rude. But she has a purpose behind this behavior. She thinks it could get her kicked out of school, and then she’d have to go to Hillary’s school. Sunny’s plans change when she takes care of the school mascot, a hamster named Humphrey. She decides she actually does like Plumstead.

This book really made me stop a couple of times to think over what the author had written and what I’d predict would happen next. Sometimes I didn’t get it, but I read back and would say to myself, “Oh, OK, I get it now!” This was a very good book, and I recommend it to all Jerry Spinelli fans.

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